2.1 Preparing to Use OPatchAuto

To ensure successful patching, there are several prerequisites you should complete to prepare your environment for running OPatchAuto, such as obtaining the latest version of OPatch, obtaining required patches from My Oracle Support, and backing up the environment.

For more information on preparing your environment, see the following topics:

• Locating and Obtaining the Latest Version of OPatch and OPatchAuto
  Before you run OPatchAuto, find the OPatchAuto utility in the Oracle home and verify that you have the latest version. If you have the latest version of OPatchAuto, you have the latest version of OPatch.
• Obtaining Patches Required For Your Installation
  You can search for and download the latest patches for your installation from My Oracle Support.
• OPatchAuto Environment Variables for Fusion Middleware
  Before you run OPatchAuto, ensure that you set the required environment variables.
• Creating a Wallet to Store Passwords
  To successfully run OPatchAuto, you must provide a wallet on the command line that contains the necessary password credentials for connecting to the environment.
• Configuring Node Manager to Support Start and Stop Operations
  To ensure that OPatchAuto can properly stop and start your system during patching, you must configure the Node Manager(s) to support the start and stop operations.
• Remote Host Patching on Windows
  For patching on Windows machines, ensure that Cygwin SSH server is installed and set up. OPatchAuto does not support other SSH servers at this time.
• Backup and Recovery Considerations for Patching
  It is highly recommended that you back up the Oracle home before any patch operation. You can back up the Oracle home using your preferred method.