26ai

Can I apply an RU to a home with an MRP?

This question came up by a customer, and it was referring to the FAQ MOS note for MRPs. In brief, it was stated that you could apply a higher RU into a home where an MRP up to MRP3 had been installed in the previous home. So the question raised to me was: Can I apply an RU to a home with an MRP as it was mentioned in the FAQ document?

Can I apply an RU to a home with an MRP?

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Which note, and what’s the statement?

The FAQ2283 – Introducing Monthly Recommended Patches (MRPs) and FAQ stated the following under Q18:

Q18:

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How to rollback an MRP

You know, I am not a fan of in-place patching. Actually, I think everyone should always patch out-of-place. But I know that for instance EBS with a 19c database requires in-place patching, and out-of-place will be supported only with 26ai for EBS. Therefore, in relation to an exercise I did over the weekend, let me share how to rollback an MRP.

How to rollback an MRP

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What is an MRP?

Very briefly, it stands for Monthly Recommended Patch – thus MRP. And it co-exists with CSPUs. I described the difference here. Read more if you are interested.

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LAOUC 2026: Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay

In a week from now I should arrive in Asuncion, Paraguay, if all goes well. It it time for the Latin America Oracle User Group tour 2026 – and it has been started already going from north to south. I will participate in three stops at LAOUC 2026: Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay. And I am looking forward to see you soon.

 

Paraguay

🇵🇾 August 26 | Paraguay | Oracle Users Group Paraguay (OUGPY)

Yeah, you beat us Germans at the world cup, and luckily, I did not watch it since I was traveling abroad. Congratulations 🙂 In reverse, I …

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Upgrade to 26ai may hang due to block checking events

This issue is caused by an internal change, and we hit this now with two very large customer upgrades recently. Therefore, I would like to point to a fix, a workaround and the following RU in case you see your Upgrade to 26ai may hang due to block checking events.

Upgrade to 26ai may hang due to block checking events

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What would you see?

This issue can happen with cloning, PDB refreshable clones or just a copy or restore of your database for the subsequent upgrade to Oracle AI Database 26ai. It is not dependent on AutoUpgrade but since AutoUpgrade is the only …

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CDB upgrades – explaining catctl_options

When you upgrade your entire CDB with AutoUpgrade, there is a parameter which allows you some tuning or tweaking. And I often see some misunderstanding here. Therefore, for CDB upgrades – explaining catctl_options is my focus today.

CDB upgrades - explaining catctl_options

Photo by Arthur Mazi on Unsplash

 

catctl_options – what it is meant for

This AutoUpgrade config file parameter allows you to set specific settings, mostly for tuning, but also to override some defaults. In the documentation you will find the whole list of options. You can set it in your AutoUpgrade config file, e.g.:

upg1.catctl_options=-T

 

catctl_options in CDB upgrades

Here, …

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AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 4: Download Examples

Let me take off into the 4th part of this blog post series: AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 4: Download Examples. I’d like to show you some of the most common examples and use cases we came across. And of course, I will add some additional (and hopefully useful) information on top.

AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 4: Download Examples

The patch parameter

At first, in my previous blog post I used patch1.patch=RECOMMENDED (by the way, upper/lowercase does not matter). But I didn’t explain the whole extent and possibilities of the patch parameter to you.

Here’s a list of the most important parameter …

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AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 3: Download Patches

You completed Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog post series already? Then you are ready for AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 3: Download Patches. Let us start simple, and then increase the scope to fetch the patches for various operating system platforms in your local patching folder.

AutoUpgrade Patching - From Zero to Hero - Part 3: Download Patches

 

Which download?

Strange headline – but you’ll see what I mean. At first, we need to clarify the various download options for patches.

  1. Download patches directly from MOS/ARU by yourself
    This usually means that you go to the various MOS notes, such as KB106822 /
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AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 2: MOS Credentials

In this blog post series AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 2: MOS Credentials will be our topic for today. If you are tired of going through MOS notes over and over again to identify the most important fixes and fetch them, you need to automate it. But in order to automate the download, you need to infuse your MOS credentials into the AutoUpgrade keystore. Let’s do this together now.

AutoUpgrade Patching - From Zero to Hero - Part 2: MOS Credentials

Create directories

Before we really start, you should define a few directories at first. In my case, I copied the newest version of AutoUpgrade into /Users/mdietric/TEMP/AU. …

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AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 1: Download AutoUpgrade

I was traveling the past two weeks, and I met a lot of customers who still “enjoy” navigating through MOS and searching for the right patches to download. This blog post series will give you ultimate relief, and it will ease your life as DBAs and sysadmins. You must patch more frequently – and this is the key solution for everyone. Let’s get us started with AutoUpgrade Patching – From Zero to Hero – Part 1: Download AutoUpgrade today.

