在以下我简要引用一下Oracle官方的声明，提醒大家务必认真分析，制定必要的应对策略。

Oracle Databases Need to be Patched to a Minimum Patchset/PSU/RU level before April 2019 (Doc ID 2361478.1)

适用版本:

Oracle Database - Personal Edition - Version 9.2.0.1 and later

Oracle Database - Standard Edition - Version 9.2.0.1 and later

Oracle Database - Enterprise Edition - Version 9.2.0.1 and later

Information in this document applies to any platform.

描述

What we are announcing

All supported releases of Oracle Databases need to be patched to a minimum patchset/PSU level before April 2019 to ensure proper functioning of database links.

This note only applies to Database Server installations and the interoperability of database clients with database servers is not impacted by this patch.

What action you need to take

For all database releases prior to 12.2.0.1, ensure that all interconnected databases are in the below mentioned patchset/ PSU/BP levels or above:

Minimum Required PSU/RU

Patch Name

Release Data

Patch Number

12.1.0.2.0 PATCH SET FOR ORACLE DATABASE SERVER

09/01/15

11.2.0.4.0 PATCH SET FOR ORACLE DATABASE SERVER

08/27/13

DATABASE PATCH SET UPDATE 11.2.0.3.9 (INCLUDES CPUJAN2014)

01/14/14

DATABASE PATCH SET UPDATE 11.1.0.7.20 (INCLUDES CPUJUL2014)

07/14/14

ORACLE 11G 11.2.0.3 PATCH 28 BUG FOR WINDOWS

**Patch 28 is withdrawn. Apply Patch 29 or above.

02/26/14

** Patch 29 Patch 18075406 (Win x64) | Patch 18075405 (Win 32-Bit)

ORACLE 11G 11.1.0.7 PATCH 57 BUG FOR WINDOWS

07/15/14

QUARTERLY DATABASE PATCH FOR EXADATA (JAN 2014 - 11.2.0.3.22)

01/14/14

In summary, 12.2.0.1 and higher releases, 11.2.0.4 and 12.1.0.2 patchsets have this fix included, while patches are available for 11.1.0.7 and 11.2.0.3 releases. If you have any other database server installations (e.g. 10.2.0.5, 11.2.0.2), you should upgrade such databases if you would like the older databases to continue using database links with newer versions of databases.

What is the change introduced by the patches listed above?

The patches listed above make the older databases capable of supporting increased SCN soft limit (i.e. support transactions with higher SCN rate) though the increased SCN soft limit only becomes effective at a later time (after April 2019).

Timelines

All databases should be at the above mentioned release/patchset/ PSU/BP levels (or above) before April2019.

Support and Questions

If you have any queries please post them in the Database community page: https://community.oracle.com/message/14710245#14710245

OCCURRENCE

Applicable to all Oracle database releases prior to 12.2.0.1

症状

Database Links might fail or encounter errors

WORKAROUND

None

PATCHES

Please refer the table Minimum Required PSU/RU above.

发布历史

Added details regarding the change: 9-Mar-2018

Corrected the hyperlinksand information related to 11.2.0.3.29 (windows) : 7-Mar-2018

Created: 15-Feb-2018

Mandatory Patching Requirement for Database Versions 11.2.0.3 or Earlier, Using DB Links (Doc ID 2335265.1)

适用版本:

Oracle Database - Enterprise Edition - Version 11.1.0.7 to 12.2.0.1 [Release 11.1 to 12.2]

Oracle Database - Standard Edition - Version 11.1.0.7 to 12.2.0.1 [Release 11.1 to 12.2]

Information in this document applies to any platform.

目标

This support note provides additional info related to mandatory patching/upgrade of all supported releases of Oracle Databases to a minimum patchset/PSU level before April 2019.

SCOPE

The document is intended for all DBAs.

DETAILS

All supported releases of Oracle Databases need to be patched to a minimum patchset/PSU level before April 2019 to ensure proper functioning of database links. This note only applies to Database Server installations and the interoperability of database clients with database servers is not impacted by this patch.

