Pre-Upgrade Checklist

The Pre-Upgrade Checklist identifies tasks that can be performed before you begin your upgrade to ensure you have a successful upgrade and limited downtime.

Upgrades are performed while the servers are down. This checklist is meant to identify important — and often time-consuming — pre-upgrade tasks that you can perform before the upgrade to limit your downtime. The more preparation you can do before you begin the upgrade process, the less time you will spend offline.

Note:

The pre-upgrade procedures you perform will depend on the configuration of your existing system, the components you are upgrading, and the environment you want to create at the end of the upgrade and configuration process. Complete only those tasks that apply to your configurations or use cases.

Table 2-1 Tasks to Perform Before You Upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c

Task	Description
Required Create a complete backup of your existing environment.	Back up all system-critical files and database(s) that contain any schemas that are to be upgraded. If the upgrade fails, you must restore your pre-upgrade environment and begin the upgrade again. See Creating a Complete Backup. Make sure that your backup includes the schema version registry table. See Backing Up the Schema Version Registry Table. If you modified any of the startup scripts in your existing domain, you will need to copy them to temporary directory location (outside of the existing domain) during the upgrade and redeploy them after the upgrade.
Optional Clone your production environment to use as an upgrade testing platform.	In addition to creating a complete backup of your system files, Oracle strongly recommends that you clone your production environment. This environment can be used to test the upgrade. See Cloning Your Production Environment.
Required Verify that you are installing and upgrading your product on a supported hardware and software configuration. Do not attempt an upgrade if you are unable to use the latest supported operating system. As with all supported configurations, failure to comply with these requirements may cause your upgrade to fail.	Verify that your hardware and software configurations (including operating systems) are supported by the latest certifications and requirements documents. Also make sure to use a supported JDK version before you install the 12c product distributions. Oracle recommends that you verify this information right before you start the upgrade as the certification requirements are frequently updated. Make sure that you have applied the latest patches to your components before you upgrade. See Verifying Certification and System Requirements.
Required for 32–bit Operating Systems Only Migrate to a 64-bit operating system before you can upgrade.	This is required only if you are currently running an unsupported 32–bit operating system.
Optional Update security policy files if you are using enhanced encryption (AES 256).	Some of the security algorithms used in Fusion Middleware 12c require additional policy files for the JDK. If you plan to use enhanced encryption, such as AES 256, Oracle recommends that you apply the latest required policy files to the JDK before you upgrade. See Updating Policy Files when Using Enhanced Encryption (AES 256).
Optional Purge any outdated or unused data before you upgrade.	To optimize performance, Oracle strongly recommends that you purge data and objects that will not be used in the upgraded environment. See Purging Unused Data.
Required for Oracle Database Users Only Before upgrading an Edition-Based Redefinition (EBR) enabled schema, you must connect to the database server and create an edition on the database server for 12c (12.2.1.3.0).	If you are using an Edition-Based Redefinition (EBR) database, you must create the edition before starting the upgrade. See Creating an Edition on the Server for Edition-Based Redefinition.
Optional Create a Non-SYSDBA user to run the Upgrade Assistant.	Oracle recommends that you create the FMW user to run Upgrade Assistant. User FMW can run the Upgrade Assistant without system administration privileges. See Creating a Non-SYSDBA User to Run the Upgrade Assistant
Optional Identify which schemas are currently in your domain before you begin.	It is important that you know which schemas are in your pre-upgrade domain before you start the upgrade. You should know the schema owner names and passwords, as well as the versions of each schema.

Task

Description

Required

Create a complete backup of your existing environment.

Back up all system-critical files and database(s) that contain any schemas that are to be upgraded. If the upgrade fails, you must restore your pre-upgrade environment and begin the upgrade again.

See Creating a Complete Backup.

Make sure that your backup includes the schema version registry table. See Backing Up the Schema Version Registry Table.
If you modified any of the startup scripts in your existing domain, you will need to copy them to temporary directory location (outside of the existing domain) during the upgrade and redeploy them after the upgrade.

Optional

Clone your production environment to use as an upgrade testing platform.

In addition to creating a complete backup of your system files, Oracle strongly recommends that you clone your production environment. This environment can be used to test the upgrade.

See Cloning Your Production Environment.

Required

Verify that you are installing and upgrading your product on a supported hardware and software configuration.

Do not attempt an upgrade if you are unable to use the latest supported operating system. As with all supported configurations, failure to comply with these requirements may cause your upgrade to fail.

Verify that your hardware and software configurations (including operating systems) are supported by the latest certifications and requirements documents. Also make sure to use a supported JDK version before you install the 12c product distributions.

Oracle recommends that you verify this information right before you start the upgrade as the certification requirements are frequently updated.

Make sure that you have applied the latest patches to your components before you upgrade.

See Verifying Certification and System Requirements.

Required for 32–bit Operating Systems Only

Migrate to a 64-bit operating system before you can upgrade.

This is required only if you are currently running an unsupported 32–bit operating system.

Optional

Update security policy files if you are using enhanced encryption (AES 256).

Some of the security algorithms used in Fusion Middleware 12c require additional policy files for the JDK.

If you plan to use enhanced encryption, such as AES 256, Oracle recommends that you apply the latest required policy files to the JDK before you upgrade.

See Updating Policy Files when Using Enhanced Encryption (AES 256).

Optional

Purge any outdated or unused data before you upgrade.

To optimize performance, Oracle strongly recommends that you purge data and objects that will not be used in the upgraded environment.

See Purging Unused Data.

Required for Oracle Database Users Only

Before upgrading an Edition-Based Redefinition (EBR) enabled schema, you must connect to the database server and create an edition on the database server for 12c (12.2.1.3.0).

If you are using an Edition-Based Redefinition (EBR) database, you must create the edition before starting the upgrade.

See Creating an Edition on the Server for Edition-Based Redefinition.

Optional

Create a Non-SYSDBA user to run the Upgrade Assistant.

Oracle recommends that you create the FMW user to run Upgrade Assistant. User FMW can run the Upgrade Assistant without system administration privileges.

See Creating a Non-SYSDBA User to Run the Upgrade Assistant

Optional

Identify which schemas are currently in your domain before you begin.

It is important that you know which schemas are in your pre-upgrade domain before you start the upgrade. You should know the schema owner names and passwords, as well as the versions of each schema.

Parent topic: Pre-Upgrade Requirements