From the Patch Corner blog comes yet further updated information by blogger Gerry Haskins on his Oracle Solaris Patch Update. He also includes information on enhancements made in March 2010 to the Solaris Update Patch Bundles, which are available at this link.

In the latter post he mentions that the bundles now add a line to /etc/release when they are installed that makes it easier to determine that they've been applied. In other words, letting users know that all pre-existing packages on the system have been patched up to the same software level as the corresponding Solaris Update.

Haskins also mentions that Oracle 11gR2 requires customers to have Solaris 10 10/08 (Update 6) installed. It does this by checking that Update 6 is installed. The corresponding Solaris Update Patch Bundle is not sufficient to get around this check, he points out.

Haskins also mentions that this requirement was introduced before the acquisition of Sun by Oracle was completed. The Solaris team is now working with its DB colleagues with a view that they consider requiring either a specified Update release or the corresponding Solaris Update Patch Bundle for future DB releases. The modification of /etc/release by the Solaris Update Patch Bundle is partially to help support this, he adds.

Responding to a comment on the seeming complexity of the patching process, Haskins reduces things to two simple points:

• 1. Apply the Solaris Update Patch Bundle in major maintenance windows to get to a recent, high quality, functionally rich, software level.

• 2. Apply the Solaris OS Recommended Patch Cluster whenever possible to get the most critical fixes.

Both the above patch sets have a sophisticated install script to handle the installation to either a live boot environment or alternate boot environment, he assures readers.

More Information

Oracle to Provide the CVE Numbers to Individual Patch Mapping

July 2010 Critical Patch Update Released

Solaris Recommended and Sun Alert Patch Clusters Now Merged

Solaris Critical Patch Update (CPU) Clusters

Solaris 10 System Administration Essentials [...read more...]

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