Oracle patches strategy

[Former Member]

Hello,

I would like to ask your opinion on something.

Usually what is the recommended update database startegy? Is it  recommended to update your database at the latest patch set or is it sufficiect  to install the latest bundle patches?

For example if I have Oracle 11.2.0.2 installed should I continue with the latest PSU or should I update it to version 11.2.0.3 and afterwards regulary apply the upcoming bundle patches until the next patch set 11.2.0.4 is released.

Or is there a recommended strategy from SAP in order to have your database always up to date?

best regards,

manoliv

[Former Member]

Hi Manu,

It depends to the technical landscape and customer requirements. For example, a landscape with 30 productive systems, it becomes really hard to upgrade all the databases in the landscape, regularly. It is meaningful to upgrade to the new release, if the database release is entered to the extended maintenance period or a suggestion a fix by SAP over database, without a workaround.

PSU patches are different issue. At the first stage, we install the PSU patches at the development site. After the patch passed the tests sucessfully, install on the test (QA) system. As a last step, install on the productive site. We apply the PSU patches to the systems, twice in a year (every six months).

On the other hand, mostly I recommend to upgrade the database, before the SAP upgrade or OS/DB migration projects, to my customers. This is because, I prefer to work with the latest versions.

Best regards,

Orkun Gedik

[sunny_pahuja2]

Hi,

It is always recommended to be on latest patch level.

But you can continue with your release till the time it is supported and if there are no major changes delivered in the new release. However you should apply latest bundle patches regularly.

Thanks

Sunny

[jairo_pedroza]

Hello Manu,

In the New Patch Concept, SAP now delivers Oracle database patches in form of so-called SAP Bundle Patches (SBPs)

An SAP Bundle Patch…

…includes the current Oracle Patch Set Update

…contains non-PSU, single and merge fixes required for SAP

…contains the current SAP-specific Optimizer Merge Patch

SBPs are cumulative (i.e. they include all patches from previous SBPs

So, If you apply the last SBP when released, you'll be covered

Hope it help you,

Jairo Pedroza

[jairo_pedroza]

Hello Manu,

Is answer good so far. Please change status to solved please.

Regards,

Jairo

[fidel_vales]

Hi,

I love your answer

I wish I could give you points.

I had to explain the same so many times

As Jairo mentions, (in an ideal world) you install the latest SBP.

Unfortunatelly, SAP delivers one every month and customers usually cannot install patches everymonth.

You have to decide the frequency yourself keeping in mind what a SBP is and your posibility for downtime. One thing to mention, is that the Oracle release new Patch set updates every 4 months.

A lot of customers play around with this periocity in order to install patches

Fidel

[volker_borowski2]

Hi,

I have Customers with only a few systems and they nearly never apply SBPs unless an error occurs.

I have Customers with many systems and in these companys security departments are

quite strong and they enforce to be on "current" patches.

... in real life "current" means we have regular patchrounds twice a year, as long an no

high level security alert shows up.

If you would do more, and require an SBP to be observed 2-3 weeks in development and 2-3

weeks in quality assurence before going to production, you would end up with 50 systems being on different software levels, which you surely do not like to have.

Normally, we schedule SBP for development after years end closing, which is around end of FEB.

So beginning of March we develop the rollout procedure on three technical sandbox systems

(ABAP, J2EE, DUAL) which includes documentation, verification scripts and other stuff.

Once this is complete, the FEB bundle is going to be applied to DEVs by end of march, QAS gets

it by mid of april, and normally, due to April closing, PRD get it after this, which means mid of May.

June, July, August is always bad patching time, because either nobody is in to test (vacation time),

or whoever is in has to do enough other stuff because someone else is on vacation.

Means the second patch turn starts around September to be ready before December and before years end closing.

If we need to apply an additional "high risk" coverage, it gets complicated.

Volker