Prerequisites

Learn about prerequisites for upgrading Oracle GoldenGate Microservices Architecture.

As a best practice, perform a minimal or basic upgrade first, which implies performing the upgrade without adding any new features and additional or non-mandatory parameters.

If Oracle GoldenGate is upgraded at the source side where the Extract exists, then the trail file format remains the same. Only if a higher FORMAT RELEASE is adjusted to the EXTTRAIL parameter or an ETROLLOVER is performed, will the trail file get upgraded to a higher release. This provides the opportunity to upgrade the target system where the Replicat exists, independently. When all target systems are upgraded, you may update the format release of the EXTTRAIL parameter to leverage new features that rely on a higher trail file format. No repositioning of any process is required.

After you verify that the environment is upgraded successfully, you can implement the new features and additional parameters as required.

The upgrade instructions also include the steps for upgrading the source or target database and Oracle GoldenGate at the same time.

Oracle GoldenGate Upgrade Considerations

Before you start the upgrade, review the information about upgrading Extract and Replicat.

As a best practice, perform a minimal or basic upgrade first, which implies performing the upgrade without adding any new features and additional or non-mandatory parameters. After you verify that the environment is upgraded successfully, you can implement the new features and additional parameters as required.

Even though you may only be upgrading the source or target installations, rather than both, all processes are involved in the upgrade. All processes must be stopped in the correct order for the upgrade, regardless of which component you upgrade, and the trails must be processed until empty.

Oracle recommends that you begin your upgrade with the target rather than the source to avoid the necessity of adjusting the trail file format.

Installation Binaries and Deployments

With Microservices Architecture, there is a strong separation between where the software is installed and the deployment directory structure for the Oracle GoldenGate instance, which contains the parameter files, report files, and trail files. For both these areas, the software binaries and deployment, are strictly separated. So, there is no interference between the old and new software installations related to the deployments.

During a software upgrade, the new software will be installed independently. The deployment working with the old software will be stopped. Then, the deployment environment will be adjusted to the new software and the deployment will be restarted.

If you have a reverse proxy configuration on your host machine generated with OGG_HOME/lib/utl/reverseproxy/ReverseProxySettings, then consider reconfiguring it to leverage the enhanced ReverseProxySetting utility available with Oracle GoldenGate 21c (21.3) and higher releases. For details on ReverseProxySetting utility, see Configure Oracle GoldenGate Reverse Proxy with NGINX.

Security Considerations

You cannot change an unsecure deployment to secure deployment or a secure deployment to an unsecure one. Deployment Security must be configured at Deployment creation time, and cannot be changed. If you want to change to a secure deployment, you need to create another secure deployment and then manually move Extracts, Replicats, Receiver Service, and Distribution Service to that new deployment.

Service Manager and Deployments

When upgrading Oracle GoldenGate, the Service Manager must be updated first. The software version of the Service Manager must be higher or equal to the version of the deployments, except when XAG is enabled.

Note:

If using Oracle Grid Infrastructure Agent (XAG), the deployments managed by the upgraded Service Manager must also be upgraded. It is not supported to run any deployments under a Service Manager using a different Oracle GoldenGate software release than that of the Service Manager when XAG is enabled.

Extract Upgrade Considerations

If you are upgrading multiple Extract processes that operate in a consolidated configuration (many sources to one target), upgrade one Extract at a time.

The output trail file is automatically rolled over when the Extract restarts and the Extract version is upgraded.

For Oracle GoldenGate for the Oracle Database, when a database is upgraded to a higher binary version and then downgraded to a lower binary version, any existing captures cannot continue mining. The captures have to be dropped and new Extracts have to be created in order to continue.

See UPGRADE HEARTBEATTABLE to know more.

Replicat Upgrade Considerations

All Replicat installations should be upgraded at the same time. It is critical to ensure that all trails leading to all Replicat groups on all target systems are processed until empty, according to the upgrade instructions.

When upgrading from releases prior to 19c release of Oracle GoldenGate, ensure that you do not use the SOURCEDEF parameter in Replicat, otherwise the Replicat will abend. However, if the trail file format is pre-12.2, then SOURCEDEF is still required because no metadata exists in the trail file.

The TIMEZONE datatype is managed differently with Oracle GoldenGate 21c and higher releases. Therefore, you may need to run the ALTER REPLICAT EXTSEQNO command to synchronize with newer trail files after consuming the old trail file written by the Extract. See the ALTER REPLICAT command for details.

Trail File Considerations

If Oracle GoldenGate is upgraded at the source side where the Extract exists, then the trail file format remains the same. However, the trail file gets upgraded to a higher release only if a higher FORMAT RELEASE is adjusted to the EXTTRAIL parameter or an ETROLLOVER is performed. This provides the opportunity to upgrade the target system where the Replicat exists, independently. When all target systems are upgraded, you may update the format release of the EXTTRAIL parameter to leverage new features that rely on a higher trail file format. No repositioning of any process is required.