New Enterprise Manager Article published on Oracle Technical Network (OTN)

Friends,

I am pleased to announce that a new article of mine has been published in October 2012 on the Oracle Technical Network (OTN).

Ease the Chaos with Automated Patching: 
Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/articles/oem/havewala-patching-oem12c-1864147.html

This is excerpted from my new book "Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c: Managing Data Center Chaos", published by Packt Publishing. Enjoy the world of Enterprise Manager!!

Regards,

Porus.

Latest List of my Published White Papers and Technical Articles on OTN

Many of you have asked me for a full list of all my published technical articles/white papers on the Oracle Technical Network (OTN), for easy reference. Here is the latest list as of Oct 2012. I have placed the white papers at the top, and the articles are in chronological order in the article list. The latest article on Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c, published in October 2012, is right at the bottom of the list. A couple of these articles were even in the most popular OTN article list in 2009.

My Published White Papers on Oracle Technology Network (OTN)

White Paper: Advanced Uses of Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g
White Paper: Managing Oracle Applications with Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g

My Published Articles on Oracle Technology Network (OTN)
Using Grid Control with Filer Snapshotting
Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control Architecture for Very Large Sites
Oracle RMAN Backups: Pushing the "Easy" Button
Patch a Thousand Databases, Using Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control
Easy Disaster Proof Production with Grid Control
Using Oracle GoldenGate for Real-Time Data Integration

Mask Your Secrets Using Oracle Enterprise Manager

Manage Mass Provisioning Using Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control

Overview of Oracle EM Management Packs

Provision Your Oracle RAC Systems Using Oracle Enterprise Manager
NEW!! Ease the Chaos with Automated Patching: Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c

Happy Reading!

My New EM11g Book is in stock now

I am pleased to say my first EM11g book is in stock and is being delivered now.

Thanks to all my readers for their patience. The book is not very expensive,

only $19.95 USD (30% off if ordered now).

http://www.rampant-books.com/book_1001_advanced_techniques_oem_grid_control.htm

Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control: Advanced OEM Techniques for the Real World

Oracle’s Enterprise Manager Grid Control is recognized as the IT Industry’s leading Oracle database administration and management tool. It is unrivalled in its ability to monitor, manage, maintain and report on entire enterprise grids that comprise hundreds (if not thousands) of Oracle databases and servers following an approach that is consistent and repeatable.

However, Enterprise Manager Grid Control may seem daunting even to the most advanced Oracle Administrator. The problem is you know about the power of Enterprise Manager but how do you unleash that power amongst what initially appears to be a maze of GUI-based screens that feature a myriad of links to reports and management tasks that in turn lead you to even more reports and management tasks?

This book shows you how to unleash that power.

Based on the Author’s considerable and practical Oracle database and Enterprise Manager Grid Control experience you will learn through illustrated examples how to create and schedule RMAN backups, generate Data Guard Standbys, clone databases and Oracle Homes and patch databases across hundreds and thousands of databases. You will learn how you can unlock the power of the Enterprise Manager Grid Control Packs, PlugIns and Connectors to simplify your database administration across your company’s database network, as also the management and monitoring of important Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and the nuances of all important real-time change control using Enterprise Manager.

There are other books on the market that describe how to install and configure Enterprise Manager but until now they haven’t explained using a simple and illustrated approach how to get the most out of your Enterprise Manager. This book does just that.

Covers the NEW Enterprise Manager Grid Control 11g.

Regards,

Porus.

Latest List of my Published White Papers and Technical Articles on OTN

Many of you have asked me for a full list of all my published technical articles/white papers on the Oracle Technical Network (OTN), for easy reference. Here is the latest list as of Oct 2012. I have placed the white papers at the top, and the articles are in chronological order in the article list. The latest article on Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c, published in October 2012, is right at the bottom of the list. A couple of these articles were even in the most popular OTN article list in 2009.

