Banner and Oracle Upgrades

The regular Banner and Oracle maintenance window is scheduled for every Saturday evening starting at sundown until midnight.  During this time any systems that rely on Banner data and the underlying Oracle database may be unavailable.  These services include Banner Admin, Banner Self-service servers (like Registration and Student Profile), Redwood, Vault, CAS authentication or Andrews Secured Websites, TouchNet credit card payment processing.

Sunset calendar for Berrien Springs: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@z-us-49103


Upgrade Key words:

  • Oracle Patches:  This implies the Banner Oracle database server critical patch upgrades which take about 3-5 hours to complete and come out quarterly.  During these upgrades all database instances will be shutdown and any services requiring banner data will be unavailable.  This includes Banner Admin, Banner Self-service servers (like Student Registration, Student Profile, Employee Self-service, etc…), Vault, iVue, prevue, TouchNet credit card backend services, Redwood, CAS authentication for Andrews University secured webpages.
  • Oracle Version Upgrade:  This implies the Banner Oracle database version upgrades which can take 6 - 10 hours to complete and will often be scheduled for multiple days including Saturday nights and part of Sunday for the core upgrade and additional Saturday nights for different Database instance upgrades.  This will typically happen every 1 - 3 years depending on the version of Oracle that Banner supports.  This affects the same resources as the Oracle Patches.
  • Banner Upgrades:  This implies the Banner Admin and Banner Self-Service web servers are being upgraded.  During this time the following services may be intermittently available. Making any updates in these resources is not advisable because servers may become unavailable at any time during an update process.  These services include: Banner Admin, Banner Self-service servers (like Student Registration, Student Profile, Employee Self-service, etc…), Vault, iVue, prevue, TouchNet credit card backend services.
  • Degree Works Upgrades:  This may include upgrades to the Degree Works Oracle database server as well as the different Degree Works application servers.  During this time the Degree Works servers will not be available.
  • Upgrade Restricted:  These are scheduled dates where no upgrades will happen due to events requiring banner services during this upgrade window. To request an Upgrade Restricted date please email dba@andrews.edu with the date and reason and we will evaluate whether we can alter the upgrade schedule. In general, you should plan to not need banner services on Saturday night.
  • Tentative:  This is an unconfirmed maintenance window that will be determined closer to the actual date.

 

Upgrade calendar: This calendar may change as upgrades are approved for deployment into production.  To receive notifications on Thursday or Friday prior to the upgrades please subscribe to the bannerupgrades mailing list: (Subscribe Here)

Date: Upgrade Notes:
December 07, 2024 Tentative (Nov 21 Release)
December 14, 2024 Tentative (Dec 5 Banner Minor Release)
December 21, 2024 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
December 28, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
January 4,2025 Tentative
January 11,2025 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
January 18,2025 Tentative (Dec 12 Banner Major Release)
January 25,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
February 1,2025 Tentative
February 8,2025 Tentative
February 15,2025 Tentative
February 22,2025 Tentative
March 1,2025 Tentative
March 8,2025 Tentative
March 15,2025 Tentative
March 22,2025 Tentative
March 29,2025 Tentative
April 5,2025 Tentative
April 12,2025 Tentative
April 19,2025 Tentative
April 26,2025 Tentative
May 3,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
May 10,2025 Tentative
May 17,2025 Tentative
May 24,2025 Tentative
May 31,2025 Tentative
June 7,2025 Tentative
June 14,2025 Tentative
June 21,2025 Tentative
June 28,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
July 5,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
July 12,2025 Tentative
July 19,2025 Tentative
July 26,2025 Tentative
August 2,2025 Tentative
August 9,2025 Tentative
August 16,2025 Tentative
August 23,2025 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
August 30,2025 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
September 6,2025 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
September 13,2025 Tentative
September 20,2025 Tentative
September 27,2025 Tentative
October 4,2025 Tentative
October 11,2025 Tentative
October 18,2025 Tentative
October 25,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
November 1,2025 Tentative
November 8,2025 Tentative
November 15,2025 Tentative
November 22,2025 Tentative
November 29,2025 Tentative
December 6,2025 Tentative
December 13,2025 Tentative
December 20,2025 Tentative
December 27,2025 Tentative

