Managing Autonomous Container Databases

Learn how you can create, view, move, change backup policies, manage maintenance schedules, and perform other Oracle Autonomous Container Database management.

An Autonomous Container Database resource provides a container for your Autonomous Databases. You can create multiple Autonomous Container Database resources in a single Autonomous Exadata VM Cluster resource, but you must create at least one before you can create any Autonomous Databases.

Create an Autonomous Container Database

Follow these steps to create an autonomous container database on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.
Note

You can create Autonomous Container Databases (ACD) with the 23ai database software version only on Autonomous Exadata VM Clusters (AVMC) created on or after May 28, 2024, with the appropriate Tags. See 23ai Database Software Version Tag Requirements for details.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. Click Create Autonomous Container Database.
    The Create Autonomous Container Database page is displayed.
  4. Provide the following basic information:
    • Compartment: Choose the compartment in which your autonomous container database will be created.
    • Display Name: Enter a user-friendly description or other information that helps you easily identify the autonomous container database. The display name does not have to be unique. Avoid entering confidential information.
  5. Select the Autonomous Exadata VM Cluster you wish to use to create your autonomous container database.
  6. Optionally, you can configure an automatic maintenance schedule.
    1. Click Modify Maintenance.
    2. To configure the maintenance schedule, select Specify a schedule.

      Choose your preferred month, week, weekday, and start time for autonomous container database maintenance.

      • Under Week of the month, specify which week of the month maintenance will take place. Weeks start on the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd days of the month, and have a duration of 7 days. Weeks start and end based on calendar dates, not days of the week. Maintenance cannot be scheduled for the fifth week of months that contain more than 28 days.
      • Under Day of the week, specify the day of the week on which the maintenance will occur.
      • Under Start hour, specify the hour during which the maintenance run will begin.
    3. Click Save Changes.
  7. Select a Backup Destination Type:
    • Object Storage: Stores backups in an Oracle-managed object storage container on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Optionally, you can use this field to specify your corporate HTTP proxy. Oracle recommends using an HTTP proxy when possible for enhanced security.
    • Network File System (NFS): Stores backups in one of your previously defined backup destinations that use Network File System (NFS) storage.
      • Select a Backup Destination.
    • Recovery Appliance: Stores backups in one of your previously defined backup destinations that use Oracle Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance.
      • Select a Backup Destination.
      • Provide a unique name for the database.
      • Provide a VPC user name and password.

    To use ZDLRA as the Backup Destination, before creating the ACD, add the database to the Recovery Appliance, and assign a protection policy to the database.

    1. Create a VPC user on the Recovery Appliance or use an existing user.
    2. Add the database to the Recovery Appliance using the intended unique name of the database (db_unique_name) and intended protection policy.
      EXEC dbms_ra.add_db(db_unique_name=>'<DB_UNIQUE_NAME of the database to add>', protection_policy_name=>'<name of the protection policy to assign to the database>', reserved_space=>'<guaranteed disk space available for the protected database>');
      For example:
      EXEC dbms_ra.add_db(db_unique_name=>'OETADCD', protection_policy_name=>'BRONZE', reserved_space=>'1024G');
    3. Grant access to this database to the Recovery Appliance user account.
      EXEC dbms_ra.grant_db_access(db_unique_name=>'<DB_UNIQUE_NAME of the database>', username=>'<Recovery Appliance user account>');
      
      For example:
      EXEC dbms_ra.grant_db_access(db_unique_name=>'OETADCD', username=>'RAVPC1');
  8. Select an NFS Storage resource. Click Change compartment to select a compartment where your NFS Storage resources reside.
  9. The following Advanced Options are available:
    • Backup retention period: Customize the retention period for automatic backups. For Recovery Appliance, you cannot select the retention period.
    • Encryption Key: Choose an encryption option, Encrypt using Oracle-managed keys or Encrypt using customer-managed keys. The default option is Oracle-managed keys.

