About problems related to patching Exadata machines. 2015

1. PATCHING EXADATA:
PITFALLS AND SURPRISES
What to expect when you patch your Exadata
SESSION ID#: 454
GLEB OTOCHKIN - PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

2. 2
Patching is not so easy as it seems to be.

3. Started to work with data in 1992
At Pythian since 2008
Area of expertise:
- Replication
- Oracle RAC
- Oracle engineered systems
- Virtualization
- Performance tuning
Gleb Otochkin
Principal Consultant

4. Founded in 1997, Pythian is a global
leader in data consulting and
managed services specializing in
planning, optimizing, and managing
mission-critical data systems
ABOUT PYTHIAN
Top 5% talent worldwide
10 Oracle ACEs
2 Oracle ACE Directors
18 years in business
400+ employees
250+ customers worldwide

5. AGENDA.
■ Why do we need to patch.
■ Planing.
■ Preparations.
■ Patching process.
■ What to expect.
■ What to do if you hit an issue.
■ Oracle Platinum Service.
■ QA
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6. WHY DO YOU PATCH YOU EXADATA?
■ Fix the bugs.
■ New functionality.
■ Compatibility.
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7. PLANING.
■ What to patch.
■ When.
■ Who will be working.
■ How. Online or offline?
■ Oracle support.
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8. PREPARATION.
■ Detailed action plan.
■ Detailed rollback plan.
■ Double check for any known issues.
■ Exachk.
■ Confirm access.
■ Check oracle support.
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9. PATCHING PROCESS. WHAT TO EXPECT?
■ One-off patch on GI or RDBMS home.
▪ Performance implications.
▪ Changed behaviour.
▪ A new bug.
▪ Crashed instance.
▪ Crashed ASM.
▪ Crashed cluster.
▪ Corrupted data.
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10. WHAT TO EXPECT? (CONTINUED)
■ Bundle Patch on GI or RDBMS home.
▪ Same issues.
▪ More chances to hit problem.
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11. WHAT TO EXPECT? (CONTINUED)
■ Exadata software update on cell storage.
▪ Process broken in the middle.
▪ The process terminated by timings.
▪ Service(s) on the node is not coming up.
▪ Lost functionality(offloading).
▪ Bugs.
▪ Lost data.
▪ Corrupted filesystem on the cell.
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12. WHAT TO EXPECT? (CONTINUED)
■ Exadata software update on database box.
▪ Node is not coming up.
▪ The process terminated in the middle.
▪ ILOM firmware is not updated.
▪ OS issues.
—FS corruption.
—Boot configuration issues.
—Driver was not updated.
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13. WHAT TO DO IF YOU HIT AN ISSUE?
■ No panic.
■ Read the error message!
■ Read your instruction.
■ Search oracle support.
■ Open Oracle support SR.
■ Google it.
■ Keep eyes on time.
▪ Time goes fast.
▪ Consider rollback.
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14. ORACLE PLATINUM SERVICE.
■ What it can do for you:
▪ Patching.
▪ 24x7 fault monitoring.
▪ Optional 275 monitoring metrics.
■ Life can be easy!
▪ Check if your system certified.
▪ Check software level.
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15. AND EVENTUALLY AFTER PATCHING ...
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16. QUESTIONS?
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17. Please complete the session
evaluation
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