Upgrade calendar Archive:

Date: Upgrade Notes:
January 7, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
January 14, 2023 Banner Upgrades & Degree Works Maintenance
January 21, 2023 Banner Upgrades (TEST ONLY)
January 28, 2023 Banner Upgrades
February 4, 2023 Oracle Patches
February 11, 2023 Tentative
February 18, 2023 Tentative
February 25, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
March 4, 2023 Tentative
March 11, 2023 Tentative
March 18, 2023 Tentative
March 25, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
April 1, 2023 Tentative
April 8, 2023 Tentative
April 15, 2023 Tentative
April 22, 2023 Banner Upgrades
April 29, 2023 Oracle Patches an Banner Upgrades
May 6, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS,REC)
May 13, 2023 Banner Upgrades
May 20, 2023 Tentative
May 27, 2023 Tentative
June 3, 2023 Banner Upgrades & Oracle Maintenance
June 10, 2023 Tentative
June 17, 2023 Tentative
June 24, 2023 Tentative
July 1, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
July 8, 2023 Tentative
July 15, 2023 Banner Upgrades
July 22, 2023 Oracle Patches
July 29, 2023 None
August 5, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
August 12, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
August 19, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
August 26, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS,REC)
September 2, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
September 9, 2023 Tentative
September 16, 2023 None
September 23, 2023 None
September 30, 2023 Degree Works Upgrades
October 7, 2023 Tentative
October 14, 2023 Banner Upgrades
October 21, 2023 Tentative
October 28, 2023 Tentative
November 4, 2023 Tentative
November 11, 2023 Tentative
November 18, 2023 Tentative
November 25, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
December 2, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
December 9, 2023 Banner Upgrades, Oracle Patch (bug fix)
December 16, 2023 Tentative
December 23, 2023 Tentative
December 30, 2023 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
January 06, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (REC,SFS)
January 13, 2024 Tentative
January 20, 2024 Oracle Patches, Banner Upgrades
January 24, 2024 Banner Upgrades (Wednesday, 7:00pm-8:00pm EST)
January 27, 2024 Tentative
February 03, 2024 Tentative
February 10, 2024 Tentative
February 17, 2024 Tentative
February 24, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
March 02, 2024 Banner Upgrades
March 09, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
March 16, 2024 Degree Works Upgrades
March 23, 2024 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
March 30, 2024 Tentative
April 06, 2024 None
April 13, 2024 Tentative (Mar 21 Banner Major Release)
April 20, 2024 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
April 27, 2024 Tentative (Apr 18 Banner Minor Release)(Apr 16 Oracle Quarterly)
May 04, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (REC, SFS)
May 11, 2024 Tentative
May 18, 2024 Tentative
May 25, 2024 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
June 01, 2024 Banner Upgrades
June 08, 2024 Tentative
June 15, 2024 Tentative
June 22, 2024 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
June 29, 2024 Banner Upgrades & Oracle OS Upgrade
July 06, 2024 Tentative
July 13, 2024 None
July 20, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (Fall Rush)
July 27, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (Fall Rush)
August 03, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
August 10, 2024 Banner Fin Aid Upgrades
August 17, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
August 24, 2024 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
August 31, 2024 Banner Fin Aid Upgrades
September 07, 2024 Tentative
September 14, 2024 Banner Upgrades, Oracle Patches
September 21, 2024 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
September 28, 2024 Preferred No Upgrades (DBA)
October 05, 2024 Tentative (Sep 19 Banner Major Release)
October 12, 2024 None
October 19, 2024 Tentative
October 26, 2024 Tentative (Oct 17 Banner Minor Release) (Oct 15 Oracle Quarterly)
November 02, 2024 Tentative
November 09, 2024 Tentative
November 16, 2024 Tentative
November 23, 2024 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
November 30, 2024 None