Duplicating an Oracle Database to a Different Host with a Configured Instance

Create a duplicate database for testing or demonstrations.

A duplicate database is a copy of the source database with a unique database identifier (DBID). The duplicate database is independent of the primary database and can be registered in the same recovery catalog as the primary database.

If the duplicate (auxiliary) database already exists in the destination computer, it is overwritten.

A duplicated database is opened without restricted access. Open the database in restricted mode for administrative tasks.

When you duplicate a database, you can configure the software to mask the data on the destination. For more information, see Oracle Data Masking.

If you are restoring from a lower version of Oracle to a higher version, use the STARTUP UPGRADE command. After STARTUP UPGRADE, refer to the Oracle documentation for detailed instructions.

About This Task

You can create a duplicate database without connecting to the target database (targetless clone) when:

• The target database is on a different network than the destination database

• The target database is unreachable (for example, in a disaster recovery scenario)

Important: Install Oracle patch 21900992 before you duplicate the database without connecting to the target database so that the operation does not time out at the end of the operation.

Before You Begin

• Perform a full backup, including the database log files, of the original database.

• Create an Auxiliary Instance for the duplicate database. If you are using Oracle Release 10.2.0.5, include the "UNDO_MANAGEMENT=AUTO" parameter in the auxiliary instance Oracle PFILE.

• On the destination host, add an instance on the CommCell Console.

• Run the database readiness check on the auxiliary instance client to verify that the instance is ready for backup and restore operations.

• Optional: To mask the data, create a masking policy. For more information, see Managing Oracle Data-Masking Policies.

Procedure

1. From the CommCell Browser, go to Client Computers > client > Oracle.

2. Right-click the instance, then go to All Tasks > Browse and Restore.

   The Browse and Restore Options dialog box appears.

3. Select Latest Backup, and then click the View Content button.

4. Select the database, and then click the Recover All Selected button.

   The Oracle Restore Options dialog box appears.

5. Click RMAN Duplicate DB, and then click Next.

   The Oracle RMAN Duplicate DB Options dialog box appears.

6. Select the Destination Client from the list.

7. To obtain the latest database status, click Refresh.

8. In the Duplicate To box select the destination instance.

9. In the Number of streams to use for restore box, specify the number of streams to use for the restore.

10. Select Duplicate To.

    1. To skip the read-only tables, select the Skip Read Only check box.

    2. To open the database in restricted mode, select the Open Restricted check box.

    3. In the Pfile box, type the name of the startup parameter file for the duplicate database, or browse to the location.

11. By default, RMAN verifies that the datafiles on the source and target database do not have the same names. If you want to allow the source and target databases to have the same names, select the No Filename Check check box. This option enables the Oracle NOFILENAMECHECK option.

12. If you do not want the Commvault software to restore from a failover backup piece, select Disable Oracle Channel Restore Failover. The checkbox is selected by default to allow database corruptions to be displayed if they are detected.

13. Verify that the Duplicate From Active Database check box is not selected.

14. If you want the system to refer to the target database's control files rather than the Recovery Catalog database select NO CATALOG (already selected by default).

15. If you want the system to refer to the Recovery Catalog database unselect NO CATALOG. The following items are activated:

    1. To create the duplicate database without connecting to the target database, select the Skip target connection check box.

    2. In the Catalog Connect box enter the Oracle catalog connect string credentials. If the source instance uses '/' as the connect string (Instance Properties, Details tab, Connect String), use sys/<password>@servicename for the target database connect string.

       • Enter the catalog user name.

       • Enter the catalog user password.

       • Enter the Oracle service name.

16. Click Advanced.

    The Oracle Duplicate Options dialog box appears.

17. Optional: Have the Commvault software mask the data on the destination.

    1. On the General tab, select the Mask Sensitive Data check box.

    2. From the Data Masking Policy list, select the policy to mask the data.

18. Optional: If you do not want to use the DB_FILE_NAME_CONVERT option to restore all the data and temp files to a different directory structure from the source database, on the Redirect tab, select the redirected data:

    1. To redirect all data files, select Redirect All Table Spaces/Database to and type the path or Browse to it.

       • Alternatively, click the Redirect checkbox and select individual table spaces and type the path in the New Path box or Browse to it.

       • To redirect multiple table spaces simultaneously, click Find & Replace and replace the existing path with the new path.

    2. To redirect temporary tablespaces, select Redirect Temp Table Spaces To and type the path or Browse to it.

19. Optional: If you want to create online redo logs for the duplicate database, on the Duplicate DB Options tab, select Duplicate to Log File.

    1. Select the Group option to use and specify redo log files by using group members and click Add, or the File option to specify redo log files by using a file, and click Add.

    2. If you selected the File option, in the Spec Dialog for Oracle Redo Log File box:

       • Type the redo log file name or browse to the location.

       • In the Size box, type the size of the online redo log file.

       • In the SizeSpec list, select the size specification of the file.

       • To allow the database to reuse an existing file, select the Reuse check box.

    3. If you selected the Group option, in the Spec Dialog for Oracle Redo Log Group box:

       • In the Size box, type the size of the online redo log file.

       • In the SizeSpec list, select the size specification of the file.

       • To allow the database to reuse an existing file, select the Reuse check box.

20. Optional: If the backup is corrupted, restore from a storage policy copy instead of the backup. For more information on modifying the copy precedence of a storage policy copy, see Copy Precedence. On the Copy Precedence tab, select the Restore from copy precedence check box and enter a copy precedence number.

21. Click OK to close the Oracle Duplicate Options dialog box.

    The Oracle RMAN Duplicate DB Options dialog box appears.

22. To verify that the status of the duplicate database is STARTED, click Refresh.

23. Optional: View or customize the RMAN script that is automatically generated from the selected options. For more information, see Viewing Oracle Restore RMAN Scripts and Customizing Oracle Restore RMAN Scripts.

24. Click OK to start the restore.