My Published White Papers on Oracle Technology Network (OTN)

White Paper: Advanced Uses of Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g
White Paper: Managing Oracle Applications with Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g

My Published Articles on Oracle Technology Network (OTN)
Using Grid Control with Filer Snapshotting
Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control Architecture for Very Large Sites
Oracle RMAN Backups: Pushing the "Easy" Button
Patch a Thousand Databases, Using Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control
Easy Disaster Proof Production with Grid Control
Using Oracle GoldenGate for Real-Time Data Integration
Mask Your Secrets Using Oracle Enterprise Manager
Manage Mass Provisioning Using Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control

Overview of Oracle EM Management Packs

Provision Your Oracle RAC Systems Using Oracle Enterprise Manager
NEW!! Ease the Chaos with Automated Patching: Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c

Happy Reading

My New Grid Control book

Friends,

I am pleased to announce that my new book "Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control: Advanced OEM Techniques for the Real World" is getting ready to be published soon (Fall 2010) by Rampant Techpress:

http://www.rampant-books.com/book_1001_advanced_techniques_oem_grid_control.htm

Please do recommend to all your friends and colleagues, it is a great handy book if you really want to make best use of Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control.

I have based it on a lot of practical experience and I am sure it will be useful to a lot of you.

Regards,

Porus Homi Havewala
(Oracle ACE Director).

Customer Webcast: Mass Patching of Oracle Databases with Enterprise Manager

This is an interesting webcast from Oracle for Customers:

Mass Patching of Oracle Databases with Enterprise Manager

Date: Wednesday 7 October 2009
Time: 08:00 a.m. to 09:00 a.m. (PST8PDT)

Description:
http://conference.oracle.com/imtapp/app/conf_enrollment.uix?mID=159112088&mConfKey=grid

Please register for this.

Third Workshop on Grid Provisioning and Patch Automation

I just conducted a successful third workshop in the Oracle Office at Singapore
on Grid Provisioning and Patch Automation. There were a lot of attendees.
Many who could not attend are asking for repeat seminars.

In the workshop, I introduced the clients to sophisticated Oracle Grid
technology, including RAC, Weblogic server clusters, the Coherence
in-memory data grid, ASM, Oracle Enterprise Linux and Oracle VM.
I interested a lot of attendees in Oracle VM pools with Enterprise Linux
as a future platform for the Grid. I explained the various Enterprise
Manager Packs, especially the Configuration Management Pack and
the Provisioning and Patch Automation Pack.

Using an Amazon installation of Oracle Enterprise Manager
Grid Control Release 5 with the Provisioning and Patch
Automation pack - thanks to one of my friends who loaned me
this Amazon installation - I was able to successfully demonstrate
patching of twelve 10g databases with 5 patches, showing the
power of Grid Automation. The clients were suitably impressed
by the technology capabilities of Grid Control. At the same time
I told them about Oracle’s support of the Cloud.

I also successfully demonstrated a RAC Rolling Patch upgrade
of a two node RAC cluster, again using the Provisioning and
Patch Automation Pack on Oracle demonstration servers.

The DBA attendees asked for:

Ability to backup the db before the patch is applied – this feature is coming
Ability to rollback patches using Grid Control – this feature is coming
Ability to use PBRUN etc for security – which is already there
Ability to do offline download of patches – already there
Ability to keep a log of all changes done via the Grid Control console
Ability to do in Grid Control 10g what can be done in Database Control 11g eg. REPLAY

I have given this feedback to Oracle development.

Future workshops can be seen on:
http://www.si-asia.com/marketing/oracleworkshops2009/

Interesting questions on Grid Control Patching Automation

In a recent Grid Control Webinar, I heard some interesting questions
by clients that were answered by the Grid Control patching automation
expert in Oracle, Hari, who also writes on this EM Blog. The configuration
question was answered by another Grid expert, Shahid.

I am sharing these answers with you.

Question: Can rollback of patches be done using Grid Control?

Answer: As a part of the procedure, there are validate steps if the patch is
rightly applied or not. Rollback is not available Out-of-box for now, but
you could insert the step into the framework using the metalink note
info - :577557.1

Question: May I know that how frequently Grid Control gathers
configuration changes?

