DBA QUESTIONS

LEVEL 1 QUESTIONS (Not my preparation but can be used generally)

Question 1: What is Online Patching?

Answer: Online patching is a new patching mechanism that is available with R12.2 that allows the application
of patches while the system is up and running, and the users are working as normal.
Question 2: Which Oracle E-Business Suite releases Online Patching feature is available?
Answer Online patching is used with Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2 and higher.
Question 3: What types of patch are applied online?
Answer: All Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 patches are applied online. This includes one-off
patches, patch rollups, consolidated updates and security patches.
Question 4:What is the Online Patching cycle?
Answer: The Online Patching cycle is a sequence of inter-related steps (phases) used to apply patches
to an Oracle E-Business Suite system.
Question 5:What tool is used to apply online patches?
Answer: The AD Online Patching (adop) command-line utility is used to manage the Online Patching
cycle.adop invokes adpatch is the background only
Question 6: Is there any downtime in Online Patching?
Answer: There is a short period of downtime when the application tier services are shut down and
restarted. The database remains open all the time.
Key technology changes in E-business Suite R12.2
Question 7 Once I upgrade to Release 12.2, can I still apply patches in the traditional way?
Answer :No. All patches for Release 12.2 will be online patches. The traditional, pre-12.2 method of
applying patches will not work.There are option like downtime and hotpatch which works more like
traditional way but they are used for patches directed by Oracle
Question 8:What is the Online Patching infrastructure?
Answer :This infrastructure includes database objects edition and patch/run file system components.
Question 9. Does Online Patching require the 11gR2 Oracle Database Edition Based Redefinition
(EBR) feature?
Answer Yes. Online patching depends on the Edition Based Redefinition (EBR) feature that was
introduced in the Oracle 11gR2 Database. Most notably, EBR allows editioning of code objects in the
database. To do this, it provides new object types such as editions, editioning views, and cross-edition
triggers, all of which are part of the Online Patching infrastructure.
R12.2 edition determination and setup
Question 10. What are the phases that make up the Online Patching cycle?
Answer: The Online Patching cycle consists of the following phases:
1.Prepare a virtual copy (patch edition) of the running application (run edition).
2.Apply patches to the patch edition of the application.
3.Finalize the system in readiness for the cutover phase.
4.Cutover to the patch edition and make it the new run edition.
5.Cleanup obsolete definitions or data to recover space.
Oracle Ebuisness Suite Architecture in R12.2
Question 11.What downtime is required during an Online Patching cycle? or as the name spells
online,there is not downtime in the whole process
Answer The cutover phase requires a short period of downtime (typically a few minutes) for transition
tasks such as a restart of the application tier services.
Question 12. Is any downtime required for the database tier?
Answer: No. In fact, the database needs to be up and running during each phase of the Online
Patching cycle. Suite database.
Question 13.How does Online Patching work on the application tier?
Answer:During Release 12.2 installation, Rapid Install will lay down two copies of the application tier
file system. One of the copies will be labeled as the run file system, and the other as the patch file
system. Subsequently, when a patch is applied, adop will:
1.Synchronize the contents of the run file system to the patch file system. This happens during the
prepare phase.
2.Perform patching actions on the patch file system. This happens during the apply phase.
3.Finally, during the cutover phase, the adop utility restarts the application tier services. The patch file
system is then promoted to be the new run file system, and the old run file system becomes the patch
file system for the next patching cycle.
Note that a third file system, the non-editioned file system (fs_ne), is created to store files containing
data that is needed across all file systems,such as log files.
R12.2 Online patching cycle Summary
Adop explained R12.2
Question 14.How do I apply Oracle Fusion Middle-ware patches in Oracle E-Business Suite Release
12.2?
Answer: During the apply phase of an Online Patching cycle, you apply Oracle Fusion Middle-ware
patches to the Oracle homes of the patch edition file system. Then, after the cut over phase is
complete, you synchronize the file systems by performing an fs_clone operation. (Also see My Oracle
Support Knowledge Document 1355068.1, as listed in Appendix A.)
Question 15. Can I use the patch edition for testing and development purposes?
Answer As a specialized component of the Online Patching infrastructure, the patch edition is not
supported for use as a test environment. You should continue to employ a separate, dedicated test
environment.
Question 16.Can Online Patching be used with database technologies such as Active Dataguard and
Flashback?
Answer:Yes. Online patching can be used alongside Active Dataguard and Flashback. Infact we can
use flashback to rollback the changes after the final cutover
Question 17. What are the key differences between the DBA_OBJECTS, DBA_OBJECTS_AE, and
AD_OBJECTS tables?
Answer DBA_OBJECTS shows object information for the current edition, but the STATUS column
in this view may show the object as VALID even if the object actually needs to be compiled before
use.
DBA_OBJECTS_AE is similar to DBA_OBJECTS, but shows object information across all editions.
This has the drawback of showing objects in old editions that are no longer accessible to the
application.
AD_OBJECTS is the Oracle E-Business Suite workaround to the unreliable STATUS column in
DBA_OBJECTS. AD_OBJECTS shows the correct status for each object visible in the current edition.
It also shows whether the object is actual (a real object) in the current edition, or a stub object (the
object definition was inherited from a previous edition). You can query AD_OBJECTS to locate
objects that need to be recompiled before use:
SQL>select owner, object_name, object_type
from ad_objects
where status = INVALID
order by 1,2,3
/
The same logic can be applied by running the script:
SQL>sqlplus apps/apps @$AD_TOP/sql/ADZDSHOWINVALID
Everything you would like to know about Create table in oracle
Oracle Indexes and index types