AutoUpgrade Patching - From Zero to Hero - Part 1

Download the newest version of AutoUpgrade

Our first task is simple. You will find autoupgrade.jar in your ?/rdbms/admin directory since Oracle …

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How to deal with statistics when you migrate?

Have you done migration projects in the past, or do you have some upcoming projects, and you wonder how you should treat all sorts of statistics in your database? What is the better option? Keep and migrate the existing ones? Regather them right away? A partial-move approach? How to deal with statistics when you migrate? Then this is for you. Sign up to our next Virtual Classroom Seminar on Thursday, June 18 at 14:00h CEST: Statistics and Migrations – Well-Kept Secrets Revealed

How to deal with statistics when you migrate?

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

What’s the topic?

Statistics and Migrations – Well-kept Secrets Revealed

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CPU, CSPU, MRP, RU – some clarifications

I just returned from a 2 week vacation in Asia this weekend. And I was following from a distance. On May 28, the first CSPUs got released, some MOS notes got published. There are a lot of patching options now. CPU, CSPU, MRP, RU – some clarifications may be needed.

CPU, CSPU, MRP, RU - some clarifications

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The Prelude

On May 4, 2026, I published this blog post Patch your database against AI cybersecurity threads following these two announcements:

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DBMS_OPTIM_BUNDLE – what it shows, and what oradiff lists

I blogged multiple times about DBMS_OPTIM_BUNDLE, the package to work with the Fix Control Persistence (FCP) framework in the database. And we also gave recommendations over the years that you need to test carefully when you are going to enable the fixes while patching. But it is a good practice do enable them when you do upgrade testing, and also when you start creating new databases in a new environment. Just make sure you keep the settings equal across your environments. The other day I received a question from Dennis asking about DBMS_OPTIM_BUNDLE – what it shows, and what oradiff

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Grid Infrastructure: Bye Tomcat – welcome Micronaut

Anil Nair wrote it in his MAA Blog Post on April 28:Oracle is simplifying the software stack by replacing Apache Tomcat application server with Micronaut framework.”. And since some of you asked already, let me give you a bit more information about this change in 19.30 and 19.31 with Grid Infrastructure: Bye Tomcat – welcome Micronaut.

Grid Infrastructure: Bye Tomcat - welcome Micronaut

Photo by Hayrullah Gozcu on Unsplash – and I know, the jet in the picture isn’t an F-14 Tomcat 🙂 

It happens automatically

At first, no action is needed from your side. This behavior change happens automatically.

It is the …

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Patch your databases against AI-enabled cybersecurity threats

I guess you all read the announcements and predictions over the past weeks. New AI models and improvements to existing models may allow to find security issues in existing software much quicker. While this sounds alarming on one side (yes, it does), it also enables software vendors to secure their software. But in order to benefit from it, you must patch your databases against AI-enabled cybersecurity threats.

Patch your databases against AI-enabled cybersecurity threats

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

Read the official announcements

At first, please read the official announcements released here:

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April 2026 Release Updates (RUs) 19.31 and 23.26.2 are delayed

Yesterday, I delivered a full-day workshop for ora2know in Düsseldorf. And we discussed the most recent RUs as well, especially since “Database Patching” consumed a significant part of the day content-wise. I learned that the RUs have now a target date of April 28 for Linux, and May 12 for other ports. Which means that the April 2026 Release Updates (RUs) 19.31 and 23.26.2 are delayed.

April 2026 Release Updates (RUs) 19.31 and 23.26.2 are delayed

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Why are the April 2026 Release Updates (RUs) 19.31 and 23.26.2 delayed?

I don’t know the reason, and there is (as far as I can see) no official …

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Upcoming in-person workshops in Düsseldorf, London, Vienna, Utrecht and Brussels

I am ready to take off for some vacation soon. But I’d like to share with you a list of the upcoming workshops we are offering. All those events are in-person events – except the Virtual Classroom Seminar I will list below. Therefore, you need to show up at the day of the event. Zero marketing, no duplication of content either. See you soon in one of the upcoming in-person workshops in Düsseldorf, London, Vienna, Utrecht and Brussels.

Upcoming in-person workshops in Düsseldorf, London, Vienna, Utrecht and Brussels

Workshops and Events in April / May 2026

It is very important to say that we aren’t duplicating content. This …

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Does AutoUpgrade support the MOVE option?

