8.6.2 Scheduling Automated Updates of Storage Servers

Starting with Oracle Exadata System Software release 18.1.0.0.0, you can schedule software updates for the storage servers.

Perform the following steps from an external server, for example, an Oracle Exadata Database Server.

If you are accessing the Software Update store using the HTTPS protocol, then TLS certificate checks are required by default. If the certificate for the web server that hosts the software update cannot be validated, then the following error is returned:

CELL-00076: An error occurred during download of software update:
source https://example.com:port is not available. 
CELL-00092: The store's TLS certificate cannot be authenticated with 
known CA certificates

1. Copy the software update ZIP file to a directory which is hosted by a web server.
2. If you are using Oracle Exadata System Software 18c (18.1.0) or 18c (18.1.1), then the patch file must have a name like 18.1.1.0.0.171018.patch.zip.

   If the downloaded patch has a name like p26875767_181100_Linux-x86-64.zip, then rename the file to 18.1.1.0.0.17018.patch.zip. Rename the ZIP file to use the release number and date string that is used for the directory name within the ZIP file. For example, when you unzip the patch p26875767_181100_Linux-x86-64.zip it extracts the directory patch_18.1.1.0.0.171018.

   If you are using Oracle Exadata System Software release 18.1.2 or higher, then the patch downloaded from My Oracle Support is automatically renamed for you during the validation step.

3. Determine approximate time to perform the software update of the storage servers.
4. Create a file on the external server that contains the list of cells to be updated. Name this file cells.
5. Use dcli to schedule the update of the cells.
   1. Setup passwordless access, if needed.

      $ dcli –g cells –k 

   2. Specify the location of the software update ZIP file to use during the update.

      $ dcli –g cells cellcli –e 'alter softwareUpdate store=\"https://host/exa-updates/cell\"'

   3. Specify the time to start the update of the Oracle Exadata System Software on the storage servers.

      If you specify the time before providing the software store location, then the software update download might start before the proper store location has been set.

      $ dcli –g cells cellcli –e 'alter softwareUpdate time=\"1 AM Thursday\"'
      

6. Wait for the updates to occur.

   Management Server (MS) will the start file download and run pre-checks up to one week before the scheduled update. MS will generate an alert if any cell does not update as scheduled.