Question 18.Does Online Patching increase the network port requirements on an Oracle E-Business
Suite instance?
Answer: Yes. Online patching requires an additional set of network ports for the Oracle WebLogic
Server managed servers on the second file system. During the cutover phase, the managed servers run
simultaneously on the patch file system and run file system for a brief period, in a rolling transition
process.
Question 19.Is it possible to abort an Online Patching session?
Answer Yes. Up to cutover, you can run the abort phase to undo the changes made so far in the
patching cycle. It is not possible to back out patches once cutover is complete.
Question 20.Is the shared APPL_TOP configuration supported with Online Patching?
Answer: Yes. A shared APPL_TOP configuration is supported and recommended for multi-node
application tier implementations in Release 12.2.
Question 21.How does adop work in a multi-node environment?
Answer The adop Online Patching tool uses remote APIs and ssh login to execute patching operations
on remote nodes in a multi-node environment. The node that launches adop becomes the master
node, and the remote nodes are referred to as slaves.
Question 22.How do I determine the status of my Online Patching session?
Answer: You can run the adop -status command. This will display information that includes phases
completed and the time taken. If you want additional details of operations performed, you can run the
adop -status -detail command.
Question 23.What is downtime mode and when can it be used?
Answer: To optimize the process of upgrading to E-Business Suite Release 12.2, the AD Delta 5
Release Update Pack introduced downtime mode, which is used as follows:
$ adop phase=apply patches=<patch_number> apply_mode=downtime
Downtime mode does not use an online patching cycle. The process of applying a patch in downtime
mode completes more quickly than in online mode, but at the cost of increased system downtime.
When applying Oracle E-Business Suite patches in this mode, adop will first confirm that the
application tier services are down, and will then proceed to apply the patch to the run edition of the
Oracle E-Business Suite database and file system.
Downtime mode is supported for:
-All patching (including post-upgrade patching) that forms part of the Release 12.2 upgrade process
and is completed before the system is scaled up, the application tier services are started, and users log
in to the upgraded system.
-Single-node development or test environments, where production support and high availability are not
required.
Downtime mode allows the 12.2 upgrade process to be completed as quickly as possible. Once the
upgrade is complete and users are online, all subsequent patching on a production system should use
online mode, not downtime mode, unless the patch readme states otherwise.
Several restrictions apply to the use of downtime mode:
-You cannot validate successful patch application before cutover to the updated code takes place.
-There is no capability to abort a failed patch and return to the existing run edition.
-Release 12.2 patches are not normally tested in downtime mode.
-Use of downtime mode in a multi-node application tier environment is not tested or supported.
Question 24. What can I do to reduce the time required for cutover?
Answer: It is important to distinguish between the time needed for the whole cutover phase, and the
downtime period within the phase. The actual downtime (during which users cannot log in) is
significantly shorter than the whole phase. To help reduce the overall time taken by cutover, you can
do three things:
-Run the finalize phase explicitly, to obviate the need for cut over to do so.
-Shut down the concurrent managers before running cut over, to avoid having to wait for concurrent
requests to complete. Alternatively, ensure no long-running concurrent jobs are submitted while a
patching cycle is in progress.
-Ensure you are using the maximum number of parallel workers your system will support.
Question 25.What is fs_clone and how is it used?
Answer The command adop phase=fs_clone is a special command that is used to copy the run file
system to the patch file system. Also see previous question.
Question 26.Will AutoConfig and adadmin maintenance tasks such as adrelink,forms
compilation,report compilation be performed online?
Answer: Yes, these maintenance tasks will be performed online. The relevant operations will be
targeted to the patch file system, and should be performed during a patching cycle. They will not have
any impact on the run file system.
Question 27.Does Online Patching change the way data fix patches are applied to Oracle E-Business
Suite 12.2?
Answer Yes. Data fix patches (used to fix transactional data) require special handling. The patch
readme will give full instructions.
Question 28 How do I apply or patch my customizations in Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2?
Answer You should apply your customizations to the patch edition during the apply phase of the
Online Patching cycle. Because this happens prior to the cutover phase, your changes will be
propagated to the new run edition (along with all the fixes in the patches applied during the patching
cycle).
Question 29. If custom code is installed on a separate database schema, do I have to edition-enable my
custom database schema?
Answer The coding standards in the Oracle E-Business Suite Developers Guide state that the first
step to any custom application development is to register the custom Oracle schema with the Oracle E-
Business Suite applications. The Online Patching enablement patch enables editioning on all the
schemas registered with the application. If you follow this process, your schema will be edition-
enabled automatically.
Question 30. Are there any special considerations for creating custom patches that are compliant with
Online Patching?
Answer Yes. There are some special considerations for creating custom patches that are compliant
with Online Patching. Refer to the Patching Standards section of Oracle E-Business Suite Developers
Guide.
Question 31: How is a non Oracle E-Business Suite database schema able to access the Oracle E-
Business Suite tables?
Answer Any third-party schema, either from third-party products or custom code, must access Oracle
E-Business Suite tables via the synonyms in the APPS schema. Direct access to Oracle E-Business
Suite tables may produce incorrect results.
Question 32: What are the main technological difference between R12.2 and R12.1
Answer: R12.2 uses weblogic while R12.1 uses OC4J. Apart from that we have online patching
feature in r12.2 using edition and patch/run file system
R12.1 Techstack

