Clone PDB or Non-CDB in Oracle 19c

With Oracle multi-tenant architecture, you get flexibility to clone pluggable databases from one container to another containers easily. The process of cloning PDB is way more simple than RMAN cloning process.

• Clone PDB on Same CDB

• Clone PDB on Remote CDB

• Clone Non-CDB to CDB

Clone PDB on Same CDB

For testing purpose, application team might want you to create a clone of single PDB. Simply put PDB that you want to clone into read only mode

SQL> alter pluggable database HRPDB close;
SQL> alter pluggable database HRPDB open read only;

With one single command, you can start cloning PDB

SQL> create pluggable database HRPDB_TEST from HRPDB FILE_NAME_CONVERT= ('/u01/CDB/HRPDB', '/u01/CDB/HRPDB_TEST');

That's it!

Clone PDB on Remote CDB

Set the DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST parameter on target so you don't have to worry about FILE_NAME_CONVERT parameter during cloning or migration. Your target CDB will auto create the datafiles for cloned PDB into DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST parameter location

On target CDB:
==============
SQL> alter system set DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST='/u01/CDB/';

On the source CDB, create a user inside PDB (you want to clone) and give permissions

On source PDB:
==============
SQL> create user migrate identified by migrate#123;
SQL> grant connect, resource, create pluggable database to migrate;

On the target CDB, setup tns entries to connect source PDB

On target CDB:
==============
SOURCE_HRPDB =
 (DESCRIPTION = 
   (ADDRESS_LIST =
     (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 3.19.61.169)(PORT = 1521))
   )
 (CONNECT_DATA =
   (SERVICE_NAME = HRPDB)
 )
)

Create database link which allows us to connect source PDB inside sqlplus on target

On target CDB:
==============
SQL> create database link HRPDB connect to migrate identified by migrate#123 using 'SOURCE_HRPDB';

Clone pdb from source to target

On target CDB:
==============
SQL> create pluggable database HRPDB_NEW from HRPDB@HRPDB;

SQL> create pluggable database {new-pdb} from {old-pdb}@{db-link};

Clone Non-CDB to CDB

Set the DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST parameter on target so you don't have to worry about FILE_NAME_CONVERT parameter during cloning or migration. Your target CDB will auto create the datafiles for cloned PDB into DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST parameter location

On target CDB:
==============
SQL> alter system set DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST='/u01/CDB/';

On the source Non-CDB, create a user inside database and give permissions

On source Non-CDB:
==================
SQL> create user migrate identified by migrate#123;
SQL> grant connect, resource, create pluggable database to migrate;

On the target CDB, setup tns entries to connect source Non-CDB

On target CDB:
==============
NONCDB =
 (DESCRIPTION = 
   (ADDRESS_LIST =
     (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 3.19.61.169)(PORT = 1521))
   )
 (CONNECT_DATA =
   (SERVICE_NAME = ORCL)
 )
)

Create database link which allows us to connect source DB inside sqlplus on target

On target CDB:
==============
SQL> create database link clone_link connect to migrate identified by migrate#123 using 'NONCDB';

Clone DB from source to target

On target CDB:
==============
SQL> create pluggable database ORCL from NON$CDB@clone_link;

SQL> create pluggable database {new-pdb} from {non$cdb}@{db-link};

Enjoy! 😉