Update Image

After you have created a container image with the Image Tool, you may want to change it from time to time. Use the update command to update the existing container images created with the Image Tool. For example, you may want to:

  • Apply a WebLogic patch
  • Apply the latest PSU from Oracle
  • Create a new WebLogic domain (if one did not already exist)
  • Deploy a new application to an existing domain
  • Modify the domain configuration (add a data source, change a port number, and such)

NOTE: The WebLogic Image Tool does not support a Stack Patch Bundle (SPB; see Doc ID 2764636.1), because an SPB is not a patch but a mechanism for applying all PSU and recommended CPU and SPU patches to a WebLogic Server installation.

The required options for the update command are marked.

Usage: imagetool update [OPTIONS]
Update WebLogic Docker image with selected patches
Parameter Definition Default
--fromImage (Required) Container image to be extended. The provided image MUST contain an Oracle Home with middleware installed. The fromImage option serves as a starting point for the new image to be created.
--tag (Required) Tag for the final build image. Example: store/oracle/weblogic:12.2.1.3.0
--additionalBuildCommands Path to a file with additional build commands. For more details, see Additional information.
--additionalBuildFiles Additional files that are required by your additionalBuildCommands. A comma separated list of files that should be copied to the build context. See Additional information.
--builder, -b Executable to process the Dockerfile. Use the full path of the executable if not on your path. Defaults to docker, or, when set, to the value in environment variable WLSIMG_BUILDER.
--buildNetwork Networking mode for the RUN instructions during the image build. See --network for Docker build.
--chown userid:groupid to be used for creating files and applying middleware patches within the image. The userid and groupid must already exist in the image. Defaults to the user and group of the Oracle Home in the provided image.
--dryRun Skip Docker build execution and print the Dockerfile to stdout.
--httpProxyUrl Proxy for the HTTP protocol. Example: http://myproxy:80 or http:user:passwd@myproxy:8080
--httpsProxyUrl Proxy for the HTTPS protocol. Example: https://myproxy:80 or https:user:passwd@myproxy:8080
--latestPSU (DEPRECATED) Find and apply the latest PatchSet Update, see Additional information.
--opatchBugNumber The patch number for OPatch (patching OPatch). 28186730
--password Request password for the Oracle Support --user on STDIN, see --user.
--passwordEnv Environment variable containing the Oracle Support password, see --user.
--passwordFile Path to a file containing just the Oracle Support password, see --user.
--patches Comma separated list of patch IDs. Example: 12345678,87654321
--platform Set the target platform to build. Supported values: linux/amd64 or linux/arm64.
--pull Always attempt to pull a newer version of base images during the build.
--recommendedPatches (DEPRECATED) Find and apply the latest PatchSet Update and recommended patches. This takes precedence over --latestPSU. See Additional information.
--resourceTemplates One or more files containing placeholders that need to be resolved by the Image Tool. See Resource Template Files.
--skipcleanup Do not delete the build context folder, intermediate images, and failed build containers. For debugging purposes.
--strictPatchOrdering Instruct OPatch to apply patches one at a time (uses apply instead of napply).
--target Select the target environment in which the created image will be used. Supported values: Default (Docker/Kubernetes), OpenShift. See Additional information. Default
--type Installer type. Supported values: WLS, WLSDEV, WLSSLIM, FMW, IDM, MFT, OAM, ODI, OHS, OIG, OUD, OUD_WLS, OID, OSB, SOA, SOA_OSB, SOA_OSB_B2B, WCC, WCP, WCS WLS
--user Oracle support email ID. When supplying user, you must supply the password either as an environment variable using --passwordEnv, or as a file using --passwordFile, or interactively, on the command line with --password.
--wdtArchive A WDT archive ZIP file or comma-separated list of files.
--wdtDomainHome Path to the -domain_home for WDT. /u01/domains/base_domain
--wdtDomainType WDT domain type. Supported values: WLS, JRF, RestrictedJRF WLS
--wdtEncryptionKey Passphrase for WDT -use_encryption that will be requested on STDIN.
--wdtEncryptionKeyEnv Passphrase for WDT -use_encryption that is provided as an environment variable.
--wdtEncryptionKeyFile Passphrase for WDT -use_encryption that is provided as a file.
--wdtHome The target folder in the image for the WDT install and models. /u01/wdt
--wdtJavaOptions Java command-line options for WDT.
--wdtModel A WDT model file or a comma-separated list of files.
--wdtModelHome The target location in the image to copy WDT model, variable, and archive files. {wdtHome}/models
--wdtModelOnly Install WDT and copy the models to the image, but do not create the domain. false
--wdtOperation Create a new domain, or update an existing domain. Supported values: CREATE, UPDATE, DEPLOY CREATE
--wdtRunRCU Instruct WDT to run RCU when creating the domain.
--wdtStrictValidation Use strict validation for the WDT validation method. Only applies when using model only. false
--wdtVariables A WDT variables file or comma-separated list of files.
--wdtVersion WDT tool version to use.

