Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Oracle's regular patch releases simplify your patch planning and aid in flexibility. Some customers may find
quarterly patching too aggressive and choose to skip applying one or more of the Oracle Database Appliances patch
bundles. The important point here is that the regular patch releases allow organizations to introduce regular, well
known, and planned patching cycles into their environments. That simplifies a lot of things, including the scheduling
of human resources for implementation and testing, making the patching a well-known routine rather than a one-off
activity triggered by a critical problem in a production system. The resulting, regular application of patches proactively
protects database systems from potentially dangerous issues and unnecessary downtime. Stability of the production
environment is improved.
How Long It Takes to Patch
Table
8-1
gives you an approximate idea of the timing involved in each patching step. The table also indicates
whether a given step requires full system downtime, and whether it requires a reboot. Table
8-1
is just a general guide
to give you the lay of the land. You should measure patching time yourself. Measure it for each phase in a test system
before you apply a patch to a production system.
Table 8-1.
Downtime Estimates by Phase
Phase
Full Downtime
Requires Reboot
Approximate Time (min)
System Infrastructure
Yes
Possible
45-80*
Grid Infrastructure
No (rolling upgrade)
No
45-60
Databases
No (rolling upgrade)
No
10-20**
* Depends on the number of components to be updated by the patch bundle
** Depends on the number of databases that are involved
Please note that each of the patching steps can be separated in time. It is not necessary to perform all three steps
in quick succession. The database upgrade phase allows some flexibility. You can execute the steps individually at
time intervals that are comfortable for your business.
ODA Patching Options
Different options are available to you depending upon your business needs. Read the following sections to learn more
about your options and when they might be best used.
New Appliances
If you received a new Oracle Database Appliance from the factory, chances are that it isn't running the latest version
of the Oracle Database Appliance software and firmware. You need to update it to the latest patch level. There are
two options you can employ to get there:
•
The first and recommended option is to use a process similar to the update process described
earlier in the “Patching Flow” section. You need to follow the steps described in the latest
Oracle Database Appliance patch README file.
1
1
Information about the latest Oracle Database Appliance patch available from the My Oracle Support Note 888888.1
