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Oracle ApplicationsPatching Procedures Release 12 (12.0.2)Part No. B31567-02

July 2007


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Oracle Applications Patching Procedures, Release 12 (12.0.2) Part No. B31567-02Copyright 2000, 2007, Oracle. All rights reserved. Primary Author: Joycelyn Wee

Contributors: Richard Chang, Adam Cockburn, Carole Eubanks, Henriette Fux, WilliamGreene, My-Xuan Ho, Vickie Laughlin, Danny Lo, Ruth Mamo, Charlotte Richardson-Miller, Abijit Neogi, Maniesh Sailoz, Yun Shaw, Kiran Srirama, Sean Tuck, and JayVijayan. The Programs (which include both the software and documentation) containproprietary information; they are provided under a license agreement containing

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technical data delivered to U.S. Government customers are "commercial computersoftware" or "commercial technical data" pursuant to the applicable FederalAcquisition Regulation and agency-specific supplemental regulations. As such, use,duplication, disclosure, modification, and adaptation of the Programs, includingdocumentation and technical data, shall be subject to the licensing restrictionsset forth in the applicable Oracle license agreement, and, to the extentapplicable, the additional rights set forth in FAR 52.227-19, Commercial ComputerSoftwareRestricted Rights (June 1987). Oracle USA, Inc., 500 Oracle Parkway,Redwood City, CA 94065 The Programs are not intended for use in any nuclear,aviation, mass transit, medical, or other inherently dangerous applications. Itshall be the licensee's responsibility to take all appropriate fail-safe, backup,redundancy and other measures to ensure the safe use of such applications if thePrograms are used for such purposes, and we disclaim liability for any damages

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ContentsPreface ................................................................................................................................................................ viiAudience......................................................................................................................................................Overview of ThisDocument..........................................................................

........................................... DocumentationAccessibility ................................................................................................................... RelatedDocuments ...................................................................................................................................Conventions ................................................................................................................................................. viivii viii viii ix

1

Patching Concepts and UtilitiesRelease Maintenance: Patching

Concepts ........................................................................................... Patching ReleaseMaintenance ......................................................................................................... Codelines andCodelevels................................................................................................................. PatchFormats ..................................................................................................................................... Patch FileStructure ............................................................................................................................ PatchingUtilities ...................................................................................................................................... Command LinePatching

Utilities ................................................................................................... Web-based PatchingUtilities ........................................................................................................... 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-4 1-5 1-5

2

Patch Tracking UtilitiesPatchWizard.............................................................................................................................................. 2-1 Preparingto Use PatchWizard............................................................................

............................ 2-1 Setting up OracleMetaLinkCredentials........................................................................................... 2-1 The Patch InformationBundle ......................................................................................................... 2-2 ConcurrentPrograms ........................................................................................................................ 2-2 The Patch WizardInterface .............................................................................................................. 2-3 Accessing PatchWizard .................................................................................................................... 2-3 Patch Wizard Main


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Page................................................................................................................... 2-4 Patch WizardPreferences ................................................................................................................. 2-6 Define PatchFilters ............................................................................................................................ 2-7 Recommend/AnalyzePatches......................................................................................................... 2-8 Download

Patches .......................................................................................................................... 2-10 Recommended PatchesResults..................................................................................................... 2-11 Codelevels Introduced by thePatch............................................................................................. 2-12 Patch ImpactAnalysis .................................................................................................................... 2-13 Register FlaggedFiles........................................................................................................................... 2-15 The Register Flagged FilesInterface............................................................................................. 2-15

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Accessing Register FlaggedFiles .................................................................................................. Register Flagged FilesPage ........................................................................................................... Adding a FlaggedFile .................................................................................................................... Importing a FlaggedFile .............................................................................

...................................

2-15 2-16 2-17 2-18

3

Patch Application UtilitiesOracle Patch Application Assistant(PAA) .......................................................................................... 3-1 The Oracle Patch Application AssistantInterface.........................................................................3-1 Running Oracle Patch ApplicationAssistant.........................................................................

........ 3-1AutoPatch................................................................................................................................................... 3-2Preparing your System forPatching ............................................................................................... 3-2 LogFiles............................................................................................................................................... 3-3Prompts................................................................................................................................................ 3-4Preparing for Non-interactivePatching.......................................................................................... 3-7

Messages.............................................................................................................................................. 3-7 BackupDirectory................................................................................................................................ 3-8 AutoPatchModes............................................................................................................................... 3-8 Command LineArguments.............................................................................................................. 3-9 The AutoPatchInterface................................................................................................................. 3-13 RunningAutoPatch ........................................................................................................................ 3-13 StoppingAutoPatch.........................................................................

............................................... 3-13 RestartingAutoPatch...................................................................................................................... 3-14 AD MergePatch..................................................................................................................................... 3-14 Source andDestinationDirectories .............................................................................................. 3-14 The AD Merge PatchInterface ...................................................................................................... 3-15 Running AD MergePatch.............................................................................


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................................. 3-15

4

Patch Reporting UtilitiesAppliedPatches ........................................................................................................................................ 4-1 How Patch

Information IsStored .................................................................................................... 4-1 AutoPatchModes............................................................................................................................... 4-2 The Applied PatchesInterface ......................................................................................................... 4-2 Accessing Applied PatchesInformation......................................................................................... 4-3 Applied Patches SearchPages.......................................................................................................... 4-3 File History SearchPages.................................................................................................................. 4-6 Patch

Details........................................................................................................................................ 4-8 CodelevelsIntroduced ...................................................................................................................... 4-9 TimingDetails .................................................................................................................................... 4-9 FilesCopied...................................................................................................................................... 4-10 BugFixes........................................................................................................................................... 4-10 Action Summary............................................................................................................................. 4-11 ActionDetails ..........................................................................

........................................................ 4-12 TimingReports ...................................................................................................................................... 4-12 The TimingReportsInterface........................................................................................................ 4-13 Accessing TimingReports ............................................................................................................. 4-13 Timing Reports MainPage ............................................................................................................ 4-14 AutoPatch TimingDetails.............................................................................................................. 4-14

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AD Administration TimingDetails .............................................................................................. In-Progress TimingDetails ............................................................................................................ JobTiming ........................................................................................................................................ PhaseInformation ......................................................................

.....................................................Exceptions ........................................................................................................................................ View LogFiles ................................................................................................................................. SoftwareUpdates .................................................................................................................................. The Software UpdatesInterface.................................................................................................... Accessing SoftwareUpdates ........................................................................................................ Software UpdatesPage ..................................................................................................................

4-17 4-17 4-18 4-19 4-20 4-20 4-22 4-22 4-23 4-23

5

Patching ProceduresPreparing forPatching............................................................................................................................. 5-1 Creating CustomizedInstructions for Patching UsingPAA ....................................................... 5-1 PerformingInteractivePatching .........................................................................

.................................. 5-4 Applying a PatchInteractively......................................................................................................... 5-4 Applying UnifiedDrivers ................................................................................................................. 5-8 Testing a Patch Before ApplyingIt.................................................................................................. 5-8 Enabling PasswordValidation......................................................................................................... 5-9 Applying EmergencyPatches ....................................................................................................... 5-10 Performing Non-interactivePatching ............................................................................................... 5-10 Applying a Patch Non-

interactively............................................................................................. 5-10 Applying a Single PatchDriver .................................................................................................... 5-11 Applying a Non-standardPatch................................................................................................... 5-12 Restarting a Non-interactive AutoPatchSession........................................................................ 5-13 Abandoning a Non-interactive AutoPatchSession.................................................................... 5-13Patching NLSSystems...........................................................................