      To use customer-managed keys, select the Encrypt using customer-managed keys option, select the compartment where you have created the Key Store, and then select the Key Store. As part of the CDB creation, a new wallet is created for the CDB in Oracle Key Vault (OKV). Also, a TDE Master Key is generated for the CDB and added to the wallet in OKV.

      Note

      • Autonomous Container Databases and Autonomous Databases only support 256-bit Hardware Security Module (HSM) Vault keys.
      • Validate OKV Key encryption post restart: OKV TDE Master Key is validated every time you start or restart your ACD. Start or restart fails if the key is not validated. Work requests and life cycle states indicate the reason for failure.
      • View OKV keys post database restore: When you restore a CDB, the master key associated with that backup is restored as well.
      • Enable CDB backups to capture wallet name: CDB backups information about the wallet associated with the backup.
      • OKV Wallet or TDE Master Key on CDB deletion: If you delete a CDB, then the wallet and TDE Master Key remains in OKV and will not be deleted.
    • Tags: Optionally, you can apply tags. If you have permission to create a resource, you also have permission to apply free-form tags to that resource. To apply a defined tag, you must have permission to use the tag namespace. For more information about tagging, see Resource Tags. If you are not sure if you should apply tags, skip this option (you can apply tags later) or ask your administrator. Avoid entering confidential information.
  10. Click Create Autonomous Container Database.

View a List of Autonomous Container Databases

There are two ways to view a list of autonomous container databases on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.

View the List of Autonomous Container Databases in an Autonomous Exadata VM Cluster

Follow these steps to view a list of an autonomous container databases in a given autonomous Exadata VM cluster on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Exadata VM Clusters.
  3. Click the display name of the Autonomous Exadata VM Cluster that you interested in.
    In the Autonomous Exadata VM Clusters Details page, a list of Autonomous Container Databases is displayed under Resources.

    You can also filter out to view Autonomous Container Databases in a particular compartment. Under List Scope, select a compartment from the Compartment drop-down list.

View the List of Autonomous Container Databases in a Compartment

Follow these steps to view a list of an autonomous container databases in a given compartment on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. Under List Scope, select a compartment from the Compartment drop-down list.

View Details of an Autonomous Container Database

Follow these steps to view detailed information about an autonomous container database on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the database you wish to view details.

    On the Autonomous Container Database Details page encryption details are displayed under Encryption.

    If you have chosen customer-managed keys while creating the database, then you will see a link to the Encryption Key Store and OKV Wallet Name.

    Note

    OKV Wallet Name represents the name of the wallet in which keys for this CDB are generated on the OKV.

    Click the Key Store link to view details.

    If you have chosen Oracle-managed keys while creating the database, then you will not see the link to Encryption Key Store and OKV Wallet Name.

    Resource usage: For more information, see Resource Terminology.

    In the General Information section, the Time zone file version field displays the current time zone file version.

Update Autonomous Container Database Maintenance Preferences

  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the database you wish to view details.
  4. Click More actions, and then click Edit Maintenance Preferences.
  5. In the resulting Edit automatic Maintenance panel, enter the following details:
    • Configure maintenance method:
      • Rolling: The Rolling method updates the ACD, one node at a time, with no downtime for the Autonomous Databases.
      • Non-rolling The Non-rolling method shuts down and updates the ACD in parallel across all nodes. This method minimizes maintenance time but it requires full downtime for the ACD and all associated Autonomous Databases.
      • Optionally, you can also select Enable time-zone update. Time-zone files can only be updated using the non-rolling configuration method.
        Note

        All the RUs that include time-zone updates will be patched using the non-rolling maintenance method (with full system downtime) only. So, if you configure your maintenance to the rolling method and enable time zone update, all the RUs that include a time-zone update are applied in the non-rolling method only. Only those RUs without a time-zone update are applied in the rolling method.

