Redhat ES v3 OS upgrade question

[Gary L]

Hi

My company has two oracle servers one is 10g, another is 10g RAC. The OS are all RedHat enterprise ES version 3 update 4. Now, I wanna upgrade the OS to version 4 update 4. I have some questions:
1. what’s the different of RH v3u4 and v4u4, In other words, Which and What does the RHES4U4 add? V4U4 more powerful, functionalities and more stable than V3U4? Whether I need upgrade the OS?
2. If yes, I need upgrade current version to version 4 update 4. So, after upgrade, what should I do next step? I mean, whether I need install some patches and/or fixings etc. for OS and oracle database. If yes, would you please list them.
3. I know, upgrade OS have some method and ways, such as: restart system with v4u4 installation CD-1, and choose “upgrade” to update the RH OS. Or copy all the *.rpm of five installation CDs to /var/spool/up2date directory, modify /etc/sysconfig/rhn/sources file (comment # up2date default and add dir my-favorite-rpms-i386-9 /var/spool/up2date/) and run the command “up2date” to update the RH OS. The second method I tried, but didn’t work. “up2date” command didn’t get the data from new /var/spool/up2date dir, the erro responds is proxy erro, It looks like up2date wanna get data from redhat website. Whether I should modify another file(s) let the update command get up2date file data. Do I need modify the command file of up2date /usr/sbin/up2date?

Thanks a lot!

[Steven E. Protter · Accepted solution]

Shalom again Gary,

1) Different kernel, totally different OS, 18-24 months worth of development and improvement time. RH 3 runs 2.4.x kernel, RH 4 runs 2.6.x kernel. RH3 is up to update 8 right now, which is the most mature code set.

2)Back up everything and expect to re-install oracle and then import your data.

3) First suggestion is supported. Second idea may or may not work, is not supported. RH 4 does have a special mode for updating RH 3 installation but they recommend a cold install.

SEP

[Gary L]

Hi SEP

How is it going? Long time no "see".
Is it around 10:30pm in israel?
thanks for your good answers.
Questions:
1. what's the means of "18-24 months worth of development and improvement time"?
2. I have ES 3 u8 installation CD and release 4 update 4 CD. I have no idea whether I should upgrade current 3u4 version. You said 3 u8 is the most mature code, how about 4U4? As you know, I need submit a report to my manager whether I should upgrade Linux OS, if need, reason? to update 8 or to release 4 update 4? if no need, reason? How do you think?
3. As my understanding your OS upgrade suggestion are: a. Backup whole data inculde oracle databse, b. then install the new OS such as RedHat ES 4 update 4, in the server, c. install the Oracle database;
d. recovery whole data inculde oracle, right? is it "code install" mean? Does it named "upgrade", no, actually it is a "re-install". Too complicated. You know, the 2 linux box is phase one, if we need upgrade, there are over 30 box waiting for me, re-install over 30 machine?
Do you have some other method for upgrade?

Have a good night.
-Gary

[Steven E. Protter]

Hi Gary,

Posting around 11:07 p.m. local time.

1. what's the means of "18-24 months worth of development and improvement time"?

Red Hat 3 came out about 18-24 months ahead of Red Hat 4. Fully updated it has that much more work put into it.

2. I have ES 3 u8 installation CD and release
4 update 4 CD. I have no idea whether I should upgrade current 3u4 version. You said 3 u8 is the most mature code, how about 4U4? As you know, I need submit a report to my manager whether I should upgrade Linux OS, if need, reason? to update 8 or to release 4 update 4? if no need, reason? How do you think?

Depends on your needs. I find RH 4 and the 2.6 kernel scales much better and is very stable when pushed to heavy loads. Depends on oracle and application issues. If I have a choice I go RH 4 these days.

3. As my understanding your OS upgrade suggestion are: a. Backup whole data inculde oracle databse, b. then install the new OS such as RedHat ES 4 update 4, in the server, c. install the Oracle database;

I would back up the oracle data separately with the database down. There is no need to back up the system if you are doing a cold OS install.

