Oracle® Fusion Middleware

Planning an Upgrade of Oracle Fusion Middleware

12c (12.1.2.0)

E38601-02

September 2013

Provides an overview of the upgrade planning process, as well as upgrade concepts and common Fusion Middleware upgrade tasks.

Oracle Fusion Middleware Planning an Upgrade of Oracle Fusion Middleware, 12c (12.1.2.0)

E38601-02

Copyright © 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Primary Author: Lisa Sheehan Jamen

Contributors: Paul Dickson, Robert Donat, Sankar Mani, Daniel Mortimer, William Norcott, Renga Rengarajan, Michael Rubino, Olaf Stullich, Sitaraman Swaminathan, Ken Vincent

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Contents

Preface

- Audience

- Documentation Accessibility

- Related Documents

- Conventions

1 Introduction to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c for 11g Users

- 1.1 Understanding the 12c Terminology Changes

- 1.1.1 Common Fusion Middleware Terminology Changes

- 1.1.2 Upgrade and Patching Terminology Changes

- 1.2 Obtaining 12c Documentation

- 1.3 Understanding the Standard Upgrade Topology for 12c

- 1.4 Understanding and Obtaining Product Distributions for Your Upgrade

- 1.5 Understanding and Obtaining the Upgrade and Configuration Tools

- 1.6 Understanding the 12c Upgrade Process

2 Developing an Upgrade Strategy

- 2.1 Planning an Upgrade

- 2.2 Developing a Backup Strategy for Upgrade

- 2.3 Understanding the Basic Rules and Restrictions of Upgrade

- 2.4 Planning for System Downtime During an Upgrade

- 2.5 Upgrading from a 32-Bit to a 64-Bit Operating System

- 2.6 Understanding the New Features and Changes in 12c

- 2.7 Understanding the Supported Upgrade Starting Points

- 2.7.1 What is an Upgrade Starting Point?

- 2.7.2 Supported Upgrade Starting Points for Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2)

- 2.7.2.1 Supported Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Releases

- 2.7.2.2 Supported Oracle WebLogic Releases

- 2.7.2.3 Supported Oracle HTTP Server Releases

- 2.7.2.4 Supported Database Versions

- 2.7.3 Obtaining Product Distributions

- 2.7.4 Creating Schemas Before You Upgrade

- 2.7.5 Optional: Creating an Edition on the Server for Edition-Based Redefinition

- 2.7.6 Applying the Latest Oracle Fusion Middleware Patches

- 2.7.7 What If I'm Not Running Supported Fusion Middleware Components?

- 2.8 Understanding Your Certification, Compatibility, and Interoperability Requirements

- 2.8.1 Verifying Certification and System Requirements

- 2.8.2 Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility with Previous Versions

- 2.9 Using the Standard Installation and Upgrade Tools

- 2.10 Locating Your Upgrade Component-Specific Documentation

3 Backup and Recovery Strategies for Upgrade

- 3.1 Creating a Backup Strategy

- 3.2 Backup Strategies for Middleware Upgrades

- 3.2.1 Backing Up Your 11g Middleware Home and Domain Home and Oracle Instances

- 3.3 Backup Strategies for Database Upgrades

- 3.3.1 Backing Up the Database Before Upgrading the Database Version

- 3.3.2 Backing Up the Database Before Upgrading the Database Schemas

- 3.4 Creating a Post-Upgrade Backup

4 Upgrading and Preparing Your Oracle Databases for 12c (12.1.2)

- 4.1 Understanding the 12c (12.1.2) Database Requirements

- 4.2 Verifying Your Database and Schemas are Ready for Upgrade

- 4.3 Determining the Upgrade Path for Upgrading Oracle Database

- 4.4 Applying the Latest Patch Set Updates and Any Required Patches

A Performing an Out-of-Place Domain Directory Upgrade

- A.1 About Upgrading a Domain Directory Out-of-Place

- A.2 Performing an Out-of-Place Domain Directory Upgrade

Preface

This preface contains the following sections:

- Audience

- Documentation Accessibility

- Related Documents

- Conventions

Audience

This manual is intended for Oracle Fusion Middleware system administrators who are responsible for installing and upgrading Oracle Fusion Middleware. It is assumed that the readers of this manual have knowledge of the following:

- Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g system administration and configuration information for the existing deployment

- The configuration and expected behavior of the system or systems being upgraded

Documentation Accessibility

For information about Oracle's commitment to accessibility, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program website at http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=docacc

Access to Oracle Support

Oracle customers have access to electronic support through My Oracle Support. For information, visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=info or visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=trs if you are hearing impaired.

Related Documents

For more information, see the following related documentation available in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) documentation library:

- Understanding Oracle Fusion Middleware

- Upgrading with the Upgrade Assistant

- Upgrading Oracle WebLogic Server

- Upgrading to the Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure

- Upgrading Oracle Data Integrator

Conventions

The following text conventions are used in this document:

Convention

Meaning

boldface

Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated with an action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.

italic

Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for which you supply particular values.

monospace

Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.

1 Introduction to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c for 11g Users

This chapter provides information about Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c concepts and terminology for existing Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g users.

The following topics are described in this chapter:

- Section 1.1, "Understanding the 12c Terminology Changes"

- Section 1.2, "Obtaining 12c Documentation"

- Section 1.3, "Understanding the Standard Upgrade Topology for 12c"

- Section 1.4, "Understanding and Obtaining Product Distributions for Your Upgrade"

- Section 1.5, "Understanding and Obtaining the Upgrade and Configuration Tools"

- Section 1.6, "Understanding the 12c Upgrade Process"

See Also:

Understanding Oracle Fusion Middleware

Planning an Installation of Oracle Fusion Middleware

1.1 Understanding the 12c Terminology Changes

Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g users will need to understand the changes to existing 11g terms, as well as new terms and concepts introduced in 12c.

- Common Fusion Middleware Terminology Changes

- Upgrade and Patching Terminology Changes

1.1.1 Common Fusion Middleware Terminology Changes

Several key concepts and terms have been redefined in 12c. It is important that you understand the new terminology before you begin your upgrade. In addition, many terms have been deprecated.

See "New and Deprecated Terminology for 12c Release 1 (12.1.2)" in Understanding Oracle Fusion Middleware.

