1.4.2 Restrictions for Modifying the Oracle Exadata Software Components

The following restrictions apply to software modifications to Oracle Exadata Rack. Violating these restrictions can result in loss of warranty and support.

• Oracle Exadata System Software and the operating systems cannot be modified, and you cannot install any additional software or agents on the Oracle Exadata Storage Servers.

• You cannot update the firmware directly on the Oracle Exadata Storage Servers. The firmware is updated as part of an Oracle Exadata Storage Server patch.

• You can update the firmware of the other components of Oracle Exadata Rack.

  • You can update the OS and firmware versions on the Management Network Switch to meet their data center requirements.

  • You can update the firmware of the components of the database servers provided they comply with the restrictions documented in My Oracle Support Doc ID 888828.1, and its related notes.

  • You can update the firmware of the RDMA Network Fabric switches provided they comply with the validated versions documented in My Oracle Support Doc ID 888828.1, and its related notes.

• You may load additional software on the database servers. However, to ensure best performance, Oracle discourages adding software except for agents, such as backup agents and security monitoring agents, on the database servers.

  Loading non-standard kernel modules on the operating system of the database servers is allowed but discouraged. Oracle will not support questions or issues with the non-standard modules. If a server crashes, and Oracle suspects the crash may have been caused by a non-standard module, then Oracle support may refer you to the vendor of the non-standard module or ask that the issue be reproduced without the non-standard module. Modifying the database server operating system other than by applying official patches and upgrades is not supported.

• RDMA Network Fabric-related packages should always be maintained at the officially supported release.

• You can install Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Management Agents or Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control Management Agents on the database servers to monitor the system.

• Installing Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center agents to monitor the system is not allowed.

• Oracle Exadata Deployment Assistant (OEDA) is used to specify the physical network interfaces that you want to bond for the client network and the additional networks, if configured. OEDA generates bonded network interfaces that amalgamate two physical network interfaces.

  Manual changes to the OEDA-generated bonding configuration are allowed but discouraged. Oracle will not support questions or issues associated with non-standard bonding configurations. In any event, bonding configurations having fewer than two networking interfaces are not permitted.