Dears,

I have a old RHEL4 server with Oracle live database is installed. I want to upgrade my OS to RHEL6 and want to migrate all application on new version.
I am new for this process, your assistance required for this. Please guide me.

Pankaj Srivastava

If you are paying for Red Hat support then you'd be best off asking Red Hat, altho RHEL4 isn't supported anymore. There isn't a direct method for upgrading distribution versions with RHEL however so it will likely require a full re-install of the OS.

1 members found this post helpful.

Thanks for your reply, Is it possible that I can update that machine with RHEL 6 DVD?

No, you cannot. Firstly, doing an in-place upgrade between major versions isn't supported. Secondly, RHEL6 is old...if you're upgrading the machine, why would you not load the CURRENT version of RHEL (7.x)???

You can do an installation with the DVD, but stop where you are. Unless you are PAYING FOR RHEL (and ARE YOU?), do not use it. Load the latest version of CentOS instead, or call Red Hat and purchase RHEL, and then their support can assist you. Otherwise, load CentOS instead.

You have no in-place upgrade path, period. Back up your data, format your disks and load the new OS, then restore.

In your situation, I would make this suggestion: "Buy RHEL 7.0, with its accompanying support contract."

In your situation, it will be money well spent, because you're running an Oracle database on the box(es). Just as the money you pay Oracle entitles you to ask them for assistance, the money you're paying Red Hat does the same. Now, you can ask Red Hat directly for authoritative answers and guidance to enable you to migrate your database platform. (You can also ask Oracle about what is needed on their side of things to ensure uninterrupted service.)

Your money will also pay for Red Hat to provide software updates – which are excellent.

IMHO, this is a case where it is possible to be "penny wise but pound foolish," and this is something that you should avoid. I think that this is also not a situation where you should "Ask LQ a few questions, then, cowabunga(!) 'do it yourself.'" There are serious business risks here, and they are unacceptably high.

You need to be running the most up-to-date Red Hat software and the most up-to-date Oracle, all the time. And you should be investing your company's money in it. The pricing is not unreasonable for what you receive.

Might look at using a VM of Oracle linux with the DB installed for testing.

I never like to go from level to level let alone going up two levels.