26 Maintaining the Database Pool
About Database Pool Maintenance
Enterprise Manager offers a subscription based software maintenance feature that allows self service administrators to maintain the cloud by applying database updates which include:
- Minor Updates: Interim one-off patches including quarterly security patch updates (SPUs/CPUs) and Patchset Updates (PSUs).
- Major Updates: Patchsets such as (12.2.0.1 to 12.1.0.2) and major version upgrades 12.1.0.2 to 19c.
Any new database patches, patchsets, or updates are made available in the form of images. An image (also referred to as gold image) represents the software binary that is patched to the required level. Each newly created image from a new patch or patchset for a specific database version is a new version. For example, an image for Oracle Database version 12.1.0.2 contains gold images (such as Version 1, Version 2, and so on) at different patch or patchset levels.
A standalone database pool contains databases along with its Oracle Home infrastructure. A RAC database pool contains RAC databases along with Grid Infrastructure Instances and its associated Oracle Homes. Maintaining a database pool involves the following:
- Subscribe the database pool to an image that has been patched to the required level. This task has to be performed by a user with the
EM_SSA_ADMINISTRATOR
role. - Deploy the image and switch the database from the old Oracle Home to a new Oracle Home. This task has to be performed by a user with the
EM_SSA_ADMINISTRATOR
role. - Update the database. This task can be performed by a user with either the
EM_SSA_ADMINISTRATOR
role orEM_SSA_USER
role.
This maintenance activity can be performed as and when a new patch or patchset update is available. A database pool is considered to be fully compliant if the targets in the pool are associated with the latest version of an image. If the targets are still associated with an older version of the image, the database pool is considered to be non compliant. The goal of the self service administrator is to ensure all targets in the database pool are 100% compliant.
Note:
- For database upgrades, such as 12.2.0.1 to 12.1.0.2, see: Database Fleet Maintenance in Enterprise Manager Lifecycle Management Administrator’s Guide to perform maintenance activities.
- Database pool maintenance can also be performed for Grid Infrastructure targets.
The database pool maintenance feature is useful in:
- Reducing the number of different database software versions and patches in the pool.
- Standardizing the database software versions and patches across the enterprise.
- Streamlining and automating software upgrades and patches.
- Enabling the self service users to move to the new software version and update the database on their own terms.
Note:
You can use EMCLI commands to perform pool maintenance activities. For details, see Database Fleet Maintenance EM CLI Verbs.
Figure 26-1 Database Pool Maintenance Workflow

The following table shows the list of tasks involved in updating and maintaining a database pool.
Table 26-1 Database Pool Maintenance Tasks
Step | Task | Role |
---|---|---|
1 | Creating a Database Gold Image | EM_SSA_ADMINISTRATOR |
2 | Subscribing to an Image | EM_SSA_ADMINISTRATOR |
3 | Deploying the Image | EM_SSA_ADMINISTRATOR |
4 | Updating the Database | EM_SSA_ADMINISTRATOR
|
5 | Performing Ongoing Image Updates |
|
Creating a Database Gold Image
An image is the software binary for the target (say Oracle database) on a given platform and release containing the required patch levels. For example, Image DB_19101_Linux represents Database software for 19.1.0.1 release applicable to Linux x86_64 platform containing patches like PSUs and other one-off patches at the needed level. Whenever there is a new patch, you must create a new version of the image from a reference target that contains a zipped up Oracle Home that has been brought to a certain certified or tested patch level.
To maintain the database pool, you must subscribe to an image which contains the latest patches or patchset. If no images exist, you must first create an image and then subscribe the database pool to the image.
To create an image, follow these steps:
Subscribing to an Image
When a new image is created, the database pool is automatically subscribed to the image. To begin maintenance. start by deploying the image. Follow steps listed in Deploying the Oracle Home.
If you want to maintain the database pool with another image, you must subscribe to the image. To subscribe to an existing image, follow these steps:
- Log in as a user with the
EM_SSA_ADMINISTRATOR
role. - From the Enterprise menu, select Cloud, then select Cloud Home. The Cloud Home page appears.
- Click on Resource Providers, a list of database pools and PaaS Infrastructure zones are displayed.
- Click on a Database Pool to view the Database Pool page.
- From the Database Pool menu, select Members, then select Maintenance.
- Click Manage Subscriptions. You will see a list of available and applicable images for Oracle Database. Select the Update Subscriptions for Oracle Database checkbox, select an image from the list and click Subscribe.
The pie chart shows the distribution ratio for targets in the database pool, with respect to the image and the different versions of the image. Each version is represented as follows:
- System Version Number (Version Display Name) (Number of targets in the version).
- Each version can have one of the following states:
- Draft: This is a test version.
- Restricted: This represents a Beta version that is released to a restricted set of targets.
- Current: This represents the latest version of the image.
An administrator's maintenance goal is to move all targets in the pool to the Current version of the image to keep the pool is up-to-date and compliant.
Deploying the Image
After the self service administrator has subscribed the database pool to a new image, the new image must be deployed. To deploy the image, follow these steps:
Deploying the Oracle Home
This option copies the image binaries to each of the hosts in the database pool and create new Oracle Homes on all them. When you navigate to this page, the Deploy step is highlighted and the status is Pending. The list of targets on which the image is to be deployed, the target owner, and the image version is displayed. To deploy the image, follow these steps:
Activating the New Oracle Home
This step sends notifications to the self service users that a new update is available. Activating the newly deployed Oracle Homes also updates the self service template associated with the database pool and redirects any new database service requests to be created from the new Oracle Home. Click Activate to activate the Oracle Homes that have been successfully deployed.
Updating the Database
This step switches the database from the old Oracle Home to the new Oracle Home and completes the post install steps for all the patches related to the image. This step can either be performed by the self service administrator or the self service user.
After deploying the latest version of the image, the self service administrator can do either of the following:
-
Apply the latest version and update the database. To update the database targets associated with the pool, select the Update option shown in Figure 26-3 and click Update. The latest patch will be applied on all the database targets in the pool. The database pool will now be 100% compliant.
-
Notify the self service user about the updates by clicking Yes in the Delegate the Responsibility to the Self Service User field. The self service user can then choose to apply the updates by following these steps:
-
Log in as a user with the
EM_SSA_USER
role. -
In the Self Portal Page, select Databases from the Manage drop down list. Click on a database for which updates are available to drill down to the Home page.
Figure 26-5 Updating the Database
-
Click Update to switch the database to the new Oracle Home.
-
Note:
-
When all the tasks (deploy, activate, and update) have been performed, the pool is successfully subscribed to the new image.
-
When the database pool is subscribed to a newer version of an image, the compliance status of the pool changes will be at 0%. After the new version is deployed and all databases associated with the database pool are updated, the compliance will be at 100%.
Performing Ongoing Image Updates
When a new patch or patchset is available, to deploy the new patch on the database pool, you must ensure that the following tasks are performed:
Creating a New Version of the Image
Editing an Image
To edit an image version, select the image and click Edit from the Actions menu. This option allows you to change the name of the image version.
Deleting an Image
To delete a database image, in the Images section, select the image that you want to delete, and then click Delete. Click Yes to confirm and delete the image.