R12.2 techstack
Question 33: How to change the apps password in R12.2?
Answer: apps password is same as R12.1 with the exception of changing that in weblogic console
also.
Question 34: where are the log files stored for adop?
Answer: It is stored in the third filesystem which is non edition filesystem
Question 35. how do you connect to the patch edition?
Answer: Source the env using patch option
/u71/R122/EBSapps.env patch
Question 36: How to determine the weblogic version in R12.2
Answer How to find Weblogic Version
Question 37. How to increase the manage node in R12.2?
Answer
How to add the manage server in R12.2
How to delete the manage server in R12.2
Question 38. Where are the log file located in R12.2 Apache and Weblogic
Answer
Apache Logs
$IAS_ORACLE_HOME/instances//diagnostics/logs/OHS/EBS_web_/*log
OPMN Log
$IAS_ORACLE_HOME/instances//diagnostics/logs/OPMN/opmn/
Weblogic Logs
$IAS_ORACLE_HOME/../wlserver_10.3/common/nodemanager
$EBS_DOMAIN_HOME/servers/oa/logs/
$EBS_DOMAIN_HOME/servers/forms/logs/
$EBS_DOMAIN_HOME/servers/AdminServer/logs/*
$EBS_DOMAIN_HOME/sysman/log/*
Question 39. How to stop and start the services in R12.2
Answer
When we want to stop all application services using script adstpall.sh , we provide apps password in
R12.1.3.But in R12.2 it will ask weblogic admin password in addition to bring down to all services .
We need to provide Weblogic admin password
Component Command
 $adnodemgrctl.sh start Enter Weblogic Admin
Node Manager
Password:

$adadminsrvctl.sh start Enter Weblogic Admin

Weblogic Admin Server
Password:

Application Listener $adalnctl.sh start

Oracle Process Manager $adopmnctl.sh start

Apache Services $adapcctl.sh start

Managed Server for OACORE $admanagedsrvctl.sh start oacore_server1 Enter

Services Weblogic Admin Password:

$admanagedsrvctl.sh start forms_server1 Enter

Managed Server for FormsServices
Weblogic Admin Password:

Managed Server for Fusion $admanagedsrvctl.sh start oafm_server1 Enter

MiddleWare Services Weblogic Admin Password:

Managed Server for Forms $admanagedsrvctl.sh start forms-c4ws_server1 Enter

web Services Weblogic Admin Password:

Concurrent Manager Service $adcmctl.sh start apps/apps

Fullfillment Serer Services $jtffmctl.sh start

Stop
When we want to stop all services adstpall.sh apps/apps again it is going to ask weblogic password
Component Command
 Fullfillment Serer Services $jtffmctl.sh stop

Concurrent Manager Service $adcmctl.sh stop apps/apps

Managed Server for Forms $admanagedsrvctl.sh stop forms-c4ws_server1 Enter

web Services Weblogic Admin Password:

Managed Server for Fusion $admanagedsrvctl.sh stop oafm_server1 Enter

MiddleWare Services Weblogic Admin Password:

$admanagedsrvctl.sh stop forms_server1 Enter

Managed Server for FormsServices
Weblogic Admin Password:

Managed Server for OACORE $admanagedsrvctl.sh stop oacore_server1 Enter

Services Weblogic Admin Password:

Apache Services $adapcctl.sh stop

Oracle Process Manager $adopmnctl.sh stop

Application Listener $adadlctl stop

$adadminsrvctl.sh stop Enter Weblogic Admin

Weblogic Admin Server
Password:

$adnodemgrctl.sh stop Enter Weblogic Admin

Node Manager
Password:

Admin scripts in R12.2

Question 40. Do we need to copy the Oracle fusion middleware in R12.2 cloning?
Answer It is not required in R12.2 cloning as adpreclone copies the Oracle fusion middle in
compressed format on the application tier
R12.2 Online Patching Questions and Answers

Question: Should we enable Maintenance Mode before patching?

Answer: This is not available in Release 12.2.

Question: Can we upgrade to Release 12.2 with Online Patching?

Answer: We cant . After you upgrade to Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2, you will enable to do
Online Patching.

Question: Once we upgrade to Release 12.2, so can we still apply patches in the traditional way?

Answer: No. Here, all patches for Release 12.2 will be applying only online patches. The traditional,
pre-12.2 method (adpatch) of applying patches will not work.

Question: Can we still use adpatch in the Release 12.2 Online Patching environment?

Answer: No way. Only we can use adop utility in R12.2 onwards.

Question: Is there any plans to make Online Patching available with pre-12.2 releases?

Answer: No, Online patching Adop can only be used with Release 12.2.

Question: Can we use Online Patching in a test environment?

Answer: Yes, of course you can use. It is required in all Oracle E-Business Suite environments R12.2
onwards.

Question: Can we use the patch edition for testing purposes?

Answer: As per me, a specialized component of the Online Patching infrastructure, the patch edition is
not supported for use as a test environment. You should continue to employ a separate, dedicated test
environment which you can do by cloning.

Question: Is hotpatch option still exist in Online Patching environment?

