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

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

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Terminology and definitions

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Focus is 19c • Generally, database versions 12.2 and later • Linux x86-64 platforms Scope

@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

@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)

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Definitions • Reactive / Interim / One-Off Patch • Proactive Patch • Overlay Patch • Combo (JVM) Patch • Time Zone / DST Patch

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Definitions • Online / Hot Patch • Non-Binary Online Patch • RAC Rolling Installable Patch • Standby First Installable Patch

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Should I install the Current Update or Current Revision?

@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?

@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?

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Release Updates have everything. Right?

@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?

@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?

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com How Patches are Processed

@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

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Patching is upgrading... ...with style!

@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

@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

@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

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • Speed • Simplicity • Convenience • Reliability & "Cleanliness" • Flexibility for Recovery/Rollback "Out-of-Place" Advantages

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com Patching Resources

@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

@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

@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

@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

@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

@ViscosityNA www.viscosityna.com • https://mikedietrichde.com • https://dohdatabase.com • https://www.dbarj.com.br Patching resources