Entering content frame

 Installing and Updating the Database Software 

Implementation Considerations

You can install or update the database software either interactively, or in the background.

You can install complete installation profiles, or just install or update individual software components. The installation program itself decides whether it is dealing with a new installation or an update.

The system logs the installation process.

Before you start the installation or upgrade of the database software:

·        Make sure you have taken precautions against the most common errors that can cause an installation or update to crash (see Troubleshooting).

·        Inform yourself about the advantages and disadvantages of interactive and background installations.

·        Decide whether you need one or more database instances.

If you plan to run multiple database instances, we recommend a separate (parallel) software installation for each database instance. This makes subsequent updates easier, since any errors will only affect one database instance.

·        Choose an appropriate installation profile, or decide whether, in special cases, you only need to install or update one or more individual software components. However, you can install individual components in the background only.

We recommend strongly that you always perform your installation or update with installation profiles. This is a simple and secure way of choosing the database software installation that meets your needs.

 

Conventions

See Variables, Supported Operating Systems and Platforms, Authorization Concept for UNIX Operating Systems

Interactive Installation/Update

In an interactive installation or update, you install complete installation profiles. The installation program SDBINST queries all necessary information, and offers you defaults and options for the installation profiles and installation paths. The program then installs the software package and registers it.

Background Installation/Update

In a background installation or update, you use options to specify the information needed by SDBINST. The actual installation process then runs in the background.

Advantages of Installation in the Background

·        Performing an installation or an upgrade in the background takes less time.

·        You have the option of installing or updating individual software components (parts of installation profiles).

·        You can use an embedding in a call script to generate identical database software installations on different servers.

Disadvantages of Installation in the Background

·        You must enter all the required options in the call script correctly and completely.

·        The system determines some options from the software packages only at runtime. This means that the system cannot check the completeness of the information at the start of the installation. It starts the installation, and then interrupts it only when any information is missing.

Installation/Update with Installation Profiles

You can choose between various combinations of software components. Each individual combination fulfils a different purpose. You choose the installation profile that is appropriate for your needs, and do not need to worry about the sequence of the installation, or any dependencies between software components, to obtain a fully functioning software installation.

To perform a standard installation or update of the entire database software package, choose the installation profile all.

For a short description of the standard installation or update of the entire database software package, see the documentation Database Software Installation Guide.

Installation/Update of Software Components

You install individual components of the database software to just update parts of your database software installation. We recommend this installation procedure in special cases only.

In this procedure, you must take into account the dependencies between the individual software components. Otherwise, you see an error message that tells you about this, and the system terminates the installation.

Background Installation of the Software Component Precompiler (CPC <version>)

You want to update only the C++ Precompiler in your existing software installation. You start the installation of the software component CPC SDK <version>. The system recognizes that this component requires a new version of the software component CPC Base. You are reminded that the package CPC SDK <version> depends on the package CPC Base, which must be installed first. The installation terminates.

This means that, if there are many dependencies, you will have to restart the installation many times (each time with a different installation package).

You can avoid this problem by using, for example, the installation profile C Precompiler.

 

Installing/Updating Software on UNIX

Installing/Updating Software on Linux

Installing/Updating Software on Microsoft Windows

 

Leaving content frame