Registering a Database

Database registration enables you to use the Oracle Database Exadata Cloud at Customer console and cloud tooling to administer a database that was not created using the Exadata Cloud at Customer console.

Exadata Cloud at Customer includes APIs for database registration that support two main use-cases:

• You can use the database registration APIs to register a database that you manually created on Exadata Cloud at Customer, using the Oracle Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) for example.
• You can use database registration as part of the process to migrate an existing database from another platform to Exadata Cloud at Customer.

In both cases, after the database is registered you can use the Oracle Database Exadata Cloud at Customer console and cloud tooling to perform various administration functions, such as backup, recovery, and patching.

Database registration uses the dbaascli utility, which is part of the cloud-specific tooling included in Exadata Cloud at Customer. To use the latest enhancements, you should update to the latest version of the cloud tools. See Updating the Cloud Tooling on Exadata Cloud at Customer.

Registering a Replacement Database

You can register a replacement database by using the following procedure:

1. Create a database deployment using the Oracle Database Exadata Cloud at Customer console or REST API. See Creating a Database Deployment.

   Configure the database deployment as follows:

   • Set the DB Name attribute to match the database name of the replacement database.
   • Set the Software Release attribute to match the Oracle Database software release used by the replacement database.
   • Set the Character Set attribute to match the character set of the replacement database.

2. Shut down the newly created database.

3. Remove the database files and replace them with the replacement database. The replacement database files must be moved into the same location as the database you are replaced. You can manually copy the replacement database files into place from a cold backup, or you can restore from a backup using Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN).

4. Start the replacement database.

5. Perform the registration prerequisite check and resolve any issues that it uncovers.

   Run the following command as the root user on one of the database servers:

   # dbaascli registerdb prereqs --dbname dbname [ --db_unique_name dbuniquename ]

   In the preceding command:

   • dbname specifies the database name (DB_NAME) of the replacement database.
   • dbuniquename optionally specifies the globally unique name (DB_UNIQUE_NAME) of the replacement database. You only need to specify this parameter of the unique name differs from the database name.

   The prerequisite check uncovers issues with the replacement database that you must resolve before successful registration. The following list outlines common issues:

   • Required database attributes such as the database name, software version, or character set do not match the original database.
   • The database is not in READ WRITE mode.
   • Archive log mode and block change tracking are not enabled.
   • Transparent Database Encryption (TDE) is not configured, or is not properly configured. For example, the TDE keystore is not the expected location, or the TDE keystore type is not AUTOLOGIN.

6. Register the database by running the following command as the root user on one of the database servers:

   # dbaascli registerdb begin --dbname dbname [ --db_unique_name dbuniquename ]

   In the preceding command, specify the same values for dbname and dbuniquename that you used in the prerequisite check.

Registering a Manually Created or Migrated Database

You can register a manually created or migrated database by using the following procedure:

1. Manually create or migrate the database. Ensure that the database meets the following requirements:

   • The /etc/oratab file contains an entry for the database.
   • Oracle Transparent Database Encryption (TDE) is configured on the database.
   • The database is in READ WRITE mode.
   • Archive log mode and block change tracking are enabled.

2. Generate a cloud registration file (creg.ini) by running the following command as the root user on one of the database servers:

   # dbaascli registerdb registry --action initialize --db dbname [ --udb dbuniquename ]

   In the preceding command:

   • dbname specifies the database name (DB_NAME) of the database that you are registering.
   • dbuniquename optionally specifies the globally unique name (DB_UNIQUE_NAME) of the database. You only need to specify this parameter of the unique name differs from the database name.

3. Perform the registration prerequisite check and resolve any issues that it uncovers.

   Run the following command as the root user on one of the database servers:

   # dbaascli registerdb prereqs --dbname dbname [ --db_unique_name dbuniquename ]

   In the preceding command, specify the same values for dbname and dbuniquename that you used in the preceding step.

   The prerequisite check uncovers issues with the replacement database that you must resolve before successful registration.

4. Register the database by running the following command as the root user on one of the database servers:

   # dbaascli registerdb begin --dbname dbname [ --db_unique_name dbuniquename ]

   In the preceding command, specify the same values for dbname and dbuniquename that you used in the preceding steps.

5. Create a database deployment using the Oracle Database Exadata Cloud at Customer console or REST API. See Creating a Database Deployment.

   Configure the database deployment as follows:

   • Set the DB Name attribute to match the database name of the database that you are registering.
   • Set the Software Release attribute to match the Oracle Database software release used by the database.