Oracle Database Upgrade With OPatch Tool (RHEL/Centos/OEL)

Follow these steps to upgrade an Oracle Database using the OPatch tool:

1. Download and Prepare Files

Download the patch you want to install along with the latest OPatch tool from Oracle’s website. Transfer all downloaded files to the /tmp/ directory, and unzip them. Ensure the correct permissions and ownership are set:

chown -R oracle:oinstall p26710464_122010_Linux-x86-64.zip
chown -R oracle:oinstall p6880880_122010_Linux-x86-64.zip
unzip p26710464_122010_Linux-x86-64.zip
unzip p6880880_122010_Linux-x86-64.zip

2. Replace the OPatch Folder

Replace the current OPatch folder inside the Oracle database files with the new one:

cd $ORACLE_HOME
cp -R OPatch OPatch_yedek # Backup current OPatch folder.
rm -rf OPatch
cp -R /tmp/Opatch .

Verify the OPatch version and list applied patches:

cd OPatch
./opatch lspatches

3. Check for Conflicts

Navigate to the patch folder and run the following command to check for conflicts before starting the upgrade:

cd /tmp/26710464/
$ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch prereq CheckConflictAgainstOHWithDetail -ph .

4. Shutdown Services

Shutdown the database and listener services before applying the patch. Follow the steps based on your setup:

a) Without Standby

sqlplus / as sysdba
shutdown immediate;
exit;
lsnrctl stop

b) With Standby

b1) Primary Database

• Stop log shipping:

ALTER SYSTEM SET log_archive_dest_state_2='DEFER';

• Shutdown database services and stop all listeners:

SHU IMMEDIATE;
lsnrctl stop
lsnrctl stop

b2) Standby Database

• Stop MRP services:

ALTER DATABASE RECOVER MANAGED STANDBY DATABASE CANCEL;

• Shutdown database services and stop all listeners:

SHU IMMEDIATE;
lsnrctl stop
lsnrctl stop

5. Apply the Patch

Run the following command to apply the patch:

cd /tmp/26710464/
$ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch apply

6. Restart Services

a) Without Standby

sqlplus / as sysdba
startup;
exit;
lsnrctl start

b) With Standby

b1) Standby Database

• Start listeners and database services:

lsnrctl start
lsnrctl start
sqlplus / as sysdba
startup nomount;
alter database mount standby database;
alter database open read only;
alter database recover managed standby database disconnect from session;

• To enable real-time apply:

alter database recover managed standby database using current logfile disconnect from session;

b2) Primary Database

• Start listeners and database services:

lsnrctl start
lsnrctl start
sqlplus / as sysdba
startup;
ALTER SYSTEM SET log_archive_dest_state_2='ENABLE';
exit;

7. Apply Datapatch

Run the datapatch command on the primary database. (No need to apply datapatch on the standby server.)

cd /tmp/26710464/
$ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/datapatch -verbose

8. Verify the Patch

Finally, verify the applied patches:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/
./opatch lspatches

You can be sure of datapatches applied:

SELECT * FROM dba_registry_sqlpatch;

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can safely and efficiently upgrade your Oracle database using the OPatch tool.