Answer: Yes, its support. However, the hotpatch option can only be used to apply patches specifically
designed to support it. But, you should avoid using hotpatch mode unless in the patch readme explicitly
states it is supported. Or better to contact Product Support Team.

Question: Will Online Patching be used with database technologies such as Active Dataguard and Flashback?

Answer: Yes, we can. Online patching can be used alongside Active Dataguard and Flashback.
Question: Is Online Patching change the way data fix patches are applied to Oracle E-
Business Suite 12.2?
Answer: Yes, of course. Data fix patches (used to fix transactional data) require special
type of handling. And the patch readme.txt or readme.html will give full instructions.

Question: Will Online Patching have any performance implications?

Answer: Actually, Online patching in R12.2 is designed to run efficiently alongside the
running application. And while an Online Patching cycle is in progress, there is a small
additional processing overhead. The degree of this additional overhead can be
managed by controlling the number of parallel workers used by Online Patching.

Question: How does the adop utility will work in a multi-node environment?
Answer: The adop Online Patching utility uses remote APIs and ssh login to execute
patching operations on remote nodes in a multi-node environment. Then the node
that launches adop will be the master node, and the remote nodes are referred to as
slaves.

Question: Will editioning views on top of the data model have an impact on
performance?
Answer: No. The editioning views are special views that were specifically designed not
to have any type of performance impact on the applications.

Question: Will adadmin and AutoConfig maintenance tasks such as adrelink be

performed online?
Answer: Yes, correct. these maintenance tasks will be performing online. The relevant
operations will be targeted to the patch file system, and should be performed during a
patching cycle. They will not have any impact on the run file system.

Question: Will Online Patching increase the network port requirements on an Oracle
E-Business Suite instance?
Answer: Yes, right. Online patching requires an additional set of network ports for the
Oracle WebLogic Server managed servers on the second file system. And during the
cutover phase, the managed servers run simultaneously on the patch file system and
run file system for a brief period, in a rolling transition process.
Part-1

1. Tell me about your experience on oracle products?

2. What is your role in the project?

3. How big was your team? who were you reporting to?

4. How many instances were you maintaining? how many people in each instance?

5. What is your day to day activity as an Apps DBA?

6. What is your experience with Financials, HR, Manufacturing, CRM implementations?

7. What is your experience with upgrades? from what version to what? and what modules?

8. The user says, the system is running slow? what is your approach?

9. One not so fine day the system is down, no one is able to login? What is your approach?

10. What is your experience with Backup and Recovery?

11. Different scenarios lost datafile while cloning, lost rman catalog.. etc

12. How do you move oracle home, datafiles, control files, application file systems, archive destination
procedure and online or offline?

13. Issues during heavy loads? pre-load and post-load things to take care of?

14. Issue with different systems integration? how do you make sure ur test systems are not going to production
of other systems and the other way round?

15. Patching procedures? database patch, applications patch, developer patch, iAS patch

16. Patching issues and tuning? reducing downtime, skipping, applied patches, snapshots

17. Experience with Concurrent Managers? custom managers purpose? specialization rules and tuning? 18.
Cloning Experience? Production to test, test to test timing estimate

19. Size of the database, SGA, concurrent users, memory, CPU?

20. Database refresh ? when is it benifical compared to clone and procedure?

21. Experience with Shell scripting? what kind of alerts did you have configured in your system?

22. How do you check if database, each application server is up?

23. Experience with load balancing, failover and high availability architecture environments?

24. Application SQL tuning experience?

25. Comfort level with OS administration, configuring, troubleshooting and tuning?

26. Experience with capacity planning? what are the questions you ask before coming up with
recommendation?

27. Job scheduling experience? when to use cron, dba_jobs, how do you schedule jobs if there are
dependencies across systems?
28. Explain the purpose of various config files of database and application servers(apache, jserv, modplsql,
forms, reports )? Debugging

29. Debugging and tracing different things? sql session, forms session, reports, FRD

30. How do you get a CBO plan? statistics maintenance?

31. How do you a find a particular session in database and os? current sql session, forms session, self-service
session, reports session?

