Performing Oracle RAC Container and Pluggable Databases Backup Operations

Oracle 12c supports container and pluggable databases. Commvault supports the backup of container and pluggable databases. You can backup the entire container database or one or more pluggable databases.

Container databases can be backed up by creating an instance for the container database. Single and multiple pluggable databases can be separately backed up through custom RMAN scripts.

Procedure

Container Database

When you backup a container database, all pluggable databases that are part of the container database are also backed up.

Add an instance for the container database.
Follow the steps to create a full or incremental backup, where the instance is the one added for the container database.

Single Pluggable Database

Create and customize an RMAN script file on the client computer, where the last line in the script specifies the pluggable database to back up. The line has the following format, with "pluggable_database_name" specifying the pluggable database to back up.

pluggable database pluggable_database_name;

Example: RMAN script backing up the pluggable database "SINGLE_PDB".
```
run { 
 setlimit channel ch1 maxopenfiles 8; 
     backup 
     incremental level = 0
     filesperset = 32
     pluggable database SINGLE_PDB 
   ;
 } 
 exit;
    
```
Execute the RMAN script. See Running RMAN Scripts from a Third Party Command Line.

Multiple Pluggable Databases

Create and customize an RMAN script file on the client computer, where the last line in the script specifies the pluggable databases to back up. The line has the following format, with "pluggable_database_name1" through "pluggable_databaseN. Each database must be separated by a comma (,).

pluggable database pluggable_database_name1, ... pluggable_database_nameN;

Example: RMAN script backing up the pluggable databases "PLUG_DB1" and "PLUG_DB2".
```
run { 
     setlimit channel ch1 maxopenfiles 8;
     backup 
      incremental level = 0 
      filesperset = 32 
      pluggable database PLUG_DB1, PLUG_DB2 
     ; 
 } 
 exit;
    
```
Execute the RMAN script. See Running RMAN Scripts from a Third Party Command Line.