Cloning an Oracle RAC Database

You can create an instant clone of an Oracle RAC database.

The instant clone will be a single-instance database. Since the clone will be a single instance database, if you specify your own pfile then the pfile must include the following startup parameter:

clustered_database=false

Before You Begin

1. Have the backup administrator configure a client, and a subclient for the clone feature.

2. Verify that the Oracle database version on the destination database is the same as the one on the source database.

3. Verify that the Oracle user in both the source and destination database servers has the same user ID.

4. Install the Oracle Agent and the MediaAgent on the proxy.

5. On the destination client where want to create the clone database, create a directory for the mount path for the database clone files. This directory must be writable by the Oracle user.

6. If the Oracle database version is 11.2.0.3.0, 11.2.0.3.1, or 11.2.0.3.2, install Oracle patch 13366202 or the latest Oracle 11gR2 Patch Set Update on the destination database.

7. If the Oracle database version is Oracle 12c, install a minimum version of Oracle 12.1.0.2 with patch 19404068.

8. Optional: Create an additional instance on the destination server with the same name as of the clone database so that you can store the clone instance properties (for example, ORACLE_HOME).

9. You can clone a database to the same or different computer. If you clone a database to an instance that resides on a proxy computer, the following criteria must be met:

   • The Oracle database version on the proxy computer must be the same as the one in the source database.

   • The proxy computer must have access to the storage array containing the source database volumes.

   • The Oracle user in both the source and destination computers must have the same user ID.

   • The Oracle Agent and the MediaAgent must be installed on the proxy.

   • You must create a dummy Oracle instance with the same name as of the source database.

10. Perform a full backup.

11. Set the database to the correct mode defined in the table.

Procedure

1. From the navigation pane, go to Solutions > Databases > DB Instances.

   The Instances page appears.

2. Click the instance.

   The instance page appears.

3. In the Recovery points section, click Instant clone.

   The Instant clone page appears.

4. In the Destination Details section, provide the destination information.

   1. From the Destination server list, select the client that you want the clone to be on.

   2. From the Instance Name list, select the instance that you want the clone to be on.

   3. In the Oracle home box, type the full path to the destination Oracle home directory.

      If the Command Center user has access to the destination client Oracle database, then the Oracle home path is populated automatically.

   4. From the Access node list, select an optional access node.

5. Determine the backup that you want to clone.

   • To clone the database from the most recent time, in the Recover options area, select Most recent backup.

   • To clone the database from a point in time, under Recover options, select Point in time. Then type the time in the box.

6. Expand the Destination options node, and then provide the following details:

   1. In the PFile box, type the full path to the destination startup parameter file.

   2. In the Staging path box, type the full path to the location that the Oracle software uses to stage the clone.

   3. In the PGA + SGA size box, type the memory size in MB that you want to allocate for the Post Global Area (PGA) and System Global Area (SGA).

   4. In the REDO log size box, type the minimum permitted size in MB for the redo log file.

7. In the Delete clone after boxes in the Clone options area, type the number of days and hours that the software retains the test environment.

8. From the Clone from copy list, select the type of copy.

9. To run a script after the clone operation, for example a data masking script, type the full path to the script in the Command file path in the Post clone operation section.

10. Click OK.