Applying Support Updates

The Oracle Solaris support repository is kept updated with important fixes including security updates. See Accessing Support Updates for information about the Oracle Solaris support repository.

Oracle Solaris provides Support Repository Updates (SRUs) to deliver these fixes. Every third SRU is a Critical Patch Update (CPU SRU). The timing of CPU SRU releases matches the release of critical patch updates for other Oracle products.

The following figure shows two system upgrade strategies. In the figure, GA = a release such as Oracle Solaris 11.3 or Oracle Solaris 11.4, S = SRU, and C = CPU SRU.

Updating every time a new SRU is available is the best way to keep your system up-to-date with important security fixes.
If you do not believe you can reboot every month, update at least every quarter to the Oracle critical patch update.

When you update to a CPU SRU or any other SRU, you get all the fixes and enhancements that were delivered in all preceding SRUs. The following figure shows the monthly SRU and quarterly CPU update paths. Every third SRU is a CPU SRU. You can switch paths at any time.

Monthly SRU or Quarterly CPU System Updates

Figure shows monthly SRU and quarterly CPU update paths. Every third SRU is a CPU SRU. Switch paths at any time.

The following table describes differences between SRUs and CPU SRUs.

Table 4-1 Comparison of SRUs and CPUs

Characteristic	SRUs	CPU SRUs
Update release frequency	Monthly	Quarterly See Critical Patch Updates, Security Alerts and Bulletins for the CPU release schedule.
Update content	Any kind of fix or enhancement In addition to new fixes, each SRU provides all fixes and enhancements from preceding Oracle Solaris releases and from all preceding SRUs for the current release. For example, updating from Oracle Solaris 11.2 SRU 14 to Oracle Solaris 11.3 SRU 2 installs all fixes from Oracle Solaris 11.2 SRU 15 and Oracle Solaris 11.3 GA, SRU 1, and SRU 2.	New fixes are only critical fixes, including fixes for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Provides all fixes and enhancements from preceding Oracle Solaris releases and from all preceding SRUs for the current release, but new change introduced in this SRU is only critical fixes.
Reboot required	Yes	Yes
New series begins	Each Oracle Solaris release: for example, Oracle Solaris 11.2, Oracle Solaris 11.3, Oracle Solaris 11.4	CPU SRUs are part of the SRU series. Every third SRU is a CPU SRU.
Length of series	Same as the associated Oracle Solaris release as stated in “Solaris Operating System End Of Life Matrix” (Doc ID 1001343.1). SRUs might no longer be produced for a release once a subsequent release is available. You can update directly from an SRU for one Oracle Solaris release to an SRU for a different Oracle Solaris release. The “Oracle Solaris Binary and Source Guarantee Program” (Doc ID 1391762.1) ensures that updating across release boundaries is low risk.	CPU SRUs are part of the SRU series. Every third SRU is a CPU SRU.