Sometimes you have different plans for the day. Or, in my case, the day just needs a few extra hours. Today, I received a very interesting question on the blog at first by a customer I know very well. Then we exchanged mails – and I was caught forgetting what I wrote on the blog a longer while ago. The core question is: Does AutoUpgrade support the MOVE option? But there was much more to discuss and figure out as you can read below.

Does AutoUpgrade support the MOVE option?

Photo by Arron Choi on Unsplash

 

Which options does AutoUpgrade offer?

The case here is …

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Sign up for the next Virtual Classroom Seminar: Patch Smarter, Not Harder

Some of you may have realized: We moved the Virtual Classroom Seminar #27 from its original date in February to March 12 this week. Usually we don’t do this – but we ended up with so much content. If you haven’t already, it is time for you to sign up for the next Virtual Classroom Seminar: Patch Smarter, Not Harder.

What are we going to talk about?

Database Patching – with or without RAC or Data Guard. With demos, as usual.

The idea is that you may learn a lot. And of course, …

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Don’t use AI to build your AutoUpgrade config file, please!

Let me do a quick Friday rant. Many of you can easily ignore this. But regardless of whether you are a colleague, a friend, a customer, a partner or just exploring AutoUpgrade because it is the coolest small tiny little tool Oracle has to offer, don’t use AI to build your AutoUpgrade config file, please!

AI models are great … somehow …

No worries, I use AI tools as well, especially when I need to create some complex PL/SQL scripts. There is nothing wrong with it – unless you stay in control. I …

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The February 2026 release of AutoUpgrade (26.2) is available

This is a ground-breaking new release of AutoUpgrade, and the team worked hard to release it last weekend. This means for you that you should renew your AutoUpgrade tools as The February 2026 release of AutoUpgrade (26.2) is available now for download.

1..2..3..4..5..0 …

In case you wonder about this cryptic headline, no worries. a customer highlighted this well-chosen and easy-to-remember number to me the other day. And I was not aware, but it is true: KB123450 is the MOS note allowing you to download AutoUpgrade from MOS. Awesome … I already programmed this …

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How do you check whether a list of bug fixes is included in an RU?

Today, a customer sent me a workaround for the misbehavior they were seeing with the Conflict Checker Tool in the Support portal. They use oradiff to check whether a given fix they have a one-off right now is included in a future Release Update (RU). This works nicely, but I have a recommendation for an even easier check (thanks Rodrigo!).

Ask ORAdiff …

I am using this specific customer case as an example. Of course, this will work with your list of fixes as well. Let’s assume that this is the list of one-off …

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It’s there – Oracle AI Database 26ai is available for download

This was a long wait – and finally, it’s there – Oracle AI Database 26ai is available for download on-prem. And as you may remember our announcement from Oracle AI World, Oracle AI Database 26ai replaced Oracle Database 23ai.

What is available?

You can download now the Linux version of Oracle AI Database 26ai Enterprise Edition, 23.26.1.0.0, from the usual sources as a Gold Image include the RU or as a separate RU.

Besides the 23.26.1 database release, you …

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Upgrade Workshops in Copenhagen, Munich and Berlin

Your chance to sign up NOW! We are going to run Full Day Oracle AI Database 26ai Upgrade Workshops in Copenhagen, Munich and Berlin. And this is NOT a repeat – it is the 2nd edition of the workshop you may have attended last year in spring with brand-new content, new features.

As usual, zero marketing – just tech!!

When?

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Your chance: Full-day Upgrade to 26ai Workshop in Sydney on Jan 20, 2026

Happy New Year to all of you at first. And just at very short notice a quick announcement for next week in case you are in the Sydney area in Australia. This is Your chance: Full-day Upgrade to 26ai Workshop in Sydney on Jan 20, 2026 has still a few open seats, and you could join, I’d be happy to see and meet you there.

And of course, it will be 2026, and not 2025 … OMG … 🙂

When, how and why?

Well, this is potentially the day (or a few hours …

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Finally … Oracle AI Database 26ai is going to be available on non-Oracle hardware

Many of you have read my blog post from October during Oracle AI World in Las Vegas about Oracle AI Database 26ai replacing Oracle Database 23ai. But the main question remained: When is it available on-prem on non-Oracle hardware? It’s December now, and Christmas is coming soon, it is time for presents. Yes, finally … Oracle AI Database 26ai is going to be available on non-Oracle hardware.

Finally ... Oracle AI Database 26ai is going to be available on non-Oracle hardware

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When is it going to be released?

You still need to wait a few weeks, potentially until the 2nd half of January 2026. The CPU

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