1.1.2 Upgrade and Patching Terminology Changes

The upgrade and patching definitions used in Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 have been redefined in Release 12c (12.1.2). Review the changes to the terms below to ensure you understand which path you should take to update your existing environment:

- A major release is comprised of new, innovative, standard-compliant features. A major release may introduce new certifications and language support, as well as a newer Database RSF, JDBC driver, and JDK dependency.

- In Release 12c, a minor release will consist of a smaller set of significant new features in addition to bug fixes to existing functionality. After upgrading to a minor release, all existing product configurations will be supported and new configuration options may become available.

- In Release 12c, an upgrade is performed to acquire new features, enhancements, and bug fixes for a supported Fusion Middleware 11g deployment. The following examples show supported upgrade paths:

- Moving from 11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0 to 12.1.2.0.0

- Moving from 12.1.2.0.0 to 12.1.3.0.0

- In Release 12c, a Fusion Middleware patch set is released to address bugs. Patch set releases do not contain new features. Patch sets will replace or add a new set of binaries to an existing installation.
Patching with OPatch describes the new patching terminology for Release 12c (12.1.2).

1.2 Obtaining 12c Documentation

The Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) Library has been redesigned for 12c. Upgrade documentation is now organized by tasks and the task-specific pages provide direct links to common upgrade procedures and related documentation. This guide will reference documents in the following library pages for additional information:

- Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) Installation Documentation

- Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) Upgrade Documentation

- Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) Administration Documentation

- Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) Release Notes

1.3 Understanding the Standard Upgrade Topology for 12c

Each Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) upgrade guide will feature a standard upgrade topology. Standard upgrade topologies are based on the standard installation topology described in the component-specific installation guides. The standard installation topology is provided as an example and is not the only topology supported for the product. Each install guide provides specific instructions for achieving the standard topology; if your needs differ, then links to supporting documentation are provided for your reference.

The component-specific upgrade guides will provide specific instructions for configuring an upgrade topology; if you choose to customize your selections during installation or configuration, references to supporting documentation will be provided to help you accomplish your tasks.

More information about standard topologies can be found in "Using the Standard Installation Topology as a Starting Point" in Planning an Installation of Oracle Fusion Middleware.

1.4 Understanding and Obtaining Product Distributions for Your Upgrade

Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c software is available as a series of product distributions. A distribution is an archive with an installer that installs a pre-defined set of Oracle Fusion Middleware products and feature sets. Feature sets include the products and services that are automatically installed when their corresponding product is selected.

Product distributions can be obtained from either the Oracle Software Delivery Cloud or from Oracle Technology Network. For more information on which site you should visit to obtain your distribution, see the Oracle Fusion Middleware Download, Installation, and Configuration Readme Files page.

1.5 Understanding and Obtaining the Upgrade and Configuration Tools

Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) provides a suite of installation, upgrade and configuration tools that automate many upgrade-related tasks.

These tools are installed as part of the product distribution. See Table 1-1 for information about the tools used during an upgrade.

Table 1-1 Installation, Upgrade and Configuration Tools

Tool Name

Description

Related Documentation

Oracle Universal Installer (OUI)

During the upgrade process, you will use the Universal Installer to install the 12c product distributions and feature sets.

NOTE: Each major component has its own installation guide. These guides provide specific details about using the Universal Installer with the component.

Installing Software with the Oracle Universal Installer

Release 12c (12.1.2) Library: Installation Guides

Oracle Upgrade Assistant (UA)

In Release 12c (12.1.2), the Upgrade Assistant has been completely redesigned. Now you can use the Upgrade Assistant to update your supported 11g schemas and WebLogic domain component configurations.

The Patch Set Assistant is no longer used to upgrade schemas and is not included in Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2).

NOTE: Each major component has its own upgrade guide. These guides provide specific details about using Upgrade Assistant with the component.

Upgrading with the Upgrade Assistant

Release 12c (12.1.2) Library: Upgrade Guides

Repository Creation Utility (RCU)

The Repository Creation Utility (RCU) is the tool used to create schemas in your database. Depending on what you are upgrading, you may need to create schemas before you can run the Upgrade Assistant.

NOTE: There are new 12.1.2 schemas that must be created for all components before an upgrade. Consult your component-specific upgrade documentation for more information.

Creating Schemas with the Repository Creation Utility

Oracle Configuration Wizard

Before you can develop and run an application on a WebLogic domain, you must first create the WebLogic domain. The Configuration Wizard simplifies the process of creating and extending a domain.

NOTE: If you are upgrading a standalone system component, such as Oracle HTTP Server (OHS), do not use the Configuration Wizard to configure your domain. The Upgrade Assistant will be used to create and configure the standalone domain.

"Overview of the Configuration Wizard" in Creating Domains Using the Configuration Wizard.

Oracle Reconfiguration Wizard (New in 12.1.2)

If you are upgrading your Oracle WebLogic Server, then you will need to run the Reconfiguration Wizard to reconfigure the domain.

When you use the Reconfiguration Wizard to reconfigure a WebLogic Server domain, the WLS core infrastructure and domain version are automatically updated.

NOTE: This tool is new to Fusion Middleware in Release 12c (12.1.2).

See your component-specific upgrade documentation for more information.

Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) Upgrade Documentation

OPatch

OPatch is used to apply patches in Release 12c (12.1.2.). The patching nomenclature has changed in 12.1.2. Be sure to review the new patch definitions.

NOTE: There are no patch set installers in 12c (12.1.2). The Oracle Universal Installer is used to install all major and minor releases.

Patching with OPatch

1.6 Understanding the 12c Upgrade Process

The tasks you will perform and the tools you will use to execute an upgrade to 12c (12.1.2) are different from the procedures and tools you used in 11g.

Figure 1-1 shows the high-level upgrade procedures and the tools that are used to upgrade to the 12c (12.1.2) Fusion Middleware Infrastructure. The tasks you perform to complete your component-specific upgrade may vary from this example.

Table 1-2 provides an overview of each of the upgrade steps and links to additional information.

Note:

The following process flow is meant to show how the new procedures and tools work together to complete the 12.1.2 upgrade.

Your component-specific upgrade documentation will provide detailed information about the specific tasks that will be required to upgrade the component.