Answer: It is upto you. The interval is configurable. e.g. in the compliance
scenario you would want to gather changes at real time while for standard
application configuration it may be done once or twice a day.

Question: How do I get the details on how to use sudo etc. for patching?

Answer: See the Administrator's guide for provisioning and patching.

Some more feedback on the article

Some more feedback on the article:

Another DBA wrote: "Porus, you are the man ... would love to go through your articles. Digging my heels back in Oracle after a while and I intend to go through your articles while in the process. Great Stuff. Great Work."

Another Team leader said:

"I went through some of your papers and they are really amazing I must say. I like the article on Grid Control Architecture and RMAN very much, as we often get this questions from the customers but do not know where to look for. This really gives a very good insight."

Thanks guys for your appreciation of the articles. I wrote them specifically to convince customers that the time is right to use Grid Control. I am happy that you and other readers like them.

Patch a Thousand Databases, Using Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control

I am happy to announce that a brand-new article of mine has been published on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN) on 3rd Sept 2009. The article is titled :

"Patch a Thousand Databases, Using Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control".

You can read the full article with all the illustrations at the following URL:

http://www.oracle.com/technology/pub/articles/havewala-patch1000.html

The article will allow you to "Get a tour of the automated patching capabilities now available to Oracle DBAs", especially the fantastic new Deployment Procedures.

Please read and tell your friends about it. I am sure you will find it very interesting.

I have received many good comments about this article, one of them on a LINKEDIN.COM Oracle discussion group was from a DBA Team Leader:

"Great article. Very comprehensive with screenshots and covers every details
in patching thru the Grid Control. A must read for every DBA. Thanks."

Survey on Enterprise Manager :Patch Automation - Recoverability

Oracle is conducting a survey on Enterprise Manager :Patch Automation - Recoverability

Survey URL : http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229F23FFEF3

Can you please take 10 minutes to give your inputs/feedback. The survey captures your recommendation on how recoverability should be for Patching.This survey creates a direct impact on the upcoming EM product's patch automation experience.

Note,Survey closes on 23rd July 2009. Really appreciate a quick turn around.

We really appreciate your help in making Better Products

Thanks and Regards,

Hari

Hari prasanna Srinivasan Sr.Product Manager

Oracle

New One-Off Patch on top of 10.2.0.5 for Patch Automation

Download the latest one-off patch introducing fixes on Patch Automation feature from Enterprise Manager 10.2.0.5(Patch Number: 8653501)

Download the patch and apply it on one/all of the OMS server. Make sure you complete the additional steps in the readme.

Patch Summary

This one-off patch is applicable on top of 10.2.0.5 Enterprise manager, the patch introduces:

1. Enhanced Pre-requisites checks to standard deployment procedures,which can be invoked in Analyze mode to verify the applicability of the patch on the database environment.

Run the Deployment Procedures in Analyze Mode to do complete patchability check before the actual patching cycle. The below two modes are seen in the Review page during the Deployment procedure execution.

On submitting in ‘Analyze’ mode, the pre-req checks are run and you could check for the results with recommendations under RESULTS tab

2. Two new reports, accessible under Reports tab:
a. EM Target Patchability Report: Provides a comprehensive report on the automated patchability of the database environment managed by Grid control.
b. Patching Deployment Procedure Execution Summary Report: Provides a summary view of the deployment procedure's execution status across the given time period.

Deployment Procedures that are modified by the patch,
1. 'Patch Oracle Database'
2. 'Patch Oracle RAC - Rolling'
3. 'Patch Oracle RAC - All Nodes'
These procedures are accessible under 'Patching through Deployment Procedures'
in 'Deployments' page and versioned 5.1.

Related Metalink Note: 427577.1 : OMS and Agent Patches required for setting up Provisioning,Patching and Cloning in 10.2.0.3 to 10.2.0.5 GC

del.icio.us Tags: Patching,One-off