Introduction to WebLogic
Server Zero Down-time
Patching
Presenter Ankush Kumar Agrawal
Date : 13-May-2016
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AGENDA
WebLogic Server Zero Downtime Patching
What is Zero Downtime Patching
What can Zero Downtime Patching do for you
Integration with OPatchAuto Configuration
Automated Rollback Monitoring
Demo
Recommendations & Considerations
Q&A
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What is Zero Downtime (ZDT) Patching
ZDT Patching can be used to patch WebLogic, Update Java
versions, and Update Applications in an automated rolling
sequence
Automation helps remove human error from the complex and time consuming process, it also allows us to verify input and
runtime conditions before starting in order to identify problems before any changes are made
Zero Downtime means end-users can continue to access their
applications throughout the entire patching operation without
experiencing service interruption or loss of session data
In addition to automating the process, we added extra features to ensure that session information is preserved
ZDT Patching includes automatic revert capabilities (optional)
Unwanted changes can be easily rolled back, to restore the production environment to its original state
ZDT Patching simplifies patch verification before updating
production systems.
The same easy to use patching rollout can be applied to a test environment for patch verification before updating production
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Rollout Types
Types of patching workflows
Rolling Restart
Rollout JavaHome
Rollout OracleHome Preparation
Rollout OracleHome
Rollout Application Upgrades
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Rolling Restart
Each node is shutdown, updated, and restarted in turn.
Types are defined by what is updated while the node is down.
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Rollout JavaHome
New JavaHome already installed
Shutdown servers
Update paths to point to new Java location
Start servers
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Rollout OracleHome - Preparation
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Advantages of out-of-place patching
With out of place patching, an existing OracleHome is
copied, patched with all the desired patches, and archived in
a single file for easy distribution and rollout.
The candidate archive can be rolled out to a test
environment for verification.
Once the patches are verified, the same rollout operation
can be performed against the production environment.
Additionally, out-of-place patching leaves the original
OracleHome directory as a backup on every node, so
reversing the patch operation is simple, even days or weeks
after being applied.
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Rollout OracleHome
Shutdown servers
Move unpatched OracleHome to backup location
Move patched to OracleHome to production location
Start servers
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Rollout Application Upgrades
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Enhanced Session Handling
In addition to automating the complex rollout processes, ZDT
introduces several advanced techniques for preserving
session data during the patching process.
Session Migration
Session Fetching
Session Compatibility Tracking
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Session Handling
Session Migration Session data is preemptively
propagated to another server in the cluster during graceful
shutdown.
Session Fetching Gives WebLogic servers the ability to
query other servers in the cluster for specific sessions if
they dont have their own copy.
Session Compatibility Tracking If the patching operation
introduces a change to the shape of a session, making
unpatched sessions incompatible with patched servers, the
rollout will track which servers are compatible with that
session and communicate with OTD to redirect the request
appropriately
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Life Cycle, Opatch Auto
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WebLogic Integration with OPatchAuto
OPatchAuto is the company standard tool for end-to-end
patch orchestration.
Database, EM and FMW use OPatchAuto to patch with minimal user intervention.
OPatchAuto provides apply, rollback and resume
processing.
OPatchAuto maintains an inventory for tracking binary and
configuration operations.
OPatchAuto provides a standard reporting interface.
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Resume or Rollback After Error
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DEMO
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Recommendations & Considerations
Rollout shuts down one node at a time, so the more nodes in
a cluster, the less impact it has on the clusters ability to
handle traffic.
If cluster has only two nodes, and one is down for patching,
then HA cant be guaranteed.
Including a Managed Server on the Admin Node means that
both must be shutdown together in order to update
OracleHome.
Two clusters can have servers on the same node sharing an
OracleHome, but they will both need to be shutdown and
patched together.
Servers from different Domains cant share a common
OracleHome Directory.
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Recommendations & Considerations
AdminServer must be started by NodeManager (initial version
only).
AdminServer can be patched separately no service impact
Clusters (Apps) can be patched separately on different schedules
Taking one node offline leaves 80% availability, preserves HA
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Recommendations & Considerations
Patching Sequence
1.Copy OracleHome and apply the patch.
2.Make a single archive.
3.Use ZDT Patching to rollout in dev/test domain for
verification.
4.Verify applied patches.
5.Rollout patch in AdminServer
6.Rollout patch archive to clusters in production domain.
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REFERENCES
https://docs.oracle.com/middleware/1221/wls/WLZDT/intr
o.htm#WLZDT108
https://community.oracle.com/servlet/JiveServlet/downloa
dBody/996953-102-1-126425/ZDT-VTS.pdf
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THANK YOU
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QUESTIONS
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