Why Is the Data Pump Bundle Patch Not Included in Release Updates?

Uncategorized 3 Minutes

The Data Pump bundle patch (DPBP) contains many handy fixes for users of Data Pump and DBMS_METADATA. In 19.26 it includes 218 fixes – most of them are functional fixes but there’s a fair share of performance fixes as well.

I often advocate for applying the DPBP, and that leads to the following question:

If the Data Pump bundle patch is that important, why isn’t it included in the Release Updates?

Touché!

Release Updates

There are a number of requirements that any patch must meet to be included in a Release Update. One of them is that the patch must be RAC Rolling Installable.

DPBP doesn’t meet this requirement meaning, it will never be part of a Release Update (unless there’s an improved way of patching, uhh, cliffhanger, read on…).

Why?

The short version:

  • Data Pump fixes generally contain PL/SQL changes (mostly to DBMS_DATAPUMP).
  • When Datapatch applies such fixes, it will issue a CREATE OR REPLACE command for the relevant packages.
  • If someone is using Data Pump, they have a pin on the packages, and Datapatch can’t replace it. Datapatch will wait for 15 minutes maximum, at which point it bails out (ORA-04021), and the patching is incomplete.
  • The PL/SQL engine is optimized for speed and such pins are held longer than you might expect. Normally, that’s good because it gives you faster PL/SQL execution, but when patching it is potentially a problem.
  • Data Pump strictly obeys the rules and since it doesn’t meet the RAC Rolling criteria, we don’t include them in Release Updates.
  • There’s a longer version, too, but that’ll have to wait for another day.

Will This Continue in Oracle Database 23ai?

Yes, so far, nothing has changed in Oracle Database 23ai. Like with Oracle Database 19c, there is a Data Pump bundle patch for Oracle Database 23ai.

What About Oracle Database 21c?

There’s no Data Pump bundle patch in Oracle Database 21c; it’s an innovation release. If you’re on that release, you need to request the individual fixes you need.

Patching With Data Pump Bundle Patch

Here are some facts about DPBP:

  • The patch is bound to one Release Update. When you move to the next Release Update, you need a newer version of DPBP.
  • If you patch with AutoUpgrade Patching (which I strongly recommend), then DPBP is automatically added when you set patch=recommended. AutoUpgrade finds the right bundle patch for your platform and adds it together with the Release Update and other patches.

Do I Need to Remove DPBP Before Applying the Next Patch?

No, if you’re using out-of-place patching (which you should). When you prepare the new Oracle home, simply install the DPBP matching the Release Update, and that’s it. Datapatch will figure it out when it runs.

If you’re using in-place patching, then you need to roll off DPBP before you can apply the newer Release Update. After that, you can apply the newer DPBP as well. This is a tedious task and proves why in-place patching is not preferable.

Non-Binary Online Installable

Although DPBP is not RAC Rolling Installable, you can still apply it easily without any database downtime.

DPBP is a non-binary online installable patch, which means that you can apply it to a running database (opatch apply + Datapatch). Just ensure that no Data Pump jobs are running, and it will apply without problems. This applies even to single instance databases.

You can read more about non-binary online installable patches in MOS note Data Pump Recommended Proactive Patches For 19.10 and Above(Doc ID 2819284.1).

Roy Swonger explains how to apply the Data Pump bundle patch as a non-binary online installable patch

It is not the same as a hot patch or an online patch:

A patch that only affects SQL scripts, PL/SQL, view definitions and XSL style sheets (i.e. non-binary components). This is different than an Online Patch, which can change binary files. Since it does not touch binaries, it can be installed while the database instance is running, provided the component it affects is not in use at the time. Unlike an Online Patch, it does not require later patching with an offline patch at the next maintenance period.

Source: Data Pump Recommended Proactive Patches For 19.10 and Above(Doc ID 2819284.1)

The Cliffhanger

We are working on improving our patching mechanism. Data Pump and Datapatch will become aware of each other and there will be ways for Datapatch to engage with Data Pump during patching that allows patching to complete.

Stay tuned for more information.

You Need More Information

Let me finish off with some additional information for you to consume if you’re interested in the inner workings of Data Pump:

Happy Patching

Published

Leave a comment