    • Configure container database maintenance version: Choose Next release update (RU) or Latest release update (RU) to configure the next maintenance version of the Autonomous Container Database. Accordingly, the autonomous container database will be updated to the next immediate release or the latest release in the upcoming maintenance window.
    • Configure automatic maintenance schedule: You can change the maintenance schedule settings, as desired:
      • Select No preference to permit Oracle to schedule maintenance as needed based on the maintenance schedule of the Exadata Infrastructure resource hosting the Autonomous Container Database.
      • Select Custom schedule to restrict when Oracle can schedule maintenance. You can choose your preferred month, week, weekday, start time, and buffer period between primary and standby maintenance execution for the Autonomous Container Database maintenance.
  6. Click Save Changes.

Schedule a Quarterly Maintenance Update

You can schedule a one-time maintenance activity to update time zone file for an Autonomous Container Database. For ACDs with Oracle Home version prior to the latest release, you can also choose to update to the latest RU along with the time-zone file update in this schedule.

Note

For on-demand maintenance updates with a time-zone file update, the standby ACD will be patched 3 days before the primary ACD in autonomous Data Guard-enabled ACDs.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the database you wish to view details.
  4. Click More actions, and then click Schedule maintenance.
  5. In the resulting Schedule Maintenance panel, enter the following details:
    • Configure update type
      • Release Update (RU): Click to schedule a release update (RU) along with a time zone file update. This option is disabled if your ACD is already patched to the latest RU.
      • Time-zone file update: Click to schedule time zone file update only.
        Note

        Time zone files can only be updated using the non-rolling configuration method that involves full system downtime.
    • Configure maintenance method:
      • Rolling: The Rolling method updates the ACD, one node at a time, with no downtime for the Autonomous Databases.
      • Non-rolling: The Non-rolling method shuts down and updates the ACD in parallel across all nodes. This method minimizes maintenance time but it requires full downtime for the ACD and all associated Autonomous Databases.
    • Enable time-zone update

      Optionally, you can also select Enable time-zone update. Time-zone files can only be updated using the non-rolling configuration method.

      If you configure your maintenance to the rolling method and enable time-zone update, all the RUs that include a time-zone update are applied in the non-rolling method only. Only those RUs without a time-zone update are applied in the rolling method.

    • Schedule start time

      Using the calendar tool, choose a date and time for the maintenance update.

  6. Click Schedule maintenance.
    Note

    The maintenance settings selected from the Schedule maintenance dialog apply to the maintenance update scheduled from this dialog only. These changes do not apply to the maintenance preferences defined at the ACD level.

Rotate CDB Encryption Key

Follow these steps to rotate the TDE Master key. On key rotation, the ACD life cycle goes through the regular updating state and returns to available.

You can rotate the TDE Master key as many times as you want. The new TDE Master Key is stored in the same wallet in which the previous key was stored. Rotating the TDE Master Key leads to the new key being generated in OKV and assigned to this database. You can view all of the keys in OKV.

Note

You can rotate both Oracle-managed and customer-managed encryption keys.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the database you wish to view details.
  4. On the Autonomous Container Database Details page, click Rotate Encryption Key.
  5. On the Rotate Encryption Key dialog, click Rotate Encryption Key.

Change the Backup Retention Policy of an Autonomous Container Database

Follow these steps to update the backup retention policy of an autonomous container database on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.
Note

By default, database backups are retained for 30 days if you have chosen Object Storage or NFS as a backup destination. You have the option of retaining backups for 7, 15, 30, or 60 days. If you have chosen Local storage as a backup destination, then by default, database backups are retained for a maximum of 7 days. If you have chosen Recovery Appliance as a backup destination, then you cannot update the backup retention policy.

The current backup retention policy for an Autonomous Container Database is displayed on the Autonomous Container Database details page.

  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the container database you are interested in.
  4. On the Autonomous Container Database details page, under Backup, click the Edit link in the Backup retention policy field.
  5. Specify a backup retention period from the list of choices.
  6. Click Update.

