All Autonomous Database instances are automatically assigned to a maintenance window and different instances can have different maintenance windows.

Autonomous Database uses these maintenance windows to patch the entire stack used to run your database, including the database software, database dictionary, operating systems, Exadata storage, firmware, and more.

Patches include bug fixes, security fixes, and new features. Critical security fixes are always applied as soon as they are available. Patches are deployed uniformly across all databases, so you do not need to track one-off patches. After a fix for an issue is implemented, for example an issue seen in one database, the fix is deployed to all Autonomous Database instances.

All patches undergo a rigorous testing and validation process that is part of a continuous integration and development pipeline. Fixes are validated in multiple stages and environments before they are deployed to Early patch level and Always Free databases, followed by Regular patch level databases. This pipeline allows regressions to be caught and fixed before the patch is deployed to all databases. In the unlikely case that a regression is introduced, there are processes to mitigate the problem either by rolling back a subset of the patch or the entire patch itself.

The Autonomous Database Details page shows the Patch Level field and the Next Maintenance field that includes the date and time for the upcoming maintenance window; the date is updated automatically when the next maintenance window is scheduled. The View History link provides details on past maintenance. The Target component field shows the component to be updated in the next maintenance window.

When Autonomous Data Guard is enabled the console also shows maintenance information for a local standby database.

The Maintenance area includes the following information:

Notes for scheduled maintenance and patching:

• The Autonomous Database operations team never accesses your data unless you explicitly grant permission through a Service Request for a specified duration.

• If your database is in the stopped state during the maintenance window, the database changes from the patch are applied when you start your database.

• Your database remains available during the maintenance window. New connections to the database will always succeed. Your existing database connections may get disconnected briefly, depending on the component being patched; however, you can immediately reconnect and continue using your database:

  • For Database patches, existing connections may get disconnected if they are running for longer than the drain time after patching starts.

  • For Infrastructure patches, existing connections may get disconnected if they are running for longer than the drain time after patching starts.

  • For Dictionary patches, existing connections may get disconnected if they are holding locks on the dictionary objects being patched. Otherwise, the existing connections will not be impacted. For example, if your application is running a procedure in the DBMS_CLOUD package during patching and the package needs to be patched, the session using that package may get disconnected.

• You can use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Events to be notified when maintenance begins and ends. See Information Events on Autonomous Database for more information.

• If you want to change the assigned maintenance window to a different 2-hour window, file a Service Request at Oracle Cloud Support.

  If you want a specific time period for your maintenance window, you can request the time period with the same Service Request. If you request a specific time period for your maintenance window, the change can only be made if the time period you request is available for your database.

• If your database's allocated storage is 384 TB, you can choose a custom 2-hour window by filing a Service Request at Oracle Cloud Support (that is you can file a Service Request to request a specific day and time period for your maintenance window).

You can view Autonomous Database maintenance event history for details about past maintenance events, such as the title, state, start time, and stop time.

1. On the Autonomous Database Details page, under Maintenance, click View History.
2. The Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console displays the Maintenance History page.
3. (Optional) Use the State selector to filter events by state.

   For example, if you select Succeeded, the Maintenance History page shows only the maintenance events with the Succeeded state.

   
   

You can view Autonomous Database patch information, including a list of resolved issues and components.

1. Select the Autonomous Database patch that you want to view. The Maintenance History page on the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console shows the list of patches under Title.
2. For the selected patch, query the DBA_CLOUD_PATCH_INFO view.

   For example, for patch ADBS-21.7.1.1, use the following query:

   SELECT * FROM DBA_CLOUD_PATCH_INFO WHERE PATCH_VERSION = 'ADBS-21.7.1.1';

3. For an issue of interest, query the view to obtain details for the issue:

   SELECT * FROM DBA_CLOUD_PATCH_INFO WHERE PATCH_VERSION = 'ADBS-21.7.1.1' and BUG_NUM = bug_number;

SELECT * FROM DBA_CLOUD_PATCH_INFO;

When you provision or clone an Autonomous Database instance you can select a patch level to apply to upcoming patches. There are two patch level options: Regular and Early.

1. Set the patch level when you provision or clone an instance.

   When you provision a new instance, follow the provisioning instructions and select the patch level, either Regular or Early. See Provision an Autonomous Database Instance for more information.

   When you clone an instance, follow the cloning instructions and select a patch level, either Regular or Early. See Clone an Autonomous Database Instance for more information.

The DB_NOTIFICATIONS view stores information about maintenance status notifications for your Autonomous Database instance.

1. Connect to your Autonomous Database instance.
2. Use the following query to view maintenance (patching) information.

   SELECT * FROM DB_NOTIFICATIONS WHERE TYPE = 'MAINTENANCE';