WebLogic 12.1.3 Critical Patch Updates

Learning Objective

Oracle regularly publishing the Critical Patch Updates every quarter. We have been assigned to work on the new CPU patches which were published in the month of January 2018. Where the list is huge and we started digging into the huge list and try to find out the what is suitable for my project environment needs. We sorted out/narrow down to what is required for WebLogic 12.1.3. Similarly you can also look for various WebLogic versions of WebLogic patches.

[[UPDATE]] New CPU Release details                                                          

Now on 17th July 2018 we got another set of CPU were listed and We are interested on JDK/JRE and WebLogic multiple code lines, see the summary here:
1. JDK/JRE updates

Version	JDK/JRE update
1.6.0	JDK/JRE 6 Update 201: Patch 9553040
1.7.0	JDK/JRE 7 Update 191: Patch 13079846
1.8.0	JDK/JRE 8 Update 181: Patch 18143322

2. WebLogic CPU patches

Version	WebLogic Patch
12.2.1	PSU 12.2.1.3.180717 Patch 27912627
12.1.3	PSU 12.1.3.0.180717 Patch 27919943
10.3.6	PSU 10.3.6.0.180717 Patch 27919965

Oracle Java and Oracle WebLogic 12c Critical Patch update January 2018

Now lets discuss about "What is CPU?" and "What is PSU?"

What is CPU (Critical Patch Updates/Cummulative patch updates) Patch?

Oracle release Critical Updates every quater to fix bug in existing release. We user opatch CPU patches. We can roll back CPU patches.

What is PSU (Patch set update) patch?                                                        

PSU patch are consists of CPU patches. This content of previous CPU patches and each PSU is limited from 25 to 100 new bug fixes PSU are referenced by their 5TH Place in Oracle version numbers which making it easier to track and will not change the version of Oracle binaries .
1. Install new Jdk for Jdk1.8(we will install 1.8.0_162)
2. Install latest CPU patch 27057030 (which has been released in JAN-2018, latest)

Pre-Requisites for applying CPU

Here I have listed out the steps that I've followed

1. First of all WebLogic instances must be stopped in each box where you intended to apply the CPUs
2. Take backup of Fusion Middleware Directory like :
 [wluser@mylinuxbox /software/Java]$ echo $WL_HOME
 /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver cd /software/ cp -R Middleware12.1.3 Middleware12.1.3_bf_JANCPUPATCH2018
3. Change the PuTTY session window buffer size to hold more e.g: 100000
4. do all the activity in same putty session, as we will be creating some temporary environemnt varible
 5. weblogic 12.1.3 CPU(PSU) patch 27057030 required OPatch 6880880, so we will install 6880880
  Conventions : in this docs we have used below as JAVA_HOME and WL_HOME [wluser@mylinuxbox /software/Java]$ echo $JAVA_HOME /software/Java/jdk1.8.0_162 [wluser@mylinuxbox /software/Java]$ echo $WL_HOME /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver

---------------apply JDK, OPatch and Weblogic CPU patch-----------------

Installation summary:

a. Install New JDK --step 1 to 4
b. Install Patch 6880880(this is OPatch, prerequisite of weblogic 12.1.3 PSU 27057030) ----step 5 to 6 c.install 27057030 ---step 7 to 8

What are the steps for CPU Installation process?

a. JDK Installation as per CPU

1. download latest Java from Oracle Technology Network (in our case it is : Download link  

Here we have downloaded the generic Linux  file : jdk-8u162-linux-i586.tar.gz

2. You can do either ftp/scp/copy file "jdk-8u162-linux-i586.tar.gz" or "jdk-8u162-linux-x64.tar.gz" to the target Linux box:

3. create a tmp directory in location "/software/Java/" copy this jdk-8u162-linux-i586.tar.gz to this tmp directory, unzip this tar.gz file and move new JDK to same location

cd /software/Java/
mkdir tmp
cp /jdk-8u162-linux-i586.tar.gz tmp/
cd tmp
tar -zxvf jdk-8u162-linux-i586.tar.gz
mv jdk1.8.0_162 ../ 