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............................................... 5-14 Applying a Single Patch to anNLSInstallation ......................................................................... 5-15 Applying Multiple Patches to an NLSInstallation ....................................................................5-15 Applying an Emergency NLSPatch............................................................................................. 5-16 Applying Patches to a Multi-node

System....................................................................................... 5-16 Running a Unified Driver on MultipleNodes............................................................................5-17 Patching the APPL_TOP in a Shared Application Tier FileSystem ........................................ 5-17 ReducingDowntime............................................................................................................................. 5-18 Creating a MergedPatch................................................................................................................ 5-18 Deferring the Upload of Patch Information................................................................................5-21 Distributing the ProcessingTasks ................................................................................................ 5-22 Using a Staged Applications

System............................................................................................ 5-23 Keeping PatchesCurrent ..................................................................................................................... 5-26 Creating a List of RecommendedPatches ................................................................................... 5-26 Downloading RecommendedPatches ......................................................................................... 5-28 Determining Patch Impact on SystemFiles ................................................................................ 5-31 Analyzing AppliedPatches................................................................................................................. 5-34 Determining If a Patch WasApplied ..........................................................................

................. 5-34 Searching for PatchDetails ............................................................................................................ 5-35 Searching for TranslationPatches................................................................................................. 5-38 Viewing Applied Patches in a ReportFormat ............................................................................ 5-39

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Monitoring Patches inProgress .................................................................................................... Backing OutPatches ............................................................................................................................. Restoring from a Failed CopySection of a UnifiedDriver ....................................................... Restoring from aFailed Database Portion of a Unified

Driver ................................................

5-41 5-43 5-43 5-44

Index

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PrefaceThis manual describes how to patch the Oracle Applications file system and thedatabase. Its companion manuals, Oracle Applications Maintenance Utilities andOracle Applications Maintenance Procedures, provide information about theutilities used for installing, upgrading, and maintaining Oracle Applicationsproducts, and how to maintain the Oracle Applications file system and thedatabase, respectively.

AudienceThis manual is intended for database administrators and system administrators whoare responsible for performing Oracle Applications patching tasks.

Overview of This DocumentThis manual is divided into the following chapters:

Chapter 1, "Patching Concepts and Utilities" This chapter discusses patchingconcepts related to the maintenance of release 12, patch formats and filestructures, and an overview on the patching utilities.

Chapter 2, "Patch Tracking Utilities" This chapter describes Patch Wizard andRegister Flagged Files, utilities you can use to track patch application andmaintain customized files.

Chapter 3, "Patch Application Utilities" This chapter describes Oracle PatchApplication Assistant, AutoPatch, and AD Merge Patch, utilities you use to applypatches.

Chapter 4, "Patch Reporting Utilities" This chapter describes Applied Patches,Timing Reports, and Software updates, utilities you use for patch reporting andtracking.

Chapter 5, "Patching Procedures" This chapter contains procedures for applyingpatches to your system on a case-by-case basis.

If you are experienced in patching Oracle Applications, you can proceed to Chapter5, "Patching Procedures" on page 5-1. If you are new in patching OracleApplications, you will benefit from learning about patching concepts and utilitiesby reading Chapters 1 through 4 before performing the procedures in Chapter 5.

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Documentation AccessibilityOur goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentationaccessible, with good usability, to the disabled community. To that end, ourdocumentation includes features that make information available to users ofassistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and containsmarkup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Accessibility standardswill continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with othermarket-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our

documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For more information,visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site athttp://www.oracle.com/accessibility/ Accessibility of Code Examples inDocumentation Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples inthis document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces shouldappear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not alwaysread a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace. Accessibility ofLinks to External Web Sites in Documentation This documentation may contain linksto Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own orcontrol. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding theaccessibility of these Web sites. TTY Access to Oracle Support Services Oracleprovides dedicated Text Telephone (TTY) access to Oracle Support Services withinthe United States of America 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For TTY support,

call 800.446.2398. Outside the United States, call +1.407.458.2479.

Related DocumentsThis manual was current as of the time it was initially published. It is includedin the Oracle Applications Document Library, which is supplied in the Release 12software bundle. Later versions of this and other documents that have changedsufficiently between releases to warrant re-publishing are made available at thefollowing URL: http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/applications.html Afull list of documentation resources is also published on OracleMetaLink. SeeOracle Applications Documentation Resources, Release 12 (Doc ID: 394692.1). Youcan also purchase hard-copy documentation from the Oracle Store at:http://oraclestore.oracle.com. The following references are specifically relatedto maintenance tasks:

Oracle Applications Maintenance Procedures Oracle Applications MaintenanceUtilities Oracle Applications Patching Procedures Oracle Applications SystemAdministrators Guide Configuration Oracle Applications System AdministratorsGuide Maintenance Oracle Applications System ADministrators Guide Security

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ConventionsThe following text conventions are used in this manual:Convention boldface italic monospace Meaning Boldface type indicates graphicaluser interface elements associated with an action, or terms defined in text or theglossary. Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variablesfor which you supply particular values. Monospace type indicates commands within aparagraph, URLs, code in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text thatyou enter.

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1Patching Concepts and UtilitiesApplying a patch updates your existing system in various ways, from adding a newfeature or product to improving system performance. This chapter describes thevarious types of patches, and the utilities you use to apply them and monitortheir effect on your system. It contains these sections:

Release Maintenance: Patching Concepts Patching Utilities

Release Maintenance: Patching ConceptsThroughout the course of the Oracle Applications life cycle, patches are appliedfor a number of reasons, including, but not limited to:

Fixing an existing issue Adding a new feature or functionality Updating to ahigher maintenance level Applying the latest product enhancements Providinginteroperability to new technology stacks Determining the source of an issueApplying online help

Depending on the type of patch, it may update the file system, or the database, or

both.Note:

All Oracle Applications patches are available from OracleMetaLink:

http://www.metalink.oracle.com

Patching Release MaintenanceDuring the lifetime of Release 12, Oracle Applications releases patches alongcodelines. Each point release introduces a new codeline. The initial pointrelease, Release 12.0, introduces codeline A as illustrated in the followingdiagram:

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Release Maintenance: Patching Concepts

Any future point releases introduce new codelines identified by a new letter. Forexample, R12.1 would introduce codeline B, R12.2 would introduce codeline C, andso on.Note:

This discussion of patching release maintenance, codelines, and codelevels, and

the diagrams used as examples, are only for the purpose of illustrating theconcept of codelines and codelevels. They do not indicate a release commitment onthe part of Oracle Corporation.

Codelines and CodelevelsCodelines and codelevels ease tracking of patch prerequisites, dependencies, andcompatibilities. Patches are associated with codelines, which not only identifythe set of product features, but also provide fixes to that set of features. Thefollowing diagram illustrates how codelines and codelevels might be associatedwith Oracle Applications Release 12.

