SQL*Plus 10.2.0.1 Hangs, When System Uptime Is Long Period of Time

Today, my colleague told me, Why I can't use "sqlplus" (Oracle client) on my application server connect your database, But I can use "tnsping"... And I'd ever connected!

I remoted on this server and found "sqlplus" hung ... and sqlplus used more CPU %

$ ps aux

USER       PID %CPU %MEM   VSZ  RSS TTY      STAT START   TIME COMMAND

oracle   12722 96.4  0.2 19560 4600 pts/5    R    15:36   0:06 sqlplus

So, found out on metalink... (338461.1)

SQL*Plus 10.2.0.1 Hangs, When System Uptime Is Long Period of Time (Linux x86)

Used "strace" :

$ strace sqlplus -V 2>&1 |less

execve("/oracle/10.2.0/client/bin/sqlplus", ["sqlplus", "-V"], [/* 31 vars */]) = 0

uname({sys="Linux", node="host01", ...})  = 0

brk(0)                                  = 0x804a000

access("/etc/ld.so.preload", R_OK)      = -1 ENOENT (No such file or directory)

.

.

.

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

times(NULL)                             = -2138395754

It is looping on the times() function.

There have been cases where problem occurs when uptime reaches 60 days and others as long as 248 days.

In addition to sqlplus, it has been reported that the netca and dbca tools also hang.

Solution from metalink...

Select one of the following two solutions:

1) Apply one-off patch available for 10.2.0.1.

   a. Download one-off patch off Metalink:

       Patch 4612267

       Description OCI CLIENT IS IN AN INFINITE LOOP WHEN MACHINE UPTIME HITS 248 DAYS

       Product CORE

       Release Oracle 10.2.0.1

   b. To apply patch on Instant Client install, please follow instructions documented in the OCI manual.

        You can find this in:

        http://www.oracle.com/pls/db102/db102.show_toc?which=main&partno=b14250&maxlevel=2&section=&expand=3216

        under "Patching Instant Client Shared Libraries on Linux or UNIX".

2)  Apply Patchset 10.2.0.2  or higher. 

      According to Bug 4612267, this bug is fixed in version 11, and backported to 10.2.0.2 patchset.