How to write custom messages to the alert log file

exec sys.dbms_system.ksdwrt(2,'Your message here')

The first argument can be either

1 -> Write to the trace file

2 -> Write to the database alert log file

3 -> Write to both of the above files

Syntax for applying and removing a patch on the WLS server Home in an EBS 12.2 installation

The bsu (or "Smart update") utility:

cd $MW_HOME/utils/bsu
bsu.sh -version
Oracle Smart Update. Version: 3.3.0.0

Here's an example on how to install a patch:

./bsu.sh -remove -patch_download_dir=$MW_HOME/utils/bsu/cache_dir -patchlist=1LRI -prod_dir=$MW_HOME/wlserver_10.3 -verbose -log=install_1LRI.log

Here's an example on how to remove a patch:

./bsu.sh -install -patch_download_dir=$MW_HOME/utils/bsu/cache_dir -patchlist=E7HI -prod_dir=$MW_HOME/wlserver_10.3 -verbose -log=install_E7HI.log

Script sniplet to differentiate between cdb and pdb environment settings in a shell script

This little sniplet could be used if you find yourself in a situation where you need to differentiate between the cdb environment and the pdb environment on a server using multitenant setup.

I am setting a commonly used alias for the usage of sqlplus called "sql" depending on the ORACLE_SID being set to the cdb or the pdb.

It differs slightly since I you can only do a bequath session when connecting to the former, and not the latter:

When connecting to the pdb as sysdba, you need to go through the listener, and therefore supply the password.

When connecting to the cdb you can do a so called bequeath session and connect directly to the oracle instance through IPC.

read -p 'Will you be administrating the cdb or the PDB? ' container
case $container in
        CDB|cdb)
        . $ORACLE_HOME/cdb_settings.env;
        alias sql='sqlplus / as sysdba';;
        PDB1|pdb1)
        . $ORACLE_HOME/pdb1.env;
        alias sql='sqlplus sys@pdb1 as sysdba';;
        *) echo "You must select cdb or pdb1";
         exit 1;;
esac

How to generate a cold backup script for a database

Probably many ways to to this, but here is how I generated a simple file that after being made executable will copy all files to a specific folder. The database must be shut down before running the script, so in other words, this will be a good, old-fashioned cold backup!

set lines 200
set pages 0
set trimspool on
set heading off
set echo off
set feedback off
set verify off

spool cp_files.sh


SELECT    'cp '
       || a.file_name
       || ' /u01/oracle/cold_backup/'
       || (SELECT TRIM (SUBSTR (b.file_name,
                                (  INSTR (b.file_name,
                                          '/',
                                          -1,
                                          1)
                                 + 1)))
             FROM cdb_data_files b
            WHERE a.file_name = b.file_name)
  FROM cdb_data_files a
UNION
SELECT    'cp '
       || a.MEMBER
       || ' /u01/oracle/cold_backup/'
       || (SELECT TRIM (SUBSTR (b.MEMBER,
                                (  INSTR (b.MEMBER,
                                          '/',
                                          -1,
                                          1)
                                 + 1)))
             FROM v$logfile b
            WHERE a.MEMBER = b.MEMBER)
FROM v$logfile A
UNION
SELECT    'cp '
       || a.name
       || ' /u01/oracle/cold_backup/'
       || (SELECT TRIM (SUBSTR (b.name,
                                (  INSTR (b.name,
                                          '/',
                                          -1,
                                          1)
                                 + 1)))
             FROM v$tempfile b
            WHERE a.name = b.name)
  FROM v$tempfile a
UNION
SELECT    'cp '
       || a.name
       || ' /u01/oracle/cold_backup/'
       || (SELECT TRIM (SUBSTR (b.name,
                                (  INSTR (b.name,
                                          '/',
                                          -1,
                                          1)
                                 + 1)))
             FROM v$controlfile b
            WHERE a.name = b.name)
  FROM v$controlfile a;