An Oracle blog about Exadata
- March 24, 2020
Exadata System Software Updates - March 2020
To give you a single place to keep up with Exadata technical news, we'll post Exadata System Software releases here on blogs.oracle.com/exadata as soon as they are available. This post details the March 2020 releases.
Exadata System Software Update 19.3.6.0.0
Exadata System Software 19.3.6.0.0 Update is now generally available. 19.3.6.0.0 is a maintenance release that adds critical bug fixes and security fixes on top of 19.3.X releases. It contains the following:
- Exadata Software updates for important bugs discovered after 19.3.5.0.0 was released in February 2020
- Critical Linux security updates
Customers reviewing Exadata Storage Software Release 19.3.0.0.0 should uptake 19.3.1.0.0 or higher. For further information, see:
- Exadata 19.3.6.0.0 release and patch (31027642) (Doc ID 2638622.1)
- Exadata Database Machine and Exadata Storage Server Supported Versions (Doc ID 888828.1)
Exadata System Software Update 19.2.12.0.0
Exadata System Software 19.2.12.0.0 Update is now generally available. 19.2.12.0.0 is a maintenance release that adds critical bug fixes and security fixes on top of 19.2.X releases. It contains the following:
- Exadata Software updates for important bugs discovered after 19.2.11.0.0 shipped in February 2020
- Critical Linux security updates
19.2.12.0.0 is the best upgrade target for customers who want to move to Oracle Linux 7. Customers upgrading to Oracle Database 19c will have to upgrade Exadata to 19.2.X.0.0. For further information, see:
- Exadata 19.2.12.0.0 release and patch (31028685) (Doc ID 2638621.1)
- Exadata Database Machine and Exadata Storage Server Supported Versions (Doc ID 888828.1)
Exadata System Software Update 18.1.26.0.0
Exadata System Software 18.1.26.0.0 Update is now generally available. 18.1.26.0.0 is a maintenance release that adds critical bug fixes and security fixes on top of 18.1.X releases. It contains the following:
- Exadata Software updates for important bugs discovered after 18.1.25.0.0 shipped in February 2020
- Critical Linux security updates
18.1.26.0.0 is the best upgrade target for customers who want to continue to use Oracle Linux 6. 12.2.1.1.8 which was released in July 2018 is the last patch in the 12.2.x line, so customers should plan to update to 18.1.x.0.0.
Important considerations before upgrading in 18.x
Please refer to MOS Document 888828.1 for important considerations before upgrading to the latest Exadata System Software release. As stated, before updating database servers (non-OVM and OVM domU) to Exadata 18.1.5 or higher, ensure ACFS drivers that support the most efficient CVE-2017-5715 (Spectre Variant 2) mitigation are installed. These updated ACFS drivers, required for Exadata versions >= 18.1.5.0.0 and >= 12.2.1.1.7, are included in the July 2018 quarterly database releases. Quarterly database releases from April 2018 and earlier still require a separate ACFS patch. See MOS Document 2356385.1 for details.
MOS Document 2357480.1 discusses the performance impact of mitigation measures against CVE-2017-5754, CVE-2017-5753, and CVE-2017-5715 on Oracle Database, Oracle Exadata and Oracle Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance.
Database servers that have been customized by installing third-party kernel drivers must contact the third-party vendor to obtain updated third-party drivers. See MOS Document 2356385.1 for details. For further information, see:
- Exadata 18.1.26.0.0 release and patch (31027153) (Doc ID 2638620.1)
- Exadata Database Machine and Exadata Storage Server Supported Versions (Doc ID 888828.1)
Huge thanks to our Exadata Sustaining Team, who provide these releases to protect and enhance the value of your Exadata investments.
We are always interested in your feedback. You are welcome to engage with us via comments here.
Related posts
- Exadata System Software Updates - February 2020 (February 2020)
- Exadata System Software Updates - January 2020 (January 2020)
- What’s New with Oracle Database 19c and Exadata 19.1 (February 2019)
- Exadata System Software 19.1 (October 2018)
- Introducing Exadata Database Machine X8M (September 2019)
- Introducing Exadata Database Machine X8 (June 2019)
The article seems to imply that 19.2.12 is the "best choice" using language from the article. However, what's unclear (to me) is what's wrong with 19.3.6? Why would a customer not go from 18.7 to 19.3.6? And why does the article speak of 19.3.6 with the language "reviewing..."?
Thanks so much!
If you look at MOS Note 2075007.1 you'll see Exadata X3 is certified with any of the current releases, so the choice is really up to you. From a Product perspective, latest is always greatest as it adds additional features, but some customers may not have time to test these additional features so remain on sustaining releases on their current feature release.
I'll be blogging about the versions and explaining sustaining releases shortly. I'm hoping this will help clear up a few things and help with future planning.