32. Can you give a list of DBA, FND, V$ tables that you commonly use?

33. The developer dropped a table by mistake in production? How would you approach and recover?

34. Were you involved with any disaster recovery drills?

35. How do you audit the database?

36. Experience with statspack and what are the advantages, disadvantages?

37. Any Security measures you implemented in the applications database? like password policies, grants, roles
etc.

38. Any Go-Live issues that you are involved in?

39. Did you ever have to back-out during go-live?

40. How much time does it take to upgrade, clone or specific taks?

41. When you go to client place, what is the information you gather?

42. How do you upgrade a database? Steps

43. Different types of tables, indexes? when to use?

44. Different types of tablespaces? internals of local, dictionary, migration?

45. Import, Export experience? table, schema, database

46. How do you move from one application tier architecture to multiple?

47. How do you share an APPL_TOP? uses?

48. What are the different AD tools you have used?

49. What are the steps when upgrading oracle Applications?

50. Are you involved in QA, CRP, System Integration testing, Load testing?

Part-2

1. What is a snapshot? In which table we get Information?

2. How will check Apache is working in Front-end and Back End

3. Write down the methods to identify whether the application is in maintenance mode or not
4. What is the result of unsetting APPLCSF

5. How are the AOL Developers Environment variables set

6. How do we get access to the initial sigon to application?

7. From where are the Report files picked up for execution

8. Where are the Reports plsql files located

9. Which ORACLE HOME is used by ad utilities

10. Which file contains the product dependencies information

11. When apps password is given wrong for adstpall.sh, what is the effect on the services

12. What are the Various Statuses of Workers

13. How do you restart a failed patch process

14. What are the table/tables created when workers are initiated and in which schema

15. Create defaults file for "Compile Apps Schema"

16. Execute "Compile Apps Schema" in noninteractive mode

17. Where are the custom files placed

18. Difference between ad_bugs and ad_applied patches

19. What happened Relink adslpice and adpatch?

20. What are Oracle Apps DBA Important Tables we use in daily activities?

21. What is .lct and .ldt files in Patch Directory?

22. What are the tables updated when you apply application patch?

23. Can you apply Opatch without inventory? If there is no inventory, how do you apply Opatch?

24. What are the tables get created during Apps Patching?

25. How do you hide apps password during adpatching? (adpatch flags=hidepw)

26. What is interoperability patch

27. How do you compile jsp files?

28. Types of profile options?

29. Opatch log file location?

30. How do you clone a context file or how do you change existing port pool?

31. How do you run autoconfig in test mode?

32. What are mandatory users in oracle apps?

33. What is the location of apache and plsql cache?

34. What is adlicmgr ?

35. When do you relinking?

36. What is DAD?

37. How do you compile a schema?

38. What is the utility to clean the concurrent manager tables?

39. How do you stage the 11.5.10 Apps software?

40. ADPATCH has failed and it indicated there was an error with a worker. What steps can be taken to

investigate this problem?

41. How can I check to see if a concurrent manager is running?

42. Where do concurrent request or manager logfiles and output files go?

43. What is the function of the 'Conflict Resolution Manager'?

44. Unable to Bring Up Concurrent Manager after Running Autoconfig.

45. When should I run AutoConfig?

46. Which files / profile options get changed when I run AutoConfig?

47. What is cloning?

48. How do I determine if my system is Rapid Clone enabled?

49. Can I clone from one operating system version to another?

50. Can I change the database dbf files layout while cloning?

51. What is the difference between Concurrent Requests, Programs, and Processes

52. What is iAS Patch?

53. Why does a worker fails in Oracle Apps Patch and few scenarios in which it failed for you?

54. When you apply C driver patch does it require database to be Up & Why?

55. What are the important options to reduce patch down time?

56. Can you apply patch without putting Applications 11i in Maintenance mode?

57. What is difference between adpatch & opatch? Can you use both adpatch& opatch in Apps?

58. Why do I have invalid objects? What causes them? How you identify them ?

59. Is there a file that lists all of the patches that have been applied to the application?

60. What is the difference between apps listener & web listener?
61. Why only for Concurrent Manager, we specify apps/apps password & not for other?

