8.3.2 Overview of Performing Exadata Storage Server Updates

A high level look at the process for updating Exadata storage servers.

Patchmgr manages the update orchestration in a rolling or non-rolling manner for storage servers. When using the -rolling option, Oracle recommends that you use Oracle ASM high redundancy disk groups to tolerate the failure of a disk in another storage server during the update.

1. Download the target Exadata software from My Oracle Support and stage it on the driving system.  See My Oracle Support document 888828.1.

2. Create a file that contains the list of storage servers to update. This file will be specified as the component_list_file.

3. Configure SSH equivalence from the user that will run patchmgr to root on all storage servers in the component_list_file.

4. Run patchmgr prerequisite check and correct any issues.

5. If storage servers will be updated non-rolling, then stop Oracle Clusterware and all databases accessing the storage servers.

6. Run patchmgr to update storage servers in a non-rolling (default) or rolling (-rolling option) manner.

7. If storage servers were updated non-rolling, then restart Oracle Clusterware and all databases.