In our previous two blog posts we learned about the Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2 architectural changes as well as the role that Edition Based Redefinition plays in AD Online Patching (ADOP). In our final blog post of patching in E-Business Suite 12.2, we’ll take a look at the different phases of the AD Online Patching cycle.
From My Oracle Support Doc ID 1583902.1, Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2: Online Patching FAQ, the online patching cycle consists of the following phases:
- Prepare a virtual copy (patch edition) of the running application (run edition).
- Apply patches to the patch edition of the application.
- Finalize the system in readiness for the cutover phase.
- Cutover to the patch edition and make it the new run edition.
- Cleanup obsolete definitions or data to recover space.
The prepare phase will perform a series of checks and validations to make sure that online patching can begin. If needed, it will create a patch edition in the database, as well as synchronizing patches that have been previously applied to the run file system with the patch file system. A new concurrent program called “Online Patching in Progress” (ADZDPATCH) is checked if already running (confirming that a patching cycle is already in motion), if not a new one is submitted.
At the apply phase, you can leave it in this phase for as long as needed to apply as many patches as you want. This is done all while the users are online and could be spread over the course of days (or much longer), if needed. The finalize phase will prepare the system to allow for the fastest cutover possible by doing tasks such as compiling invalid objects and preparing data definition language (DDL) scripts that will need to be executed at cutover.
Once you are ready to perform the cutover phase, you’ll have to notify your users of the planned system shut down. The cutover includes shutting down the concurrent managers and the application services. Once shut down, the database patch edition is made the new database run edition. The patch file system is also switched and made the new run edition. It is at this point that the system is started back up and the users can be let back on the system.
The final phase is the cleanup phase which will include the removal of obsolete objects such as old editions of code objects, crossedition triggers, and editions. If you choose to not run the cleanup phase, it will be run automatically on your next patching cycle when you initiate the prepare phase.
During the patching cycle you have the ability to abort at any time as long as you are in the prepare, apply, or finalize cycle. Once you start the cutover, aborting the patching cycle is no longer possible. The abort cycle will perform cleanups such as dropping the patch edition and canceling the concurrent program ADZDPATCH.
As can be seen in the diagram, the users are online for the entire patching cycle except for the cutover phase, where there would be a brief moment of downtime while the application services are restarted. There are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with the patching cycles as well the varied use of the patching commands. I would recommend reviewing the documentation, Oracle E-Business Suite Maintenance Guide – Patch Procedures for more detailed information.
With AD Online Patch, we get the benefits of:
✅ Reduced downtime!
✅ Applying a larger set of patches with ease.
✅ Convenience of applying patches while users are working.
The ability to apply application patches online while the system is up and users can continue to work is probably one of the biggest benefits of moving to Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2. No longer do we need to worry about sacrificing valuable system availability to be able to apply patches and keep up with new enhancements, bug, and security fixes. Now is the time to look at upgrading to this latest version and make the woes of applying E-Business Suite patches a thing of the past!
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