Database Machine and Exadata Storage Server 11g Release 2 Supported Versions

Recommended bundle patches, named Quarterly Database Patch for Exadata (QDPE), will be released quarterly, aligned with and including the database Critical Patch Update (CPU) and Patch Set Update (PSU) releases. QDPE releases are targeted for planned grid infrastructure and database patching activities and are the only patch bundles that will be applied by most customers.

All bundle patches are cumulative, as in previous releases.

There are different types of patches for Exadata Database Machine, as listed below:

Exadata Storage Server
Database Server
Oracle Database Server
OS and firmware
InfiniBand switch
Additional components

In 11.2.3.1.0 and above, we use the yum procedure to update the DB server.


References:
MOS Note ID 1244344.1 - Exadata V2 Starter Kit
MOS Note ID 1187674.1 - Information Center: Oracle Exadata Database Machine
MOS Note ID 888828.1 - Database Machine and Exadata Storage Server 11g Release 2 Supported Versions
MOS Note ID 1262380.1 - Exadata Patching Overview and Patch Testing Guidelines

TimesTen Replication

Replication is the process of maintaining copies of data in multiple databases. The purpose of replication is to make data highly available to applications with minimal performance impact.

Replication is the process of copying data from a master database to a subscriber database. Replication is controlled by replication agents for each database. The replication agent on the master database reads the records from the transaction log for the master database. It forwards changes to replicated elements to the replication agent on the subscriber database. The replication agent on the subscriber database then applies the updates to its database.

Requirements for replication compatibility
TimesTen replication is supported only between identical platforms and bit-levels. The databases must have DSNs with identical DatabaseCharacterSet and TypeMode database attributes.

Oracle In-Memory Database Cache Concepts

Oracle In-Memory Database (IMDB) Cache is an Oracle Database product option that includes the Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database. It is used as a database cache at the application tier to cache Oracle data and reduce the workload on the Oracle database.

You can cache Oracle data in a TimesTen database by defining a cache grid and then creating cache groups. A cache group in a TimesTen database can cache a single Oracle table or a group of related Oracle tables.

Overview of a cache grid
A cache grid is a set of distributed TimesTen in-memory databases that work together to cache data from an Oracle database and guarantee cache coherence among the TimesTen databases.

Overview of cache groups
Cache groups define the Oracle data to be cached in a TimesTen database. A cache group can be defined to cache all or part of a single Oracle table, or a set of related Oracle tables.