Additional information

--additionalBuildCommands

This is an advanced option that let’s you provide additional commands to the Docker build step.
The input for this parameter is a simple text file that contains one or more of the valid sections. Valid sections for update:

Section Available Variables Build Stage Timing
before-wdt-command DOMAIN_HOME Intermediate (WDT_BUILD) Before WDT is installed.
after-wdt-command DOMAIN_HOME Intermediate (WDT_BUILD) After WDT domain creation/update is complete.
final-build-commands JAVA_HOME ORACLE_HOME DOMAIN_HOME Final image After all Image Tool actions are complete, and just before the container image is finalized.

NOTE: Changes made in intermediate stages may not be carried forward to the final image unless copied manually.
The Image Tool will copy the domain home and the WDT home directories to the final image.
Changes fully contained within these directories do not need an additional COPY command in the final-build-commands section.

Each section can contain one or more valid Dockerfile commands and would look like the following:

[after-fmw-install]
RUN rm /some/dir/unnecessary-file
COPY --chown=oracle:oracle files/my_additional_file.txt /u01

[final-build-commands]
LABEL owner="middleware team"

--additionalBuildFiles

This option provides a way to supply additional files to the image build command. All provided files and directories are copied directly under the files subfolder of the build context.
To get those files into the image, additional build commands must be provided using the additionalBuildCommands options. Access to these files using a build command, such as COPY or ADD, should use the original filename with the folder prefix, files/. For example, if the original file was provided as --additionalBuildFiles /scratch/test1/convenience.sh, the Docker build command COPY provided in --additionalBuildCommands should look like COPY --chown=oracle:oracle files/convenience.sh /my/internal/image/location.
Because Image Tool uses multi-stage builds, it is important to place the build command (like COPY) in the appropriate section of the Dockerfile based on when the build needs access to the file. For example, if the file is needed in the final image and not for installation or domain creation steps, use the final-build-commands section so that the COPY command occurs in the final stage of the image build. Or, if the file needs to change the Oracle Home prior to domain creation, use the after-fmw-install or before-wdt-command sections.

--latestPSU

The latestPSU option will continue to be supported for the CREATE and REBASE option, but has been deprecated for use in the UPDATE option. Because of the number of patches and their size, using latestPSU as an update to an existing image can increase the size of the image significantly, and is not recommended.

--recommendedPatches

The recommendedPatches option will continue to be supported for the CREATE and REBASE option, but has been deprecated for use in the UPDATE option. Because of the number of patches and their size, using recommendedPatches as an update to an existing image can increase the size of the image significantly, and is not recommended.

--target

By default, the generated WLS domain in your image will use the best practices defined by Oracle WebLogic Server.
The target option allows you to toggle the defaults so that the generated domain is easier to use in the target environment. For example, the --target OpenShift option will change the file permissions in the domain directory so that the group permissions match the user permissions.

Target Default File Permissions Default File Ownership
Default rwxr-x--- oracle:oracle
OpenShift rwxrwx--- oracle:root

Resource Template Files

If provided, the file or files provided with --resourceTemplates will be overwritten. For known tokens, the placeholders will be replaced with values according to the following table.

Note: Placeholders must follow the Mustache syntax, like {{imageName}} or {{{imageName}}}.

Token Name Value Description
domainHome The value provided to the Image Tool with --wdtDomainHome.
domainHomeSourceType PersistentVolume (default), FromModel if --wdtModelOnly, or Image if the domain is created in the image with WDT.
imageName The value provided to the Image Tool with --tag.
modelHome The value provided to the Image Tool with --wdtModelHome.

Use an argument file

You can save all arguments passed for the Image Tool in a file, then use the file as a parameter.

For example, create a file called build_args:

update
--fromImage weblogic:12.2.1.3.0
--tag wls:122130-patched
--patches 123456
--user acmeuser@mycompany.com
--passwordEnv MYPWD

Use it on the command line, as follows:

$ imagetool @/path/to/build_args

Usage scenarios

Note: Use --passwordEnv or --passwordFile instead of --password.

  • Update an image named sample:1.0 by applying the latest PSU and tag it as sample:1.1.

    $ imagetool update --fromImage sample:1.0 --tag sample:1.1 --latestPSU --user test@xyz.com --passwordEnv MYVAR

  • Update an image named sample:1.0 with the selected patches applied and tag it as sample:1.1.

    $ imagetool update --fromImage sample:1.0 --tag sample:1.1 --user test@xyz.com --password hello --patches 12345678,87654321

  • Update an image named wls:12.2.1.3.0 by creating a new WebLogic domain using WDT and tag it as mydomain:1. The WDT installer is accessed from the cache with key wdt_1.1.1. The model and archive to use are located in a subfolder named wdt.

    $ imagetool update --fromImage wls:12.2.1.3.0 --tag mydomain:1 --wdtArchive ./wdt/my_domain.zip --wdtModel ./wdt/my_domain.yaml --wdtVersion 1.1.1

  • Use deployApps from WDT to deploy a new application, the WLS Metrics Exporter. The model and archive to use are located in a subfolder named wdt.

    $ imagetool update --tag mydomain:2 --fromImage mydomain:1 --wdtOperation deploy --wdtArchive ./wdt/exporter_archive.zip --wdtModel ./wdt/exporter_model.yaml --wdtVersion 1.1.1