Figure 1-1 High-Level Upgrade Process Overview

Table 1-2 Understanding the Basic Upgrade Process and Upgrade Tools

Step

Task

Tool Used

Documentation

1

Review new concepts, starting points and upgrade topologies used in 12c (12.1.2).

None.

For more information, see Chapter 2, "Developing an Upgrade Strategy"

2

Develop and execute a complete backup and recovery strategy.

Varies.

For more information, see Chapter 3, "Backup and Recovery Strategies for Upgrade"

3

Install the 12.1.2 product distributions in a new Oracle home.

Oracle Universal Installer (OUI)

For information on installing 12.1.2, see your see your component-specific installation documentation.

For information on using the Oracle Universal Installer, see Installing Software with the Oracle Universal Installer

4

Create new 12.1.2 schemas for your Fusion Middleware components.

Repository Creation Utility (RCU)

For information on which schemas are required for your upgrade, see your component-specific upgrade documentation.

For information on using the Oracle Repository Creation Utility, see Creating Schemas with the Repository Creation Utility

5

Upgrade the 11g database schemas for the components you will be upgrading.

Upgrade Assistant (UA)

For more information on using UA to upgrade your database schemas, see your component-specific upgrade documentation.

For general information about using UA to upgrade database schemas, see Upgrading with the Upgrade Assistant

6

Reconfigure the Oracle WebLogic domain.

Reconfiguration Wizard

For more information on using the Reconfiguration Wizard to reconfigure your domain, see your component-specific upgrade documentation.

7

Upgrade component configurations.

Upgrade Assistant (UA)

For more information on using UA to upgrade your domain component configurations, see your component-specific upgrade documentation.

For general information on using UA to upgrade component configurations, see Upgrading with the Upgrade Assistant

8

Perform all required post-upgrade tasks.

Varies.

For more information on the post-upgrade tasks that are required for your component, see your component-specific upgrade documentation.

9

Verify that the upgrade was successful. At a minimum, verify that your servers and node manager start and your applications should function as expected.

Varies.

For more information on the verfication procedures you should execute for your upgraded environment, see your component-specific upgrade documentation.

2 Developing an Upgrade Strategy

This chapter provides important information about preparing for an upgrade to the latest version of Oracle Fusion Middleware.

The procedures you will need to follow will vary depending on the configuration of your existing system, the components you are upgrading, and the environment you want to create at the end of the upgrade and configuration process.

This chapter contains the following sections:

- Section 2.1, "Planning an Upgrade"

- Section 2.2, "Developing a Backup Strategy for Upgrade"

- Section 2.3, "Understanding the Basic Rules and Restrictions of Upgrade"

- Section 2.4, "Planning for System Downtime During an Upgrade"

- Section 2.5, "Upgrading from a 32-Bit to a 64-Bit Operating System"

- Section 2.6, "Understanding the New Features and Changes in 12c"

- Section 2.7, "Understanding the Supported Upgrade Starting Points"

- Section 2.8, "Understanding Your Certification, Compatibility, and Interoperability Requirements"

- Section 2.9, "Using the Standard Installation and Upgrade Tools"

- Section 2.10, "Locating Your Upgrade Component-Specific Documentation"

2.1 Planning an Upgrade

Before you begin an upgrade, you should develop an upgrade plan. Table 2-1 describes some basic Fusion Middleware upgrade planning procedures and upgrade requirements you should carefully consider before you begin an upgrade. The table also provides information on where to go to get more information on each step in the process.

Note:

The order in which you execute your pre-upgrade tasks may vary depending on your current environment. Use the list below as a checklist for the most important pre-upgrade considerations to review.

Table 2-1 Upgrade Planning Roadmap

Task

Description

Documenation

Understand the differences between Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g and Release 12c (12.1.2)

Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g users should understand the conceptual differences between 11g and Release 12c (12.1.2) before starting the upgrade process.

Introduction to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c for 11g Users

Understand which of your 11g products and features can be upgraded to 12.1.2.

You should understand which of your 11g components can be upgraded to 12.1.2.

NOTE: If you plan to use 11g components with upgraded 12.1.2 components, you should understand how the upgrade could impact interoperability or compatibility.

"Products and Features Available in Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c"

"Products and Features Not Available in Oracle Fusion Middleware 12"

in the Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility guide.

Verify that your database is supported.

The 12c domain requires a database to store the new schemas. The database that hosts the schemas used in Fusion Middleware must be supported.

Upgrading and Preparing Your Oracle Databases for 12c (12.1.2)

Update or replace your 32-Bit operating systems to 64-Bit, if necessary.

If it is determined that your new Release 12c (12.1.2) components require a 64-Bit operating system, you should migrate to the new machines before the upgrade.

Upgrading from a 32-Bit to a 64-Bit Operating System

Verify that you are running a supported version of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g.

Your existing Oracle Fusion Middleware deployment must meet certain requirements before upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2).

Understanding the Supported Upgrade Starting Points

Verify that your operating system, existing hardware, and all supporting software has been certified to work with the components you are upgrading.

The system hardware and software that will be used to support your Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) deployment must meet the Fusion Middleware certification requirements.

Verifying Certification and System Requirements

Develop a backup and recovery strategy.

Before you begin an upgrade, be sure you have complete copies of your system-critical files; including the database that will host your schemas.

Developing a Backup Strategy for Upgrade

Understand the basic rules and any restrictions for your upgrade.

To prevent any potential problems with your upgrade, you should understand some basic rules and restrictions.

Understanding the Basic Rules and Restrictions of Upgrade

Consider the impact on deployed 11g applications and components.

If you will be using Fusion Middleware 11g components in your upgraded 12c (12.1.2) environment, you should review and understand any potential interoperability and compatibility issues.

Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility with Previous Versions

Plan for system downtime during the upgrade process.

The upgrade process involves an "in place" upgrade of most Fusion Middleware components. You will need to prepare for the system to be down during this time.

Planning for System Downtime During an Upgrade

Get the product distributions for your upgrade.

You must acquire and install the Release 12c (12.1.2) software before you can begin the upgrade process. You will need to download the appropriate product distributions for your upgrade.

Obtaining Product Distributions

Understand how to use the standard installation, configuration and upgrade tools.

Oracle provides a standard suite of tools that can be used to automate many of the installation, upgrade and configuration processes.

