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FAQ - Oracle Upgrade/Quarterly Patching

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Overview

This article applies to Spok Customers who are using Smart Suite version 5.x.  Oracle provides quarterly patches to update the Oracle SQL database which Smart Suite is built upon.  These patches address various security concerns and bug fixes.  Patches are applied to the customer system by Spok Database Services team members.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q - Do I need to request that the patches be applied to my system?

A - Yes, Spok will apply these patches upon request only. 

Q - Will the patches be applied after business hours?

A - This depends.  If you are on a Spok Premium Maintenance Plan, then you may request that the patches be applied after normal business hours at no additional charge.  If you are on a Standard or Select Maintenance Plan, application of patches after normal business hours will be billed at the then current Professional Services rate with a 4-hour service minimum.

Q - How do I request that patches be applied to my system?

A - Submit a support ticket via any of the normal methods.  A Database Services team member will be assigned to the case and then they will contact you to arrange scheduling.

Q - Will there be downtime involved?

A - Yes, application of these patches requires a minimum downtime of 4 - 6 hours.

Q - Does the downtime apply even if I have a Fast-Start Failover (redundant) environment?

A - Yes, the current technology used by Spok requires both database servers in a redundant environment to be updated simultaneously.  There is no way to update the database servers individually.

Q - When are the quarterly patches released?

A - Oracle releases the patches in January, April, July, and October.  After Oracle releases these patches, it takes Spok approximately one month to test the patch and customize the installation process for the Smart Suite database.

Q - Do all Oracle patches apply to Smart Suite?

A - No, Oracle releases patches for many different facets of their SQL database an associated products, and not all of them will be applicable to Smart Suite

References

A - Spok Service Level Expectations v8.3

 

 

 

Related Defects:

N/A

 

KB39459