Read the Release Notes

Review release notes for your platform, which are available for your release at the following URL:

http://docs.oracle.com/en/database/database.html

Review Oracle Support Certification Matrix

New platforms and operating system software versions may be certified after this guide is published, review the certification matrix on the My Oracle Support website for the most up-to-date list of certified hardware platforms and operating system versions:

https://support.oracle.com/

You must register online before using My Oracle Support. After logging in, from the menu options, select the Certifications tab. On the Certifications page, use the Certification Search options to search by Product, Release, and Platform. You can also search using the Certification Quick Link options such as Product Delivery, and Lifetime Support.

You are permitted to use only those components in the Oracle Database media pack for which you have purchased licenses. For more information about licenses, refer to the following URL:

Oracle Database Licensing Information

Oracle Universal Installer is fully integrated with Cluster Verification Utility (CVU), automating many CVU prerequisite checks. Oracle Universal Installer runs all prerequisite checks and creates fixup scripts when you run the installer. You can run OUI up to the Summary screen without starting the installation.

You can also run CVU commands manually to check system readiness. For more information, see:

Oracle recommends that you update to the latest version of Oracle ORAchk.

The Oracle ORAchk utility provides system checks that can help to prevent issues before and after installation. These checks include kernel requirements, operating system resource allocations, and other system requirements.

Use the Oracle ORAchk Upgrade Readiness Assessment to obtain an automated upgrade-specific system health check for upgrades to 11.2.0.3, 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.1, 12.1.0.2, 12.2, 18c, and 19c. For example:

• Before you perform a fresh database installation:

  ./orachk -profile preinstall

• To upgrade your existing database to a higher version or release:

  ./orachk -u -o pre

The Oracle ORAchk Upgrade Readiness Assessment automates many of the manual pre- and post-upgrade checks described in Oracle upgrade documentation. Check My Oracle Support Note 1268927.1 for more information about Oracle ORAchk support.

https://support.oracle.com/rs?type=doc&id=1268927.2

If you want to use Oracle ASM or Oracle Restart, then install Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a standalone server before you install and create the database. Otherwise, to use Oracle ASM, you must complete an Oracle Grid Infrastructure installation, and then manually register the database with Oracle Restart.

For Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) installations, ensure that you have installed and configured Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster.

Check running Oracle processes, and shut down if necessary

• On a standalone database not using Oracle ASM: You do not need to shut down the database while you install Oracle Grid Infrastructure.

• On a standalone database using Oracle ASM: The Oracle ASM instances are restarted during installation.

• On an Oracle RAC Database node: This installation requires an upgrade of Oracle Clusterware, as Oracle Clusterware is required to run Oracle RAC. As part of the upgrade, you must shut down the database one node at a time as the rolling upgrade proceeds from node to node.

cron

During installation, you may require a My Oracle Support user name and password to configure updates, download software updates, and other installation tasks. You can register for My Oracle Support at the following URL:

https://support.oracle.com/

Decide Oracle Database management tool

By default, Oracle Database is managed by Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express.

If you have an existing Oracle Management Agent, and decide to use Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control to centrally manage your database, then obtain the following information to enter during the database installation:

• OMS host

• OMS port

• EM admin username

• EM admin password

• Specify password of ASMSNMP user

For more information, see:

• Oracle Database 2 Day DBA

• Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control Administrator’s Guide

Review memory allocation and Automatic Memory Management feature

You can enable automatic memory management either during, or after Oracle Database installation. If you enable automatic memory management after installation, then you must shut down and restart the database.

If the total physical memory of your database instance is greater than 4 GB, then you cannot select the Oracle Automatic Memory Management option during database installation and creation. Instead, use automatic shared memory management. Automatic shared memory management automatically distributes the available memory among the various components as required, allowing the system to maximize the use of all available SGA memory.

For more information, see:

Oracle Database Administrator's Guide

Determine superuser (root) privilege delegation option for installation

During a database or grid infrastructure installation, you are asked to run configuration scripts as the root user.

You can either run these scripts manually as root when prompted, or you can provide configuration information and passwords using a root privilege delegation option.

To run root scripts automatically, select Automatically run configuration scripts during installation.

• Use root user credentials

  Provide the superuser password for cluster member node servers.

• Use Sudo

  Sudo is a UNIX and Linux utility that allows members of the sudoers list privileges to run individual commands as root. Provide the username and password of an operating system user that is a member of sudoers, and is authorized to run Sudo on each cluster member node.

  To enable Sudo, have a system administrator with the appropriate privileges configure a user that is a member of the sudoers list, and provide the username and password when prompted during installation.

Oracle Database Client and Oracle Database interoperability

https://support.oracle.com/rs?type=doc&id=207303.1