Using the Standard Installation and Upgrade Tools

Next Steps: After general planning, you will need to obtain the component-specific upgrade documentation for the components you are upgrading.

Each component you upgrade has a set of specific upgrade tasks that must be performed. Some of these tasks are performed after the upgrade. Review the upgrade documentation for your component(s) to ensure you have a successful upgrade.

Locating Your Upgrade Component-Specific Documentation

2.2 Developing a Backup Strategy for Upgrade

Before you install any new Release 12c (12.1.2) distributions and begin upgrading your Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g deployment to Release 12c (12.1.2), be sure you have backed up all system-critical files. Oracle strongly recommends that you execute a complete back-up of your existing deployment; including the database that hosts your Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas.

Refer to Chapter 3, "Backup and Recovery Strategies for Upgrade" for specific information on making sure all the various components of your environment can be restored in the event of a failed upgrade.

2.3 Understanding the Basic Rules and Restrictions of Upgrade

Before you start the upgrade process you should understand some basic rules and restrictions.

Specifically, do not attempt to perform an Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) upgrade while also performing an unrelated migration of your software from one platform to another.

For example, do not perform an upgrade while simultaneously doing any of the following:

- Moving from one operating system (such as Windows) to another (such as Linux)

- Moving from one database type (such as Oracle) to another (such as Microsoft)

- Moving from one hardware platform (such as SPARC) to another (such as Intel)

If you plan to perform any of these or similar actions, then you must do them first, separately and independently of the Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) upgrade process.

2.4 Planning for System Downtime During an Upgrade

Before you can develop a successful upgrade strategy for your Fusion Middleware deployment, you should understand how your production environments will be impacted during the upgrade. Some upgrade procedures can be time consuming, especially if you are upgrading a large number of artifacts. The size of your database and the speed of your system's infrastructure may also impact the overall downtime during an upgrade.

Carefully consider the following when planning your downtime:

- The Upgrade Assistant requires that you shut down all servers in the domain for the duration of the schema upgrade.

- After upgrading the component schemas, the Reconfiguration Wizard is used to reconfigure the domain. The servers and components must be down during the upgrade.

- If you encounter an upgrade failure, then you must restart the upgrade process from the beginning. This includes recovering and redeploying from your backup files. This should be a consideration in your downtime planning.

2.5 Upgrading from a 32-Bit to a 64-Bit Operating System

If it is determined that your new Release 12c (12.1.2) components require a 64-Bit operating system, you must migrate your 32-bit environment to a 64-bit software environment before you upgrade. Make sure to validate the migration to ensure all your Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g software is working properly on the 64-bit machine, and only then perform the upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c.

Note:

These steps assume that your database is located on a separate host and will not be moved.

Upgrading an operating system typically involves the following:

- Task 1, "Procure the hardware that will support your upgrade's 64-bit software requirement."

- Task 2, "Stop all processes, including the Administration Server, Managed Servers, and Node Manager."

- Task 3, "Backup all files from the 32-bit host machine."

- Task 4, "Set up the target 64-bit machine with the 11g host name and IP address."

- Task 5, "Restore the 11g domain backup from Host A to Host B."

- Task 6, "Install the 12c (12.1.2) product distribution(s) on the target machine."

- Task 7, "Upgrade the target 64-bit environment using the standard upgrade procedure."

Note:

The following steps are provided as an example of the operating system upgrade process and may or may not include all of the procedures you will be required to perform to update your specific operating system. Consult your operating system's upgrade documentation for more information.

In the tasks below, host refers to the 32-bit source machine and target refers to the new 64-bit target machine.

Task 1   Procure the hardware that will support your upgrade's 64-bit software requirement.

Make sure that you have supported target hardware in place before you begin the upgrade process.

Task 2   Stop all processes, including the Administration Server, Managed Servers, and Node Manager.

You must stop all processes, including the Administration Server, Managed Servers, and Node Manager, if they are started on the host. For example, to stop the Administration Server:

DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopWebLogic.sh username password [admin_url]

Task 3   Backup all files from the 32-bit host machine.

Make sure that you have created a complete backup of your entire 11g deployment before you begin the upgrade process. These files can be used if there is an issue during the migration and you have to restart the process.

For more information on backing up your files, see "Backing Up Your Environment" in Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware.

During the upgrade you must have access to the contents of the following:

- 11g Domain Home

- 11g /nodemanager directory located in MW_HOME/wlserver_10.3/common/

Note:

Some of the backup and recovery procedures described in "Backing Up Your Environment in Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware are product-specific. Do not proceed with the upgrade until you have a complete backup.

Task 4   Set up the target 64-bit machine with the 11g host name and IP address.

The host name and IP address of the target machine must be made identical to the host. This will require you to change the IP address and name of the source machine or decommission the source machine to avoid conflicts in the network.

The process of changing an IP address and host name vary by operating system. Consult your operating system's administration documentation for more information.

Task 5   Restore the 11g domain backup from Host A to Host B.

Restore the files you backed up in Task 3 using the same directory structure that was used in 11g. The directory structure on the target machine must be identical to the structure of the host machine.

For detailed information about restoring your files to the 64-bit target machine, see "Recovering Your Environment" in Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware.

Task 6   Install the 12c (12.1.2) product distribution(s) on the target machine.

For detailed instructions, see Planning an Installation of Oracle Fusion Middleware and the component-specific installation guides for the component(s) you are installing.

Task 7   Upgrade the target 64-bit environment using the standard upgrade procedure.

Refer to your component-specific upgrade guides for details on upgrading the component and performing any post-upgrade tasks. For more information, see Locating Your Upgrade Component-Specific Documentation.

Tip:

The Node Manager upgrade procedure requires access to the original Node Manager files. Use the 11g Node Manger files that were backed up from the source machine as part of Task 3.

2.6 Understanding the New Features and Changes in 12c

Before you begin planning your upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2), you should be familiar with the terminology and conceptual differences between 11g and Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c.

Refer to Chapter 1, "Introduction to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c for 11g Users" for a list of resources that 11g users can use to understand the changes.

2.7 Understanding the Supported Upgrade Starting Points

Refer to the following sections for more information about which Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g versions are supported when upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2):

- What is an Upgrade Starting Point?

