DRG-50857 and ORA-12838 error while INDEXTYPE IS CTXSYS.CONTEXT

Question

Hi Experts,
I've been encountering an issue while creating INDEX.
If I execute the below script from SQLDEVELOPER line by line, then the index gets created but the weirdest thing is, if I executed the same as one sql file from SQLPLUS or SQLDEVELOPER, I get the error shared below. As we need to deliver as one sql file to customer, how can we fix this issue?
Below is the content of my sql file
ALTER SESSION ENABLE PARALLEL DML;
ALTER SESSION FORCE PARALLEL QUERY;
CREATE INDEX APPS.TEST_N1 ON APPS.EMP_TABLE
    EMP_NAME
  INDEXTYPE IS CTXSYS.CONTEXT PARALLEL 32;
ALTER INDEX APPS.TEST_N1 NOPARALLEL;
COMMIT;
Below is the error
Session altered.
Elapsed: 00:00:00.00
Session altered.
Elapsed: 00:00:00.00
CREATE INDEX APPS.TEST_N1 ON APPS.EMP_TABLE
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-29855: error occurred in the execution of ODCIINDEXCREATE routine
ORA-20000: Oracle Text error:
DRG-50857: oracle error in dripref.set_preferences
ORA-12838: cannot read/modify an object after modifying it in parallel
ORA-06512: at "CTXSYS.DRUE", line 160
ORA-06512: at "CTXSYS.TEXTINDEXMETHODS", line 366
Elapsed: 00:00:02.82
Index altered.
Elapsed: 00:00:00.01
Commit complete.

Answer 1

I get the same error in 11g, as shown below, but not in 12c, as shown below that.  So, it looks like there has been a change in the way that Oracle Text does things between versions.  When you create an Oracle Text Context index, it creates some domain index tables.  Apparently there is some change involved behind the scenes in the dripref.set_preferences procedure that perhaps does an append or some such thing.  If you post this question in the Text space/sub-forum, with a link to this thread, you may get a more detailed explanation and perhaps a workaround from Oracle Text product manager Roger Ford or others.  Or, perhaps some moderator will move this thread there.
SCOTT@orcl> SELECT banner FROM v$version;
BANNER
Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.1.0 - 64bit Production
PL/SQL Release 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
CORE    11.2.0.1.0    Production
TNS for 64-bit Windows: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
5 rows selected.
SCOTT@orcl> CREATE TABLE emp_table AS SELECT ename emp_name FROM emp;
Table created.
SCOTT@orcl> ALTER SESSION ENABLE PARALLEL DML;
Session altered.
SCOTT@orcl> ALTER SESSION FORCE PARALLEL QUERY;
Session altered.
SCOTT@orcl> CREATE INDEX SCOTT.TEST_N1 ON SCOTT.EMP_TABLE
  2    (
  3       EMP_NAME
  4    )
  5    INDEXTYPE IS CTXSYS.CONTEXT PARALLEL 32;
CREATE INDEX SCOTT.TEST_N1 ON SCOTT.EMP_TABLE
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-29855: error occurred in the execution of ODCIINDEXCREATE routine
ORA-20000: Oracle Text error:
DRG-50857: oracle error in dripref.set_preferences
ORA-12838: cannot read/modify an object after modifying it in parallel
ORA-06512: at "CTXSYS.DRUE", line 160
ORA-06512: at "CTXSYS.TEXTINDEXMETHODS", line 366
SCOTT@orcl> ALTER INDEX SCOTT.TEST_N1 NOPARALLEL;
Index altered.
SCOTT@orcl> COMMIT;
Commit complete.
SCOTT@orcl12c> SELECT banner FROM v$version;
BANNER
Oracle Database 12c Enterprise Edition Release 12.1.0.1.0 - 64bit Production
PL/SQL Release 12.1.0.1.0 - Production
CORE    12.1.0.1.0    Production
TNS for 64-bit Windows: Version 12.1.0.1.0 - Production
NLSRTL Version 12.1.0.1.0 - Production
5 rows selected.
SCOTT@orcl12c> CREATE TABLE emp_table AS SELECT ename emp_name FROM emp;
Table created.
SCOTT@orcl12c> ALTER SESSION ENABLE PARALLEL DML;
Session altered.
SCOTT@orcl12c> ALTER SESSION FORCE PARALLEL QUERY;
Session altered.
SCOTT@orcl12c> CREATE INDEX SCOTT.TEST_N1 ON SCOTT.EMP_TABLE
  2    (
  3       EMP_NAME
  4    )
  5    INDEXTYPE IS CTXSYS.CONTEXT PARALLEL 32;
Index created.
SCOTT@orcl12c> ALTER INDEX SCOTT.TEST_N1 NOPARALLEL;
Index altered.
SCOTT@orcl12c> COMMIT;
Commit complete.