Opatch: How to check whether the patch require database bounce or not. Means online apply or not.

From 11g onwards Oraclr releasing patches without downtime requirement for some patches.

Opatch command line has now an additional options called query and _is_online_patch which can be used to determine whether the patch can apply online or not.

XXXXXXXX:TEST:UAT $ opatch query -is_online_patch /home/users/oracle/9877980 -invptrloc /u01/in/TEST/oracle/db/11.2.0.2/oraInst.loc
Invoking OPatch 11.2.0.1.1

Oracle Interim Patch Installer version 11.2.0.1.1
Copyright (c) 2009, Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Oracle Home       : /u01/in/TEST/oracle/db/11.2.0.2
Central Inventory : /u01/in/TEST/oracle/orainventory
   from           : /u01/in/TEST/oracle/db/11.2.0.2/oraInst.loc
OPatch version    : 11.2.0.1.1
OUI version       : 11.2.0.2.0
OUI location      : /u01/in/TEST/oracle/db/11.2.0.2/oui
Log file location : /u01/in/TEST/oracle/db/11.2.0.2/cfgtoollogs/opatch/opatch2012-11-07_02-54-03AM.log

Patch history file: /u01/in/TEST/oracle/db/11.2.0.2/cfgtoollogs/opatch/opatch_history.txt

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patch is an online patch: false

OPatch succeeded.
XXXXXXXXX:TEST:UAT $

Here you can see the patch is offline as its false. You cannot apply online.

If you have a patch which is true for online patch you can apply the same using apply online option in opatch.

Opatch apply online

Hope this helps

Thanks
Geek DBA