RE: new Patch Set Updates released

From: Herring Dave - dherri <Dave.Herring_at_acxiom.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:49:43 -0600
Message-ID: <7ED53A68952D3B4C9540B4EFA5C76E36072F4BC3_at_CWYMSX04.Corp.Acxiom.net>



I have a TON more reservations about applying just the CPU, when one time a CPU changed the PQ Distribution method of a particular parallel query, for the worse. I don't know what was worse - finding the problem and proving it was the CPU or explaining it to the client and how we didn't catch that in testing.

Dave Herring  | DBA, Acxiom Database Services

630-944-4762 office | 630-430-5988 cell | 630-944-4989 fax 1501 Opus Pl | Downers Grove, IL, 60515 | U.S.A. | www.acxiom.com Service Desk: 888-243-4566



From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of Allen, Brandon Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 12:13 PM To: Martin Bach; ORACLE-L
Subject: RE: new Patch Set Updates released

Thanks Martin.  I've had the same position as you on patching for years, especially since all our databases are on secured networks, we've never had a (known) security breach, and we're running ERP systems where testing requires a major coordinated effort.  But, I'm starting to worry that my luck must be wearing thin and most malicious attacks are internal, plus I've seen a few articles about worms and hacker programs for Oracle in the past few years so I figured I should try changing my ways and get a bit more proactive before it's too late.  I figure as long as I'm applying security updates (CPUs), I might as well take the full plunge and apply the "low risk, high value" bug fixes in the PSU too, but I'm just as skeptical as anyone about that "low risk" claim.  So far, I haven't heard too many horror stories to scare me away, other than some problems getting the one-off overlay patches if required, but my databases don't have a lot of one-off patches so I'm hoping I won't h  ave trouble there.  I'm just waiting for the green light from my developers to take some downtime and patch their database, and then I'll post my results - hopefully in a couple days.

From: Martin Bach [mailto:development_at_the-playground.de] For what it's worth I'd never install any Oracle patch regardless . . .



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Received on Fri Jan 15 2010 - 07:49:43 CST

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