MERGE to table with Virtual Columns + Error Log Table = ORA-03113
This is just in case you come across this. It appears to be an Oracle bug. I don’t know if it’s been fixed in a later release. I haven’t isolated a simple repeatable test case yet, so I don’t know if the scenario here includes all the relevant details or not.
Version: Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.1.0 – 64bit Production
Scenario:
- MERGE into a table that has one or more virtual columns.
- The MERGE statement has a “LOG ERRORS” clause.
- The error log table is a standard one created using DBMS_ERRLOG.create_error_log.
Other factors that may or may not be involved are:
- the target table is in a different schema
- the merge statement queries another table with the same name in the current schema
- the merge statement includes WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE, DELETE WHERE, WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT cluases
- the merge statement has a WHERE clause on the WHEN NOT MATCHED clause
Result:
ORA-03113: end-of-file on communication channel and/or ORA-03114: not connected to ORACLE
This happens whether the MERGE is executed or just explain-plan’ed – so it shouldn’t be related to the actual data in either the source or destination tables.
After creating the log table, but before the merge, drop the columns from the error log that are virtual columns in the target table.


Hi Jeff,
When you get a ORA-03113, the server process has dumped its error message – the real one – into the alert file. Did you check that error message yet?
Regards,
Rob.
No I didn’t :) but I did now.
I did find these:
It doesn’t dump the 3113 error message, if I recall correctly. That’s the client error message. I always search with the time the error occurred.
Ok, I found this in the alert log:
The first trace file mentioned has this:
The second trc file mentioned is too large to include here…
At least you now know for sure it’s a bug :-). I’ve encountered many times a regular ORA-message in the alert file which could be solved by some code changes (especially when doing XML in Oracle9), but that’s not the case here.
I ran across the same thing on Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.2.0 – 64bit Production.
I can also say that none of the other factors you mention were involved in my case.
Other factors that may or may not be involved are:
the target table is in a different schema
the merge statement queries another table with the same name in the current schema
the merge statement includes WHEN MATCHED THEN UPDATE, DELETE WHERE, WHEN NOT MATCHED THEN INSERT cluases
the merge statement has a WHERE clause on the WHEN NOT MATCHED clause
Thank you Jeff!
Good man. Great job describing the issue and providng a solution.
Much Appreciated!