Can customers rebuild an Exadata machine with the latest stack versions?
There’s a possibility that we’ll be purchase two new Exadata machines (X3) in the near future. I'd be getting very excited if I wasn't already entirely swamped :)
If it happens, we’ll be asking Oracle to install the latest and greatest of the software stack when they arrive on-site with our new toys. Currently, this means:
<i>OEL: 5.7 (with latest kernel)
ESS: 11.2.3.2.1 (write-back FC, mmmmm!)
RDBMS/GI: 11.2.0.3.17</i>
Our current Production database is on a V2 machine and has the following versions of the stack:
<i>OEL 5.5
ESS 11.2.2.3.2
RDBMS/GI 11.2.0.2 BP7</i>
We are hoping, once the dust settles, that we can re-purpose our existing V2 machine as a Development environment. However, in order for that to be of any use, we need the software stack to match what will be running in Production on the X3s.
As far as I understand, the upgrade path is as follows (as per 888828.1)
<i>Upgrade the O/S to OEL 5.7 and the latest kernel on storage cells and comp nodes
Upgrade the firmware on the IB switch to 1.3.3-2 (which we already have)
Upgrade the Exadata Storage Server on the storage cells and comp nodes to 11.2.3.2.1
Install the 11.2.0.3.17 GI and RDBMS binaries
Upgrade ASM from 11.2.0.2 to 11.2.0.3.17
Install the 11.2.0.3.17 RDBMS binaries
Make/move/restore/copy Development onto the newly-upgraded V2 machine.</i>
I’m wondering whether it’s better for us to upgrade the V2 machine from our current versions of the stack to the latest or whether it’s better to attempt a rebuild?
As a customer, are we able to rebuild the stack ourselves with the new software or do we have to have Oracle come in and go through their installation process (we are putting a different version of the stack on than we presently have)?
Mark