A codeline begins with a point release (for example, R12.0, R12.1,...) thatconsists of a unique set of product features, and progresses to include all the

patches created to provide fixes to that point release. We describe this pointrelease or unique set of product features as a codelevel. For example, if OracleGeneral Ledger and Oracle Payroll are active in your system, the1-2 Oracle Applications Patching Procedures


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Release Maintenance: Patching Concepts

initial codelevel of Oracle General Ledger and Oracle Payroll are R12.GL.A andR12.PAY.A, respectively. Subsequent codelevels are indicated by a number appendedto the codelevel. For example, codelevel R12.GL.A.1 is the first set of fixes tocodelevel R12.GL.A, R12.GL.A.2 is the second set of fixes, and so on. Codelevelsare cumulative each one contains the initial set of features plus all the fixescreated to date for that product or product family. If individual bug fixes are

created along the codeline, then subsequent codelevels will contain the bug fixes.For example, in the preceding diagram, the two bug fixes along codeline A will beincluded in codelevel A.2. When applying individual bug fixes, make sure that youonly apply the bug fixes for your existing codeline.

All codelevels created after the initial point release for a product or productfamily are aggregated into release update packs (RUPs). RUP1 is equivalent toR12.0.1, RUP2 is equivalent to R12.0.2, and so on. Individual bug fixes only fixexisting issues, and do not contain new features. RUPs provide bug fixes and mayalso provide feature enhancements. Feature enhancements provide new functionalitythat has limited impact on your system. On the other hand, a new point releasecontains new features that will substantially impact and change the operation ofyour system. Additionally, a new point release, containing new features, will

start a new codeline (for example, codeline B). At that point, you can choose togo to the new codeline and accept new features, or stay on your codeline, wherebug fixes and enhancements will be provided for your existing features.Additional Information: For more information on checking the

codeline and codelevel for each product installed in your system, see theCodelevels Summary page discussed in Codelevels Introduced by the Patch on page 2-12.

Patch FormatsPatch format describes the way the patch is packaged and applied. If a patchformat is described as cumulative, that patch contains a consolidation of updatesfor a given codeline from the inception of a release, up to, and including, the

latest release level. Patch formats can additionally be identified as high-priority. This means that the patch has an impact that is broad enough to meritapplication by all customers who have installed the affected product.Patching Concepts and Utilities 1-3


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Patching Utilities

Oracle Applications patches are released in the following formats:Patches Individual bug fix Product family release update pack (or product familyRUP) Release update pack (RUP) Pre-upgrade patch Description A patch that fixes anexisting issue. An aggregation of patches on a given codeline created for aspecific product family after the initial release. For example, R12.FIN_PF.A.1. Anaggregation of product family release update packs on a given codeline created

across Oracle E-Business Suite after the initial release. All upgrade-related,high-priority patches consolidated from all the products within a product family.Pre-upgrade patches are released as needed. The Oracle Applications Release Noteslists the most recent pre-upgrade patches.

Additional Information: You can find the latest available patches

by logging in to OracleMetaLink at:http://www.metalink.oracle.com

Click the Patches & Updates tab and choose the Quick Links to the LatestPatchsets, Mini Packs, and Maintenance Packs link.

Patch File StructurePatches generally consist of a top-level directory, several files in the top-leveldirectory, and one or more subdirectories. The top-level directory is named, where is the number of the patch. The most important filesin the top-level directory are: README.txt, README.html and the unified driverfile (named u.drv).

Readme FileThe README.txt or README.html file for each patch describes what the patch does.If the patch contains manual steps, then the readme file will provide informationon using Oracle Patch Application Assistant (PAA) to generate customizedinstallation instructions for the patch. If the patch does not contain manualsteps, then the readme file will instruct you to run AutoPatch to apply the patch.

Unified Driver FileThe unified driver, named u.drv, contains the commands necessary tochange files and database objects, and to generate new objects. It contains copy,database, and generate portions and performs the copy, database, and generateactions in the stated order. You typically run the unified driver on allAPPL_TOPs. AutoPatch runs only the actions that are required for the currentAPPL_TOP. However, there may be scenarios where you run only the applicableportion of the driver. In these cases, the readme file will instruct you to runPAA for specific instructions.

Patching UtilitiesPatches are applied and tracked as needed by using one of the utilities designed

specifically for that purpose. Some of these utilities are run from the commandline, and others are Web-based. This section briefly describes the utilities. Youcan find complete descriptions in subsequent chapters of this book.

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Patching Utilities

Command Line Patching UtilitiesYou run the following utilities from the command line.

Patch Application Assistant (PAA)Oracle Patch Application Assistant (PAA) helps users track and perform manualsteps during patching, and provides consistency in the format of manual steps. For

patches that have manual steps, the patch readme file contains the genericinstructions for all systems. For instructions specific to your system, the readmefile instructs you to use PAA. For merged patches, PAA automatically merges thecontents of the individual patch readme files. PAA generates a custom set ofinstructions, specific to your installation, that consolidates and displays therelevant manual steps for all the patches you want to apply. After successfullyperforming each manual step, you can record that step as completed. When applyingpatches in the future, refer to this record to see which manual steps you havealready completed. Unless specified otherwise, you do not have to repeat the samemanual steps you have previously completed.

AutoPatchAutoPatch is the utility used to apply all patches to the Oracle Applications file

system or database.

AD Merge PatchWhen you apply patches individually, you must perform patching tasks multipletimes. For example, for every individual patch there may be duplicate link andgenerate processes. AD Merge Patch merges multiple patches into a single patch sothat the required patching tasks and processes are performed only once.Note:

After you merge multiple patches into a single patch, use Oracle Patch ApplicationAssistant (PAA) to consolidate the individual readme files of the merged patches.

Web-based Patching Utilities

The following utilities are Web-based. You access them through Oracle ApplicationsManager (OAM).

Applied PatchesThe Applied Patches utility allows you to query the patch history database for alist of patches that have been applied to your system. From the Applied Patchesinterface, you can view patch information such as patch number and type, driverfile name, platform and version, location of applied patch, patch content andlanguage, files changed or copied, bug fixes in each driver file, whether patchapplication was successful, and timing information.

File HistoryThe File History utility allows you to view files that have been updated by a

patch. You can view file history information such as: APPL_TOP on which the fileresides, directory in which the file resides, product family that owns the file,name of the file, version of the file, date on which the file was changed, patchdetails report, and action summary report for the updates to the file.

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Patching Utilities

Patch WizardAn important part of the patching process is to keep abreast of new patches thatare recommended, and analyze their effects before you actually apply them. Withthe Patch Wizard utility, you can determine patches that have not been applied toyour system, but are recommended to keep the system current. Patch Wizard alsogives you a preview about the effects on your system of applying an individual

patch.

Timing ReportsThe Timing Reports utility allows you to monitor a job that is running or to viewstatistics of completed AutoPatch and AD Administration maintenance sessions. Youcan view information such as task name, time taken to complete the task, starttime and end time, and so on.

Register Flagged FilesThe Register Flagged Files utility allows you to record customizations made to anyfile in one place. Use Register Flagged files to import, export, add, delete andview records of customized files. This utility replaces the applcust.txt file fromprevious releases of Oracle Applications.

Manage Downtime SchedulesFor more information on Manage Downtime Schedules, see Managing Downtime inRestricted Mode in Oracle Applications System Administrators Guide - Maintenance.



