Exadata Fleet Update Maintenance Cycles

Create a Maintenance Cycle

For a given collection, create Maintenance Cycles, representing a full patching event to a specific target version. Each Collection may have zero or more maintenance cycles. If more than one, then only one maintenance cycle may be active at a time.

Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Fleet Update.
Under Exadata Fleet Update, Collections is selected by default.
Click the name of the collection that you want to edit.
Collection details page is displayed.
Under Resources, click Maintenance cycles.
Click Create maintenance cycle.
Create maintenance cycle page is displayed.
In the Create maintenance cycle page, provide the requested information:
- Maintenance cycle name: Enter a descriptive name.
- The available choices vary depending on your Collection type (database or Grid Infrastructure).
  - Database:
    - Target database image: Defaults to the latest Oracle-provided image. Click Change database image to select a different target database image.
      - Oracle-provided database software images: These images contain generally available versions of Oracle Database software.
      - Custom database software images: These images are created by your organization and contain customized configurations of software updates and patches.
        
        Choose a Compartment.
        
        Choose a Region.
        Region filter defaults to the currently connected region and lists all the software images created in that region. When you choose a different region, the software image list is refreshed to display the software images created in the selected region.
    - Database home: As part of the software update, databases will be moved to a new home at the target image version. A new home may be created during the maintenance cycle or an existing home may be reused if one already exists in the VM Cluster.
      - Create new home: When creating new homes, the databases in the collection will maintain a similar structure. Databases in a shared home (shared with other databases) prior to the software update will be moved to a shared home as part of the update. Databases not in a shared home prior to the software update will be moved into a separate home as part of the update.
      - Use existing home if available: When using an existing home, all database targets in the same VM Cluster will be moved to a shared database home. If an existing home for the selected image is not found in the VM Cluster for a target database, then a new home will be created. If more than one existing home for the selected image is found, then the home with the least number of databases will be used. If multiple homes have the least number of databases, then a home will be selected at random.
      - Database home display name prefix: Display name for new database homes created as part of the maintenance cycle. An ordinal number will be appended to the name of the database home to make it unique.
  - Grid Infrastructure:
    - Target Grid Infrastructure image: Defaults to the latest Oracle-provided image. Click Change Grid Infrastructure image to select a different target Grid Infrastructure image.
      - Oracle-provided Grid Infrastructure software images: These images contain generally available versions of Oracle Grid Infrastructure software.
      - Custom Grid Infrastructure software images: These images are created by your organization and contain customized configurations of software updates and patches. For more information, see Create a Custom Oracle Grid Infrastructure Software Image.
        
        Choose a Compartment.
        
        Choose a Region.
        Region filter defaults to the currently connected region and lists all the software images created in that region. When you choose a different region, the software image list is refreshed to display the software images created in the selected region.
- Maintenance method: Maintenance method determines how VMs in a VM Cluster are batched and which nodes are updated together when applying the software updates.
  - One node at a time (rolling): (Default) Database instances are updated on one VM in the cluster at a time while the other instances remain operational.
  - Smart batch (rolling): Database instances are updated on one or more VMs at a time. VMs are batched based on the database services configured. This ensures that all services remain available as long as they are configured on multiple nodes while minimizing the total number of batches needed.
  - Non-rolling: All database instances across all VMs in the cluster are updated in parallel incurring full downtime.
  - 50/50 (rolling): The database instances on half of the VMs are updated in one batch, while the other half in another batch. The two batches are determined by the configuration of the database services. This ensures that all services remain available.
    - Enable one batch at a time: Select this checkbox to apply updates to one batch at a time.
      After applying the update to the first batch, the Apply action will wait to be continued before starting the second batch.
- Stage software start time: Optionally, set the start time for staging the software.
- Apply update start time: Optionally, set the start time for applying the update. Apply update start time must be at least 24 hours after the stage software start time.
  Apply update action will not run until the Stage Software action has been completed.
- Enable Incident Logs and Trace Collection: Allow Oracle to collect incident logs and traces to enable fault diagnosis and issue resolution.
  Note
  
  Any changes to this configuration are only supported when all actions for the maintenance cycle are in a scheduled state. You cannot make changes to this setting once any action for the maintenance cycle has started.
  
