Re: installing multiple patches(Release 2, 9.2.0.4)

Sybrand Bakker <sybrandb_at_hccnet.nl> wrote in message news:<d5phj0h8qgsdbh750uodnd2nmbcl9dvi8o_at_4ax.com>...
> On 3 Sep 2004 10:20:46 -0700, kybyrd_at_mail.med.upenn.edu (Karen Byrd)
> wrote:
>
> >Several patches that I need to install have this caveat in their READ
> >ME files:
> >
> > You must have NO OTHER PATCHES installed on your Oracle server
> > since the latest patch set...
> >
> >How does one install all needed patches when this disclaimer exists?
>
> As far as I know almost all patches are cumulative, ie they go back to
> the initial release. Your readme will also state which minimum version
> you need to have. If you have 9.2.0.1 now, and 9.2.0.4 is cumulative,
> you install 9.2.0.4 (or better still 5 as that is available for most
> platforms) straightaway and forget about the other patches.

There is a big difference between patches and patchsets. Patchsets are cumulative but patches are one off sets of modified oracle executables (usually).

The standard disclaimer that oracle gives on the patches means that you may shoot yourself in the foot by applying a patch if it is based on some oracle executable that you have a different version of (because you have already applied another patch to that executable).

Would it have made everyone's life easier if the security alert that just came out was distributed in a patchset instead of individual patches. You betcha.

The security alert that just went out has (usually depending on platform) 2 patches that can only be applied by opatch on top of (various) different release and patchset combinations.

Opatch of course is not well integrated with the universal installer so as someone noted previously test this carefully in your own environments. Start off by backing up everything in your oracle home(s) along with your oracle repository -- if you don't know that this means, better open a TAR with oracle support to get help. Received on Sun Sep 05 2004 - 19:11:12 CDT