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2Patch Tracking UtilitiesThis chapter describes Patch Wizard, the utility you use to determine patches thatyou have not applied to your system. This chapter also describes Register FlaggedFiles, the utility you use to maintain customized files on your system. Itcontains these sections:

Patch Wizard Register Flagged Files

Patch WizardWith Patch Wizard, you can determine patches that have not been applied to yoursystem. It does not report on all available patches. It compares the patches youhave already applied against a list of all recommended Oracle Applicationspatches. Recommended patches can include high-priority patches or patches thatupdate to a new codelevel, such as release update packs (RUPs), product familyRUPs, and pre-upgrade patches.

Preparing to Use Patch WizardBefore you submit a request for a patch analysis or to download patches, you mustaccess the Patch Wizard main page and prepare to submit the request. This page

provides access to various setup tasks, including:

Setting preferences, both site-specific and general, that include the stagingdirectory and various defaults that will apply to the patches you download.Setting up filters that report only those patches that may affect your system.Setting up your OracleMetaLink credentials. Downloading the Patch InformationBundle from OracleMetaLink.

Setting up OracleMetaLink CredentialsBefore running Patch Wizard, set up your OracleMetaLink credentials in the OAM

Update Metalink Credentials page. From the Patch Wizard main page, click Setup inthe Oracle Applications Manager title bar. From any page of the OAM interface,click the Setup link in the top right corner. The Dashboard Setup page appears.Click the Metalink Credentials link on the left side. The Update MetalinkCredentials page appears.

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Update your Metalink credentials by providing your user ID, password, emailaddress, proxy server host name, proxy server port, proxy bypass domains, proxyuser name, and proxy password.

The Patch Information BundleThe Patch Information Bundle file contains the zip files of recommended patches,

the list of recommended patches (Recommended.xml), the latest codelevel patches(Codelevels.xml), and information on products and product families(ProductInfo.xml). Each patch zip file contains a readme file, a patch LDT file,and a patch metadata file (patch_metadata.xml). The Patch Information Bundle fileis updated daily. When you submit a patch analysis request, this file isautomatically downloaded (if it is not specified otherwise in your OracleMetaLinkcredentials.) Patch Wizard loads the Patch Information Bundle data, including LDTfiles and readme files, into the Oracle Applications database. It uses themetadata to provide patch recommendations.

Concurrent ProgramsWhen you submit a request for patch analysis, Patch Wizard performs the followingtasks using a set of concurrent programs:

Uploading patch information from the Patch Information Bundle to Patch Wizardtables Patch Wizard loads the Patch Information Bundle metadata, including LDTfiles and readme files, into the Oracle Applications database.

Recommending patches based on the current environment and the Patch InformationBundle Patch Wizard reports which patches update Oracle Applications at thecurrent codelevel and which update to a new codelevel.

Downloading patches (ad hoc or based on the list of recommended patches)



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Patch Wizard

Enter your user name and password, and click Login. The Oracle Applications Homepage appears. From the Oracle Applications Home page, select the SystemAdministration responsibility by clicking the System Administration link. AnotherNavigator pane appears to the right.2.

Go to the Patch Wizard main page. Scroll down to the Oracle Applications Managersection of the right-hand Navigator pane, and click Patch Wizard to go to the mainpage.

3.

Set up preferences and filters. From the Patch Wizard main page, click the icon inthe Tasks column next to the Patch Wizard Preferences page to set preferences anddefine filters.

Patch Wizard Main PageUse the main page to access all features of Patch Wizard and to view the resultsof your requests for recommended patches. The Select Feature drop-down list at the

top of the Patch Wizard main page provides access to the Applied Patches, FileHistory, Timing Reports, and Register Flagged Files features of OAM.



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Patch Wizard Tasks TableThe Patch Wizard Tasks table identifies the tasks available in Patch Wizard. Thetable contains the following columns of information for each task:

Task Name: This is the name of the Patch Wizard task. Description: This is the

task description. Tasks: This link accesses the page associated with the PatchWizard task. Job Status: This link accesses request submission status of the PatchWizard task. It enables you to review warnings or errors for your request.

From the Patch Wizard Tasks table in the Patch Wizard main page, choose the Tasksicons to view:

The Patch Wizard Preferences page From the Preferences page, set the stagingdirectory, merge patch defaults, the languages and platform defaults fordownloading patches, and whether to display or hide hidden patches. You mustdefine the values in the Preferences page before using Patch Wizard. Also use thispage when you want to modify existing preferences later.

The Define Patch Filters page You usually need to see only those patches that arerecommended for your system. Use the Define Patch Filters page to set up filtersthat report only those patches that may affect your system.

The Recommend/Analyze Patches page You can select a filter, then submit therequest to run a report of recommended patches based on the filter. You can alsoanalyze specific patches by entering a comma-separated list of patch numbers.

The Download Patches page You can download patches, specify the language ofpatches to download, and merge patches from this page.

Recommended Patches ResultsThe Recommended Patches Results section of the Patch Wizard main page shows thelist of all in-progress and completed recommended patch requests. You can narrowthe list of results by entering information in the Filter Criteria section of themain page. For example, you can view only the results that contain a certain textstring in the filter name, or only the results of requests completed on a certaindate.

Clicking the icon in the Details column of a specific recommended patch requestaccesses the Recommended Patches Results page. After setting up and submitting arequest, view the details of the recommended patches on this page.


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Patch Wizard PreferencesThe site-specific information you set on the Patch Wizard Preferences page appliesto other functions of Patch Wizard, such as Recommend/Analyze Patches and DownloadPatches. From the Patch Wizard main page, click the Tasks icon for Patch WizardPreferences to show the Patch Wizard Preferences page.

Staging DirectoryPatch Wizard downloads patches to this staging directory. It is also used by PatchWizard to create temporary files and subdirectories for patch recommendationrequests. These temporary files and directories are deleted after processing.Note:

Oracle recommends you pick a staging directory and use the same directory eachtime you run Patch Wizard.

Merge Option DefaultsMerging patches reduces patch application time by eliminating the redundant tasks(such as responding to prompts, linking executables, and so on) for eachindividual patch. You can choose to automatically merge patches that you download.

You can choose to merge all patches into one merged patch, create two mergedpatches (one for US patches and one for all non-US patches), or create multiplemerged patches (such as one for each separate language).

Language and Platform DetailsYou can select one or more languages, which are the languages of patches thatPatch Wizard will recommend and download. You can also select the platform of thepatches you want recommended and downloaded.

Display Option DefaultsHidden patches are patches that you choose not to see in your reports. Forexample, if Patch Wizard recommends patches for products you do not need for yoursystem, you can choose to hide these patches.



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However, checking the Show Hidden Patches box in the Patch Wizard Preferences pageoverrides the hidden patch setting, and all patches, even hidden patches, arereported. After you have made all your selections on the Patch Wizard Preferencespage, click OK to save your selections or click Cancel to discard your selections.

Define Patch Filters

The Patch Information Bundle file contains information for all recommended patchesfor all products. If Patch Wizard were to compare patches in the patch informationdatabase against all metadata in the Patch Information Bundle file, the number ofrecommended patches in the report might be too large to be useful. To avoid this,Patch Wizards provides filters so that only those patch types and products in themetadata that apply to your system are included in the comparison. From the mainpage, click the Tasks icon for Define Patch Filters to see all filters created forthe current system. Patch Wizard has three pre-seeded filters, and you can createcustom filters.

Note that the pre-seeded filters contain "Oracle" in the Type column on this page,and other filters you create contain "Custom" in this column. You cannot edit ordelete the three pre-seeded filters, but you can use the three filters as

templates to create new filters. The three pre-seeded filters are New Codelevels,Recommended Patches, and Recommended Patches and New Codelevels.

