Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Documentation

Manage Oracle Database Software Images

This topic provides an overview of the database software image resource type, which you can use to create databases and Oracle Database Homes, and to patch databases.

Database software images give you the ability to create a customized Oracle Database software configuration that includes your chosen updates (PSU, RU or RUR), and optionally, a list of one-off (or interim) patches or an Oracle Home inventory file. This reduces the time required to provision and configure your databases, and makes it easy for your organization to create an approved "gold image" for developers and database administrators.

Parent topic: How-to Guides

Using Database Software Images in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Parent topic: Manage Oracle Database Software Images

Creation and Storage of Database Software Images

Database software images are resources within your tenancy that you create prior to provisioning or patching a DB system,Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure instance, Database Home, or database.

There is no limit on the number of database software images you can create in your tenancy, and you can create your images with any Oracle Database software version and update supported in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

Database software images are automatically stored in Oracle-managed Object Storage and can be viewed and managed in the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console. Note that database software images incur Object Storage usage costs. Database software image are regional-level resources and can be accessed from any availability domain within their region.

See To create a database software image for information on creating an image.

Using the OPatch lsinventory Command to Verify the Patches Applied to an Oracle Home

OPatch utility enables you to apply the interim patches to Oracle Database software. You can find opatch utility in the $ORACLE_HOME/Opatch directory.

Using the lsinventory command provided by OPatch, you can create a file that lists the interim patches applied to an Oracle Database Home. This file can then be uploaded to the OCI Console during the creation of a custom Database Software Image to add the exact set of patches used by the source Database Home to the list of patches included in the software image. You can find OPatch utility in the $ORACLE_HOME/Opatch directory. The following example shows how to use the lsinventory command to create the lsinventory file:
  1. Run the opatch lsinventory command to get the list of interim patches applied.
    $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch lsinventory
Oracle Interim Patch Installer version 12.2.0.1.21
Copyright (c) 2021, Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved.
Oracle Home : /u02/app/oracle/product/19.0.0.0/dbhome_2 
Central Inventory : /u01/app/oraInventory 
from : /u02/app/oracle/product/19.0.0.0/dbhome_2/oraInst.loc 
OPatch version : 12.2.0.1.21 
OUI version : 12.2.0.7.0 
Log file location : /u02/app/oracle/product/19.0.0.0/dbhome_2/cfgtoollogs/opatch/opatch2021-01-21_09-22-45AM_1.log 
Lsinventory Output file location : /u02/app/oracle/product/19.0.0.0/dbhome_2/cfgtoollogs/opatch/lsinv/lsinventory2021-01-21_09-22-45AM.txt
  2. Use the lsinventory output file to extract the additional One Off Patches applied to a specific Oracle Home.

Using a Database Software Image with an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure Instance

Provision database homes, patch custom images, or set up Data Guard standby database using custom database images.

Provisioning: After you create a database software image, you can use it to create an Oracle Database Home in an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure instance. For more information, see To create a new Database Home in an existing Exadata Cloud Service instance.

Patching: To patch a database in an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure instance using a custom database software image, create the Database Home using the image, and then move the database to that Database Home. For more information, see Patching Individual Oracle Databases in an Exadata Cloud Service Instance.

Setting up Data Guard: When creating an Oracle Data Guard association, you can use a custom database software image to create a new Database Home for the new standby database. For more information, see To enable Oracle Data Guard on an Exadata Cloud Service instance database.

Using the Console for database software images

Parent topic: Manage Oracle Database Software Images

To create a database software image

Follow this procedure to create a database on Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure

  1. Open the navigation menu. Click Oracle Database, then click Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure.
  2. Under Resources, click Database Software Images.
  3. Click Create Database Software Image.
  4. In the Display name field, provide a display name for your image. Avoid entering confidential information.
  5. Choose your Compartment.
  6. Choose the Database version for your image. You can create a database software image using any supported Oracle Database release update (RU).
    Note

    At the time of initial release of Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure, only Oracle Database 23ai is supported.
  7. Choose the patch set update, proactive bundle patch, or release update. For information on Oracle Database patching models, see Release Update Introduction and FAQ (Doc ID 2285040.1)
  8. Optionally, you can enter a comma-separated list of one-off (interim) patch numbers.
  9. Optionally, you can upload an Oracle Home inventory file from an existing Oracle Database. See Using the OPatch lsinventory Command to Verify the Patches Applied to an Oracle Home for instructions on creating an inventory file using OPatch.
  10. Click Show Advanced Options to add tags to your database software image. To apply a defined tag, you must have permissions to use the tag namespace. For more information about tagging, see Resource Tags. If you are not sure if you should apply tags, skip this option (you can apply tags later) or ask your administrator.
  11. Click Create Database Software Image.

To create a database software image from a Database Home

  1. Open the navigation menu. Click Oracle Database, then click Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure .
  2. Choose your Compartment.
  3. Navigate to the Database Home: Under Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure, click Exadata VM Clusters. In the list of VM clusters, find the VM cluster you want to access and click its highlighted name to view the details page for the cluster.
  4. Click Database Homes under Resources.
  5. Find the Database Home you want to use to create the database software image in the list of Database Homes. Click the name of the Database Home to display details about it.
  6. Click Create Image from Database Home.
  7. In the Create Database Software Image panel, enter a Display name and select a compartment for the software image.
  8. Click Create.

To view the patch information of a database software image

Use this procedure to view the Oracle Database version, update information (PSU/BP/RU level) and included one-off (interim) patches of a database software image.

Use the following instructions:

  1. Open the navigation menu. Click Oracle Database, then click Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure.
  2. Under Resources, click Database Software Images.
  3. In the list of database software images, find the image you want to view and click on the display name of the image.
  4. On Database Software Image Details page for your selected image, details about the image are displayed:
    • The Oracle Database version is displayed in the General Information section. For example: 19.0.0.0
    • The PSU/BP/RU field of the Patch Information section displays update level for the image. For example: 19.5.0.0
    • The One-Off Patches field displays the number of one-off patches included in the image, if any. The count includes all patches specified when creating the image (including patches listed in lsinventory). To view the included patches (if any are included), click the Copy All link and paste the list of included patches into a text editor. The copied list of patch numbers is comma-separated and can be used to create additional database software images.

To delete a database software image

Use the following instructions to delete a database software image.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Click Oracle Database, then click Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure.
  2. Under Resources, click Database Software Images.
  3. In the list of database software images, find the image you want to delete and click the Actions icon (three dots) at the end of the row.
  4. Click Delete.

Using the API to manage database software images

Use these API operations to manage database software images:

For information about using the API and signing requests, see REST APIs and Security Credentials. For information about SDKs, see Software Development Kits and Command Line Interface.