Patch : 9295268 conflicts with : 9044638

Action Plan to apply patch : 9295268 in Forms ORACLE HOME.

Downloaded the patch and checked its files :
$ cd 9295268
$ ls
etc files README.txt


Verification whether patch applied already ?
$ cd OPatch
$ ./opatch lsinventory -invPtrLoc $ORACLE_HOME/oraInst.loc | grep 9295268

$ cat $ORACLE_HOME/oraInst.loc
inventory_loc=/kirang/product/oraInventory
inst_group=aakirang
$


Applying :-
Go to the patch Unzipped directory.
$ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch -invPtrLoc $ORACLE_HOME/oraInst.loc apply

Note: $ORACLE_HOME should be set to "/kirang/product/1012/" ==> Forms oracle Home.





Issue:-
========
While applying this got below information




************
Creating log file "/kirang/product/1012/.patch_storage/9295268/Apply_9295268_07-08-2011_05-11-52.log"

Invoking fuser to check for active processes.

Conflicting patches: 9044638,

Patch(es) 9044638, conflict with the patch currently being installed (9295268).

If you continue, patch(es) 9044638, will be rolled back and the
new patch (9295268) will be installed.

Note: If the patch currently being installed (9295268) is rolled back,
it is recommended that the fixes being rolled back here (9044638, ) are reinstalled.

If a merge of the new patch (9295268) and the conflicting patch(es)
9044638, is required, contact Oracle Support Services and request
a Merged patch.

Do you want to STOP?
Please respond Y|N >
*************





Explanation:-
=============
After observing found that patch : 9295268 that we are applying is conflicting with already existing patch : 9044638 in our ORACLE_HOME.

Verification:
$ $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch lsinventory -invPtrLoc $ORACLE_HOME/oraInst.loc | grep 9044638
[ Bug fixes: 7573720 7567072 8428638 6446152 7231982 8374931 7242694 9044638 9295268 8217396 7021759 7046878 7229760 7215354 6999812 6251633 8623626 7171994 6770810 1947595 8859958 7240862 8920655 7358376 6790720 8974551 7000696 7833659 8485711 5465339 7034183 6821297 6724714 6823259 7175618 6704955 8820459 7261996 7497494 ]



Work:-
=======
Searched in Metalink for the background of both the patches
a) 9044638 >> Existing in Our oracle Home
b) 9295268 >> Patch to be applied as part of our latest action plan.




Analysis:-
===========
9044638 ==> Description APPS6: NEED A MERGE OF BUG 8859958 WITH MLR BUG 8920655 IN 10.1.2.3
Product Developer Forms


Description APPS6: NEED A MERGE OF 9044638, 8623626, 8974551
Product Developer Forms


This can be analysed that the latest patch is superset of the one which is there in our Oracle Home.
So applying this patch has no effect though we roll it back.

2 Options to apply:-
=================
1) We can manually rollback and get it applied or
2) Try applying again and Say "N", when it suggested to quit. This will automatically roll back existing one.

Result:-

Rolled back 9044638 patch and applied : 9295268 as (this Patch : 9044638 included )

Restoring copied files...


Updating inventory...

Back to applying patch 9295268...

Backing up 2nd copy of comps.xml ...

Applying patch 9295268...

Patching copy files...



Inventory is good and does not have any dangling patches.


Updating inventory...

Verifying patch...
Backing up comps.xml ...


OPatch succeeded.
$


Now the patch got applied and no major change in existing functionality.

Note: In our case the latest patch is super set and decision was easy to apply by rolling back existing one.
But there will be cases where in both are totally different. In such cases we need to do more research.

ex:- we need to see whats the importance of existing one, Is it still required. If it is there is another approach. Approach is to work with Oracle support and get a "MERGED Patch" included these patches.

Thanks
Kiran Ginni