1 Planning an Upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c
1.1 Upgrade Planning Roadmap
This section can be used to help you determine whether an upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.2.1) is right for you and your existing environment.
Should I upgrade to this release of Oracle Fusion Middleware?
If this is a question you are currently asking yourself, then take a minute to review the planning steps described in these sections. Upgrades can be complicated and time-consuming when you are unprepared or unfamiliar with the requirements associated with this release of Oracle Fusion Middleware.
Using this planning guide is your first step in designing your upgrade path. The Oracle Help Center and Oracle Technology Network (OTN) have additional planning resources, such as upgrade videos and links to support communities that may also be useful in your upgrade planning.
The following table describes the tasks you should complete during the planning phase of your upgrade. The order in which you execute your upgrade planning tasks may vary depending on your current environment. Use the list below as a checklist for the most important pre-upgrade considerations to review. It is important to note that some of the tasks may not apply to your environment.
Table 1-1 Upgrade Planning Roadmap
| Task | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
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Understand the differences between Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g and Release 12c (12.2.1) |
Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g users should understand the conceptual and functional differences between 11g and Release 12c (12.2.1) before starting the upgrade process. |
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Review the process flow for upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c. |
The process flow map shows the primary tasks related to the upgrade process. |
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Understand the high-level process of upgrading your existing Oracle Fusion Middleware deployment. |
Upgrade is a complex process and involves system downtime. Understanding the overall process can help you plan your upgrade. |
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Develop a backup strategy that includes all system-critical files before you start the upgrade. |
You will need to determine which components, files, schemas to back up before you start the upgrade. If a failure occurs, you will need to restore your environment back to the original pre-upgrade state. |
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Develop a testing strategy. |
Moving from a test environment to a production environment can be especially difficult when upgrading. Creating an upgrade testing strategy before you begin the upgrade can prevent unnecessary downtime. For example, consider performing the upgrade on a cloned production environment before executing the actual upgrade. |
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Plan for system downtime during the upgrade process. |
The upgrade process involves an “in place" upgrade for most Fusion Middleware components. You will need to prepare for the system to be down during this time. To test backup and recovery in case of a failure and to plan the downtime for the upgrade, test the upgrade process and test the restore functionality. This can also help you to plan for the scenario if something goes wrong during upgrade and the 11g system needs to be restored. |
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Verify that you are running a supported hardware and software versions before you upgrade. |
The hardware and software hosting your existing Oracle Fusion Middleware deployment must meet certain requirements before upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.2.1). |
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Verify that your database is supported. |
The 12c domain requires an Oracle database to store the new schemas. The database version that hosts the schemas used in Fusion Middleware must be supported. |
Upgrading and Preparing Your Oracle Databases for 12c (12.2.1) |
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Understand which of your 11g products and features can be upgraded. |
You should understand which of your 11g components can be upgraded to 12.2.1. NOTE: If you plan to use 11g components with upgraded 12c components, you should understand how the upgrade could impact interoperability or compatibility. |
"Products and Features Available in Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c" "Products and Features Not Available in Oracle Fusion Middleware 12" |
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Consider the impact on deployed 11g applications and components. |
If you will be using Fusion Middleware 11g components in your upgraded 12c (12.2.1) environment, you should review and understand any potential interoperability and compatibility issues. |
Understanding Your Certification, Compatibility, and Interoperability Requirements Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility with Previous Versions |
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Understand the basic rules and any restrictions for your upgrade. |
To prevent any potential problems with your upgrade, you should understand some basic rules and restrictions. |
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Understand where to go to get the latest product distributions and upgrade tools. |
Before you begin the upgrade, visit the Oracle Help Center and the Oracle Technology Network and become familiar with the location of product documentation, videos, and other important planning resources. |
Understanding and Obtaining Product Distributions for Your Upgrade Understanding and Obtaining the Upgrade and Configuration Tools |
1.2 Introducing Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c to 11g Users
This topic provides information about Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c concepts and terminology for existing Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g users.
Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g users will need to understand the changes to existing 11g terms, as well as new terms and concepts introduced in 12c.
1.2.1 Common Fusion Middleware Terminology Changes
Several key concepts and terms have been redefined in 12c. It is important that you understand the new terminology before you begin your upgrade. In addition, many terms have been deprecated.
1.2.2 Upgrade and Patching Terminology Changes
The upgrade and patching definitions used in Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 have been redefined in Release 12c. Review the changes to the terms below to ensure you understand which path you should take to update your existing environment:
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A major release is comprised of new, innovative, standard-compliant features. A major release may introduce new certifications and language support, as well as a newer Database Required Support Files, JDBC driver, and JDK dependency. For example, upgrading from 11g to 12c is a major release, while 12.1.2 to 12.1.3 is a minor release.
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In Release 12c, a minor release will consist of a smaller set of significant new features in addition to bug fixes to existing functionality. After upgrading to a minor release, all existing product configurations will be supported and new configuration options may become available.
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In Release 12c, an upgrade is performed to acquire new features, enhancements, and bug fixes for a supported Fusion Middleware 11g deployment. The following examples show supported upgrade paths:
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Moving from 11.1.1.7.0 or 11.1.1.9.0 to 12.2.1
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Moving from 12.1.3 to 12.2.1
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In Release 12c, a Fusion Middleware patch set is released to address bugs. Patch set releases do not contain new features. Patch sets will replace or add a new set of binaries to an existing installation.
Patching with OPatch describes the new patching terminology for Release 12c.
1.2.3 Using the 12c Documentation Library Resources
The Oracle Fusion Middleware Library has been redesigned for 12c. Upgrade documentation is now organized by tasks and the task-specific pages provide direct links to common upgrade procedures and related documentation. This guide will reference documents in the following library pages for additional information:
1.3 Understanding the Supported Upgrade Starting Points
Refer to the following sections for more information about which Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g versions are supported when upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.2.1):
1.3.1 What is an Upgrade Starting Point?
An upgrade starting point is a specific version of Oracle Fusion Middleware that you must be running in order to upgrade to this version ofOracle Fusion Middleware. If you are not running a version of Oracle Fusion Middleware that is a supported upgrade starting point, then you must first upgrade to a supported starting point using documentation from a previous release.
1.3.2 Supported Upgrade Starting Points for Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.2.1)
The following sections provide information about the supported starting points for upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.2.1):
1.3.2.1 Supported Oracle Fusion Middleware Releases
You can upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.2.1) from the following previous versions of Oracle Fusion Middleware:
Note:
Review your component-specific upgrade guides for more information about supported starting points for the components you wish to upgrade.
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Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c Release 1 (12.1.3)
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Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c Release 1 (12.1.2)
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Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.9)
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Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.8)
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Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.7)
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Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.6)
If you are not running a supported version of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g, see What If I'm Not Running Supported Fusion Middleware Components?.
1.3.2.2 Supported Oracle WebLogic Releases
When planning a WebLogic Server version upgrade, you should review the Fusion Middleware Supported Systems Configurations page on Oracle Technology Network (OTN) to ensure that your upgraded environment is supported by Oracle.
For more information, see the following:
1.3.2.3 Supported Oracle HTTP Server Releases
You can upgrade your supported Oracle HTTP Server 11g release or 12c release to this latest release as part of the Oracle HTTP Server product distribution. For more information about upgrading Oracle HTTP Server to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.2.1), refer to the following:
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For upgrading HTTP Servers see Upgrading Oracle HTTP Server.
1.3.2.4 Supported Database Versions
If you are not using at least the minimum supported database version, you must upgrade your database to one of the supported versions before beginning a Fusion Middleware upgrade.
For information about the latest database versions supported by Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.2.1), see Upgrading and Preparing Your Oracle Databases for 12c (12.2.1) .
1.3.3 What If I'm Not Running Supported Fusion Middleware Components?
You must first upgrade any unsupported Fusion Middleware components within your environment to a supported upgrade starting point before you begin the 12c (12.2.1) upgrade process.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to use any unsupported Fusion Middleware 11g components in your upgraded environment.
