8.5.8.1 Using a Local YUM Repository Mirror for ULN Oracle Exadata Channels

A local YUM repository server is a separate Linux server that contains a local copy (mirror) of Exadata database server software update packages downloaded from the Oracle Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN). After the repository is configured, all your Exadata database servers can connect to it to retrieve updates.

Note:

Do not use an Exadata database server as the local ULN mirror. Use a separate server to avoid interruptions caused by reboots associated with an Exadata software update. Also, using a separate server avoids dependency conflicts between the packages required to construct the repository and the packages installed or updated to support Exadata system functions.

If no separate server is available, use the direct ISO image method instead. See Using the ISO File Directly.

In general, the procedure to set up the local YUM repository server contains the following steps:

1. Install and configure the software packages to support a YUM repository and Web server.

2. Register the system with ULN.

3. Subscribe to the ULN channels that contain the Exadata database server updates you want to mirror.

The precise instructions depend on the Oracle Linux version used on the local YUM repository server, which is independent from the Oracle Linux version used by Exadata. Consult the appropriate version of Oracle Linux documentation for your situation. As a guide, see Setting Up a Local ULN Mirror for instructions based on the current Oracle Linux release.

The ULN channels containing Exadata database server software use identifiers starting with exadata_dbserver. You can find the available Exadata channels using the ULN Web interface or the uln-channel utility. For example:

[root@yumrepo ~]# uln-channel --available-channels
...
exadata_dbserver_22.1.18.0.0_x86_64_base
exadata_dbserver_22.1.19.0.0_x86_64_base
exadata_dbserver_22.1.20.0.0_x86_64_base
...
exadata_dbserver_23.1.7.0.0_x86_64_base
exadata_dbserver_23.1.8.0.0_x86_64_base
exadata_dbserver_23.1.9.0.0_x86_64_base
...

When you identify a relevant channel, you can also use the ULN Web interface or the uln-channel utility to subscribe to it and mirror it for use across your Exadata systems. Remember that a single YUM repository server can mirror multiple Exadata database server software channels, and each channel contains software based on a specific Oracle Linux release, such as OL6, OL7, OL8, and so on. For example:

[root@yumrepo ~]# uln-channel --add --channels exadata_dbserver_22.1.20.0.0_x86_64_base
[root@yumrepo ~]# uln-channel --add --channels exadata_dbserver_23.1.8.0.0_x86_64_base

After creating the ULN mirror, you can reference it using the Exadata patchmgr utility with the --repo option. For example:

[root@pmserver ~]# patchmgr --dbnodes database_node_file --precheck --repo http://yumrepo/yum/exadata_dbserver_23.1.8.0.0_x86_64_base --target_version 23.1.8.0.0.231109
[root@pmserver ~]# patchmgr --dbnodes database_node_file --upgrade --repo http://yumrepo/yum/exadata_dbserver_23.1.8.0.0_x86_64_base --target_version 23.1.8.0.0.231109 --rolling

Note that the server running patchmgr may be different from the YUM repository server. Also, the precise URL you specify in the --repo option depends on how you set up the ULN mirror and the associated Web server.