The New Codelevels filter determines recommended patches for release update packs(RUPs), product family RUPs, and pre-upgrade patches. These new codelevel patchesupdate versions of a product, family, or the entire Oracle Applications system.The Recommended Patches filter determines recommended patches for the currentcodelevel. The Recommended Patches and New Codelevels filter determinesrecommended patches for both the current and new codelevels.

Creating a New Custom Patch FilterFrom the Define Patch Filters page, click Create New to create a new customfilter.


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You must enter a unique name and a description for each new custom filter. Alllicensed product families are listed at the top of the Create New page, and non-licensed product families are listed at the bottom of the page. There are twocolumns for each product family: Recommended Patches and New Codelevels. Check theboxes corresponding to each product family you want to include in the new filter.If you choose the Create Like button in the Define Patch Filters page, you use an

existing filter as a template to create a new filter. The filter criteria from theexisting filter is pre-selected in the new filter. Edit the new filter by checkingor clearing the boxes, then click Continue to create the new filter.

Recommend/Analyze PatchesAfter setting up the Patch Wizard staging area (and optionally creating customfilters), you can submit requests for processing on the Recommend/Analyze Patchespage. Click the Tasks icon for Recommend/Analyze Patches to access the RecommendPatches page.



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The Options section of the Recommend Patches page contains the following actions:

Create Recommendation This generates recommendations based on the selected patchfilter. You choose one of the three pre-seeded filters or any custom filter youcreated in the Define Patch Filters page. Patch Wizard uses the filter and

compares the patch information database against the patch metadata to recommendwhich patches you should apply. For more information on Aggregate Patch Impact,refer to Oracle Applications System Administrators Guide - Maintenance Release12.

Analyze Specific Patches This generates recommendations for specific patches.After downloading specific patches from OracleMetaLink and placing them in thestaging area, you can analyze these patches by entering the patch numbers on thispage. (You can either enter bug numbers (for example, 1234567) or full patch names(for example, 1234567_R12.AD.A).) Check the "Analyze Aggregate Patch Impact" boxto analyze Aggregate Patch Impact. For more information on Aggregate Patch Impact,

refer to Oracle Applications System Administrators Guide - Maintenance Release12.

You can enter a date and time in the Schedule section of this page to run therequest at a later time. The default setting is to run the job immediately. Youcan also schedule recurring requests by entering the information in the Recurrencesection of this page.

Each time you submit a request to analyze specific patches or to recommendpatches, Patch Wizard creates a Request Set ID. The Request Set ID is shown on theResults


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section of the Patch Wizard main page. To check the status of your request, clickon the Request Set ID corresponding to your request in the Recommended PatchesResults section.

Download PatchesIf you know exactly which patches you want to download, use the Download Patches

page to download these patches. The Patch Selection section of the DownloadPatches page prompts you for information about the patches to download, thendownloads the patches directly from OracleMetaLink. Enter the patch numbers in theinput field separated by a comma. (You can either enter bug numbers (for example,1234567) or full patch names (for example, 1234567_R12.AD.A).) You can also chooseto analyze the patches while downloading, or analyze and compute aggregate patchimpact while downloading.

The Merge Options section of this page defines how patches should be merged afterdownloading. The defaults for merging are set on the Patch Wizard Preferencespage. If you choose to automatically merge patches while downloading, you canmodify the merged patch name and specify the merging strategy in this section. Thedefault merged patch name is "merged_YYYYMMDDhhmmss", where "hh" is in 24-hour

format. The Languages and Platform section allows you to select the languages andplatform of the patches to download. The defaults for languages and platform areset in the Patch Wizard Preferences page. However, you can modify the languagesand section on this page. When you provide information in this section of thepage, Patch Wizard only downloads patches that match the selected languages andplatform.



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You can also provide information in the Schedule section to download at a latertime.

Recommended Patches ResultsClicking the Details icon associated with a patch request in the Results sectionof the Patch Wizard main page accesses the Recommended Patches Results page. This

page lists the results of the selected Recommend Patches request that yousubmitted. The set of recommended patches are divided in two sections:

Recommended Patches Results Patches that introduce New Codelevels

This page has the following columns of information:

Select: Select this check box and click the Download button if you want the patchnumber sent to the Download Patches page for submission. You can select any numberof patches.

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Patch: This is the patch number of the recommended patch. Product: This indicatesthe product to which patch applies. Prerequisites: This indicates that your systemneeds to be at this specified codelevel before applying the current patch.Codelevel Introduced: This indicates whether the patch introduces a new codelevel

for that product. Status: This indicates whether the patch is applied, unapplied,missing, or obsolete. MSI: This indicates whether there are manual steps you haveto perform if you apply the patch. Reason Recommended: The reason the patch isrecommended, for example, it is a high-priority patch, or part of a release updatepack (RUP) or a product family RUP. Patch Description: A brief description of thepatch. Hide Patch: Select this check box to hide the patch from the list ofrecommended patches. Use this feature to hide patches that you do not want toapply to your system. To hide or show selected patches, use the Show HiddenPatches check box at the top of the page and click Redisplay Data to refresh thepage. The default values are set in the Patch Wizard Preferences page. Included inAggregate Patch Impact: For more information on Aggregate Patch Impact, refer toOracle Applications System Administrators Guide - Maintenance Release 12. Impact:(For unapplied or missing patches only) Click this icon to access the Patch Impact

Summary page. If you submitted a specific patch to analyze, click the Impact iconon the Recommended Patches Request page to view the Patch Impact Analysis Report.

Clicking the Download button carries the selected patch number(s) to the DownloadPatches page for submission.

Codelevels Introduced by the PatchClicking the Yes link in the Codelevel Introduced column of the RecommendedPatches Results page accesses the Codelevels Introduced by the Patch page.



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The Codelevels Introduced by the Patch page contains the following information:

Patch InformationThis section includes the following information:

Product: The product name to which the patch applies. Description: A briefdescription of the selected patch. Reason Recommended: The reason for which thepatch is recommended.

If you want to see the codelevels of all the products and product familiesavailable in your system, click the Codelevels Summary link underneath the PatchInformation section.

Codelevels InformationThis section includes the following information:

Abbreviation: The abbreviation for the product, product family, or feature to

which this patch applies. Name: The full name of the product, product family, orfeature to which this patch applies. Type: Indicates whether this patch applies toa product, product family, or feature. Codeline: This indicates the codeline ofthe product, product family, or feature in your current system. New Codeline: Thisindicates whether this patch introduces a new codeline. Codelevel Introduced: Thenew codelevel that this patch introduces for the product, product family, orfeature.

Patch Impact AnalysisThe Patch Impact Analysis page shows which products and files are affected by aparticular patch. You can analyze which files are new, which files are changed,and which files are ignored when applying the patch. You can view prerequisitepatches required by this patch, and also read the readme file for each patch.



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Non-US Language Patches Required: The number of non-US language patches required.If the patch supports multiple languages, click the number link to identify theother languages available.

Indirect Impact SummaryThis section includes the following information:

Unchanged Files Affected: The number of system files with dependencies on patchedfiles. Menu Navigation Trees Affected: The number of menu navigation trees thatwill be updated by the patch. Diagnostics Tests to Re-run: The number ofdiagnostic tests to be re-executed after patching.