62. Whats the significance of batch size? What r the effects when we increase r decrease the batch size it

defaults to 1000.

63. What is the purpose of using the option Phtofile in adpatch?

64. How do I configure AutoConfig for a multi-node system?

65. How do you identify the No. of nodes in Middle tier and db Tier

66. What is a Shared APPL_TOP? How do you identify whether it is a shared appl_TOP or not?

67. What is a Jinitiator? (Jinitiator is the Oracle JVM used to run the applet instead of using browsers own JVM)

68. Where would i find .rf9 file, and what exactly it dose?

69. What is .dbc file, where its stored , whats use of .dbc file ?

70. What is the use of adident utility ?

71. What is adsplice utility ?

72. How can you licence a product after installation ?

73. What is access_log in apache , what entries are recored in access_log ? Where is default location of this file

74. How to determine Oracle Apps 11i Version ?

75. What is PCP is Oracle Applications 11i ?

76. How to convert pll to pld file or pld file to pll ?

77. Where are the Application usrs details stored?

78. How to find plsql version?

79. When do you use startmgr.sh script? Where its locate?

80. What is the yellow Bar Issues?

ADOP (Online Patching) Interview question in oracle apps
R12.2
1.What is ADOP concept in oracle apps?
Online patching is the most important new feature in Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2. It is the ability to
patch a running system without having to take the system down for a significant period of time while the patches
are applied.

'adop' is the utility we use to apply patches in R12.2

2.What is PATCH_TOP directory in R12.2?

In R12.2 there is a new directory location environment variable called $PATCH_TOP which points to
$NE_BASE/EBSapps/patch
$NE_BASE points to <Non-Editioned-filesystem-directory>

Download the patch into the patch top directory and unzip it. This is the default location where the adop will look
for patch files.
If you are planning to put patches in non-defualt location then you need to use adop parameter
'patchtop=<patch_path>' to explicitly define this location.

3.What happens when ADOP command is run?

adop will perform all the tasks required to apply the patch:
* Reads patch metadata to determine patch dependencies and requirements.
* Attempt to recover previously failed patching session (if any).
* Reads and validate the patch/product driver files.
* Compares version numbers of existing files against the patch files and Backs up all existing files that will
be changed by the patch.
* Copies files.
* Archive files in libraries.
* Relinks executables, Generates forms, reports, messages, graphics, and Java archive (JAR) files.
* Compiles JSP files and invalid database objects. Updates database objects.
* Runs AutoConfig if required.
* Saves patch information to the database.

All tasks are similar to what adpatch utility used to do earlier.

4.In which file system ADOP command should be run?

We always run adop utility from the run edition file system.

5. How to apply patch in hot patch mode in R12.2?

During apply mode use the below command.
adop phase=apply options=hotpatch

6.How to run all pahses in single ADOP command in R12.2?

adop phase=prepare,apply,finalize,cutover,cleanup patches=<patch_number1>,<patch_number2>

Note: All the phases need to be completed and you cant skip any of these. For example, if you try to skip
prepare phase, you may get error message like "Apply phase can only be run while in a patching cycle, i.e. after
prepare phase."

7.How to complete ADOP patching cycle activity in Interactive mode?

We must set the environment by executing the run file system environment file.
$ . ./ <run APPL_TOP path>/APPS<CONTEXT_NAME>.env

* adop phase=prepare
* adop phase=apply patches=<patch_number1>,<patch_number2> workers=<number_of_worker>
* adop phase=finalize workers=<number_of_worker> (called automatically)
* adop phase=cutover workers=<number_of_worker>
* adop phase=cleanup (called automatically)

8.How to complete ADOP patching cycle activity in Non-Interactive mode?

During apply phase, Non-interactive patching is a way to save time by avoiding some of the prompts and
automating the patching process.

You can apply patches in non-interactive way by using a defaults file that contains much of the information you
would have supplied at the adop prompts and by creating another file known as input file. Then, when you run
adop, you specify the name of the input file. The location of the defaults file will also need to be included in the
input file.