All other things being equal, I'd do a cold OS install after backing up all data and configuration and then install oracle and then migrate my data into oracle.

d. recovery whole data inculde oracle, right? is it "code install" mean? Does it named "upgrade", no, actually it is a "re-install". Too complicated. You know, the 2 linux box is phase one, if we need upgrade, there are over 30 box waiting for me, re-install over 30 machine?

There is a wonderful utility called kickstart that lets you duplciate boxes that were installed a way you like. Kickstart will run unattended and you can run a lot of installs simultaneiously.

You can use http://www.acronis.com to duplicate fully finished systems including third part software.

Do you have some other method for upgrade?

No.

SEP

[Gary L]

Thanks SEP

About backup utilities, current I use HP OpenView DataProctor(for data backup) and HP Ignite-UX (for system backup). What's about the kickstart and acronis? another data backup tools? I have no idea, normal which utilities do you use on your taskes?

startup the system with the release4 installation CD choose "upgrade" to update the OS, is it a simple, easy and un-complicated idea than re-install cold install machine?
As you know, our linux machine that need OS upgrade over 30, databases and application over 50 on those boxes. If use code re-install there will be increase more and more riskes. half server are the production business server. What's the advantage or benefites or powerful safty etc. cold re-install than "upgrade"

thanks a lot!

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom again.

About backup utilities, current I use HP OpenView DataProctor(for data backup) and HP Ignite-UX (for system backup). What's about the kickstart and acronis? another data backup tools? I have no idea, normal which utilities do you use on your taskes?

There is a DP util for Linux, no Ignite. We use http://www.acronis.com for system backups.

startup the system with the release4 installation CD choose "upgrade" to update the OS, is it a simple, easy and un-complicated idea than re-install cold install machine?

This will work.

A cold install involves not upgrading, wiping out everything and starting clean.

Cold install does have a slightly higher success rate. upgrades sometimes do fail.

SEP

[Gary L]

Thanks SEP

You are right, Cold install better than upgrade, especial on release 3 to 4.
Yesterday, I did two testes on two lab servers OS are all RHES3U4. I upgraded one use "upgrade" and code installed another The re-install one no any problems. The upgrade one have some problems, after successful OS upgrade, I found there are some erros when used some GUI icons etc. For example: I could not ran "Network", "Date&Time" etc. at "System Settings" menu. Error responds were: Cannot launch entry, Failed to execute child process "/usr/bin/redhat-config-network" (no such file or directory). As we know, release 4 change the command name to system-* replace the release 3 "redhat-*". Through checked their "Properties" I found the "command" is old link "usr/bin/redhat-config-network" etc. I have no idea why the OS upgrade didn't upgrade the GUI menu and corresponding command links. I tried to ran the "system-config-network / date / time " on command line, but fail erro: Permission Denied. Sigh, what hell are they doing.
Do you know how to fix it?

Thanks buddy!

-Gary

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom again,

Your results are actually a lot worse than what I acheived in the lab.

I'd say the upgraded system was broken in some way before the upgrade.

REmember system-config-display was redhat-config-display in the 3.x releases

You've proven that for your systems cold install is the way to go, if the lab is representitive of production.

Go for the kickstart method to install the servers and you can pull off the install stage unattended.

SEP

[Gary L]

Hi SEP

Do you meet this problems like happened on me yesterday before? Probably, that server was broken sometimes before upgrade, the /usr/local and /usr/share two directories be moved to /tmp dir before upgraded yesterday disk space. And this server be fixed in rescue mode before and used "e2fsck" etc command repaired the file system before. whether the problems cause by this reason? the upgrade server could ran orace 10g currently. How to fix the redhat-* problems?

BTW, after I upgrade or cold install the new release 4 OS, whether i should install some patches and fixings for the new OS. If I choose upgrade the OS, what should I do for the old oracle database, like install some release4 patches and/or fixing?

thanks

Have a great day

-Gary

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

Aft4er installing RH 4 update 4, connect the system to redhat network and run up2date.

There have been 10 minor kernel releases since RH 4 update 4 hit the market.

Yes, I've run into systems in the shape you found those machines.

A system that has been futzed with like that needs to have user data backed up and be done over. I'd also be careful about who gets root priviledges because I doubt the cause of this was hardware or software. Most likely it was computers greatest enemy, the user that thinks he/she is a sysadmin.

SEP