Register Flagged FilesWith the Register Flagged Files tool, you can record any files in which you havemade customizations. The Register Flagged Files tool replaces the need to maintainthe applcust.txt file. In previous releases of Oracle Applications, theapplcust.txt file contains the record for all customized files. The RegisterFlagged Files tool displays the following information about customized files:

Product abbreviation Directory where the files are located Name of modified fileComments you want to include

The Register Flagged Files InterfaceThe Register Flagged Files tool is a Web-based utility in Oracle Applications

Manager. From the Register Flagged Files home page, you can import, export, add,delete, and view records of customized files.

Accessing Register Flagged FilesTo access the Register Flagged Files tool, log in to Oracle Applications Manager(OAM) and choose Register Flagged Files from the Site Map. Step 1 Log in to OracleApplications Manager Follow the instructions in Accessing Patch Wizard on page 2-3to access OAM. From the Applications Dashboard, click the Site Map tab. Step 2 Gothe Register Flagged Files home page From the Site Map, Register Flagged Files ison the Maintenance tab under the Patching and Utilities heading. Click theRegister Flagged Files link to go to the Register Flagged Files home page.



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Step 3 Select filter criteria From the Register Flagged Files home page, you cansearch the records of customized files by product abbreviation, directory, filename, or a combination of product abbreviation, and directory or file name.

Register Flagged Files PageThis section describes the Register Flagged Files page.

The following buttons appear in the upper right of the Register Flagged Filespage:

Import: Use this button to import a list of customized files from the applcust.txtfile in csv format. Use this option to import a local applcust.txt file to thecurrent system or from another system to the current one. Export: Use this buttonto export a list of customized files in csv format. The default name of theexported file is oamreport.csv. You can use this function to export a list ofcustomized files for import into another system. Add: Use this button to add arecord of a customized file. Cancel: Use this button to return to the ApplicationsDashboard home page. Apply: Use this button to apply and save any changes made to

the Comments field of the list of customized files.

There are two fields in the Filter Criteria section:

Product Abbreviation: Enter the abbreviation of the product for which thecustomization is made to search by product abbreviation. Directory/File Name: Youcan filter the results by directory or file name. Enter the directory or file namefor which the customization is made.

You can filter results either by product abbreviation, by directory/file name, orby a combination of product abbreviation, and directory or file name.

List of Customized FilesThe list of customized files appear at the bottom of the Register Flagged Fileshome page. Each line item represents a customized file.



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The details provided for each line item are:

Select: Use this box to select and delete the corresponding customized file. Youcan select and delete either one or multiple files at a time. ProductAbbreviation: This describes the abbreviated name of the Oracle Applications

product family for which there is a customization. Directory: This describes thelocation of the customized file. File Name: This describes the name of themodified file. Comments: Use this area to add any comments associated with thecustomization. Oracle recommends using this area to record the exact location ofthe customized file.

Adding a Flagged FileClicking the Add button on the Register Flagged Files main page accesses the AddFlagged Files page. From the Add Flagged Files page, you can add customized files.

Use the Filter Criteria section to search for files you want to add.

There are two fields in the Filter Criteria section:

Product Abbreviation: Enter the abbreviation of the product for which thecustomization is made to search by product abbreviation. Directory/File Name: Youcan filter the results by directory or file name. Enter the directory or file namefor which the customization is made.

You can filter results either by product abbreviation, by directory/file name, or

by a combination of product abbreviation, and directory or file name. From theSearch Results section, select the files you want to add, then click the Addbutton. The files you selected appears in the Selected Data section. Use thissection to add any comments you have for each file. Then click the Apply button toconfirm your selection.



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Importing a Flagged FileClicking the Import button on the Register Flagged Files main page accesses theImport Flagged File page. From the Import Flagged File page, you can import eitherone or a list of customized files in csv format. You can import an existingapplcust.txt file or a file from another system to the current one. This featuressaves you the time of using the Add button to add flagged files individually.

The Import Flagged File page contains the Select File field. Enter either the nameof the file you want to import or click the Browse button to select the file youwant to import. Click Import to import the file. Click Cancel to return to theRegister Flagged Files main page.



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3Patch Application UtilitiesThis chapter describes Oracle Patch Application Assistant (PAA), the utility youuse to track and perform manual steps. This chapter also describes AutoPatch, thecommand line utility you use to apply patches to your system, and AD Merge Patch,the command line utility you use to merge patches to reduce patch applicationtime. It contains these sections:

Oracle Patch Application Assistant (PAA) AutoPatch AD Merge Patch

Oracle Patch Application Assistant (PAA)For patches that have manual steps, the patch readme file instructs you to useOracle Patch Application Assistant (PAA) by running the admsi.pl script. Formerged patches, PAA automatically merges the contents of the individual patchreadme files.

The Oracle Patch Application Assistant InterfaceRun PAA from the command line by using the admsi.pl script. PAA relies on yourinputs in a graphical user interface.

Running Oracle Patch Application AssistantThe following is a summary of steps you use to run PAA. For a complete descriptionof all the steps, see Creating Customized Instructions for Patching Using PAA onpage 5-1. Step 1 Set the environment You must set the environment to apply theconfiguration parameters that define your system. This task is common to many ADutilities. Step 2 Unzip the patch Create a patch top directory, if it does notalready exist. Download the patch into the patch top directory and unzip it. Step3 Review the information in the readme file In the directory where you unzippedthe patch, you will find a README.txt file and a README.html file. Review eitherreadme file for information about the patch and for instructions on using OraclePatch Application Assistant (PAA) to generate customized instructions for yoursystem.Patch Application Utilities 3-1


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Step 4 Run Oracle Patch Application Assistant Run PAA to generate customizedinstructions for your system. Follow the steps in the customized instructions tocomplete the patching process.

AutoPatchUse AutoPatch to apply patches to the Oracle Applications file system or database.

It gathers necessary information about your system through a series of prompts.When you have completed the prompts, AutoPatch performs all the tasks required toapply the patch, including the following:

Reads patch metadata to determine patch dependencies and requirements. Uploadspatch information from a prior patch session to the database (if needed). Readsand validates the patch driver file and reads the product driver files. Comparesversion numbers of object modules from the product libraries and version numbersof the existing files against the patch files. Backs up all existing files thatwill be changed by the patch. Copies files. Archives files in libraries. Relinksexecutables. Generates forms, reports, message, graphics, and Java archive (JAR)files. Compiles JSP files and invalid database objects. Updates database objects.

Runs AutoConfig to update configuration files, if any template files areintroduced or updated by the patch. Saves patch information to the database.

AutoPatch takes no action if a patch contains no new updates to files or databaseobjects in your system. If AutoPatch detects that there is a previously failedAutoPatch session, it will attempt to recover that session.

Preparing your System for PatchingBefore you begin a patching session, there are some important tasks you need to

complete.

Enable Maintenance ModeBefore you initiate an AutoPatch session, you must shut down the Workflow BusinessEvents System and set up function security so that no Oracle Applicationsfunctions are available to users. This ensures optimal performance and reducesdowntime when applying a patch. Maintenance mode provides a clear separationbetween normal runtime operation of Oracle Applications and system downtime formaintenance. During a maintenance mode downtime, user login is restricted. Usersare redirected to a system downtime URL, which informs them that the maintenancesession is in progress. The Oracle Applications Manager (OAM) Maintenance Modepage allows you to schedule system downtime and send alert messages to notifyusers of the downtime schedule.



