Linux Patching- need to shutdown DB ?

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We have 1000 servers envirement. During applying OS patching, Oracle Database need to be taken down ?

ES
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andriusb's picture Red Hat Guru 3695 points
16 May 2014 4:31 PM

Are you doing selective package updating or just a 'yum update' for all packages?

ES Community Member 39 points
16 May 2014 5:08 PM

Just "yum update"

andriusb's picture Red Hat Guru 3695 points
16 May 2014 5:17 PM

I would to be safe, since a 'yum update' could update hundreds (possibly thousand+) packages depending on where you are and where you are going, including the kernel and any other dependencies that the DB has. What does Oracle say?

ES Community Member 39 points
16 May 2014 5:31 PM

Many other Oracle DBs also running on WINDOWS servers. Patches were directly updated with out DB down.

Can we adopt same method for Linux servers ? Since every time shutdown DB and apply patches for 1000 servers is very time consuming task. That too patch cycle was followed monthly.

Please suggest.

andriusb's picture Red Hat Guru 3695 points
16 May 2014 5:51 PM

AFAIK, Oracle recommends rebooting the system (and also after any post-upgrade dependencies being required by the database) per their own documentation. I'd follow up with Oracle, as they drive the supported upgrade processes/steps. Hope this helps!

ES Community Member 39 points
16 May 2014 6:26 PM

Hi Andrius,
Thanks for your responce and suggestions.
Defenately will follow to take reboot post patching.
But my query is during patching need to shutdown database?

R. Hinton's picture Guru 6827 points
16 May 2014 6:38 PM

In our environment, our Oracle folks like to be available when we patch the Linux Oracle systems and they do shut off the database first.

Do you have any non-production systems to test this on first? We test on non-production servers (especially Oracle servers) first, then after it 'burns in' for a while, we will subsequently patch production after tests/verification.

R. Hinton's picture Guru 6827 points
16 May 2014 6:27 PM

A side note, your oracle systems, do they require the ASMlib updated patch for a new kernel? If the ASMlib patch is needed after a new kernel, Oracle may not work properly if the kernel is updated (if the oracle servers require the ASMlib update). Good thing to check. Not all Oracle instantiations use ASMlib, but some do.

There's oracle documentation on this however, I'd highly recommend verifying with Oracle, verify your architecture, kernel and proper ASMlib if applicable.

james.radtke@siriusxm.com's picture Guru 6863 points
16 May 2014 6:45 PM

Like Rem has mentioned, ASMlib needs to match the kernel.
What I am starting to deploy more frequently is the "download only" option, which requires a yum plugin. This will allow you to deploy the packages to the hosts, in advance, saving that download time. You can then simply apply the downloaded packages with yum update when you can get an actual maintenance window.

I would test this - but I would feel comfortable doing a yum update --downloadonly with the Database running.
However - I would definitely shut down the DB before applying any patches.

Here is an overview of the download only option
https://access.redhat.com/site/solutions/10154

R. Hinton's picture Guru 6827 points
16 May 2014 6:59 PM

Thanks James - nice clarification/addition

ES Community Member 39 points
17 May 2014 9:40 AM

thank you for all your posts.
What I understand is "Shutdown DB before apply patches is the BEST practice."

Thanks Again.

NK Newbie 5 points
2 June 2014 6:52 PM

Hi, we manage large environment of the Linux servers for few different customers, each time when we patch it creates some kind of tensions between us and application support teams when we ask them to stop all applications before we start patching. It seems I cannot find defined answer to stop or no stop question (personally I prefer all apps to be down for patching. What is your opinion about it? Thanks in advance for sharing the information

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