Our business application is hosted on Linux. I love the way the OS is fine tuned by Oracle for the database & without arguments, I must say, Oracle is perfect on Linux.
Does that stop me from installing the latest Oracle database & experimenting them on Windows? Nay, from the known days I’ve used Windows OS for PC & I am sure, will be retiring using one. I’ve made many attempts to install and configure many unsupported Oracle products on Windows & have a VERY good success record ;)
Yet, I never ever upgraded Oracle databases on Windows to next version as I never had a database that needed to be backed up or restored when a new version was tried out. This time I decided to change that habit and to upgrade my existing 12c CDB database to 19c following some documents specifically written for Linux!
Well, regardless whether you are a Linux or Windows person, trust me, the instructions provided for either platform is 99% applicable on both. So, translating the instructions on Linux for Windows are NOT truly difficult, in case if you are IN for some geeky stuffs.
So let us quickly assess my environment. I had 12c CDB with one PDB, which I don’t remember whether I created during the software installation or later. As usual, the following instructions are for a lab setup. That means, you must make sure that you make proper backups prior moving them to a Production environment. My TEST database didn’t have any data, just the sample schemas.
Install Oracle Database 19c. Choose “Software Only” option. That means do not create a database along with the installation. You may refer my earlier post for Oracle 19c installation here.
Now, let us see how to upgrade our 12c database to 19c. There are many prerequisites for a successful upgrade. Oracle provides many tools to insure a successful upgrade.
Start your 12c database and open an elevated command prompt.
From your 12c database home aka %ORACLE_HOME%\bin folder execute prerequisites collection program. Example
D:\Oracle\product\12.2.0\dbhome_1\bin>java -jar D:\Oracle\product\19.3.0\rdbms\admin\preupgrade.jar TEXT TERMINALTEXT TERMINAL will force the program to output all the instructions to the current console. You should copy the output to a text file & go through the findings. Against the pre-upgrade instructions, you must satisfy each one of them & re-run the prerequisites collection once again. If you are upgrading a Container database with pluggable databases, the post-upgrade activities will be listed per database.
A Sample output as below:
D:\Oracle\product\12.2.0\dbhome_1\bin>java -jar D:\Oracle\product\19.3.0\rdbms\admin\preupgrade.jar TEXT TERMINAL
Report generated by Oracle Database Pre-Upgrade Information Tool Version
19.0.0.0.0 Build: 1 on 2020-11-20T17:45:58
Upgrade-To version: 19.0.0.0.0
=======================================
Status of the database prior to upgrade
=======================================
Database Name: CDB12C
Container Name: CDB$ROOT
Container ID: 1
Version: 12.2.0.1.0
DB Patch Level: No Patch Bundle applied
Compatible: 12.2.0
Blocksize: 8192
Platform: Microsoft Windows x86 64-bit
Timezone File: 26
Database log mode: NOARCHIVELOG
Readonly: FALSE
Edition: EE
Oracle Component Upgrade Action Current Status
---------------- -------------- --------------
Oracle Server [to be upgraded] VALID
JServer JAVA Virtual Machine [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle XDK for Java [to be upgraded] VALID
Real Application Clusters [to be upgraded] OPTION OFF
Oracle Workspace Manager [to be upgraded] VALID
OLAP Analytic Workspace [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Label Security [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Database Vault [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Text [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle XML Database [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Java Packages [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Multimedia [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Spatial [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle OLAP API [to be upgraded] VALID
==============
BEFORE UPGRADE
==============
REQUIRED ACTIONS
================
None
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
===================
1. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather stale data dictionary statistics prior to database
upgrade in off-peak time using:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_DICTIONARY_STATS;
Dictionary statistics do not exist or are stale (not up-to-date).
Dictionary statistics help the Oracle optimizer find efficient SQL
execution plans and are essential for proper upgrade timing. Oracle
recommends gathering dictionary statistics in the last 24 hours before
database upgrade.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
2. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather statistics on fixed objects prior the upgrade.
None of the fixed object tables have had stats collected.
Gathering statistics on fixed objects, if none have been gathered yet, is
recommended prior to upgrading.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
INFORMATION ONLY
================
3. To help you keep track of your tablespace allocations, the following
AUTOEXTEND tablespaces are expected to successfully EXTEND during the
upgrade process.
Min Size
Tablespace Size For Upgrade
---------- ---------- -----------
SYSAUX 470 MB 500 MB
SYSTEM 800 MB 915 MB
TEMP 33 MB 150 MB
Minimum tablespace sizes for upgrade are estimates.
4. No action needed.
Using default parallel upgrade options, this CDB with 2 PDBs will first
upgrade the CDB$ROOT, and then upgrade at most 2 PDBs at a time using 2
parallel processes per PDB.