- Supported Upgrade Starting Points for Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2)

- Obtaining Product Distributions

- Applying the Latest Oracle Fusion Middleware Patches

- What If I'm Not Running Supported Fusion Middleware Components?

2.7.1 What is an Upgrade Starting Point?

An upgrade starting point is a specific version of Oracle Fusion Middleware that you must be running in order to upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c. If you are not running a version of Oracle Fusion Middleware that is a supported upgrade starting point, then you must first upgrade to a supported starting point using documentation from a previous release.

2.7.2 Supported Upgrade Starting Points for Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2)

The following sections provide information about the supported starting points for upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2):

- Supported Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Releases

- Supported Oracle WebLogic Releases

- Supported Oracle HTTP Server Releases

- Supported Database Versions

2.7.2.1 Supported Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Releases

You can upgrade to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) from the following previous versions of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g:

- Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.7.0)

- Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.6.0)

If you are not running a supported versions of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g, see Section 2.7.7.

2.7.2.2 Supported Oracle WebLogic Releases

When planning a WebLogic Server version upgrade, you should review the Fusion Middleware Supported Systems Configurations page on Oracle Technology Network (OTN) to ensure that your upgraded environment is supported by Oracle.

For more information, see the following:

- "WebLogic Server 12.1.2 Compatibility with Previous Releases"

- "Roadmap for Upgrading Your Application Environment"

2.7.2.3 Supported Oracle HTTP Server Releases

You can upgrade your Oracle HTTP Server 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0) to Release 12c (12.1.2) as part of the Infrastructure product distribution. For more information about upgrading Oracle HTTP Server to Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2), refer to the following:

- "Oracle HTTP Server Interoperability" in the Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility

- For upgrading managed HTTP Servers see, Upgrading to the Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure.

- For upgrading Standalone HTTP Servers see, Upgrading a Standalone Oracle HTTP Server.

2.7.2.4 Supported Database Versions

For information about the latest database versions supported by Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2), see Chapter 4, "Upgrading and Preparing Your Oracle Databases for 12c (12.1.2)".

2.7.3 Obtaining Product Distributions

Product distributions can be obtained from either the Oracle Software Delivery Cloud or from Oracle Technology Network. For more information on which site you should visit to obtain your distribution, see the Oracle Fusion Middleware Download, Installation, and Configuration Readme Files page.

Note:

All Oracle Fusion Middleware distributions are available as .jar files. You will need a certified JDK on your system in order to be able to run the installer from the .jar file. To find a certified JDK, see the certification document for your release on the Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations page.

Once you have downloaded the appropriate product distributions for your upgrade, use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) component-specific installation guides to complete the installation. See the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) documentation library for a list of available guides.

2.7.4 Creating Schemas Before You Upgrade

After installing your 12.1.2.0.0 components, you will need to create the new 12.1.2.0.0 schemas in a supported database certified for use with this release of Oracle Fusion Middleware.

For example, there is a new schema in 12c (12.1.2) that must be created before you can upgrade. The new Service Table schema (prefix_STB) stores basic schema configuration information that can be accessed and used by other Oracle Fusion Middleware components during domain creation. For more information, see "Understanding the Service Table Schema" in the Creating Schemas with the Repository Creation Utility.

To determine which additional schemas need to be created for 12.1.2.0.0, compare the component schemas you have in your existing 11g environment to the schemas required for your 12.1.2 upgrade. The component-specific upgrade guides will identify the schemas that are required for your components. If your 11g environment is missing any of the required schemas, you must create them before you begin the upgrade.

Note:

Before upgrading an EBR-enabled schema from Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0), you must first connect to the database server and create an edition on the database server for 12c (12.1.2). The new edition for 12.1.2 must be a child of your 11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0 edition.

For more information on creating an edition on the server for edition-based redefinition, see "Creating an Edition on the Server for Edition-Based Redefinition" in Planning an Upgrade of Oracle Fusion Middleware.

2.7.5 Optional: Creating an Edition on the Server for Edition-Based Redefinition

Before upgrading an EBR-enabled schema from Fusion Middleware 11g Release 1 (11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0), you must connect to the database server and create an edition on the database server for 12c (12.1.2). The new edition for 12.1.2 must be a child of your 11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0 edition.

To create an edition on the database server, log in as SYS (or another Oracle user that has DBA privileges) and use the following command:

SQL> create edition Oracle_FMW_12_1_2 as child of Oracle_FMW_11_1_1_7_0;
Edition created.

Note that in the code example above, 'Oracle_FMW_11_1_1_7_0' is used as an example of the edition name you specified in RCU 11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0 when the 11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0 schemas were created. Be sure to provide the actual name used when creating the edition.

For more information on enabling editions-based redefinitions, see "Edition-Based Redefinition" in the Oracle Database Advanced Application Developer's Guide.

2.7.6 Applying the Latest Oracle Fusion Middleware Patches

Before you upgrade, make sure that you have applied the latest Oracle Fusion Middleware patches (if applicable), and that you have reviewed the list of other recommended patches that are designed to help you avoid any problems during upgrade.

For the most up-to-date information about available Oracle Fusion Middleware patches, refer to My Oracle Support (formerly OracleMetaLink):

http://support.oracle.com

After logging into My Oracle Support, click the Patches and Updates tab. From the resulting Web page, you can search for the latest patches by product, platform, and product availability.

2.7.7 What If I'm Not Running Supported Fusion Middleware Components?

You must first upgrade any unsupported Fusion Middleware components within your environment to a supported upgrade starting point before you begin the Release 12c (12.1.2) upgrade process.

Caution:

Do not attempt to use any unsupported Fusion Middleware 11g components in your upgraded environment.

To determine if your supported 11g component will have any compatibility issues in Release 12c (12.1.2), see Understanding Your Certification, Compatibility, and Interoperability Requirements.

Patching and upgrade documentation for previous releases is available on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN):

http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/middleware.htm

After you upgrade to a supported starting point, you can then use the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) upgrade documentation to perform the upgrade. For more information, seeLocating Your Upgrade Component-Specific Documentation.

2.8 Understanding Your Certification, Compatibility, and Interoperability Requirements

Before you begin upgrading your Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g environment, consider the following:

- For information on supported 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems, databases, web servers, LDAP servers, adapters, IPv6, JDKs, and third-party products, see Verifying Certification and System Requirements.

