Keeping Oracle Grid Infrastructure 26ai up to date is a critical responsibility for every Oracle DBA. Grid Infrastructure sits at the very foundation of your Oracle environment, managing ASM, Oracle Restart, CRS services, and high availability components. Any instability at this layer directly affects databases running on top of it.
In this guide, we walk through the January 2026 patch for Oracle Grid Infrastructure Release Update 23.26.1.0.0, applied using Patch 38729625. This is a real-world, DBA-tested walkthrough using opatchauto, including what happens behind the scenes and how to validate a successful patch.
This blog is written to be human-friendly, practical, and SEO-optimized, not just a copy of Oracle documentation.
Why Patch Oracle Grid Infrastructure 26ai?
Oracle Grid Infrastructure patches are more than routine updates. They deliver:
- Critical bug fixes for CRS and ASM
- Stability improvements for Oracle Restart
- Security fixes for clusterware components
- Compatibility alignment with Database Release Updates
- Performance and reliability enhancements
For Oracle AI Database 26ai, Oracle strongly recommends keeping Grid and Database Release Updates aligned. Applying the January 2026 Grid RU ensures a stable base for databases patched to 23.26.1.0.0.
Patch Overview
- Patch ID: 38729625
- Patch Type: Oracle Grid Infrastructure Release Update
- Release Version: 23.26.1.0.0
- Patch Method:
opatchauto - Grid Home:
/u01/app/grid - Deployment Type: Oracle Restart (Standalone Server)
This patch bundle contains multiple sub-patches covering CRS, ASM, CVU, networking, and core clusterware components.
Verify OPatch Version Before Patching
Before applying any Grid Infrastructure patch, verify the OPatch version. Newer Grid RUs require an up-to-date OPatch utility.
cd /u01/app/grid/OPatch
./opatch versionOutput:
OPatch Version: 12.2.0.1.48
OPatch succeeded.👉 DBA Tip: Always update OPatch before patching. An outdated OPatch is one of the most common causes of patch failures.
Applying the Grid Infrastructure Patch (38729625)
Oracle strongly recommends using opatchauto for Grid Infrastructure patching. This tool automates CRS shutdown, patch application, and service startup.
Run the following command as the oracle user:
/u01/app/grid/OPatch/opatchauto apply /home/oracle/patch/38729625 -oh /u01/app/grid -logLevel FINEST/u01/app/grid/OPatch/opatchauto apply /home/oracle/patch/38729625 -oh /u01/app/grid -logLevel FINEST
OPatchauto session is initiated at Wed Jan 28 13:27:35 2026
System initialization log file is /u01/app/grid/cfgtoollogs/opatchautodb/systemconfig2026-01-28_01-27-45PM.log.
Session log file is /u01/app/grid/cfgtoollogs/opatchauto/opatchauto2026-01-28_01-27-51PM.log
The id for this session is SA3K
Executing OPatch prereq operations to verify patch applicability on home /u01/app/grid
Patch applicability verified successfully on home /u01/app/grid
Executing patch validation checks on home /u01/app/grid
Patch validation checks successfully completed on home /u01/app/grid
Performing prepatch operations on CRS - bringing down CRS service on home /u01/app/grid
Prepatch operation log file location: /u01/app/oracle/crsdata/testdb/crsconfig/hapatch_2026-01-28_01-29-22PM.log
CRS service brought down successfully on home /u01/app/grid
Start applying binary patch on home /u01/app/grid
Binary patch applied successfully on home /u01/app/grid
Running rootadd_rdbms.sh on home /u01/app/grid
Successfully executed rootadd_rdbms.sh on home /u01/app/grid
Performing postpatch operations on CRS - starting CRS service on home /u01/app/grid
Postpatch operation log file location: /u01/app/oracle/crsdata/testdb/crsconfig/hapatch_2026-01-28_01-50-50PM.log
CRS service started successfully on home /u01/app/grid
OPatchAuto successful.