The number of PDBs upgraded in parallel and the number of parallel
processes per PDB can be adjusted as described in Database Upgrade Guide.
5. Check the Oracle Backup and Recovery User's Guide for information on how
to manage an RMAN recovery catalog schema.
If you are using a version of the recovery catalog schema that is older
than that required by the RMAN client version, then you must upgrade the
catalog schema.
It is good practice to have the catalog schema the same or higher version
than the RMAN client version you are using.
ORACLE GENERATED FIXUP SCRIPT
=============================
All of the issues in database CDB12C container CDB$ROOT
which are identified above as BEFORE UPGRADE "(AUTOFIXUP)" can be resolved by
executing the following from within the container
SQL>@D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\/preupgrade_fixups.sql
=============
AFTER UPGRADE
=============
REQUIRED ACTIONS
================
None
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
===================
6. Upgrade the database time zone file using the DBMS_DST package.
The database is using time zone file version 26 and the target 19 release
ships with time zone file version 32.
Oracle recommends upgrading to the desired (latest) version of the time
zone file. For more information, refer to "Upgrading the Time Zone File
and Timestamp with Time Zone Data" in the 19 Oracle Database
Globalization Support Guide.
7. To identify directory objects with symbolic links in the path name, run
$ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/utldirsymlink.sql AS SYSDBA after upgrade.
Recreate any directory objects listed, using path names that contain no
symbolic links.
Some directory object path names may currently contain symbolic links.
Starting in Release 18c, symbolic links are not allowed in directory
object path names used with BFILE data types, the UTL_FILE package, or
external tables.
8. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather dictionary statistics after the upgrade using the
command:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_DICTIONARY_STATS;
Oracle recommends gathering dictionary statistics after upgrade.
Dictionary statistics provide essential information to the Oracle
optimizer to help it find efficient SQL execution plans. After a database
upgrade, statistics need to be re-gathered as there can now be tables
that have significantly changed during the upgrade or new tables that do
not have statistics gathered yet.
9. Gather statistics on fixed objects after the upgrade and when there is a
representative workload on the system using the command:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_FIXED_OBJECTS_STATS;
This recommendation is given for all preupgrade runs.
Fixed object statistics provide essential information to the Oracle
optimizer to help it find efficient SQL execution plans. Those
statistics are specific to the Oracle Database release that generates
them, and can be stale upon database upgrade.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
ORACLE GENERATED FIXUP SCRIPT
=============================
All of the issues in database CDB12C container CDB$ROOT
which are identified above as AFTER UPGRADE "(AUTOFIXUP)" can be resolved by
executing the following from within the container
SQL>@D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\/postupgrade_fixups.sql
Report generated by Oracle Database Pre-Upgrade Information Tool Version
19.0.0.0.0 Build: 1 on 2020-11-20T17:46:22
Upgrade-To version: 19.0.0.0.0
=======================================
Status of the database prior to upgrade
=======================================
Database Name: CDB12C
Container Name: PDB$SEED
Container ID: 2
Version: 12.2.0.1.0
DB Patch Level: No Patch Bundle applied
Compatible: 12.2.0
Blocksize: 8192
Platform: Microsoft Windows x86 64-bit
Timezone File: 26
Database log mode: NOARCHIVELOG
Readonly: TRUE
Edition: EE
Oracle Component Upgrade Action Current Status
---------------- -------------- --------------
Oracle Server [to be upgraded] VALID
JServer JAVA Virtual Machine [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle XDK for Java [to be upgraded] VALID
Real Application Clusters [to be upgraded] OPTION OFF
Oracle Workspace Manager [to be upgraded] VALID
OLAP Analytic Workspace [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Label Security [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Database Vault [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Text [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle XML Database [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Java Packages [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Multimedia [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Spatial [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle OLAP API [to be upgraded] VALID
==============
BEFORE UPGRADE
==============
REQUIRED ACTIONS
================
None
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
===================
1. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather stale data dictionary statistics prior to database
upgrade in off-peak time using:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_DICTIONARY_STATS;
Dictionary statistics do not exist or are stale (not up-to-date).
Dictionary statistics help the Oracle optimizer find efficient SQL
execution plans and are essential for proper upgrade timing. Oracle
recommends gathering dictionary statistics in the last 24 hours before
database upgrade.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
2. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather statistics on fixed objects prior the upgrade.
None of the fixed object tables have had stats collected.
Gathering statistics on fixed objects, if none have been gathered yet, is
recommended prior to upgrading.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
INFORMATION ONLY
================
3. To help you keep track of your tablespace allocations, the following
AUTOEXTEND tablespaces are expected to successfully EXTEND during the
upgrade process.