4. now set JAVA_HOME as /software/Java/jdk1.8.0_162 and check

 [wluser@mylinuxbox /software/Java]$export JAVA_HOME=/software/Java/jdk1.8.0_162
 [wluser@mylinuxbox /software/Java]$echo $JAVA_HOME
 /software/Java/jdk1.8.0_162

b. OPatch Installation

5. download patch 6880880 of version 132000( this is for 12.1.3) and OPatch (manual relapcement for OPatch directory in WL_HOME/../) : https://support.oracle.com/epmos/faces/PatchDetail?_adf.ctrl-state=g0tc1z3tc_4&patchId=6880880&_afrLoop=448974986561307 download file : p6880880_132000_Generic.zip In this patch we are replaing the OPatch Directory as below:

 cp /p6880880_132000_Generic.zip $WL_HOME/../../wls1213_patches/
 cd $WL_HOME/../../wls1213_patches/
 unzip p6880880_132000_Generic.zip
 cd $WL_HOME/../
 mv OPatch OPatch_bf_p6880880
 cp -R $WL_HOME/../../wls1213_patches/OPatch $WL_HOME/../

6. create a soft link JDK in in New JAVA_HOME/ and check if opatch is running (this is required because opacth is looking for ORACLE_HOME, and donot mix up this ORACLE_HOME with database ORACLE_HOME, we creating this variable for installing this patch only

 ln -s /software/Java/jdk1.8.0_162 jdk
 export ORACLE_HOME=$WL_HOME/..
 cd $WL_HOME/../OPatch; ./opatch lsinventory -jre $ORACLE_HOME/jdk/jre

should give proper output like below:

[oracle@mylinuxbox /software/Java]$ cd $WL_HOME/../OPatch

[oracle@mylinuxbox /software/Java]$ ./opatch lsinventory -jre $ORACLE_HOME/jdk/jre
Oracle Interim Patch Installer version 13.2.0.0.0
Copyright (c) 2014, Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.


Oracle Home       : /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver/..
Central Inventory : /scratch/oracle/oraInventory
  from           : /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver/../oraInst.loc
OPatch version    : 13.2.0.0.0
OUI version       : 13.2.0.0.0
Log file location : /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver/../cfgtoollogs/opatch/opatch2018-03-14_22-31-03PM_1.log


OPatch detects the Middleware Home as "/software/Middleware12.1.3"

Mar 14, 2018 10:31:12 PM oracle.sysman.oii.oiii.OiiiInstallAreaControl initAreaControl
INFO: Install area Control created with access level  0
Lsinventory Output file location : /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver/../cfgtoollogs/opatch/lsinv/lsinventory2018-03-14_22-31-03PM.txt

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are no Interim patches installed in this Oracle Home.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OPatch succeeded.
[oracle@mylinuxbox /software/Middleware12.1.3/OPatch]$

c. Weblogic CPU patch Installation

7. download CPU(PSU) patch 27057030 from Oracle sites and apply as below

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujan2018-3236628.html
search as "Oracle Fusion Middleware, versions 11.1.1.7, 11.1.1.9, 11.1.2.3, 12.1.3.0, 12.2.1.2, 12.2.1.3"

Link to download it will work if you have Oracle support id.

download file :p27057030_121300_Generic.zip
 a. apply the patch:

  cp /p6880880_132000_Generic.zip $WL_HOME/../../wls1213_patches/
  cd $WL_HOME/../../wls1213_patches/
  mkdir PATCH_TOP
  unzip -d PATCH_TOP p27057030_121300_Generic.zip
  cd $WL_HOME/../../wls1213_patches/PATCH_TOP/27057030
  $WL_HOME/../OPatch/opatch apply

build should be successful

 
  message will be like :
    
Patching component oracle.wls.libraries, 12.1.3.0.0...

Verifying the update...
Patch 27057030 successfully applied
Log file location: /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver/../cfgtoollogs/opatch/27057030_Mar_14_2018_22_38_49/apply2018-03-14_22-38-39PM_1.log

OPatch succeeded.

b. check the logs given above (you will get this log after completing the patch) , check if there is any errors and act accordingly.

8. change JDK version and path in below files with taking backup :

 cd $WL_HOME/../oracle_common/common/bin
 cp commEnv.sh commEnv.sh_bf_jdk18162_update
 cp setHomeDirs.sh setHomeDirs.sh_bf_jdk18162_update

change the JAVA_HOME parameter in file setHomeDirs.sh and commEnv.sh

9. start the WebLogic servers
Verification of Patch will keep you updated soon.
Hope this article help you to understand and use the CPU patches in your projects. And also expecting that you can follow these instructions for April, July, Oct 2018 CPU patches.
Keep writing your  worries and experiences with Java, WebLogic CPU patches.

d. WebLogic CPU patch Validation

check below file for log :

location: /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver/../cfgtoollogs/opatch/27057030_Mar_14_2018_22_38_49/apply2018-03-14_22-38-39PM_1.lo

go to path :

 /software/Middleware12.1.3/wlserver/modules

below files should be in new time stamp:

Weblogic_CPU_Patch_Validation