R12.2 + 11g R2 = Online Patching + Reducing Patching Downtime

Online Patching With Oracle 11g Release 2 Database

–Functionality leverages native 11g R2 features that allow online application upgrade with uninterrupted availability of the application

–Patches can be applied while the production system is fully operational

–Only a short downtime is required to complete patching process

–The amount of downtime required by any patch will be more predictable

Edition-based redefinition enables you to upgrade the database component of an application while it is in use, thereby minimizing or eliminating down time. To upgrade an application while it is in use, you copy the database objects that comprise the application and redefine the copied objects in isolation. Your changes do not affect users of the application—they continue to run the unchanged application. When you are sure that your changes are correct, you make the upgraded application available to all users. Using edition-based redefinition means using one or more of its component features. The features you use, and the down time, depend on these factors:

What kind of database objects you redefine
How available the database objects must be to users while you are redefining them
Whether you make the upgraded application available to some users while others continue to use the older version of the application

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R12.2 Technology Highlights

What’s coming?

–Latest middleware:

• Fusion Middleware 11g
  
• WebLogic Server to replace OC4J
  

Oracle WebLogic Server is a scalable, enterprise-ready Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE) application server. The WebLogic Server infrastructure supports the deployment of many types of distributed applications and is an ideal foundation for building applications based on Service Oriented Architectures (SOA).
– Oracle 11gR2 11.2 Databases:

• Online patching via Edition-Based Redefinition
  
• Improved performance via database result caching
  
• Edition-based redefinition enables you to upgrade the database component of an application while it is in use, thereby minimizing or eliminating down time.
  

To upgrade an application while it is in use, you copy the database objects that comprise the application and redefine the copied objects in isolation. Your changes do not affect users of the application—they continue to run the unchanged application. When you are sure that your changes are correct, you make the upgraded application available to all users. Using edition-based redefinition means using one or more of its component features. The features you use, and the down time, depend on these factors:

• What kind of database objects you redefine
  
• How available the database objects must be to users while you are redefining them
  
• Whether you make the upgraded application available to some users while others continue to use the older version of the application