datapatch -verbose Fails with Error “patch xxxxxxxx: Archived patch directory is empty”

“datapatch -verbose” failes on 12.1.0.2 database with following errors:

$ ./datapatch -verbose -skip_upgrade_check
...
..
.
Error: prereq checks failed!
 patch 22139226: Archived patch directory is empty
Prereq check failed, exiting without installing any patches.
...
..
.

Check $ORACLE_HOME/sqlpatch, there is no files for patch 22139226 to be used for rollback.

$ ls -ltr $ORACLE_HOME/sqlpatch|grep 22139226
$

CAUSE

1. The database is just migrated from old ORACLE_HOME to a new ORACLE_HOME.
2. The database is just switched over or failed over. The applied patches are different between ORACLE_HOME of primary and standby.

SOLUTION

Copy missing patch files from the old ORACLE_HOME, or from standby ORACLE_HOME to primary ORACLE_HOME.

REFERENCE

datapatch -verbose Fails with Error :” Patch xxxxxx: Archived Patch Directory Is Empty” (Doc ID 2235541.1).