Configuring Sparse Hierarchy Details

Use the Sparse Hierarchy Details page (ECL_EXA_SPARSE_FL) to create test masters and manage their sparse clones using Cloud Manager.

Navigation:

Click the Sparse Hierarchy Details link available on the left panel of the Environment Details page. The Sparse Hierarchy Details page is displayed on the right panel.

Cloud Manager enables you to create and manage test masters and create environments with sparse cloned databases for Exadata Database systems. Sparse clones can only be performed on Test masters created in Exadata snapshot enabled clusters. Exadata Sparse Clone is a native feature of Exadata that enables the creation of thinly provisioned databases for non-production purposes like development and testing. All read operations to a sparse cloned database points to the parent database’s disk block, until a disk block is created in the sparse cloned database itself with a write operation. Sparse clones are quicker to create than full copies of databases and need much less storage because they track only the changes in data.

This example illustrates the high level architecture of sparse cloning process.

 High level architecture of Exadata Sparse Cloning

Before creating sparse clones, you must create a full disk clone of the environment from Exadata production database. Such a full read-only copy of the database is called a test master. Although the creation of a test master takes time, you can quickly create multiple space efficient development or test databases using sparse clones.

To create a test master:

  1. Click the Create Test Master button. The Create New Test Master page appears.

    This example illustrates the Create Test Master button on Sparse Hierarchy Details page.

     Create Test Master button

  2. Make the necessary changes to the Network Configuration and General Settings for the new test master.

    This is an example of the page used to create a new test master. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

     Create New Test Master page

    Field or Control

    Description

    Test Master PDB Name

    Select the name for test master PDB, which is a clone of the source environment.

    PDB Location

    Select the location where test master PDB is to be created. The available options are Local CDB, New CDB, Remote CDB.

    Select Compartment

    Select the compartment containing the VCN you want to use.

    Select VCN

    Select the VCN for the compute node.

    Select Subnet

    Select the subnet within VCN for the compute node.

    Shape Name

    Select Exadata as the shape name.

    Container Database List/ Container Database Name

    Select a CDB.

    The list includes the CDBs in the Exadata cluster that hosts the source CDB. Container Database List is available only for Remote CDB and Container Database Name is available only for New CDB and Local CDB.

    TDE Wallet Password

    Specify a TDE Wallet password for the existing target CDB. This option is available only for Remote CDB.

  3. Click Done to save the changes.

The Sparse Hierarchy Details page displays the test masters associated with the source environment.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on Sparse Hierarchy Details page.

 Sparse Hierarchy Details page

To view the details of a specific test master, click the Details button. The Test Master Details page appears.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on Test Master Details page.

 Test Master Details page

The Job Status Information section displays the latest tasks run in the lifecycle of the test master. When a task fails, the Status column displays a failure icon against the failed task. You can retry the failed task after debugging and fixing the error in the logs. Alternatively, it is possible to manually complete the step and mark the task as completed.

Click Refresh to refresh the test master with the source environment and click Delete to remove the test master. Before attempting either of these actions, ensure that all the child sparse clones of the test master are deleted.

To create sparse clones using the Clone Environment action on the Clone page, see Cloning an Environment With Database Running on Exadata and Other Nodes on Compute.

Sparse clones created using a specific test master are found within the collapsible panel of that test master.

This example illustrates the expansion of a collapsible panel on the Sparse Hierarchy Details page, showing the sparse clones associated with a test master.

 Sparse Clones associated with a Test Master