Firmware and Software Patches

Oracle makes every attempt to ensure that each system is shipped with the latest firmware and software. However, in complex systems, bugs and problems are discovered in the field after systems leave the factory. Often, these problems are fixed with patches to the system firmware. Keeping your system firmware and operating environment current with the latest recommended and required patches can help you avoid problems that others already discovered and solved. Firmware and operating environment updates are often required to diagnose or fix a problem. Schedule regular updates of your system firmware and software so that you do not have to update the firmware or software at an inconvenient time.

You can find the latest patches and updates for Oracle x86 servers at My Oracle Support.

Server Security, Software Releases, and Critical Patch Updates

To ensure continued security of your system, Oracle strongly recommends that you apply the latest Software Releases. Server Software Releases include Oracle ILOM, BIOS, and other firmware updates, often referred to as “patches.” Oracle publishes these patches regularly on the My Oracle Support site. Applying these patches helps ensure optimal system performance, security, and stability. You can identify the latest Software Release for your system at Firmware Downloads and Release History for Oracle Systems.

To download a Software Release, go to My Oracle Support.

Oracle notifies customers about security vulnerability fixes for all its products four times a year through the Critical Patch Update (CPU) program. Customers must review the CPU advisories to ensure that the latest software release updates are applied to their Oracle products. Note that updates for Engineered Systems are specifically published for a specific Engineered Systems product (that is, you need not look at specific updates for individual software components included in your Engineered System). For more information about the Oracle CPU program, go to Critical Patch Updates, Security Alerts and Bulletins.

Oracle also recommends that you update to the latest operating system release when it becomes available. Although a minimum operating system release is supported, updating to the latest OS release ensures that you have the most up-to-date software and security patches. To confirm that you have the latest OS release, refer to the Oracle Hardware Compatibility Lists. For information on how to access the Oracle Hardware Compatibility Lists, refer to “Supported Operating Systems” in the Product Notes for your platform.

Oracle x86 Critical Patch Update Guide contains the latest software release information for Oracle x86 servers, and is available as part of the documentation library for the server platform.

For details about the latest system software update, refer to information about getting firmware and software updates in the Product Notes for your platform.