--------------------------------Summary--------------------------------
Patching is completed successfully. Please find the summary as follows:
Host:testdb
SIHA Home:/u01/app/grid
Version:23.0.0.0.0
Summary:
==Following patches were SUCCESSFULLY applied:
Patch: /home/oracle/patch/38729625/38743669
Log: /u01/app/grid/cfgtoollogs/opatchauto/core/opatch/opatch2026-01-28_13-44-12PM_1.log
Patch: /home/oracle/patch/38729625/38743682
Log: /u01/app/grid/cfgtoollogs/opatchauto/core/opatch/opatch2026-01-28_13-44-12PM_1.log
Patch: /home/oracle/patch/38729625/38743688
Log: /u01/app/grid/cfgtoollogs/opatchauto/core/opatch/opatch2026-01-28_13-44-12PM_1.log
Patch: /home/oracle/patch/38729625/38743695
Log: /u01/app/grid/cfgtoollogs/opatchauto/core/opatch/opatch2026-01-28_13-44-12PM_1.log
Patch: /home/oracle/patch/38729625/38743706
Log: /u01/app/grid/cfgtoollogs/opatchauto/core/opatch/opatch2026-01-28_13-44-12PM_1.log
OPatchauto session completed at Wed Jan 28 13:52:04 2026
Time taken to complete the session 8 minutes, 26 secondsWhat Happens During opatchauto Execution
Once initiated, opatchauto performs a series of controlled steps:
1. Patch Applicability Checks
Patch applicability verified successfully on home /u01/app/gridThis ensures the patch matches the Grid home and platform.
2. Patch Validation Checks
Patch validation checks successfully completed on home /u01/app/gridOracle verifies inventory, prerequisites, and conflicts before proceeding.
3. CRS Shutdown (Prepatch Phase)
Performing prepatch operations on CRS - bringing down CRS service
CRS service brought down successfully👉 Important: During this phase, databases managed by Oracle Restart are temporarily stopped.
4. Binary Patch Application
Binary patch applied successfully on home /u01/app/gridAll Grid Infrastructure binaries are updated during this step.
5. rootadd_rdbms.sh Execution
Running rootadd_rdbms.sh on home /u01/app/grid
Successfully executed rootadd_rdbms.shThis script updates system-level configurations required after patching.
6. CRS Startup (Postpatch Phase)
Performing postpatch operations on CRS - starting CRS service
CRS service started successfullyOracle Restart services are brought back online cleanly.
Patch Summary – Successful Application
At the end of the session, opatchauto provides a clear summary:
OPatchAuto successful.
Patching is completed successfully.
Time taken: 8 minutes, 26 secondsSuccessfully Applied Sub-Patches
./opatch lspatches
38743706;ACFS RELEASE UPDATE 23.26.1.0.0 (38743706)
38743695;RHP RELEASE UPDATE 23.26.1.0.0 (38743695)
38743688;OCW RELEASE UPDATE 23.26.1.0.0 (38743688)
38743682;MICRONAUT RELEASE UPDATE 23.26.1.0.0 (38743682)
38743669;Database Release Update : 23.26.1.0.0 (38743669)
OPatch succeeded.These sub-patches collectively update all major Grid Infrastructure components required for RU 23.26.1.0.0.
Post-Patch Verification (Mandatory)
After patching, always verify the Grid and database resources.
crsctl stat res -t
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name Target State Server State details
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local Resources
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ora.DATA.dg
ONLINE ONLINE testdb STABLE
ora.LISTENER.lsnr
ONLINE ONLINE testdb STABLE
ora.asm
ONLINE ONLINE testdb Started,STABLE
ora.ons
OFFLINE OFFLINE testdb STABLE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cluster Resources
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ora.cssd
1 ONLINE ONLINE testdb STABLE
ora.diskmon
1 OFFLINE OFFLINE STABLE
ora.evmd
1 ONLINE ONLINE testdb STABLE
ora.orcl.db
1 ONLINE ONLINE testdb Open,HOME=/u01/app/o
racle/product/26ai/d
bhome_1,STABLE
ora.orcl.orclpdb.pdb
1 ONLINE ONLINE testdb READ WRITE,STABLE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Confirm:
- ASM disk groups are ONLINE
- Listener is ONLINE
- CRS services are STABLE
- Databases and PDBs are OPEN
This ensures Oracle Restart is functioning correctly after patching.
Common DBA Questions
Is downtime required?
Yes. For Oracle Restart environments, databases are stopped while CRS is patched. The downtime is typically under 10 minutes.
Should Grid or Database be patched first?
Always patch Grid Infrastructure first, followed by the Database Home.
Is datapatch required for Grid patches?
No. datapatch is only required for Database Release Updates, not Grid Infrastructure patches.
Best Practices for Grid Infrastructure Patching
- Take a system or VM snapshot before patching
- Ensure no backups or heavy jobs are running
- Patch Grid before Database Home
- Review opatchauto logs after completion
- Validate CRS and ASM status
Final Thoughts
The January 2026 Oracle Grid Infrastructure 26ai Release Update (23.26.1.0.0) is a stable and well-structured patch. Using opatchauto makes the process predictable, repeatable, and safe.
By keeping Grid Infrastructure aligned with Database Release Updates, you ensure:
- Higher availability
- Better performance
- Improved security
- Long-term Oracle support compliance
For any Oracle AI Database 26ai environment, this patch should be part of your standard maintenance cycle.