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To enable or disable maintenance mode, use the Change Maintenance Mode menu in ADAdministration.Caution: You can run AutoPatch by using options=hotpatch on the command line whenmaintenance mode is disabled. However, applying a "hot patch" causes significantperformance degradation. For more information on "hot patch," see AutoPatchOptions on page 3-11.

Additional Information: See Changing Maintenance Mode in

Oracle Applications Maintenance Utilities.

Shut Down ServicesIf you are applying a patch that updates or relinks files, shut down thecorresponding concurrent manager, Web server listeners, or forms server listeners.For example, if the files are on the node that contains the concurrent processingserver, shut down the concurrent managers.Additional Information: See Applying a Patch Interactively on

page 5-4.

Log FilesIn addition to the main log file (adpatch.log), AutoPatch also creates severalother log files for specific purposes, for example, to record all the actionsassociated with parallel workers. The log files are written to$APPL_TOP/admin//log (UNIX), where is the value of your ORACLE_SID orTWO_TASK variable, or in %APPL_TOP%\admin \\log (Windows), where is thevalue of ORACLE_SID or LOCAL. Review these files when the AutoPatch session iscomplete. The log directory contains adpatch.log and adpatch.lgi, and may containone or more additional files as described in the following table. If AutoPatchdoes not perform an action, it does not generate the log file associated with thattype of action.Log File adpatch.log adpatch.lgi adrelink.log adlibin.log adlibout.log

adworkxxx.log Description main AutoPatch log file (default name) for AutoPatchinformational messages (default name) for relinking for moving C object files intothe C library of a product for moving C object files out of the C library of aproduct for database operations run in parallel

__ for seed data loader files ldt.log

Additional Information: You can also review log files using the

View Log Files feature of OAM Timing Reports. See View Log Files on page 4-20.

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PromptsIn addition to the standard prompts common to most AD utilities, AutoPatch alsoasks for information specific to the patching process. You must respond to all theprompts for each driver you run.Caution: Do not run multiple sessions of AutoPatch on the same Oracle Applicationssystem at the same time.

Main Log File NameThe main AutoPatch log file is named adpatch.log by default. We recommend youchange the name to indicate the associated driver file, using a .log extension.For example, for the u1234567.drv driver, the log file should be u1234567.log.

SYSTEM and AOL User PasswordsAutoPatch prompts for the SYSTEM and AOL user passwords.Note:

You can change this behavior by using options=validate on the command line. SeeCommand Line Arguments on page 3-9.

Patch DirectoryAutoPatch asks you to specify the directory where the patch files have beenunzipped. The default is the directory from which you started AutoPatch. Ifnecessary, specify the full path name to the directory where you unzipped thepatch files. The operating system user running AutoPatch must have writepermissions to that directory.

Patch Driver FileAutoPatch prompts for the name of the patch driver file. By default, it does notcheck the integrity of the patch whether the version of each file referenced ina driver file copy action matches the version present in the patch as OracleApplications patches are tested to ensure they contain the correct files beforethey are released. The unified driver, named u.drv, contains the

commands necessary to change files and database objects, and to generate newobjects. It contains copy, database, and generate portions and performs the copy,database, and generate actions in the stated order. You typically run the unifieddriver on all APPL_TOPs and AutoPatch runs only the actions that are required forthe current APPL_TOP. However, there may be scenarios where you run only theapplicable portion of the driver. Copy Portion of a Unified Driver When the copyportion of a unified driver runs, AutoPatch performs the following actions:

Extracts the appropriate files from the C library of each product. Compares theextracted object modules with their corresponding files in the patch directory. Italso makes this type of comparison with files such as forms, reports, and SQLscripts. Backs up any product file with a more recent version in the patch

directory to a subdirectory in the patch directory. For example, if isthe patch directory, is the Applications System name, is the



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APPL_TOP name, and is the name of the product being patched, it backs up:_TOP// to/backup/// \//

Note:

The Applications system name and the APPL_TOP name are determined during the RapidInstall process.

Replaces the outdated files of each product with newer files from the patchdirectory. Loads the new object modules into the C libraries. Relinks the OracleApplications products with the operating system, Oracle server, and other Oracleproducts libraries. Applies changed Java class files and regenerates JAR files asneeded. Copies any specified HTML or media files to their respective destinations.Compiles out-of-date Java Server Page (JSP) files (if any JSP files are includedin the patch).

Database Portion of a Unified Driver When the database portion of a driver runs,AutoPatch performs these actions:

Gets a list of current invalid objects in the APPS schema. Determines whether theaction was performed in a previous patch. Runs SQL scripts and EXEC commands,which change Oracle Applications database objects. By default, AutoPatch runsscripts and commands in parallel. Compiles invalid objects in the database.

Assembles a list of current invalid objects in the APPS schema.Note:

In release 12, a separate MRC schema is not required, so Invokers Rightsprocessing (included in previous releases) has been removed.

Generate Portion of a Unified Driver Apply the generate portion of a unifieddriver on all APPL_TOP directories containing one or more files being generated bythe patch. If in doubt, apply it to all APPL_TOP directories on all nodes. Whenthe generate portion of a driver runs, AutoPatch performs these actions:

Generates Oracle Forms PL/SQL library files. Generates Oracle Forms menu files.Generates Oracle Forms executable files. Generates Oracle Reports PL/SQL libraryfiles. Generates Oracle Reports files. Generates message files.Patch Application Utilities 3-5


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Generates Oracle Workflow resource files.Note: You can change this behavior by using options=integrity on the command line.See Command Line Arguments on page 3-9.

Number of Parallel WorkersBy default, AutoPatch runs database updates and file generation commands inparallel and prompts you for the number of workers. Tasks are assigned to workers,the workers run the tasks to completion, and AutoPatch assigns new tasks. Thedefault value for the number of workers is two times the number of CPUs on thenode from which you run AutoPatch. Oracle recommends specifying 2 to 4 times thenumber of workers as CPUs. After you specify the number of workers, AutoPatchdisplays messages like the following as it begins to update the OracleApplications products:Performing version checking for driver files... Copying driver files intoinstallation area... Determining valid on-site files... Screening out files notvalid for this installation... Extracting object modules from product libraries...Performing version checking... Determining what executables to link... Determining

what Oracle Forms files to generate... Determining what Oracle Reports librariesto generate... Determining what Oracle Reports files to generate...

Note:

AutoPatch runs all database actions based on phase order a grouping of actionsin the database portion of the patch that minimizes dependencies. This order isnot necessarily the order in which the commands are listed in the database portionof the patch driver.

Additional Information: See Monitoring and Controlling Parallel

Processing in Oracle Applications Maintenance Utilities.

Customized FilesAutoPatch reviews the AD_FILES table to determine if any customized files(Register Flagged Files) will be replaced by the patch. If so, it displays amessage listing the customized files it will replace.Additional Information: See Customization Standards in Oracle

Applications Developers Guide. See also Register Flagged Files on page 2-15.

NLSIf the patch you are applying has an NLS-related version, and if you are an NLScustomer, AutoPatch prompts you about the NLS-related version of the patch beforeallowing you to continue.