1. What are the minimum recommended patchset/PSU/BP/RU levels?

For all database releases prior to 12.2.0.1, ensure that all interconnected databases are in the below mentioned patchset/ PSU/BP levels or above:

Mandatory patch levels

Patch Name

Release Data

Patch Number

12.1.0.2.0 PATCH SET FOR ORACLE DATABASE SERVER

09/01/15

11.2.0.4.0 PATCH SET FOR ORACLE DATABASE SERVER

08/27/13

DATABASE PATCH SET UPDATE 11.2.0.3.9 (INCLUDES CPUJAN2014)

01/14/14

DATABASE PATCH SET UPDATE 11.1.0.7.20 (INCLUDES CPUJUL2014)

07/14/14

ORACLE 11G 11.2.0.3 PATCH 28 BUG FOR WINDOWS

**Patch 28 is withdrawn. Apply Patch 29 or above.

02/26/14

** Patch 29 Patch 18075406 (Win x64) | Patch 18075405 (Win 32-Bit)

ORACLE 11G 11.1.0.7 PATCH 57 BUG FOR WINDOWS

07/15/14

QUARTERLY DATABASE PATCH FOR EXADATA (JAN 2014 - 11.2.0.3.22)

01/14/14

In summary, 12.2.0.1 and higher releases, 11.2.0.4 and 12.1.0.2 patchsets have this fix included, while patches are available for 11.1.0.7 and 11.2.0.3 releases. If you have any other database server installations (e.g. 10.2.0.5, 11.2.0.2), you should upgrade such databases if you would like the older databases to continue using database links with newer versions of databases.

Patching the older versions is mandatory *only* if you want to have a db link connection to a latest release or patched database.

2. What is the timeline for moving to the minimum recommended patchset/PSU/BP mentioned?

All databases should be at the above mentioned release/patchset/ PSU/BP levels (or above) before April2019.

3. What is the change introduced by the patches listed above?

The patches listed above make the older databases capable of supporting increased SCN soft limit (i.e. support transactions with higher SCN rate) though the increased SCN soft limit only becomes effective at a later time (after April 2019).

4. What happens if the mandatory PSU / patchset is not applied?

If either the source or target database using database links is not patched/upgraded to the right patchset/PSU level, you may get run-time errors during database link operations after April 2019. In order to resolve the errors, you would immediately need to patch/upgrade the databases.

5. What about databases that are 10.2 or older, which are not listed in the table?

Please ensure that you don't have any database link (incoming or outgoing) between earlier versions of databases (e.g. 10.2) and the database releases/patches mentioned in this document (Under Sec 1. What are the minimum recommended patchset/PSU/BP/RU levels? ) as we don't plan to release patches for those unsupported versions of databases. If you continue to have such database links after April 2019, you may get run-time errors during database link operations and you would need to disconnect those database links at that time.

6. How can I check the details regarding the dblinks to and from a database?

In order to identify database links, please review "Viewing Information About database Links" in Database Administrator's guide.

Please note that outgoing db links from a database can be identified via DBA_DB_LINKS view for all database releases.

select * from dba_db_links;

For 12.1 and later releases, you can also find out about incoming database links via DBA_DB_LINK_SOURCES view.

select * from dba_db_link_sources;

7. Will there be any issues with the db links connecting two unpatched databases ? Or databases of older versions?

The dblink connections involving two unpatched databases or two older releases are not directly affected by this change. Having said that, we do recommend to apply the patches or upgrade the database as per the table above. The patches listed above are recommended inline with the features available in the future releases.

8. Will the dblinks involving a patched and an unpatched database, stop working immediately after April 2019?

DB Links won't become unusable immediately after April 2019. But might encounter errors (for some cases) at any point of time, after April 2019.

9. What should I do, if the dblink connection from an older version database to a latest (or patched) version database fails, after April 2019?

Upgrade the older version database to any patch level mentioned in the table - Mandatory patch levels.

10. What do we need to do for 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.2 and 12.2.0.1 database releases?

No action is necessary. All the fixes needed are already included in these releases.