Multiple patching trick

Installing multiple PSU's is very often job for any Oracle DBA. This is fact because base Oracle software versions are only first step of installation and almost all of them need additional patching in specific order to achieve satisfied version. The need of running catbundle after installation of PSU's can be done after the both the PSU has been applied.

Main problem is that many of this actions require db downtime. Here is small trick to achive that in best possible way.

The solution

Example: If you want to install PSU4 and PSU9 on Oracle 10.2.0.4 version follow these steps

1. Shutdown database (backup!?).
2. Apply PSU4 (Base PSU)
3. Apply PSU9
4. Startup the database
5. Run
   catbundle.sql psu apply --- (for PSU4)
6. Run
   catbundle.sql opsu apply --- (for PSU9)

Both patches are applied within a single downtime (database stopped only once!). This comes handy when you apply PSU's on a RAC node.

The End

More can be read on Oracle Support argumentation:

• 605795.1 - Introduction To Oracle Database catbundle.sql
• 834644.1 - catbundle.sql - FAQ

Hope this helps!

Cheers!