- For cross-product interoperability and compatibility, see Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility with Previous Versions.

2.8.1 Verifying Certification and System Requirements

The certification matrix and system requirements documents should be used in conjunction with each other to verify that your environment meets the necessary requirements for installation.

Step 1   Verify Your Environment Meets Certification Requirements

Make sure that you are installing your product on a supported hardware or software configuration. For more information, see Certification Matrix for 12c (12.1.2).

Oracle has tested and verified the performance of your product on all certified systems and environments; whenever new certifications occur, they are added to the proper certification document right away. New certifications can occur at any time, and for this reason the certification documents are kept outside of the documentation libraries and are available on Oracle Technology Network.

Step 2   Using the System Requirements Document to Verify Certification

The Oracle Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications document should be used to verify that the requirements of the certification (described above) are met. For example, if the certification document indicates that your product is certified for installation on 64-Bit Oracle Linux 5, this document should be used to verify that your Oracle Linux 5 system has met the required minimum specifications, like disk space, available memory, specific platform packages and patches, and other operating system-specific items. This document is updated as needed and resides outside of the documentation libraries. The latest version is available on Oracle Technology Network.

For a complete description of the system requirements for installing and upgrading to Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c, see "Review System Requirements and Specifications" in the Planning an Installation of Oracle Fusion Middleware.

Note:

When you install the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) software in preparation for upgrade, you should use the same user account that you used to install and configure the Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g software. On UNIX operating systems, this will ensure that the proper owner and group is applied to new Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c files and directories

2.8.2 Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility with Previous Versions

Read Understanding Interoperability and Compatibility before you begin your upgrade process. This document contains important information regarding the ability of Oracle Fusion Middleware products to function with previous versions of other Oracle Fusion Middleware, Oracle, or third-party products.

2.9 Using the Standard Installation and Upgrade Tools

Depending on your upgrade starting point, and the components you plan to upgrade, you may need to install, upgrade or patch your existing software using the standard Oracle upgrade and installation tools. These tools are included with the product distributions described in Section 2.7.3.

Note:

Be sure to review Understanding and Obtaining the Upgrade and Configuration Tools as some functions of the 11g tools have been modified in 12c (12.1.2) and new tools have been added.

The following documents provide information on obtaining and using these tools:

- Installing Software with the Oracle Universal Installer

- Upgrading with the Upgrade Assistant

- Creating Schemas with the Repository Creation Utility

- Reconfiguring an Oracle WebLogic Domain with the Reconfiguration Wizard

- Patching with OPatch

2.10 Locating Your Upgrade Component-Specific Documentation

This guide, as well as the other upgrade guides available in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) documentation library, provide instructions for upgrading from supported versions of Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g to the latest Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c release.

Once you have completed all of the necessary pre-upgrade steps for your upgrade, use Table 2-2 to determine which upgrade-specific documents you will need to complete your 12c upgrade.

Table 2-2 Documentation for Completing Your Upgrade

Product Area

If you are upgrading...

Use this upgrade document...

Oracle WebLogic Server - Standalone

An Oracle WebLogic Server that is not being managed by or registered to an existing Fusion Middleware 11g domain.

Upgrading Oracle WebLogic Server

Custom Oracle Application Developer Framework Applications with Oracle WebLogic Server

A managed 11g WebLogic Server domain that has been deployed with a set of custom Oracle Application Developer Framework applications.

Upgrading to the Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure

Oracle HTTP Server - Managed

An Oracle HTTP Server that is registered to a WebLogic domain for management functions.

Upgrading to the Oracle Fusion Middleware Infrastructure

Oracle HTTP Server - Standalone

An Oracle HTTP Server that is not managed by or registered to an Oracle WebLogic domain, and you are not upgrading any other 11g components.

Upgrading a Standalone Oracle HTTP Server

Node Managers

A WebLogic Server domain configuration with a machine-scoped node manager. You will have to manually configure the node manager to work post-upgrade.

"Completing the Node Manager Configuration" in Upgrading Oracle WebLogic Server

3 Backup and Recovery Strategies for Upgrade

This chapter describes some of the backup and recovery strategies you should employ when planning an upgrade.

Before you start the upgrade process, you should have a clear understanding of the backup requirements. These requirements vary somewhat, depending on what is being upgraded.

The following sections provide more information:

- Creating a Backup Strategy

- Backup Strategies for Middleware Upgrades

- Backup Strategies for Database Upgrades

- Creating a Post-Upgrade Backup

3.1 Creating a Backup Strategy

The ultimate success of your upgrade depends heavily on the design and execution of an appropriate backup strategy.

To develop a backup strategy, consider the following questions:

- How long can the production database remain inoperable before business consequences become intolerable?

- What backup strategy is necessary to meet your availability requirements?

- Are backups archived in a safe, offsite location?

- How quickly can backups be restored (including backups in offsite storage)?

- Have recovery procedures been tested successfully?

Your backup strategy should answer all of these questions and include procedures for successfully backing up and recovering your Fusion Middleware environment, as well as your database.

3.2 Backup Strategies for Middleware Upgrades

When you upgrade a Fusion Middleware installation, you install the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) components into a new Oracle home directory.

Consider creating a backup of the new Release 12c (12.1.2) Oracle home before you begin an upgrade. This backup will allow you to restore to a pre-upgrade (that is, newly installed) state. Restoring from backups is an efficient alternative to reinstalling the entire instance, in the event that upgrade results are unsatisfactory.

A useful Release 12c (12.1.2) backup would include both the Oracle home and any additional artifacts created during or after the Release 12c (12.1.2) installation.

For more information on backing up and restoring your Oracle Fusion Middleware environment, see the following sections of the Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware:

- Introducing Backup and Recovery
This chapter provides an introduction to backing up and recovering Oracle Fusion Middleware, including backup and recovery recommendations for Oracle Fusion Middleware components.

- Backing Up Your Environment
This chapter describes recommended backup strategies for Oracle Fusion Middleware and the procedures for backing up Oracle Fusion Middleware.

- Recovering Your Environment
This chapter describes recommended recovery strategies and procedures for recovering Oracle Fusion Middleware from different types of failures and outages, such as media failures or loss of host.

