19c datapatch hangs on “Installing patches…”

“Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.”

I upgraded a database from 12.1 to 12.2, from 12.2 to 19.3, and then from 19.3 to 19.15 on an environment with Oracle Restart (HAS). However, after successfully applying the patch and the environment running 19.15, the datapath hanged on the “Installing patches…” part of the script followed by the error ” Died at $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/catcon.pm line 18217″ after a while.

Follow below an example of the description above:

Connecting to database...OK
Gathering database info...done
Bootstrapping registry and package to current versions...done
Determining current state...done

Current state of interim SQL patches:
  No interim patches found

Current state of release update SQL patches:
  Binary registry:
    19.15.0.0.0 Release_Update 220331125408: Installed
  SQL registry:
    Applied 19.3.0.0.0 Release_Update 190410122720 successfully on 2022-05-17 16:18:24,786020

Adding patches to installation queue and performing prereq checks...done
Installation queue:
  No interim patches need to be rolled back
  Patch 33806152 (Database Release Update : 19.15.0.0.220419 (33806152)):
    Apply from 19.3.0.0.0 Release_Update 190410122720 to 19.15.0.0.0 Release_Update 220331125408
  No interim patches need to be applied

Installing patches...

^C
Died at $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/catcon.pm line 18217.

The solution to it was shutdown the database, start in on upgrade mode, and re-execute the datapatch script as below:

SQL> shutdown immediate
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.

SQL> startup upgrade
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 1056964472 bytes
Fixed Size                  8904568 bytes
Variable Size             654311424 bytes
Database Buffers          385875968 bytes
Redo Buffers                7872512 bytes
Database mounted.
Database opened.
SQL> exit
Disconnected from Oracle Database 19c Enterprise Edition Release 19.0.0.0.0 - Production
Version 19.15.0.0.0
[oracle@techdatabasket ~]$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch
[oracle@techdatabasket OPatch]$ ./datapatch -verbose
SQL Patching tool version 19.15.0.0.0 Production on Fri May 27 13:33:02 2022
Copyright (c) 2012, 2022, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Log file for this invocation: sqlpatch_invocation.log

Connecting to database...OK
Gathering database info...done
Bootstrapping registry and package to current versions...done
Determining current state...done

Current state of interim SQL patches:
  No interim patches found

Current state of release update SQL patches:
  Binary registry:
    19.15.0.0.0 Release_Update 220331125408: Installed
  SQL registry:
    Applied 19.3.0.0.0 Release_Update 190410122720 successfully on 2022-05-17 16:18:24,786020

Adding patches to installation queue and performing prereq checks...done
Installation queue:
  No interim patches need to be rolled back
  Patch 33806152 (Database Release Update : 19.15.0.0.220419 (33806152)):
    Apply from 19.3.0.0.0 Release_Update 190410122720 to 19.15.0.0.0 Release_Update 220331125408
  No interim patches need to be applied

Installing patches...
Patch installation complete.  Total patches installed: 1

Validating logfiles...done
Patch 33806152 apply: SUCCESS
  logfile: 33806152.log (no errors)
SQL Patching tool complete on Fri May 27 13:37:33 2022

I hope this post helps you!

brunors

*The views expressed here are my own and do not represent those of my employer.*

Hello, I’m Bruno — a dual citizen of Brazil and Sweden. I bring a global perspective shaped by experiences in both South America and Europe, with a strong focus on collaboration and innovation across cultures. I am a Computer Scientist, PhD Candidate in Information and Communication Technologies, focusing on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and hold dual Master’s degrees in Data Science and Cybersecurity. With over fifteen years of international experience spanning Brazil, Hungary, and Sweden, I have collaborated with global organizations such as IBM, Playtech, and Oracle, as well as contributed remotely to projects across multiple regions. My professional interests include Databases, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Data Science, Data Engineering, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Programming, and Software Engineering,  all driven by a deep passion for transforming data into strategic business value.