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To the Release Update and Beyond: Everything yo...

To the Release Update and Beyond: Everything you didn't know about patching

Patching Oracle databases means more than just applying the quarterly bundled Release Updates (RU) or Monthly Recommended Patches (MRP). Many DBAs aren't aware that RU and MRP aren't comprehensive. Databases remain exposed to critical vulnerabilities and regressions without supplemental patching. In this session, you'll learn to identify the types of patches that are never included in Oracle's patch bundles, how to search My Oracle Support for additional, critical fixes, and cover Oracle's recommended best practices for patching database and Grid Infrastructure software installations. We'll also describe the patching process, how to revert a patched database and discuss steps for preparing and protecting systems for patching. Oracle database administrators attending this session will gain important insights into the patching process, including:
* What's missing from Oracle's quarterly patch updates (and why it's not there)
* Where to find patches for "everything else" they need to keep the database secure and running at peak performance
* The differences between in-place and out-of-place patching, and which is best
* Changes to patches and patching introduced in Oracle Database 23c

Sean Scott

March 26, 2024
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  1. DATABASE RELIABILITY ENGINEERING ⁘ DEVOPS & AUTOMATION HIGH AVAILABILITY ⁘

    BUSINESS CONTINUITY ⁘ DISASTER RECOVERY MODERNIZATION ⁘ OBSERVABILITY ⁘ ENGINEERED SYSTEMS AutoUpgrade ⁘ Zero Downtime Migrations ⁘ Patching Real Application Clusters ⁘ Data Guard ⁘ Sharding Docker/Containers ⁘ Terraform ⁘ Ansible Exadata ⁘ Oracle Database Appliance AHF ⁘ TFA ⁘ GIMR ⁘ CHA Sean Scott Oracle ACE Director Managing Principal Consultant @oraclesean linkedin.com/in/soscott/ [email protected] @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com
  2. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Definitions • RU, DBRU: Release Update • RUR:

    Release Update Revision • BP: Bundle Patch • CPU: Critical Patch Update • MRP: Monthly Recommended Patch • PSU: Patch Set Update • SPU: Security Patch Update
  3. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • RUR = Quarterly • MRP = Monthly

    • RUR naming: MAJOR.MINOR.REVISION • 19.16.1 • MRP naming: MAJOR.MINOR.X.X.YYMMDD • 19.19.0.0.230418 MRP replace RUR (on Linux)
  4. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Definitions • Reactive / Interim / One-Off Patch

    • Proactive Patch • Overlay Patch • Combo (JVM) Patch • Time Zone / DST Patch
  5. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Definitions • Online / Hot Patch • Non-Binary

    Online Patch • RAC Rolling Installable Patch • Standby First Installable Patch
  6. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • October 2022 • 19.17.0 • 19.16.1 •

    19.15.2 • January 2023 • 19.18.0 • 19.17.1 • 19.16.2 • April 2023 • 19.19.0 • 19.18.1 • 19.17.2 • July 2023 • 19.20.0 • 19.19.1 • 19.18.2 Update or Revision?
  7. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Cumulative patches release in April 2023: •

    19.19.0 (Base release 2023-04) • 19.18.1 (Base release 2022-10 + 1 revision) • 19.17.2 (Base release 2022-07 + 2 revisions) • Same release date: 19.19.0 > 19.18.1 > 19.17.2 • Same minor version: 19.17.2 > 19.17.1 > 19.17.0 Update or Revision?
  8. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Fixes identified as likely to impact customers

    • Completed Oracle's integration/acceptance testing • Fixes for: • Security • Critical errors • Core functionality What's in a Release Update?
  9. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Must be RAC rolling installable • Must

    be Data Guard Standby-first installable • Bug fixes affecting existing optimizer plans are disabled What's in a Release Update?
  10. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Read patch metadata and database inventory •

    Check compatibility and prerequisites • Compare inventory against subsets/supersets • Check for conflicts • Rollback old assets • Apply new assets • Update database inventory and registry Patch Processing
  11. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Install & patch a new ORACLE_HOME •

    Stop, move database to new home • Start database in new home When Upgrading When Patching • Stop database • Patch existing home • Start database
  12. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • ORACLE_HOME 1: • Base software binaries (19.3.0)

    • Release Update (19.11.0) + One-Off Patches • ORACLE_HOME 2: • Base software binaries (19.3.0) • Release Update (19.15.0) + One-Off Patches "Out-of-Place" Patching
  13. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Base software binaries (19.3.0) • Release Update

    (19.11.0) + One-Off Patches • Release Update (19.15.0) + One-Off Patches • Release Update (19.18.0) + One-Off Patches "In-Place" Patching
  14. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Speed • Simplicity • Convenience • Reliability

    & "Cleanliness" • Flexibility for Recovery/Rollback "Out-of-Place" Advantages
  15. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Patch Download Assistant: 2118136.2 • Primary Note

    for DB Proactive Patches: 888.1 • DB 19c Important Recommended One-Off Patches: 555.1 • DB 19c Proactive Patch Information: 2521164.1 • Patches to Consider for 19c: 2781612.2 • "Installed but disabled" bug fixes: 2147007.1 Patching resources
  16. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • 12.1.0.2 April 2017 and later • Fixes

    that may change existing execution plans are disabled • DBMS_OPTIM_BUNDLE package subprograms • List bundles with fixes • List bugs included in patch bundles • Enable installed bundles • Enable/disable _fix_control for bundles Installed, disabled: 2147007.1
  17. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Latest OPatch: 6880880 • Data Pump Proactive

    Patches: 2819284.1 • DST Patches: 412160.1 • Introducing Monthly Recommended Patches: 2898740.1 Patching resources
  18. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Database 19.10 and later • May be

    installed in an active database, PROVIDED: • Data Pump and DBMS_METADATA are not in use on any node • Fixes to DBMS_METADATA extend beyond Data Pump Data Pump: 2819284.1
  19. @ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Considerations to avoid SPM problems in 19c:

    2774029.1 • Considerations to avoid SQL performance problems in 19c: 2773715.1 • Considerations to avoid wrong results in 19c: 2606585.1 • Considerations to avoid performance problems in 19c: 2773012.1 • Clusterware/DB version compatibility: 337737.1 Patching resources