RE: dbsnmp and oraInventory - Advice !
- From: "Bobak, Mark" <Mark.Bobak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <AWells@xxxxxxxxxx>, <desert_moon@xxxxxxxxx>, <oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 15:17:57 -0400
Heh...that reminds me of the week before last. We were in
a maintenance window, trying to apply a one-off patch to
our production server. This was using the new 'opatch'
utility. Well, I had neglected to include /usr/ccs/bin
in my PATH, so opatch couldn't find the 'ar' binary.
(Sort of important when you're patching libraries.)
After repeated attempts, I somehow got into a state
where the inventory thought the patch had been=20
applied, but I knew it hadn't. I was able to
confirm it by seeing that the date/time stamp
on a particular library was unchanged.
So, here, I am, opatch won't install the patch,
cause it thinks it's installed. Also, it can't
rollback the patch, cause when it tries, it fails,
cause the patch was never installed, so the "before"
images of the updated objects don't exist!
I'm on the phone w/ Oracle support, SEV 1 tar,
since it's production, and I'm in a maintenance
window.
They ask me to remove $ORACLE_HOME/.patch_storage directory.
I do, try running opatch, poof, .patch_storage comes back.
They tell me they're going to go off and work on something,
and they'll call me back! I tell them, ok, but CALL ME
BACK! Here's my phone number, I'm in a maintenance
window, I need a call back!
Meanwhile, I poke through the orainventory, grepping XML,
looking for mentions of the patch #. I find a mention
of it in one file, remove it. Run opatch, this time,
.patch_storage AND the XML I removed BOTH come back!!
I finally stumbled across the files in $ORCLE_HOME/inventory.
When I removed .patch_storage, cleared out any references to
the patch number in orainventory, AND in $ORACLE_HOME/inventory,
it finally worked! opatch believed the patch wasn't installed,
and I was able to install it!
I wouldn't recommend it, particularly not at 4:00am, after
you've been in maintenance mode for 6 hours, but, if you're
between a rock and a hard place, it IS possible.
I never did get a call back from Oracle support. (How very
supportive of them....sigh....) But, they updated the
tar w/ some opatch info. Apparently, there are a couple
of undocumented options:
-f --- This, apparently, forces installation of a particular
patch, automatically rolling back any conflicting patches.
-n --- I never actually tried this one, cause by the time
they updated my tar w/ the info, I had already gotten it going
myself, but my understanding is, it says "ignore inventory,
install anyways".
As always, use at your own risk!
-Mark
PS Overall, I think opatch is actually a good idea. I LOVE
the idea of being able to list one-off patch installations
via the inventory. It's just not quite ready for prime time.
It should NOT be possible to do what I did, as far as getting
caught in a state where I can't roll in or roll back a patch.
-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of April Wells
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 2:51 PM
To: 'desert_moon@xxxxxxxxx'; oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: premj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; achoto@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: dbsnmp and oraInventory - Advice !
But if Oracle support ever asks, you know NOTHING!!!!!
April Wells
Oracle DBA/Oracle Apps DBA
Corporate Systems
Amarillo Texas
You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will
suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need.
~ Jerry Gillies ~
-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Ankur Shah
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 1:48 PM
To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: premj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; achoto@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: dbsnmp and oraInventory - Advice !
If there are other products installed through the OUI, create a copy of =
the
oraInst.loc file (depending on the UNIX system,
possibly in /etc or /var/opt/oracle).
Modify the inventory_loc parameter to point to a different location for =
the
OUI
to create the oraInventory directory.
Run the installer using the -invPtrLoc parameter
(eg: runInstaller -invPtrLoc /PATH/oraInst.loc).
This will retain the existing oraInventory directory and create a new =
one
for
use by the new product.
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
HTHU
Ankur Shah
Oracle DBA
DHR-GA
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