The recommended way to monitor Exadata storage servers being updated is through e-mail alerts. You can configure these alerts by specifying the appropriate email addresses in the patchmgr command using the --smtp_from and --smtp_to command-line options.

Additionally, you can also monitor and troubleshoot update activity by viewing:

• Terminal output generated by the patchmgr command.

• Log files created by patchmgr.

• OS-level activity on the storage server, using ILOM or the server console. During an update, you might need to restart an ILOM or server console connection because the server rebooted or reset the ILOM. At times, it may be useful to monitor the storage server boot process to ensure that the update process is proceeding correctly.

After patchmgr completes, you can check image status and history using the imageinfo and imagehistory commands on each cell. A successful update to a system with high capacity or high performance drives shows imageinfo output similar to the following.

# imageinfo
Kernel version: 2.6.39-400.281.1.el6uek.x86_64 #1 SMP Fri Jun 17 20:10:16 PDT 2016 x86_64
Cell version: OSS_12.1.2.3.2_LINUX.X64_160721
Cell rpm version: cell-12.1.2.3.2_LINUX.X64_160721-1.x86_64

Active image version: 12.1.2.3.2.160721
Active image kernel version: 2.6.39-400.281.1.el6uek
Active image activated: 2016-07-21 13:04:34 -0500
Active image status: success
Active system partition on device: /dev/md5
Active software partition on device: /dev/md7

Cell boot usb partition: /dev/sdac1
Cell boot usb version: 12.1.2.3.2.160721

Inactive image version: 12.1.2.3.1.160411
Inactive image activated: 2016-04-11 19:58:28 -0700
Inactive image status: success
Inactive system partition on device: /dev/md6
Inactive software partition on device: /dev/md8

Inactive marker for the rollback: /boot/I_am_hd_boot.inactive
Inactive grub config for the rollback: /boot/grub/grub.conf.inactive
Inactive kernel version for the rollback: 2.6.39-400.128.21.el5uek
Rollback to the inactive partitions: Possible

A successful update to a system with extreme flash drives shows a similar output but has a different path for USB:

Kernel version: 2.6.39-400.281.1.el6uek.x86_64 #1 SMP Fri Jun 17 20:10:16 PDT 2016 x86_64
Cell version: OSS_12.1.2.3.2_LINUX.X64_160721
Cell rpm version: cell-12.1.2.3.2_LINUX.X64_160721-1.x86_64

Active image version: 12.1.2.3.2.160721
Active image kernel version: 2.6.39-400.281.1.el6uek
Active image activated: 2016-07-21 13:04:34 -0500
Active image status: success
Active system partition on device: /dev/md5
Active software partition on device: /dev/md7

Cell boot usb partition: /dev/sda1
Cell boot usb version: 12.1.2.3.2.160721

Inactive image version: 12.1.2.3.1.160411
Inactive image activated: 2016-04-11 19:58:28 -0700
Inactive image status: success
Inactive system partition on device: /dev/md6
Inactive software partition on device: /dev/md8

Inactive marker for the rollback: /boot/I_am_hd_boot.inactive
Inactive grub config for the rollback: /boot/grub/grub.conf.inactive
Inactive kernel version for the rollback: 2.6.39-400.128.21.el5uek
Rollback to the inactive partitions: Possible