Key Features of Oracle Universal Installer

Oracle Universal Installer Release 12.1 offers the following features:

Feature	Description
An XML-based centralized inventory	The XML format allows third-party Java applications to query the inventory for information about installed software. For backward compatibility, the central inventory continues to maintain the binary versions as well.
Cloning of existing Oracle homes	Allows you to copy an existing Oracle home to another location and "fix it up" by updating the installation configuration to be specific to the new environment. Cloning makes it easy to propagate a standard setup without having to install and configure installation after installation.
Better support for cluster environments	OUI now replicates its inventory to all nodes that participate in a cluster-based installation. You can invoke OUI from any node on the cluster that is part of the installation. You can then upgrade/deinstall/patch existing software from any node.
True silent capability	When running OUI in silent mode on a character mode console, you no longer need to specify an X-server or set the DISPLAY environment variable on Unix. No GUI classes are instantiated, making the silent mode truly silent.
Ability to record your OUI session to a response file	This feature makes it easy to duplicate the results of a successful installation on multiple systems. All the options you selected during the installation are saved in the resulting response file.
More accurate disk space calculations	OUI now uses a more accurate method of calculating the disk space required by your Oracle products. This feature reduces the risk of running out of disk space during an installation.
Automatically launched software	Some Oracle products now take advantage of a new feature that allows the software to launch automatically immediately after the installation.