Upgrading Oracle Database with a Physical Standby Database

In this article, we can upgrade the 11g database to 12c with the help of DataGaurd

Step 1: Install 12.1.0.2 binaries on both Primary and Standby Server.

Step 2: Shut down Primary Database.

Step 3: Shut down Standby Database.

Step 4: At standby database server copy init file and password file to new home

[oracle@localhost dbs]$ cp /u01/oracle/product/11.2.0/db_1/dbs/initupgdb.ora /u01/oracle/product/12.1.0/db_1/dbs/
[oracle@localhost dbs]$ cp /u01/oracle/product/11.2.0/db_1/dbs/orapwupgdb /u01/oracle/product/12.1.0/db_1/dbs/

Step 5: Copy listener.ora and tnsnames.ora file to new Oracle home

[oracle@localhost admin]$ cp /u01/oracle/product/11.2.0/db_1/dbs/listener.ora /u01/oracle/product/12.1.0/db_1/network/admin/
[oracle@localhost admin]$ cp /u01/oracle/product/11.2.0/db_1/dbs/tnsnames.ora /u01/oracle/product/12.1.0/db_1/network/admin/

Step 6: Change an oracle_home value in a listener.ora file

SID_LIST_LISTENER =
  (SID_LIST =
    (SID_DESC =
      (ORACLE_HOME = /u01/oracle/product/12.1.0/db_1)
      (SID_NAME =upgdb)
    )
   )

Step 7: Start database in mount stage  with new home exported

[oracle@localhost admin]$ export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/oracle/product/12.1.0/db_1
[oracle@localhost admin]$ export PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin:$PATH
[oracle@localhost admin]$ export ORACLE_SID=upgdb
[oracle@localhost admin]$ sqlplus / as sysdba

SQL*Plus: Release 12.1.0.2.0 Production on Wed Jul 4 22:04:28 2018

Copyright (c) 1982, 2014, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Connected to an idle instance.

SQL> startup mount
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area  394264576 bytes
Fixed Size		    2924832 bytes
Variable Size		  192941792 bytes
Database Buffers	  192937984 bytes
Redo Buffers		    5459968 bytes
Database mounted.

Remember database is not still upgraded so trying open database will result in the following error :

SQL> alter database open;
alter database open
*
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01092: ORACLE instance terminated. Disconnection forced
ORA-00704: bootstrap process failure
ORA-00604: error occurred at recursive SQL level 2
ORA-00904: "I"."UNUSABLEBEGINNING#": invalid identifier
Process ID: 3513
Session ID: 1 Serial number: 56814

Step 8: Upgrade Primary database with DBUA

[oracle@localhost ~]$ export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/oracle/product/12.1.0/db_1
[oracle@localhost ~]$ export PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin:$PATH
[oracle@localhost ~]$ dbua

Select a database and click next.

We can check more details by selecting a particular prerequisite and clicking on more details.

It shows we can remove em repository prior to up gradation. Run emremove file to remove em repository.

After successful removal of em repository click next.

select checkbox according to your requirement or keep them default and click on next.

Click on next.

Click on next.

Select listeners, you want to migrate to new Oracle home and click next.

Select backup policy in case of upgrade failure and click on next.

Check database upgrades summary and click on Finish Button.

Check progress of upgrade .  .  .  .  .

Once an upgrade is finished you can see upgrade results.

After successful completion of  Primary database upgrade. Start recovery on a standby database.

SQL> recover managed standby database disconnect;
Media recovery complete.

Standby database will be upgraded through redo apply.

After completion of all redo apply we can open a database in open mode.

Stay tuned for More articles on Oracle DataGuard

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