To determine if your supported 11g or 12c components will have any compatibility issues in this release, see Understanding Your Certification, Compatibility, and Interoperability Requirements.
Patching and upgrade documentation for previous releases is available on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN):
http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/middleware.htm
After you upgrade to a supported starting point, you can then use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.2.1) upgrade documentation to perform the upgrade. For more information, see Locating Your Component-Specific Upgrade Documentation.
1.4 Understanding the 12c Upgrade Process Flow
The process flow shows the high-level upgrade procedures and tools used to upgrade to the 12c Fusion Middleware Infrastructure. The tasks you perform to complete your component-specific upgrade may vary from this example.
Your component-specific upgrade documentation will provide detailed information about the specific tasks that will be required to upgrade the component.
1.5 Understanding the Basic 12c Upgrade Tasks
A typical upgrade of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g of a previous 12c version to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.2.1) is described below. There may be additional steps depending on which components you are upgrading.
Detailed upgrade procedures are described in the component-specific upgrade guides.
Table 1-2 Understanding the Basic Upgrade Process
| Task | Tool Used | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
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Complete all of the required pre-upgrade tasks for your environment. |
Planning Checklist |
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Install the 12.2.1 product distributions in a new Oracle home. |
Oracle Universal Installer (OUI) |
For information on installing 12.2.1, see your see your component-specific installation documentation. For information on using the Oracle Universal Installer, see Installing Software with the Oracle Universal Installer |
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Create new schemas for your Fusion Middleware components. |
Repository Creation Utility (RCU) |
For information on which schemas are required for your upgrade, see your component-specific upgrade documentation. For information on using the Oracle Repository Creation Utility, see Creating Schemas with the Repository Creation Utility |
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Upgrade the 11g or 12c (12.1.2 or 12.1.3) database schemas for the components you will be upgrading. |
Upgrade Assistant (UA) |
For more information on using UA to upgrade your database schemas, see your component-specific upgrade documentation. For general information about using UA to upgrade database schemas, see Upgrading with the Upgrade Assistant NOTE: You do not need to start the Administration Server during the upgrade process. The entire upgrade operation is performed offline |
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Reconfigure the domain. |
Reconfiguration Wizard |
For more information on using the Reconfiguration Wizard to reconfigure your domain, see your component-specific upgrade documentation. |
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Upgrade component configurations. |
Upgrade Assistant (UA) |
For more information on using UA to upgrade your domain component configurations, see your component-specific upgrade documentation. For general information on using UA to upgrade component configurations, see Upgrading with the Upgrade Assistant |
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Perform all required post-upgrade tasks. |
Varies. |
For more information on the post-upgrade tasks that are required for your component, see your component-specific upgrade documentation. |
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Verify that the upgrade was successful. At a minimum, verify that your servers and node manager start and your applications should function as expected. |
Varies. |
For more information on the verification procedures you should execute for your upgraded environment, see your component-specific upgrade documentation. |
1.6 Understanding the Standard Upgrade Topology for 12c
Each Fusion Middleware Release 12c upgrade guide will feature a standard upgrade topology. Standard upgrade topologies are based on the standard installation topology described in the component-specific installation guides. The standard installation topology is provided as an example and is not the only topology supported for the product. Each install guide provides specific instructions for achieving the standard topology; if your needs differ, then links to supporting documentation are provided for your reference.
The component-specific upgrade guides will provide specific instructions for configuring an upgrade topology; if you choose to customize your selections during installation or configuration, references to supporting documentation will be provided to help you accomplish your tasks.
More information about standard topologies can be found in "Using the Standard Installation Topology as a Starting Point".
1.7 Developing a Backup Strategy for Upgrade
Your upgrade plan should include a strategy for creating, storing and restoring a backup in the event the upgrade fails.