3.2.1 Backing Up Your 11g Middleware Home and Domain Home and Oracle Instances

After stopping the servers and processes, back up your 11g Middleware Oracle home directory (including the Oracle product home directories inside the Oracle home), your local Domain home directory, your local Oracle instances, and also the Domain home and Oracle instances on any remote systems that use the Middleware Oracle home.

If your upgrade is unexpectedly interrupted, or if you choose to cancel out of the upgrade before it is complete, you may not be able to continue the upgrade process unless you restore your environment to the previous configuration.

For more information on backing up your environment, see "Backing Up Your Environment" in the Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware.

3.3 Backup Strategies for Database Upgrades

In most cases, when you upgrade your schemas, you must first upgrade the database that hosts the repository to a database version supported by Oracle Fusion Middleware. This section describes some of the recommended backup procedures you should consider before you upgrade.

Note:

Always consult your database-specific documentation for comprehensive backup and recovery information. For example, if you are using an Oracle database to host your schema repositories, consult the Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Advanced User's Guide.

The following sections provide some best practices when creating a backup plan for your database:

- Backing Up the Database Before Upgrading the Database Version

- Backing Up the Database Before Upgrading the Database Schemas

3.3.1 Backing Up the Database Before Upgrading the Database Version

As with any database upgrade, standard procedure dictates that you back up your database before you upgrade to a new database version.

Note that you should also consider backing up the database again, after you have successfully upgraded to a new database version. This way, your backup will reflect the newly upgraded state of the database.

For more information, see the Oracle Database documentation for your platform and database version.

3.3.2 Backing Up the Database Before Upgrading the Database Schemas

IYou should also back up your database before you begin the upgrade procedure. Make sure this back up includes the schema version registry table, as each Fusion Middleware schema has a row in this table. The name of the schema version registry table is SYSTEM.SCHEMA_VERSION_REGISTRY$. Refer to your database documentation for instructions on how to do this.

If you run the Upgrade Assistant to update an existing schema and it does not succeed, you must restore the original schema before you can try again. Make sure you back up your existing database schemas before you run the Upgrade Assistant.

Note:

Performing these backups prior to performing a schema upgrade is a prerequisite for running Upgrade Assistant. In the Upgrade Assistant prerequisites GUI screen, you will be required to acknowledge that backups have been performed, before proceeding with the actual upgrade.

3.4 Creating a Post-Upgrade Backup

After you have completed and verified the upgrade of your Oracle Fusion Middleware environment, consider backing up your Oracle Fusion Middleware Release 12c (12.1.2) installations so you can easily restore your environment to the newly upgraded state, if needed.

In particular, consider backing up the database that hosts your upgraded Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas immediately after the upgrade process. After this initial post-upgrade backup, you can begin your regularly scheduled database backup routine. The initial backup after the upgrade will ensure that you can restore your environment to the newly upgraded 12.1.2 state without repeating the upgrade process.

In addition, after you have moved your development or deployment activities to the newly upgraded Oracle Fusion Middleware installations, be sure to modify your regular backup routine to include the new Oracle Fusion Middleware directories, including the Oracle Fusion Middleware Oracle home directories and Oracle product directories.

4 Upgrading and Preparing Your Oracle Databases for 12c (12.1.2)

This chapter contains the following sections:

- Understanding the 12c (12.1.2) Database Requirements

- Verifying Your Database and Schemas are Ready for Upgrade

- Determining the Upgrade Path for Upgrading Oracle Database

- Applying the Latest Patch Set Updates and Any Required Patches

4.1 Understanding the 12c (12.1.2) Database Requirements

It is important that you review the very latest information on database requirements for Oracle Fusion Middleware before proceeding with your database upgrade. For more information, see the Certification Matrix for 12c (12.1.2).

The certification matrix and system requirements documents should be used in conjunction with each other to verify that your environment meets the necessary requirements for installation. The Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c software requirements included in this guide were accurate at the time this manual was published.

For the most up-to-date information about the specific Oracle and third-party database versions supported for Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2), as well as other important system requirements, see Section 2.8.1, "Verifying Certification and System Requirements".

4.2 Verifying Your Database and Schemas are Ready for Upgrade

Before running Upgrade Assistant, you should make sure that your database is up and running and that the schemas you want to upgrade are at versions that are supported for upgrade.

Verifying Schema Versions

When the schemas are created in your database, RCU creates and maintains a table called schema_version_registry. This table contains schema information such as version number, component name and ID, date of creation and modification, and custom prefix.

If you are using an Oracle database, connect to the database as SYS and run the following from SQL*Plus to get the current version numbers:

SELECT OWNER, VERSION, STATUS, UPGRADED FROM SCHEMA_VERSION_REGISTRY;

If the number in the "VERSION" column is 11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0 and the STATUS column is 'VALID', then the schema is supported for upgrade.

CAUTION:

Only the Repository Creation Utility and Upgrade Assistant should modify the contents of the schema version registry table.

Users should not issue any INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, GRANT or ALTER TABLE statements against the schema version registry with interactive SQL statements or scripts.

Checking for Invalid Database Objects

If you are using an Oracle database, you should recompile database objects before running the Upgrade Assistant to check for invalid objects before the upgrade. Connect to the database as SYS and run the following from SQL*Plus:

SELECT owner, object_name FROM all_objects WHERE status='INVALID';

Take note of any invalid objects and run the following query for more information. The existence of invalid database objects may prevent the upgrade from completing successfully.

/rdbms/admin/utlrp.sql

To recompile just the objects that belong to a single Oracle Fusion Middleware schema, you can use the Oracle Database stored procedure dbms_utility.compile_schema as shown in the example below:

SQL> execute
dbms_utility.compile_schema('1212_IAU');
PL/SQL procedure successfully completed

Note:

These procedures should be used again after running the Upgrade Assistant for verification.

4.3 Determining the Upgrade Path for Upgrading Oracle Database

The path that you must take to upgrade to a new Oracle Database release depends on the release number of your current database. It might not be possible to directly upgrade from your current release of Oracle Database to the latest release. Depending on your current release, you might be required to upgrade through one or more intermediate releases to upgrade to the new Oracle Database.

For example, if the current database is running release 9i, then follow these steps:

1. Upgrade release 9.0.1.4 to release 10.2.0.4 using the instructions in Oracle Database Upgrade Guide Release 2 (10.2).

2. Upgrade release 10.2.0.4 to the new Oracle Database 11g release using the instructions in Oracle Database Upgrade Guide.