Min Size
Tablespace Size For Upgrade
---------- ---------- -----------
SYSAUX 330 MB 500 MB
SYSTEM 250 MB 358 MB
TEMP 64 MB 150 MB
UNDOTBS1 100 MB 439 MB
Minimum tablespace sizes for upgrade are estimates.
ORACLE GENERATED FIXUP SCRIPT
=============================
All of the issues in database CDB12C container PDB$SEED
which are identified above as BEFORE UPGRADE "(AUTOFIXUP)" can be resolved by
executing the following from within the container
SQL>@D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\/preupgrade_fixups.sql
=============
AFTER UPGRADE
=============
REQUIRED ACTIONS
================
None
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
===================
4. Upgrade the database time zone file using the DBMS_DST package.
The database is using time zone file version 26 and the target 19 release
ships with time zone file version 32.
Oracle recommends upgrading to the desired (latest) version of the time
zone file. For more information, refer to "Upgrading the Time Zone File
and Timestamp with Time Zone Data" in the 19 Oracle Database
Globalization Support Guide.
5. To identify directory objects with symbolic links in the path name, run
$ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/utldirsymlink.sql AS SYSDBA after upgrade.
Recreate any directory objects listed, using path names that contain no
symbolic links.
Some directory object path names may currently contain symbolic links.
Starting in Release 18c, symbolic links are not allowed in directory
object path names used with BFILE data types, the UTL_FILE package, or
external tables.
6. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather dictionary statistics after the upgrade using the
command:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_DICTIONARY_STATS;
Oracle recommends gathering dictionary statistics after upgrade.
Dictionary statistics provide essential information to the Oracle
optimizer to help it find efficient SQL execution plans. After a database
upgrade, statistics need to be re-gathered as there can now be tables
that have significantly changed during the upgrade or new tables that do
not have statistics gathered yet.
7. Gather statistics on fixed objects after the upgrade and when there is a
representative workload on the system using the command:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_FIXED_OBJECTS_STATS;
This recommendation is given for all preupgrade runs.
Fixed object statistics provide essential information to the Oracle
optimizer to help it find efficient SQL execution plans. Those
statistics are specific to the Oracle Database release that generates
them, and can be stale upon database upgrade.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
ORACLE GENERATED FIXUP SCRIPT
=============================
All of the issues in database CDB12C container PDB$SEED
which are identified above as AFTER UPGRADE "(AUTOFIXUP)" can be resolved by
executing the following from within the container
SQL>@D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\/postupgrade_fixups.sql
Report generated by Oracle Database Pre-Upgrade Information Tool Version
19.0.0.0.0 Build: 1 on 2020-11-20T17:46:22
Upgrade-To version: 19.0.0.0.0
=======================================
Status of the database prior to upgrade
=======================================
Database Name: CDB12C
Container Name: SCT
Container ID: 3
Version: 12.2.0.1.0
DB Patch Level: No Patch Bundle applied
Compatible: 12.2.0
Blocksize: 8192
Platform: Microsoft Windows x86 64-bit
Timezone File: 26
Database log mode: NOARCHIVELOG
Readonly: FALSE
Edition: EE
Oracle Component Upgrade Action Current Status
---------------- -------------- --------------
Oracle Server [to be upgraded] VALID
JServer JAVA Virtual Machine [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle XDK for Java [to be upgraded] VALID
Real Application Clusters [to be upgraded] OPTION OFF
Oracle Workspace Manager [to be upgraded] VALID
OLAP Analytic Workspace [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Label Security [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Database Vault [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Text [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle XML Database [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Java Packages [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Multimedia [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle Spatial [to be upgraded] VALID
Oracle OLAP API [to be upgraded] VALID
==============
BEFORE UPGRADE
==============
REQUIRED ACTIONS
================
None
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
===================
1. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather stale data dictionary statistics prior to database
upgrade in off-peak time using:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_DICTIONARY_STATS;
Dictionary statistics do not exist or are stale (not up-to-date).
Dictionary statistics help the Oracle optimizer find efficient SQL
execution plans and are essential for proper upgrade timing. Oracle
recommends gathering dictionary statistics in the last 24 hours before
database upgrade.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
2. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather statistics on fixed objects prior the upgrade.
None of the fixed object tables have had stats collected.
Gathering statistics on fixed objects, if none have been gathered yet, is
recommended prior to upgrading.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
INFORMATION ONLY
================
3. To help you keep track of your tablespace allocations, the following
AUTOEXTEND tablespaces are expected to successfully EXTEND during the
upgrade process.
Min Size
Tablespace Size For Upgrade
---------- ---------- -----------
SYSAUX 350 MB 500 MB
SYSTEM 250 MB 358 MB
TEMP 64 MB 150 MB
UNDOTBS1 100 MB 439 MB
Minimum tablespace sizes for upgrade are estimates.
