Installing and updating additional (non-Exadata) software packages (RPMs) is allowed on Oracle Exadata database servers as long as the kernel and RDMA Network Fabric packages are not altered.

Customizing the system by adding or updating packages may introduce problems when applying an Oracle Exadata System Software update because the additional software may introduce new dependencies that are not handled by the Oracle Exadata System Software update. For this reason, Oracle recommends only minimal and essential customization.

The same principle applies to customizations other than the installation of additional software. Oracle recommends customizing the system as little as possible. While some changes on the database server are permitted, Oracle cannot anticipate every possible customization.

Furthermore, various Oracle Exadata utilities depend on configuration standards that are based on best practices and have been validated over time. Moving away from the Oracle Exadata standards introduces the risk of suboptimal configuration and unexpected behavior. Consequently, by adding software or customizing system configuration you may require changes or additional steps to the standard Oracle Exadata update process. With or without customizations, it is highly recommended to validate every Oracle Exadata System Software update on a test system before performing it on a production system.

Note the following if you customize the operating system by adding or updating RPM packages:

• For updates that do not change the major Oracle Linux version number, Oracle Exadata System Software release 25.1.0 introduces options to update additional non-Exadata software packages as part of an Exadata database server update operation. This integrated capability enables you to handle software package dependency issues that arise when additional non-Exadata software packages are installed on the system.

  With this capability, you can iteratively run patchmgr with the --precheck option to find and resolve package dependency issues associated with any additional non-Exadata software packages installed on the system. After you understand the additional package updates required for a clean update, you can confidently perform the Exadata database server update and update the additional packages at the same time.

  See Patchmgr Syntax for Database Servers.

• For updates that change the major Oracle Linux version number and for all other updates prior to Oracle Exadata System Software release 25.1.0, it is recommended that you have scripts to automate the removal and re-installation of additional non-Exadata software packages to run before and after the Oracle Exadata System Software update. Before re-installing any additional packages, you should verify that the additional packages are still required and compatible with the updated system software.

• To add a non-Exadata package or update an Exadata-supplied package you must first remove the exadata-sun-computenode-exact RPM as follows:

  [root@dm01 ]# rpm -e exadata-sun-computenode-exact

• Unless directed by Oracle Support Services, never force a package installation using the rpm -Uvh --nodeps command.

• Oracle Exadata does not ship with 32-bit software. You must manage any customization that introduces 32-bit RPMs.