Table 4-1 contains the required upgrade path for each release of Oracle Database. Use the upgrade path and the specified documentation to upgrade your database.

Table 4-1 Supported Upgrade Paths for Upgrading Oracle Database

Current Release

Upgrade Path

9.0.1.3 (or earlier)

Direct upgrade is not supported. Upgrade to an intermediate Oracle Database release before you can upgrade to the new Oracle Database 11g release, as follows:

- 9.0.1.3 (or earlier) -> 9.0.1.4 -> 10.2.0.4 -> 11.2

When upgrading to an intermediate Oracle Database release, follow the instructions in the intermediate release's documentation. Then, upgrade the intermediate release database to the new Oracle Database 11g release using the instructions in "Upgrading to the New Release of Oracle Database" in Oracle Database Upgrade Guide.

9.2.0.8

10.1.0.5

10.2.0.2

11.1.0.6

Direct upgrade to Oracle Database 11g release is supported from 9.2.0.8 or higher, 10.1.0.5 or higher, 10.2.0.2 or higher, and 11.1.0.6 or higher.

For release 9.2.0.3, you must first upgrade to an intermediate Oracle Database release, as follows:

9.2.0.3 (or earlier) -> 9.2.0.8 -> 11.1.0.7

9.2.0.3 (or earlier) -> 9.2.0.8 -> 11.2

To upgrade to a new Oracle Database release, follow the instructions in "Upgrading to the New Release of Oracle Database" in Oracle Database Upgrade Guide.

4.4 Applying the Latest Patch Set Updates and Any Required Patches

Potential interoperability and upgrade issues can be avoided by making sure you have applied the latest patch sets, and that you have reviewed the list of recommended patches that are designed to help you avoid any problems during upgrade.

For more information, see the Upgrade chapter of the Release Notes for your platform. For example, if you are using a Linux operating system, refer to "Patches Required to Address Specific Upgrade and Compatibility Requirements" in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Release Notes for Linux x86.

For additional information about database patching requirements, see "Review System Requirements and Specifications" in the Planning an Installation of Oracle Fusion Middleware.

A Performing an Out-of-Place Domain Directory Upgrade

This chapter describes the process of upgrading your Fusion Middleware 11g domain directory to Release 12c (12.1.2) on a separate host.

The following topics are described in this chapter:

- Section A.1, "About Upgrading a Domain Directory Out-of-Place"

- Section A.2, "Performing an Out-of-Place Domain Directory Upgrade"

A.1 About Upgrading a Domain Directory Out-of-Place

When upgrading Oracle Fusion Middleware to 12c (12.1.2), schemas and domain directory upgrade are performed "in-place" which updates the exisiting 11g files during the upgrade.

If you prefer to leave your 11g domain directory intact, you can perform an out-of-place domain directory upgrade on a different host using the steps described in this chapter.

Caution:

When performing an out-of-place domain directory upgrade, it is important to note that the 11g schemas will be upgraded in-place. Your 11g environment must be taken down during the out-of-place domain directory upgrade process.

A.2 Performing an Out-of-Place Domain Directory Upgrade

Perform the following tasks to complete the out-of-place domain directory upgrade:

Note:

The tasks below refer to Host A as the existing 11g domain host and Host B as the new 12.1.2 domain host. The affected host is identified in each tasks.

- Task 1, "Stop all processes, including the Administration Server, Managed Servers, and Node Manager. (Host A)"

- Task 2, "Backup all files from the host machine. (Host A)"

- Task 3, "Set up the target machine with the 11g host name and IP address."

- Task 4, "Restore the 11g domain backup from Host A to Host B."

- Task 5, "Install the 12.1.2 distributions in a new Oracle Home. (Host B)"

- Task 6, "Upgrade the environment using the standard upgrade procedures. (Host B)"

Task 1   Stop all processes, including the Administration Server, Managed Servers, and Node Manager. (Host A)

You must stop all processes, including the Administration Server, Managed Servers, and Node Manager, if they are started on the host. For example, to stop the Administration Server:

DOMAIN_HOME/bin/stopWebLogic.sh username password [admin_url]

Task 2   Backup all files from the host machine. (Host A)

Make sure that you have created a complete backup of your entire 11g deployment before you begin the upgrade process. These files can be used if there is an issue during the migration and you have to restart the process.

For more information on backing up your files, see "Backing Up Your Environment" in Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware.

During the upgrade you must have access to the contents of the following:

- 11g Domain Home

- The /nodemanager directory located in the MW_HOME/wlserver_10.3/common/

Note:

Some of the backup and recovery procedures described in "Backing Up Your Environment" in Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware are product-specific. Do not proceed with the upgrade until you have a complete backup.

Task 3   Set up the target machine with the 11g host name and IP address.

The host name and IP address of the target machine must be made identical to the host. This will require you to change the IP address and name of the source machine or decommission the source machine to avoid conflicts in the network.

The process of changing an IP address and host name vary by operating system. Consult your operating system's administration documentation for more information.

Task 4   Restore the 11g domain backup from Host A to Host B.

Restore the files you backed up in Task 3 using the same directory structure that was used in 11g. The directory structure on Host B must be identical to the structure used on Host A.

For detailed information about restoring your files to the target machine, see "Recovering Your Environment" in Administering Oracle Fusion Middleware.

Task 5   Install the 12.1.2 distributions in a new Oracle Home. (Host B)

You must obtain, install and configure the 12c (12.1.2) product distributions for the components you will be upgrading.

For detailed instructions, see Planning an Installation of Oracle Fusion Middleware and the component-specific installation guides for the component(s) you are installing.

Task 6   Upgrade the environment using the standard upgrade procedures. (Host B)

Each 12c (12.1.2) component has an upgrade guide that describes the procedures required to move from your 11g (11.1.1.6.0 or 11.1.1.7.0) topology to the new 12c (12.1.2) topology. The guides are located in the Upgrade tab of the Oracle Fusion Middleware 12c (12.1.2) online library.

Tip:

The Node Manager upgrade procedure requires access to the original Node Manager files. Use the 11g Node Manger files that were backed up from the source machine as part of Task 3.

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