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Preparing for Non-interactive PatchingNon-interactive patching is a way to save time by avoiding some of the prompts andautomating the patching process. To use non-interactive patching, create adefaults file by running AutoPatch interactively using a specific command lineoption. Then, tell AutoPatch to run non-interactively by providing the name of thedefaults file plus other associated command line options. After the AutoPatch

actions are complete, you perform any post-AutoPatch steps listed in the patchreadme file.Additional Information: See Performing Non-interactive Patching

on page 5-10.

MessagesAutoPatch generates several types of messages. Each message is recorded in a logfile. See Log Files on page 3-3 for a list and descriptions.

Informational MessagesInformational messages are written to the informational message file(adpatch.lgi). This log file uses the same base file name as the main AutoPatch

log file, but substitutes a .lgi extension for the .log extension. For example, ifthe AutoPatch log file is named u1234567.log, the AutoPatch informational log fileis named u1234567.lgi. For example, AutoPatch writes information pertaining to thefiles not updated because they are up-to-date in the informational log file.File will not be copied to destination. Version check:/slot03/appmgr/prodappl/ad/12.0.2/xml/oam/patch/history/SearchFiles.uix version isequal to or lower than/slot03/appmgr/prodcomn/html/oam/patch/history/SearchFiles.uix. File will not becopied to destination. Version check:/slot03/appmgr/prodappl/ad/12.0.2/xml/oam/patch/history/SearchFilesCriteriaAdvanced.uix version is equal to or lower than/slot03/appmgr/prodcomn/html/oam/patch/history/SearchFilesCriteriaAdvanced.uix

Error MessagesWhen AutoPatch is using parallel processing and an error occurs, the job fails.Review the main log file (adpatch.log) and the adworkxxx.log file to determine thesource of the error, resolve the issues and continue. Restart AutoPatch using theadctrl command.Tip: See Monitoring and Controlling Parallel Processing in Oracle ApplicationsMaintenance Utilities for details on using the adctrl command.

If you cannot resolve the issue, you must:

Verify that all steps in the readme file were completed. Check OracleMetaLink foradditional information regarding the patch you are applying.

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If the message indicates that a worker has failed its job, you can fix the problemand restart the worker while the manager is running. Some failed jobs are deferred(not immediately reassigned) by the manager. These jobs do not cause the manageror other workers to stop.Additional Information: See Managing Worker Processes in Oracle

Applications Maintenance Procedures.

Successful Completion MessageAutoPatch displays messages like the following when processing is complete. If youdo not see a completion message, investigate the reason why.A job timing report has been generated for the current session. You should checkthe file /slot03/appmgr/prodappl/admin/PROD/out/adt323790.lst for details.

Purging timing information for prior sessions. sqlplus -s APPS/*****@/slot03/appmgr/prodappl/ad/12.0.2/sql/adtpurge.sql 10 1000 Done purging timinginformation for prior sessions. AutoPatch is complete. AutoPatch may have writteninformational messages to the file/slot03/appmgr/prodappl/admin/PROD/log/adpatch.lgi Errors and warnings are listed

in the log file /slot03/appmgr/prodappl/admin/PROD/log/adpatch.log and in otherlog files in the same directory.

Backup DirectoryWhen AutoPatch runs, a backup directory is created in the directory where youunzip the patch. The old version of each file updated by the patch is copied intothe backup directory. When applying large patches (like release update packs(RUPs), product family RUPs, and pre-upgrade patches), ensure there is enough diskspace on the system where you unzip the patch, or the patching process might fail.Oracle recommends having at least twice the amount of disk space as the unzippedpatch file. Periodically, you can delete the files in the backup directory to freeup space.

AutoPatch ModesAutoPatch can apply patches in two specialized modes: pre-install and test. Thepatch readme file instructs you when to use each of these modes.

Pre-install ModePre-install mode is generally used during the upgrade process to update ADutilities, apply pre-upgrade patches, or work around other patching issues.AutoPatch asks all startup questions except those relating to the database.



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Command line arguments and options are in the "token=value" format, where token isthe name of the modifier. You should enter both the argument and the value inlowercase type (AutoPatch automatically converts the "token" portion to lowercase,but it cannot convert the "value"). For example:$ adpatch LOGFILE=TEST.LOG

The token ("LOGFILE") will be converted to lowercase, but the value (TEST.LOG) isnot recognized by the utility. The correct way to enter this command is:$ adpatch logfile=test.log

You can enter more than one token=value argument on a single command line byseparating them with one blank space as in the following AutoPatch command.$ adpatch printdebug=y flags=hidepw

In some cases, you can include more than one value for a token. In this case,separate the values with commas. For example:$ adpatch flags=nohidepw,trace

Comma-separated lists must not contain blank spaces. For example, this command is

not valid:$ adpatch flags=nohidepw, trace

The following arguments are specific to AutoPatch and can be used to modify andrefine its behavior.Note:

In the following table, the default value is the value used if you do not specifya value.

Argument apply

Description Purpose: Tells AutoPatch whether to run in test mode. Values: y,

meaning that AutoPatch does not run in test mode; n, meaning that AutoPatch doesrun in test mode. Default: y Example: adpatch apply=n

driver

Purpose: Tells AutoPatch the name of the patch driver file. This is usually usedduring non-interactive processing. It is only valid when the patchtop option isalso used. Values: A driver file name, or comma-separated list of patch driverfile names. Default: None, meaning that AutoPatch prompts for the patch driverfile name. Example: adpatch patchtop=/d01/prodappl/patches/1234567driver=u1234567.drv

patchtop

Purpose: Tells AutoPatch the top-level directory for the current patch. This isnormally used during non-interactive processing. Values: A fully qualifieddirectory name. Default: None, meaning that AutoPatch prompts for the patchdirectory. Example: adpatch patchtop=/d01/prodappl/patches/1234567



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Argument preinstall

Description Purpose: Tells AutoPatch whether to run in pre-install mode. Pre-install mode is used to update AD utilities before an upgrade and to apply pre-upgrade patches. Values: y, meaning that AutoPatch does run in pre-install mode;n, meaning that AutoPatch does not run in pre-install mode. Default: n Example:

adpatch preinstall=y

uploadph

Purpose: Tells AutoPatch to upload patch history information from the patchinformation files to the database. AutoPatch exits after uploading the patchhistory information. Values: y, meaning that AutoPatch uploads patch historyinformation; n, meaning that AutoPatch does not upload patch history information.Default: none Example: adpatch uploadph=y

AutoPatch OptionsThe options= argument is used to pass generic options to AutoPatch. It takes theform of a comma-separated list. Enter one option or a comma-separated list of

options. For example, options=nocopyportion,nogenerateportion. Do not include aspace after the comma.Option autoconfig Description Purpose: Tells AutoPatch to run AutoConfigautomatically. Default: autoconfig Use options=noautoconfig if you are applying anumber of patches in sequence and want to run AutoConfig once, after applying thelast patch of the sequence. Comments: The more common method is to merge thepatches first with AD Merge Patch. checkfile Purpose: Tells AutoPatch to eitherskip running EXEC, SQL, and EXECTIER commands if they are recorded as already run,or to record them as having run after running them. Default: checkfile Useoptions=nocheckfile to turn off the checkfile feature. Comments: checkfileprovides significant performance benefits. compiledb Purpose: Tells AutoPatch toautomatically compile invalid objects in the database after running actionsnormally found in the database portion of the driver. Default: compiledb for

standard patches. nocompiledb for standard patch translations, documentationpatches, and documentation patch translations. Use options=nocompiledb to savetime when multiple non-merged patches are app