$ adop phase=apply input_file=<input_file.txt>

Location of Default file on both the run APPL_TOP and patch APPL_TOP is:
$APPL_TOP/admin/<SID>_patch/adalldefaults.txt

Just in case this file gets corrupted or lost, you can run AutoConfig and it will automatically instantiate a new
copy.

The input_file contents should include the following required parameters:

adop phase=apply patches=<patch number>
adop phase=apply workers=<number of workers>
adop phase=apply patchtop=<directory where patches are staged>
adop phase=apply defaultsfile=<defaults file on patch APPL TOP>

Note: In R12.2, you dont need to create this defaults file. The file is already created by oracle process.
However you need to create one input file to use with adop (The defaults file is not specified on the adop
command line. It is the input file.)

9.How to skip specific patching portion/action in oracle apps R12.2?

During apply phase:

adop phase=apply options=nodatabaseportion, nogenerateportion.

adop phase=apply options=noactiondetails - if you do not want the details to be printed.

adop phase=apply options=noautoconfig - if you are applying a number of patches in sequence and want to run
AutoConfig only once in the end.

adop phase=apply option=nocheckfile To turn off the checkfile feature. Using checkfile adop skip some
actions which are already done.

adop phase=apply option=nocompiledb - when applying multiple NLS, documentations patches etc.

adop phase=apply option=nocompilejsp - when applying multiple NLS, documentations patches etc.

adop phase=apply option=nocopyportion - For skipping copy portion of the patch.

END OF LEVEL 1 QUESTIONS

LEVEL 2 QUESTIONS PREPARED BY VINOD (Questions are cryptic if needed can be
expanded while interviewing)
1. What is EBR
2. What is Edition
3. What is EBR in file system and database
4. What is database edition
5. What is cross Edition Trigger (a) forward cross edition trigger (FCET) (b) Reverse cross edition
trigger(RCET)
6. What are the coding standards that needs to be followed in R12.2.x
7. What is #based view and its synonym?
8. Is Table an editioned view
9. What are edition based objects
10. What are the Patching phases
11. What happens if a patch fails, what is abort, what is cleanup, how many modes
12. Is Patching Reversal/Rollback possible
13. What is the experience in recovery, restoring from Hot/Cold backup? Have you ever recovered data
like this? How long will it take?
14. What is GSS? How often will you run frequency? How will you improve the performance by
collecting stats?
15. What is explain plan, trace, tkprof
16. What is relinking/regeneration of objects
17. What are the steps/activities followed in pre-patching, patching & post patching activities
18. Will you collect and analyze the invalids before and after
19. Will you recompile the invalids after patching
20. Can we do merge patching in R12.2.x
21. What are the typical password maintenance activities, weekend activities & other Maint activities
22. Can the applied patches be reversed/rollback
23. Can we force apply a patch
24. Do you have any knowledge in SSO
25. Do you have any knowledge in Data guard? What is the purpose?
26. Can we do row/col level masking
27. Can we have custom schema & Custom top especially top within the FS or outside
28. Do you have experience in configuring the mail box
29. How will you manage the mails flowing to users or outside world in non-prod environment
30. Is it possible to create a separate concurrent manager in 12.2.x
31. Have you performed performance monitoring
32. Have you performed performance tuning
33. Can you do dual cloning, how will you clone the prod instance
34. Have you ever involved in setting up the SSO, DR
35. What is the process to be followed for custom code release, Java or OAF objects
36. How do you perform the patch analysis, ever used patch wizard
37. What is dataguard, do you have experience
38. What are the health checks you will perform
39. Do you perform sanity checks after patching and releasing the instance
40. In a critical situation, you have proposed a solution which you feel is a very good and right solution
but the client rejects, how will you feel and react? What will be your next steps?
41. In a critical situation, will you involve all the stakeholders, will you prepare an action and publish, will
you publish the actions and updates carried out at a regular frequency until the issue is resolved. Will
you setup meetings at regular and reasonable intervals with all the stakeholders to provide an update
to gain their confidence and also to keep them informed of the actions taken.