1.10 Reviewing Release and Patch Levels

When adding new servers to a rack, you must match the installed operating system version and software releases.

The new rack or servers most-likely have a later release or patch level than the current rack. In some cases, you may want to update the current rack release to the later release. In other cases, you may want to stay at your current release, and choose to re-image the new rack to match the current rack. Whatever you choose to do, ensure that the existing and new servers and switches are at the same patch level.

Tip:

Check My Oracle Support note 888828.1 for latest information on minimum releases.

Older servers in a rack may need to be patched to a later release to meet the minimum required software release. In addition, older database servers might use Oracle Linux release 5.3. Those servers need to be updated to a newer Oracle Linux release.

Additional patching considerations include the Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Database home releases and updates. If new patches will be applied, then Oracle recommends changing the existing servers so that the new servers will inherit the releases as part of the extension procedure. This way, the number of servers being patched is lower. Any patching of the existing servers should be performed in advance so they are at the desired level when the extension work is scheduled, thereby reducing the total amount of work required during the extension.