18

Enhancing Database Capabilities

Copyright © 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.

 Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to:

• Use the Enterprise Manager Support Workbench
• Work with Oracle Support
• Search MetaLink
• Log service requests (SR)
• Manage patches
– Apply a patch
– Stage a patch

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 Using the Support Workbench

View critical
1 error alerts in
Enterprise Manager.

7 Close incidents. 2 View problem

details.

Track the service Gather additional

6 request and 3 diagnostic
implement repairs. information.

Package and upload

4
Create a
diagnostic data service request.
to Oracle Support.
5

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 Viewing Critical Error Alerts
in Enterprise Manager

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 Viewing Problem Details

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 Viewing Incident Details:
Dump Files

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 Viewing Incident Details:
Checker Findings

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 Creating a Service Request

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 Packaging and Uploading Diagnostic Data
to Oracle Support

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 Tracking the Service Request
and Implementing Repairs

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 Tracking the Service Request
and Implementing Repairs

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 Closing Incidents and Problems

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 Incident Packaging Configuration

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 Working with Oracle Support

• Oracle Support Services (OSS) provides 24 × 7 solution

support.
• Support is delivered in the following ways:
– MetaLink Web site
– Telephone
– Oracle Direct Connect (ODC) remote diagnostic tool
• The Customer Support Identifier (CSI) number is used
to track the software and support that are licensed to
each customer.

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 MetaLink Integration

• Enterprise Manager automatically alerts users to new

critical patches.
• The Enterprise Manager patch wizard can be used to
select an interim patch.
• You can review the patch’s README file from within
Enterprise Manager.
• You can download the selected patches from MetaLink
into the Enterprise Manager patch cache.

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 Using MetaLink

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 Notes Only

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 Researching an Issue

To research an issue on Oracle MetaLink, perform the

following steps:
1. Perform a keyword search.
2. Review the documentation.
3. Use the self-service toolkits.
4. Use the automated diagnostic tests and business
flows.
5. Search for applicable patches.
6. Log a service request (SR).

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 Notes Only

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 Logging Service Requests

• Log an SR by clicking the Service Request tab on the

MetaLink home page.
• MetaLink performs searches based on the CSI number
and SR profile.
• Provide the following information when logging an SR:
– Explanation of the issue, including error messages
– Steps taken to troubleshoot the issue
– Software version
– Steps required to reproduce the problem
– Business impact of the issue

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 Notes Only

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 Managing Patches

Kinds of patches
• Interim patches
– For specific issues
– No regression testing
• CPUs (Critical Patch Updates)
– Critical security issues
– Regression testing
– Does not advance version number
• Patch releases

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 Applying a Patch Release

• Patch releases are fully tested product fixes that:

– Do not include new functionality
– Affect only the software residing in your Oracle home on
installation
– Contain individual bug fixes
– Carry version numbers
• To apply a patch:
1. Determine your Oracle software environment.
2. Set your Oracle MetaLink login credentials.
3. Stage the patch release.

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 Using the Patch Advisor

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 Using the Patch Wizard

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 Applying a Patch

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 Staging a Patch

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 Summary

In this lesson, you should have learned how to:

• Use the Support Workbench
• Work with Oracle Support
• Search MetaLink
• Log service requests
• Manage patches
– Apply a patch release
– Stage a patch release

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 Practice 18 Overview:
Using EM Tools for Alerts and Patches

This practice covers the following topics:

• Using the Support Workbench to investigate a critical
error
• Staging a patch to be applied later

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18 - 30 Copyright © 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved.