8.2.1.5 Software Update Utilities

When updating software on Oracle Exadata, you use specific utilities depending on the component being updated.

Update Type	Utility	Components	Description
Pre-update readiness check	Exachk	Oracle Exadata	Health check tool used to qualify maintenance readiness, identify critical issue exposure, and provide version recommendations for updating software. Obtain Exachk from My Oracle Support Document 1070954.1.
Oracle Exadata System Software	patchmgr	Oracle Exadata storage servers Oracle Exadata database servers RDMA Network Fabric switches	Oracle Exadata software update tool that updates all software (Oracle Linux, Oracle Exadata System Software, firmware) on Oracle Exadata database servers, storage servers, or RDMA Network Fabric switches. For example, patchmgr updates Oracle Exadata storage servers and database servers to Oracle Exadata System Software version 12.2.1.1.0, or InfiniBand Network Fabric switches to version 2.2.4-3.
Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database software release update	OPatch or opatchauto	Oracle Exadata database servers	Software update tool that applies a release update to an Oracle Grid Infrastructure home or Oracle Database home. For example, OPatch applies the 12.1.0.2.170117 release update to 12.1.0.2 Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database homes. Obtain OPatch from My Oracle Support Document 274526.1.
Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database software patch set, major release, or release update.	Oracle Universal Installer	Oracle Exadata database servers	Software installation tool that installs an Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database patch set, major, or release update, and upgrades Oracle Grid Infrastructure. For example, Oracle Universal Installer installs Oracle Database 12.2.0.1, or installs and upgrades Oracle Grid Infrastructure from 12.1.0.2 to 12.2.0.1. Use the version of Oracle Universal Installer bundled with the Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database release to which you are upgrading.
Upgrade of an Oracle Database	Oracle Database AutoUpgrade	Oracle Exadata database servers	Oracle Database upgrade utility that can upgrade one or many Oracle databases with one command and configuration file. AutoUpgrade can run pre-upgrade tasks, perform automated corrections where needed, run the database upgrade, and complete post-upgrade tasks. AutoUpgrade includes built-in scheduling capabilities, automatic retry and fallback, and the ability to set, change or remove initialization parameters during the upgrade.
Upgrade of an Oracle Database	Database Upgrade Assistant (DBUA)	Oracle Exadata database servers	Database tool that upgrades a database to a later patch set, major release, or release update. For example, DBUA upgrades a database from 12.1.0.1 to 12.1.0.2, or from 12.1.0.2 to 12.2.0.1. Use DBUA bundled with the Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database release to which you are upgrading.
Oracle Exadata System Software Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database software	Fleet Patching and Provisioning (previously named Rapid Home Provisioning (RHP))	Exadata storage servers Exadata database servers RDMA Network Fabric switches	Software maintenance tool that provisions, patches, and upgrades Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database software on one or more clusters from a centralized server. Use Fleet Patching and Provisioning as a feature of Oracle Clusterware. Starting with Oracle Grid Infrastructure release 18c, in addition to Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database homes, Fleet Patching and Provisioning supports patching the Oracle Exadata components: database nodes, storage cells, and RDMA Network Fabric switches.
Oracle Exadata System Software Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database software	Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control	Exadata storage servers Exadata database servers RDMA Network Fabric switches	Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control provides lifecycle management capability to apply software updates to Oracle Exadata. Note: Facilities for updating Oracle Exadata System Software are deprecated in Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control release 13.4.