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 that you have taken precautions against the most common errors that can cause an installation or update to crash (see Troubleshooting).
· Find out 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 that you always use installation profiles to perform your installation or update. This is a simple and secure way of choosing the database software installation that meets your needs.
See also:
Supported Operating Systems, Platforms, and Browsers
Database System Concepts, UNIX: Special Operating System Users and Groups
In an interactive installation or update, you install complete installation profiles. The SDBINST installation program 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.
In a background installation or update, you use options to specify the information required by SDBINST. The actual installation process then runs in the background.
· Performing an installation or an upgrade in the background is less time-consuming.
· You have the option of installing or updating individual software components (parts of installation profiles).
· You can generate identical database software installations on different computers using call script embedding.
· You must enter all the required options in the call script correctly and completely.
· The system determines some options from the software packages at runtime only. 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 when it determines that some information is missing.
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 Database Software Installation Guide.
You install individual components of the database software if you just want to 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, a corresponding error message is displayed, and the system terminates the installation.
Background Installation of the Software Component Precompiler (CPC <version>)
You only want to update the C++ Precompiler in your existing software installation. You start the installation of the CPC SDK <version> software component. The system recognizes that this component requires a new version of the CPC Base software component. You are reminded that the CPC SDK <version> package depends on the CPC Base package, 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 (with a different installation package each time).
You can avoid this problem by using, for example, the C Precompiler installation profile.
See:
Installing/Updating Software on UNIX
Installing/Updating Software on Linux
Installing/Updating Software on Microsoft Windows
Software Configuration for Using Web Tools