Category: Upgrade

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Oracle Database 19c – The best Oracle database release to be on now!

Recently Oracle announced that the extended support fee for the Oracle database 19c will be waived for the first two years.

I wanted to take a moment to document the best MOS notes that help customers to upgrade their older version of Oracle databases to the 19c long-term version.

11.2.0.4 and 19c are similar releases before a major architecture change (PDB architecture was introduced in 12.1 and traditional architecture deprecated. In 23c traditional architecture is unsupported). You can see in the chart above that 11.2.0.4 had four years of waived extended support, 2 years of extended support, 2 years of market-driven support, and now has upgrade support from CSS (Customer Success Services, which used to be known as ACS). I think it is only prudent for customers to jump on 19c and stay there for a while – 19c is a good database release to be on.

19c Database Upgrade – Self-Guided Assistance with Best Practices (Doc ID 1919.2)

This is the best MOS note for upgrade planning and learning about the 19c upgrade.

Oracle Database Patches to Consider for 19c (Doc ID 2781612.2)

Primary Note for Database Proactive Patch Program (Doc ID 888.1)

Oracle Database 19c Important Recommended One-off Patches (Doc ID 555.1)

The RU and MRPs will include only the patches that are standby-first and RAC-rolling enabled. There are many critical patches that may need to go on your databases. This note is an absolute must for all DBAs to review and apply.

And finally, check out the new features in Oracle Database 19c using the interactive & easy to search APEX tool – Oracle Database Features and Licensing.

None of upgrade learning and planning is complete without reading and watching Mike Dietrich’s Blog About Oracle Database Upgrades.

Oracle Database 19c Technical Architecture

Oracle Real Application Clusters 19c Technical Architecture

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Oracle Database 12c (12.2.0.1.0) on VirtualBox

A new pre-built VirtualBox image is available for download  from OTN (updated on March 27, 2017).

Once you download, import and configure the VM, you can pretty much do whatever you want. But Roy and Mike have put together a very good lab environment and exercise for you to practice Oracle database upgrade from 11gR2 to 12cR2. The lab includes

  • Manual upgrade of 11.2.0.4 database to 12.2.0.1
  • Attach 12c non-container database as a PDB to existing 12.2.0.1 CDB
  • Upgrade 11.2.0.4 database using Full Transportable Export/Import to 12.1.0.2 as a PDB
  • Upgrade 12.1.0.2 PDB to 12.2.0.1 using unplug / plug method

The pre-built VM comes with Oracle software already installed.

  • 11gR2 11.2.0.4 – /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0.4
  • 12cR1 12.1.0.2 – /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2
  • 12cR2 12.2.0.1 – /u01/app/oracle/product/12.2.0.1

Practice upgrades, new features, patches, PSU, migration using this VirtualBox image.

Thanks to Mike Dietrich and Roy Swonger!

VirtualBox Download

12c Database Image Download