Change the Maintenance Schedule of an Autonomous Container Database

Follow these steps to change the maintenance schedule of an autonomous container database on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the container database you are interested in.
  4. On the Autonomous Container Database details page, under Maintenance, click the edit link in the Maintenance Details field.
  5. In the Edit Automatic Maintenance dialog that opens, configure automatic maintenance schedule.
    • No preference: The system assigns a date and start time for container database maintenance.
    • Specify a schedule: Choose your preferred month, week, weekday, and start time for container database maintenance.
  6. Click Save Changes.

Restart an Autonomous Container Database

Follow these steps to restart an autonomous container database on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.

The restart of an autonomous container database occurs in a rolling fashion, first stopping and starting one of the container database's database instances and then stopping and starting its other database instance.

Note

You cannot restart an autonomous container database if a backup is in progress on any of its autonomous databases.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the container database you are interested in.

    Autonomous Container Database details page is displayed.

    Autonomous Container Database details page displays details that include total OCPU, available OCPU, reclaimable OCPU, and database memory per OCPU in GB.

  4. On the Autonomous Container Database details page, click Restart.
  5. In the confirmation dialog, type the name of the Autonomous Container Database.
  6. Click Restart.

    (or)

    1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
    2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
    3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the Actions icon (three dots) for the container database you are interested in, and then select Restart.
    4. In the confirmation dialog, type the name of the Autonomous Container Database.
    5. Click Restart.

Move an Autonomous Container Database to Another Compartment

Follow these steps to move an autonomous container database on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system from one compartment to another compartment.
Note

  • To move an autonomous container database you must have the right to manage it in its current compartment and in the compartment you are moving it to.
  • As soon as you move an autonomous container database to a different compartment, the policies that govern the new compartment apply immediately and affect access to the autonomous container database. Therefore, both your and other Oracle Cloud users' access to it may change, depending on the policies governing the user account's access to resources. For example, a user may lose the ability to create autonomous databases in the autonomous container database, given its new compartment.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the container database you wish to move.
  4. Click Move Resource.
  5. Select the new compartment.
  6. Click Move Resource.

Terminate an Autonomous Container Database

Follow these steps to terminate an autonomous container database on an Oracle Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer system.
Note

You must terminate all Autonomous Databases within a container database before you can terminate the container database itself.
  1. Open the navigation menu. Under Oracle Database, click Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer.
  2. Click Autonomous Container Databases.
  3. In the list of Autonomous Container Databases, click the display name of the infrastructure resource you are interested in.
  4. Click Terminate.
  5. In the confirmation dialog, type the name of the Autonomous Container Database, and then click Terminate Autonomous Container Database.

Using the API to Manage Autonomous Container Databases

For information about using the API and signing requests, see REST APIs and Security Credentials. For information about SDKs, see Software Development Kits and Command Line Interface.

The following table lists the REST API endpoints to manage Autonomous Container Databases.

Operation REST API Endpoint

Create an Autonomous Container Database

CreateAutonomousContainerDatabase

View a list of Autonomous Container Databases

ListAutonomousContainerDatabases

View details of an Autonomous Container Database

GetAutonomousContainerDatabase

Change the backup retention policy of an Autonomous Container Database

UpdateAutonomousContainerDatabase

Change the maintenance schedule of an Autonomous Container Database

UpdateAutonomousContainerDatabase

Restart an Autonomous Container Database

RestartAutonomousContainerDatabase

Move an Autonomous Container Database to another compartment

ChangeAutonomousContainerDatabaseCompartment

Rotate an Autonomous Container Database key

RotateAutonomousContainerDatabaseEncryptionKey

Terminate an Autonomous Container Database

TerminateAutonomousContainerDatabase

Get the resource usage statistics of an Autonomous Container Database

GetAutonomousContainerDatabaseResourceUsage