Oracle Database 18c has been released Friday, February 16, 2018 in the Oracle Cloud and for Engineered Systems.
What is new in Oracle Database 18c?
Please read this comprehensive description by Dominic Giles, Master Product Manager for Oracle Database on https://blogs.oracle.com/database/oracle-database-18c-:-now-available-on-the-oracle-cloud-and-oracle-engineered-systems. Dominic summarizes the most important features in the areas of Multitenant, In-Memory, Sharding, Performance, High Availability, Security, Spatial/Graph and of course Developer features.
You’d like to read more about New Features?
In case you’d been now interested please see the New Features Guide for more details in Oracle Database 18c.
Well, and there’s not only a New Features Guide available but of course the entire documentation for Oracle Database 18c is available as well:
Trying out Oracle Database 18c?
Of course you can try out Oracle Database 18c already as the LiveSQL site is already running Oracle Database 18c:
And please read here which releases will allow you direct upgrades to Oracle Database 18c:
–Mike
Looking at edelivery, only the DB software is marked as ‘Exadata-only’ but GI isn’t. Does this mean that GI should be expected to work on non-Exadata hardware?
Karsten,
as currently 18c got released for Exadata and Cloud only I wouldn’t take the GI version regardless of being labeled as “exa only” or not. I’m with you, most likely it may be the same software. But I can’t guarantee that. And you may get strange questions from support when you open an SR (just guessing).
Cheers,
Mike
Mike,
you’re right, I am getting strange questions from support. For example ‘where did you get this’. 🙂
Cheers,
Karsten
Hi Mike,
Thanks for sharing this. Love some of the new features of Oracle 18c, especially the Microsoft AD integration. We have been waiting for this feature for years !
Can’t wait for the on-prem release.
Hello, Mike,
Thank you for sharing your experience !
I have one question.
Usually oracle make some patches combining GI + RDBMS of the SAME RELEASE and PATCH LEVEL. For example:
GI 11.2.0.4.171017 + RDBMS 11.2.0.4.171017 or
GI 12.1.0.2.171017 + RDBMS 12.1.0.2.171017
GI 12.2.0.1.171017 + RDBMS 12.2.0.1.171017
And Oracle confirm that it TEST, for example GI 12.1.0.2.171017 + RDBMS 12.1.0.2.171017 as working together.
So, we sure in such a combinations.that GI 12.1.0.2.171017 + RDBMS 12.1.0.2.171017 were tested.
But Oracle NEVER combine in one file different releases or different patch levels:
GI 12.2.0.1.171017 + RDBMS 12.1.0.2.171017 или
GI 12.1.0.2.171017 + RDBMS 12.1.0.2.170418.
On this basis, our customer draw a conclusion that Oracle DON’T TEST such a combination as working together. Is it right ?
Say, please, a few words about how Oracle test the stack: RDBMS + GI (different releases and different patch levels.)
Than you !
Yury,
thanks for your comment – and I blogged about this question a while ago:
https://mikedietrichde.com/2017/04/26/keep-your-patch-versions-between-grid-infrastructure-and-databases-homes-in-synch/
after synchronizing with the RAC Product Managers.
You should keep it ideally in synch, GI patch level and DB patch level if you use the same versions. But many people use for instance 12.2 GI and 12.1 and 11.2 databases operating under 12.2 GI.
Still, as we officially allow and support different patch levels for GI and DB I personally don’t see a bigger issue with it (and most customers I know have it that way for reasons).
Cheers, Mike
Thank you, Mike ! 🙂
18c DB software EXADATA although Oracle says is GA the software is not available. The software in edelivery is not 18c although it says its. When I tried to install it says 12c
V974953-01.zip is branded as 18c but its not.
Sanil,
I’ve seen blog posts of people (yesterday) who patched their Exa up to 18c already with the download from eDelivery.
Would you mind to drop me an email (firstname.lastname œ oracle.com) with your findings and screenshots?
Thanks,
Mike
Mike,
Is MOS note 2111010.1 still good for upgrade to 18c? Since technically 18c is 12.2.0.2, the same MOS note should be applicable, right?
Thanks,
Arun
Arun,
I’m not 100% sure. Most parts of the note still apply as (as you mentioned already) 18c is 12.2.0.2. But I know that some tiny pieces changed. So far the feedback I’ve gotten from customers doing the move on their test Exadatas all is fine. And I know that the MAA team is working on a revision of the note for 18c.
Cheers,
Mike
Thanks Mike. I did upgrade the GI to 18 and installed DB 18 software. There was no need to apply any one-off patches and the upgrade went smooth. I am seeing one issue. When I use oraenv to set environment variables for any 11.2.0.4 DB, I am getting this message:
ORACLE_BASE environment variable is not being set since this
information is not available for the current user ID oracle.
You can set ORACLE_BASE manually if it is required.
Resetting ORACLE_BASE to its previous value or ORACLE_HOME
The Oracle base remains unchanged with value /u01/app/oracle
This never used to happen prior to upgrading the GI to 18, not even with 12.2.0.1. Do you happen to know if anyone else is experiencing the same issue?
Thanks,
Arun
So the problem of ORACLE_BASE is caused by oraenv file being replaced by the R18 DB oraenv. The R18 DB oraenv file does not set the ORACLE_BASE correctly. I replaced it from an non-upgraded server and it worked. The file sizes and timestamp are different, so something has changed.
Let me investigate this, Arun.
Thanks for alerting me.
Cheers,
Mike