Modernizing Your Oracle E-Business Suite: A Guide to Upgrading from Database 19c to 23ai on Oracle Base Database Service

 

Introduction

As organizations continue their cloud journey, keeping database infrastructure current becomes crucial for maintaining performance, security, and access to the latest features. Oracle Database 23ai represents the next generation of Oracle's converged database, bringing AI capabilities, enhanced automation, and improved performance to enterprise applications. For organizations running Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) 12.2 on Oracle Database 19c in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), upgrading to 23ai on Oracle Base Database Service (formerly DBCS) offers a path to modernization while maintaining the stability of their critical business applications.

This guide walks through the key considerations and high-level steps for upgrading your Oracle EBS 12.2 environment from a 19c multitenant architecture to Oracle Database 23ai with a single pluggable database (PDB) on Oracle Base Database Service.

Why Upgrade to Oracle Database 23ai?

Oracle Database 23ai introduces several compelling features:

  • AI Vector Search: Native support for AI and vector operations directly in the database
  • JSON Relational Duality: Seamlessly work with data as both JSON documents and relational tables
  • Enhanced Automation: Improved autonomous capabilities for performance tuning and maintenance
  • Advanced Security: New security features and enhanced encryption capabilities
  • Performance Improvements: Optimizations that can significantly boost EBS performance

Prerequisites and Planning

Before beginning your upgrade journey, several critical prerequisites must be addressed:

1. Verify Certification and Compatibility

The first step is confirming your environment's readiness. Oracle Support Document 2517025.1, "Getting Started with Oracle E-Business Suite on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure," provides essential guidance on:

  • Regional certification for Oracle E-Business Suite
  • Database version compatibility matrices
  • Supported upgrade paths for your specific configuration

2. Oracle E-Business Suite Cloud Manager Requirements

If you're using Oracle E-Business Suite Cloud Manager for environment management, be aware of specific version requirements:

  • Minimum Version: Oracle E-Business Suite Cloud Manager Release 23.3.1 or later is required to support Oracle Database upgrades on Oracle Linux 8
  • Environment Registration: Prior to upgrade, you must unregister and then re-register your environment
  • Post-Upgrade Discovery: After completing the database upgrade, you'll need to rediscover and re-register your environment

3. Pre-Upgrade Preparation

Several preparatory steps will streamline your upgrade:

  • Generate a Pre-Authenticated Request URL (PAR URL): This unique URL will be used to store your Oracle Database 23ai Oracle Home image as a zip file in Oracle Cloud Object Storage
  • Review Service Request Requirements: Oracle Support recommends logging a service request before starting the upgrade to ensure you have the latest PAR URL

High-Level Upgrade Process

The upgrade process follows these major phases:

Phase 1: Installation of Oracle Database 23ai Software

This phase involves deploying the new Oracle Database 23ai software on your Oracle Base Database Service system. The installation process varies slightly depending on whether you're working with a 1-node or 2-node configuration, but the fundamental steps remain consistent.

Phase 2: Database Preparation

Before upgrading the database itself, several preparation steps ensure compatibility:

  1. Backup Current Database: Create a complete backup of your existing 19c database
  2. Review Application Dependencies: Verify that all EBS modules and customizations are compatible with 23ai
  3. Update Database Parameters: Adjust initialization parameters as recommended in the upgrade documentation

Phase 3: Database Upgrade Execution

The actual upgrade from 19c to 23ai involves:

  1. Running Pre-Upgrade Checks: Execute Oracle's pre-upgrade utility to identify potential issues
  2. Performing the Upgrade: Use DBCLI for upgrade 

Phase 4: AutoConfig Implementation

AutoConfig plays a crucial role in ensuring your EBS application tier properly connects to the upgraded database:

  1. Update Context Files: Modify the database tier context file with new database version information
  2. Run AutoConfig on Database Tier: Execute AutoConfig to apply the new configuration
  3. Synchronize Application Tier: Run AutoConfig on all application tier nodes

Phase 5: Application Tier Configuration

After the database upgrade, the application tier requires updates:

  1. Update Database Client Software: Ensure application servers have compatible client software
  2. Recompile Invalid Objects: Address any invalid database objects post-upgrade
  3. Update Connection Pools: Adjust connection pool settings for optimal performance with 23ai

Phase 6: Post-Upgrade Validation

Comprehensive testing validates the upgrade:

  1. Functional Testing: Verify core EBS functionality across all modules
  2. Performance Testing: Compare performance metrics against pre-upgrade baselines
  3. Integration Testing: Confirm all integrations continue to function properly

Critical Considerations

Rollback Strategy

Always maintain a viable rollback plan:

  • Keep complete backups of both database and application tiers
  • Document the current configuration thoroughly
  • Test rollback procedures in a non-production environment first

Known Issues and Updates

Stay current with the latest information:

  • Monitor Oracle Support Document 2962871.1 for interoperability notes specific to Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2 with Oracle Database 23ai
  • Check the Known Issues section of Document 2999993.1 for any newly discovered issues
  • Apply recommended patches before beginning the upgrade

Best Practices for Success

  1. Test Thoroughly: Always perform the upgrade in a test environment that mirrors production
  2. Document Everything: Maintain detailed documentation of each step, including any deviations from the standard process
  3. Engage Oracle Support Early: Open a service request before starting to ensure you have access to the latest guidance
  4. Plan for Contingencies: Build buffer time into your upgrade window for unexpected issues
  5. Validate Backups: Verify backup integrity before starting the upgrade process

Post-Upgrade Optimization

After successfully upgrading to Oracle Database 23ai:

  1. Enable New Features: Gradually enable 23ai features that benefit your EBS workload
  2. Update Statistics: Gather fresh optimizer statistics for improved query performance
  3. Review AWR Reports: Monitor Automatic Workload Repository reports to identify optimization opportunities
  4. Implement Best Practices: Apply Oracle's recommended best practices for EBS on 23ai

Conclusion

Upgrading Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2 from Oracle Database 19c to 23ai on Oracle Base Database Service represents a significant step in modernizing your enterprise application infrastructure. While the process requires careful planning and execution, the benefits of enhanced performance, AI capabilities, and improved automation make it a worthwhile investment.

Success depends on thorough preparation, following Oracle's documented procedures, and maintaining clear communication with all stakeholders throughout the process. With proper planning and execution, your organization can smoothly transition to Oracle Database 23ai and position itself to leverage the latest database innovations.

Additional Resources

  • Oracle Support Document 2999993.1: Upgrading Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 with Oracle Database 19c to 23ai on Oracle Base Database Service DB Systems
  • Oracle Support Document 2517025.1: Getting Started with Oracle E-Business Suite on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
  • Oracle Support Document 2962871.1: Interoperability Notes for Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 with Oracle Database 23ai
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Cloud Manager Guide
  • Oracle Base Database Service Documentation

Note: This guide provides a high-level overview of the upgrade process. Always refer to the official Oracle documentation for detailed, step-by-step instructions specific to your environment and configuration. Ensure you have the latest version of all referenced documents from Oracle Support.

Author : Narasimharao Karanam

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