You can learn more about Oracle Fusion Middleware backup and recovery strategies in Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware:
1.8 Developing an Upgrade Testing Strategy
Performing pre-upgrade testing on a cloned environment provides important data that can be applied to your overall production upgrade plan. Some additional benefits include:
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Uncover and correct any upgrade issues.
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Practice completing an end-to-end upgrade.
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Understand the upgrade performance and how purge scripts can help.
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Understand the time required to upgrade Metadata and Open Instances with the Upgrade Assistant (SOA Upgrades).
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Understand the database resource usage (such as temporary tablespace; PGA, etc).
Part of your testing strategy must include restoring a backup of your pre-upgrade environment. A complete list of backup considerations and procedures is described in Developing a Backup Strategy for Upgrade.
1.9 Planning for System Downtime During an Upgrade
Before you can develop a successful upgrade strategy for your Fusion Middleware deployment, you should understand how your production environments will be impacted during the upgrade. Some upgrade procedures can be time consuming, especially if you are upgrading a large number of artifacts. The size of your database and the speed of your system's infrastructure may also impact the overall downtime during an upgrade.
Carefully consider the following when planning your downtime:
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The Upgrade Assistant requires that you shut down administration and managed servers for the entire duration of the upgrade.
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If the 11g domain is not already associated with a database-based policy store, then you will need to re-associate the 11g domain to a database-based policy store before you upgrade. This operation restarts the 11g domain.
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Run the pre-upgrade readiness check before you begin your actual upgrade to identify potential upgrade issues. If you encounter upgrade issues during the actual upgrade, then you must restart the upgrade process from the beginning. This includes recovering and redeploying from your backup files. This should be a consideration in your downtime planning.
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After upgrading the component schemas, the Reconfiguration Wizard is used to reconfigure the domain. After the domain is reconfigured, the Upgrade Assistant requires all servers and components to remain shut down during any configuration upgrades. In 12c, servers and components are down during the entire upgrade process.
1.10 Understanding In-Place versus Out-of-Place Upgrades
When upgrading your 11g or previous 12c environment to 12c (12.2.1), you should understand how your pre-upgrade environment will be affected by the upgrade. For example, schemas and domain directory upgrades are performed "in place" which updates the existing 11g or 12c files during the upgrade. The new 12c (12.2.1) Oracle Home binaries are upgraded "out of place" as the binaries are installed in a new directory.
The upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c includes the midtier and the schemas. You cannot perform a midtier-only or schema-only upgrade.
The list below describes how the upgrade is performed on each component:
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Oracle Home Binaries - Upgraded Out of Place
You will install the Oracle Infrastructure (which includes WebLogic Server and JRF) and other 12c distribution binaries in a new Oracle home. The upgrade of binaries is considered "out of place" as the pre-upgrade binaries are not overwritten.
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Starting Point Schemas - Upgraded In Place
The schemas in your pre-upgrade deployment are upgraded "in place" which means that the Upgrade Assistant updates and overwrites the schemas during the upgrade process. The servers must be down during this process.
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Instances - Migrated during the schema upgrade (For SOA Upgrades Only)
The upgrade of active and closed instances from 11g to 12c happens automatically as part of the schema upgrade. You can manage the upgrade using administration scripts.
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Domain Directory Reconfiguration - Upgraded In Place
The existing domain is upgraded "in place". During the upgrade you will identify the location of the existing domain and the domain will be reconfigured to point to the new 12c home directory.
NOTE: Oracle recommends that you perform your domain upgrades in place. However, if an out-of-place domain upgrade is required, see "Performing an Out-of-Place Domain Directory Upgrade". Schemas are still upgraded in place.
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Domain Component Configuration - Upgraded In Place
After the reconfiguration of the 11g domain, the Upgrade Assistant is used again to upgrade any remaining domain component configurations that require an upgrade in the new 12c home directory.
1.11 Understanding Your Certification, Compatibility, and Interoperability Requirements
Before you begin upgrading your Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g environment, consider the following:
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For information on supported 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems, databases, web servers, LDAP servers, adapters, IPv6, JDKs, and third-party products, see Verifying Certification and System Requirements.