  Enable for all targets for this cycle and future events: Enable diagnostics log collection for all targets for this cycle and future events. Oracle recommends this for easy troubleshooting and better support.
  
  Enable for all targets for this cycle only: Enable diagnostic log collection for all targets only in the current maintenance cycle. After the cycle finishes, log collection settings will revert to the settings before the start of the maintenance cycle.
  
  Use existing diagnostic log collection settings: Only collect logs for targets with log collection already enabled.
  For more information, see:
  - Incident Logs and Trace Files and Database Service Events in the Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer Administrator's Guide.
  - Incident Logs and Trace Files and Database Service Events in the Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure Administrator's Guide.
  - DataCollectionOptions Reference in the Database Service API documentation.
- Advanced options:
  - Database start/stop options:
    - Maximum drain timeout (in seconds): Specify a Drain Timeout in seconds between nodes. This would be used during a rolling update to provide time for database connection relocation. The drain timeout used will be the maximum of this value or the maximum configured drain timeout of the services running on a particular instance. Default is 600.
    - Keep service placement: When enabled, database service will be restored to the placement prior to the Apply update action.
  - Software update options:
    - Ignore missing bug fixes: Select this checkbox to perform the move as part of the software update even though the target home is missing patches for bug fixes present in the source home.
      - Bug numbers to ignore: Optionally, enter the bug numbers to ignore. If you don’t specify a bug number, then any bug that is fixed in the source but not in the target is ignored.
    - Force rolling patch: Select this checkbox to force the patch operation to be performed in a rolling manner even with any non-rolling patches.
  - Tags: (Optional) You can choose to apply tags. If you have permission to create a resource, then you also have permission to apply free-form tags to that resource. To apply a defined tag, you must have permission to use the tag namespace. For more information about tagging, see Resource Tags. If you are not sure if you should apply tags, then skip this option (you can apply tags later) or ask your administrator.
Click Create maintenance cycle.

Maintenance Cycle lifecycle states:

Maintenance Cycle will be in an Active state when created. It may go into an Updating state, if needed, when attributes are being updated.
When an action is executing the Maintenance Cycle will go into a Maintenance In Progress state.
If any action has failed jobs, and a subsequent action hasn't yet been run to successfully complete the failed jobs, the maintenance cycle will be in a Needs Attention state.
Once the Apply action has succeeded, the maintenance cycle will move into a Succeeded state and the cleanup action would become available.
The cleanup action is an optional action on the maintenance cycle. Run the cleanup action to delete the maintenance cycle's source database and Grid Infrastructure homes, for the databases and Grid Infrastructures in the collection, after the maintenance cycle completes successfully. You can schedule a cleanup or cleanup immediately.

Note

If you try to create another maintenance cycle if a maintenance cycle already exists, then the system displays a dialog intimating that only one active maintenance cycle can exist on a collection.

Parent topic: Exadata Fleet Update Maintenance Cycles

Enable One Batch at a Time

When you choose the 50/50 (rolling) Maintenance method, the system provides an additional checkbox Enable one batch at a time appears to apply updates to one batch at a time.

Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Fleet Update.
Under Exadata Fleet Update, Collections is selected by default.
Click the name of the collection that you want to edit.
Collection details page is displayed.
Under Resources, click Maintenance cycles.
Click Create maintenance cycle.
Create maintenance cycle page is displayed.
In the Create maintenance cycle page, provide the requested information.
When you choose the 50/50 (rolling) Maintenance method, an additional checkbox Enable one batch at a time appears. Select this checkbox to apply updates to one batch at a time.

After applying the update to the first batch, the Apply action will wait to be continued before starting the second batch.
Click Create maintenance cycle.
If you have scheduled, then the Stage software and Apply update Actions will run at the scheduled time.

The Actions section on the Maintenance details page provides those details.

If the scheduled Stage software and Apply precheck Actions are successful, then the first batch begins the update process.