ORACLE GENERATED FIXUP SCRIPT
=============================
All of the issues in database CDB12C container SCT
which are identified above as BEFORE UPGRADE "(AUTOFIXUP)" can be resolved by
executing the following from within the container
SQL>@D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\/preupgrade_fixups.sql
=============
AFTER UPGRADE
=============
REQUIRED ACTIONS
================
None
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
===================
4. Upgrade the database time zone file using the DBMS_DST package.
The database is using time zone file version 26 and the target 19 release
ships with time zone file version 32.
Oracle recommends upgrading to the desired (latest) version of the time
zone file. For more information, refer to "Upgrading the Time Zone File
and Timestamp with Time Zone Data" in the 19 Oracle Database
Globalization Support Guide.
5. To identify directory objects with symbolic links in the path name, run
$ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/utldirsymlink.sql AS SYSDBA after upgrade.
Recreate any directory objects listed, using path names that contain no
symbolic links.
Some directory object path names may currently contain symbolic links.
Starting in Release 18c, symbolic links are not allowed in directory
object path names used with BFILE data types, the UTL_FILE package, or
external tables.
6. (AUTOFIXUP) Gather dictionary statistics after the upgrade using the
command:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_DICTIONARY_STATS;
Oracle recommends gathering dictionary statistics after upgrade.
Dictionary statistics provide essential information to the Oracle
optimizer to help it find efficient SQL execution plans. After a database
upgrade, statistics need to be re-gathered as there can now be tables
that have significantly changed during the upgrade or new tables that do
not have statistics gathered yet.
7. Gather statistics on fixed objects after the upgrade and when there is a
representative workload on the system using the command:
EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_FIXED_OBJECTS_STATS;
This recommendation is given for all preupgrade runs.
Fixed object statistics provide essential information to the Oracle
optimizer to help it find efficient SQL execution plans. Those
statistics are specific to the Oracle Database release that generates
them, and can be stale upon database upgrade.
For information on managing optimizer statistics, refer to the 12.2.0.1
Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide.
ORACLE GENERATED FIXUP SCRIPT
=============================
All of the issues in database CDB12C container SCT
which are identified above as AFTER UPGRADE "(AUTOFIXUP)" can be resolved by
executing the following from within the container
SQL>@D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\/postupgrade_fixups.sql
==================
PREUPGRADE SUMMARY
==================
D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\preupgrade.log
D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\preupgrade_fixups.sql
D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\postupgrade_fixups.sql
Execute fixup scripts across the entire CDB:
Before upgrade:
1. Execute preupgrade fixups with the below command
%ORACLE_HOME%\perl\bin\perl -I%ORACLE_HOME%\perl\lib -I%ORACLE_HOME%\rdbms\admin %ORACLE_HOME%\rdbms\admin\catcon.pl -l D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\ -b preup_cdb12c D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\preupgrade_fixups.sql
2. Review logs under D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\
After the upgrade:
1. Execute postupgrade fixups with the below command
%ORACLE_HOME%\perl\bin\perl -I%ORACLE_HOME%\perl\lib -I%ORACLE_HOME%\rdbms\admin %ORACLE_HOME%\rdbms\admin\catcon.pl -l D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\ -b postup_cdb12c D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\postupgrade_fixups.sql
2. Review logs under D:\Oracle\cfgtoollogs\cdb12c\preupgrade\
Preupgrade complete: 2020-11-20T17:46:32
D:\Oracle\product\12.2.0\dbhome_1\bin>Once all the prerequisites are met, we can use the GUI tool “Database Upgrade Assistant” to upgrade our existing database(s). For this exercise, I will be upgrading my 12c Container database with one PDB
Select the 12c database that you want to upgrade. Please note, my database hardly had any data & was not on archive log mode. If you are planning to upgrade a production database that has archive log enabled, take proper backups prior proceeding.
I’ve an exclusive user account “oracle” for all Oracle installations. If you have used another user account, provide it at this step.
As my database doesn’t have archive logging, my best choice is to create an Offline RMAN backup. You may choose another option from the available.
My 12c database had a LISTENER that is listening to 1521 & by mistake I have selected a PORT 5500. Please adjust your PORT number.
Above I said how I wrongly selected a PORT number for LISTENER, I’ve selected the same PORT number for the Enterprise Manager also. Well, later I corrected the mistake. So be careful while you select PORT numbers.
Sit back, watch a movie or go for a walk. The following activities are going to take considerable time. Bigger your database, more time needed to complete the upgrade. I’ve pretty a beast as desktop and whole upgrade took almost couple of hours. Based on your available resources, the upgrade might take longer times.
Okay, I missed taking the last Screenshot. Once the upgrade finished, you can start with post-upgrade activities as they are listed with the prerequisites output.
That’s all folks. Have comments? Please send them to me.