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For cross-product interoperability and compatibility, see Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility with Previous Versions.
1.12 Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility with Previous Versions
Read Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility before you begin your upgrade process. This document contains important information regarding the ability of Oracle Fusion Middleware products to function with previous versions of other Oracle Fusion Middleware, Oracle, or third-party products.
1.13 Understanding Component Upgrade Restrictions
Before you start the upgrade process you should understand some basic rules and restrictions. It is important that you understand which of your integrated components can be upgraded to this version of Fusion Middleware.
Oracle strongly recommends that you practice the upgrade on a cloned production environment before you attempt to upgrade the production environment.
Additional upgrade considerations are documented in the Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility Guide.
1.14 Understanding Domain Upgrade Restrictions
Some domains cannot be upgraded to 12c (12.2.1) because of known limitations and configuration changes from previous Fusion Middleware releases.
For example, you cannot upgrade a domain that contains SOA Core Extension (AIAFP) to 12c (12.2.1).
Review your component-specific upgrade guide and the release notes to ensure your domains are not impacted by these restrictions.
1.15 Understanding and Obtaining Product Distributions for Your Upgrade
Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c software is available as a series of product distributions. A distribution is an archive with an installer that installs a pre-defined set of Oracle Fusion Middleware products and feature sets. Feature sets include the products and services that are automatically installed when their corresponding product is selected.
For more information on distributions and feature sets, see "Understanding Distributions, Products, and Features".
Product distributions can be obtained from either the Oracle Software Delivery Cloud or from Oracle Technology Network. For more information on which site you should visit to obtain your distribution, see the Oracle Fusion Middleware Download, Installation, and Configuration Readme Files page.
1.16 Understanding and Obtaining the Upgrade and Configuration Tools
Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c provides a suite of installation, upgrade and configuration tools that automate many upgrade-related tasks.
The following tools are installed as part of the product distribution.
Table 1-3 Installation, Upgrade and Configuration Tools
| Tool Name | Use this tool to... | Related Documentation |
|---|---|---|
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Oracle Universal Installer (OUI) |
Install the 12c product distributions and feature sets. NOTE: Each major component has its own installation guide. These guides provide specific details about using the Universal Installer with the component. |
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Oracle Upgrade Assistant (UA) |
Upgrade schemas, component configurations, and standalone system component configurations. The separate Patch Set Assistant utility is no longer used for upgrading schemas. NOTE: Each major component has its own upgrade guide. These guides provide specific details about using Upgrade Assistant with the component. |
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Repository Creation Utility (RCU) |
Create schemas in your database. Depending on what you are upgrading, you may need to create schemas before you can run the Upgrade Assistant. The Repository Creation Utility is included in each 12c distribution, unlike Fusion Middleware 11g, which required a separate download and installation of RCU. NOTE: There are new 12c schemas that must be created for all components before an upgrade. Consult your component-specific upgrade documentation for more information. |
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Oracle Configuration Wizard |
Create the WebLogic domain. The Configuration Wizard simplifies the process of creating and extending a WebLogic Server domain. NOTE: If you are upgrading a standalone system component, such as Oracle HTTP Server (OHS), do not use the Configuration Wizard to configure your domain. The Upgrade Assistant will be used to create and configure the standalone domain. |
"Overview of the Configuration Wizard" in Creating WebLogic Domains Using the Configuration Wizard. |
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Oracle Reconfiguration Wizard (New in 12c) |
Reconfigure a domain that is using Oracle WebLogic Server. When you use the Reconfiguration Wizard to reconfigure a domain, the WLS core infrastructure and domain version are automatically updated. NOTE: This tool was introducted to Fusion Middleware as of Release 12c (12.1.2). |
See your component-specific upgrade documentation for more information. |
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OPatch |
Apply patches in 12c. The patching nomenclature has changed in 12c. Be sure to review the new patch definitions in Upgrade and Patching Terminology Changes. NOTE: There are no patch set installers in 12c. The Oracle Universal Installer is used to install all major and minor releases. |