After applying the update to the first batch, the status of the Maintenance cycle changes to Needs Attention. The status of the Apply update for the second batch remains Waiting.
Click Apply update.
Apply update Action details page is displayed.
Click Continue apply.
The status of the Apply update for the second batch changes to In Progress.

The status of the Maintenance cycle changes to In Progress.

After applying the update to the second batch, the status of the Maintenance cycle changes to Succeeded.

The status of the Apply update for the second batch changes to Succeeded.

View the List of Maintenance Cycles

You can view the list of all Maintenance cycles for all Collections.

Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Fleet Update.
Under Exadata Fleet Update, Collections is selected by default.
Click Maintenance cycles.
Under List Scope, select the Compartment to view the Maintenance cycles associated with that compartment.
Under Filters, select a state.
Any state is selected by default.
Select the Show historical maintenance cycles to list all the maintenance runs.
By default, only the latest maintenance cycles are listed for each collection.
In the list of Maintenance cycles, click the name of the maintenance cycle to view details, or click the Actions icon (three dots) for a target, and then click View Details.
From the shortcut menu, you can select the options to Add tags to the Maintenance cycle and Delete the Maintenance cycle.

Parent topic: Exadata Fleet Update Maintenance Cycles

Filter Maintenance Cycles by Compartment

To find Maintenance Cycles specific to an individual compartment, you can use List Scope to filter Maintenance Cycles by compartment.

Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Fleet Update.
Under Exadata Fleet Update, Collections is selected by default.
Click Maintenance Cycles.
Under List Scope, select a compartment from the list.

Filter Maintenance Cycles by State

Filter Maintenance Cycles by selecting a state from the list of states.

Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Fleet Update.
Under Exadata Fleet Update, Collections is selected by default.
Click Maintenance Cycles.
Under Filters, select a state from the list.

Edit a Maintenance Cycle

To edit a maintenance cycle, be prepared to provide values for the fields required for editing the maintenance cycle.

Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Fleet Update.
Under Exadata Fleet Update, Collections is selected by default.
Click the name of the collection that you want to edit.
Collection details page is displayed.
Under Resources, click Maintenance cycles.
In the list of maintenance cycles, click the name of the maintenance cycle to view details, or click the Actions icon (three dots) for a target, and then click View Details.
Maintenance cycle details page is displayed.
Click Edit maintenance cycle.
Enter appropriate values in the required fields.
Note

The Target image can only be modified prior to the Apply being executed. Once an Apply is executed, then you cannot edit this field.
- Enable Incident Logs and Trace Collection: Allow Oracle to collect incident logs and traces to enable fault diagnosis and issue resolution.
  Note
  
  Any changes to this configuration are only supported when all actions for the maintenance cycle are in a scheduled state. You cannot make changes to this setting once any action for the maintenance cycle has started.
  
  Enable for all targets for this cycle and future events: Enable diagnostics log collection for all targets for this cycle and future events. Oracle recommends this for easy troubleshooting and better support.
  
  Enable for all targets for this cycle only: Enable diagnostic log collection for all targets only in the current maintenance cycle. After the cycle finishes, log collection settings will revert to the settings before the start of the maintenance cycle.
  
  Use existing diagnostic log collection settings: Only collect logs for targets with log collection already enabled.
  For more information, see:
  - Incident Logs and Trace Files and Database Service Events in the Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer Administrator's Guide.
  - Incident Logs and Trace Files and Database Service Events in the Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure Administrator's Guide.
  - DataCollectionOptions Reference in the Database Service API documentation.
Click Save Changes.

Parent topic: Exadata Fleet Update Maintenance Cycles

Delete a Maintenance Cycle

Be cautious, you cannot recover a deleted Maintenance Cycle.

Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Fleet Update.
Under Exadata Fleet Update, Collections is selected by default.
Click Maintenance Cycles.
Click the name of the maintenance cycle that you want to delete.
Maintenance cycle details page is displayed.
Click More actions, and then select Delete.
Or, click the Actions icon (three dots), and then click Delete.

Delete dialog is displayed.
Enter the name of the Maintenance Cycle, and then click Delete.

Parent topic: Exadata Fleet Update Maintenance Cycles

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