Relocate PDBs using DBCA in Silent Mode

Before You Begin

This 15-minute tutorial shows you how to use Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) to relocate a remote pluggable database (PDB) into a container database (CDB).

Background

In Oracle Database 18c, relocating a remote PDB requires several commands to be executed.

What Do You Need?

Oracle Database 19c installed
Two CDBs: ORCL with PDB1 and CDB19, both in archivelog mode. You can use the dbca.sh shell script to create CDB19. Download the shell script to the labs directory created on your server /home/oracle/labs. Replace the password in the shell script by your own complex password. PDB relocation PDB and remote PDB clone operations with DBCA do not support Oracle Managed Files (OMF) enabled CDB. Verify that the PDB to be cloned does not use OMF.
HR schema installed in PDB1 as an example of application tables. If you want to use the HR.EMPLOYEES table, use the hr.sql. Download the SQL script to the labs directory created on your server /home/oracle/labs. In the script, update the password of the user connected to the database.

Prepare the PDB Before Relocation


                    SYSTEM

sqlplus system@PDB1
Enter password: password

Use the hr.sql script to create the HR user and EMPLOYEES table in PDB1.
```
@/home/oracle/labs/hr.sql
```

Verify that PDB1 contains the

HR.EMPLOYEES

table.

SELECT count(*) FROM hr.employees; 

  COUNT(*)
----------
       107

Connect to ORCL as SYS.

CONNECT sys@ORCL AS SYSDBA
Enter password: password

Create a common user in ORCL, used in the database link automatically created in CDB19 to connect to ORCL during the relocation operation.
```
CREATE USER c##remote_user IDENTIFIED BY password CONTAINER=ALL;
```

Grant the privileges.

GRANT create session, create pluggable database, sysoper TO c##remote_user CONTAINER=ALL;

Quit the session.
```
EXIT
```

Use DBCA to Relocate a Remote PDB

In this section, you use DBCA in silent mode to relocatePDB1 from ORCL as PDB1_IN_CDB19 in CDB19.

If CDB19 does not exist, launch the /home/oracle/labs/dbca.sh shell script. The script creates the CDB with no PDB. In the script, update the password of the user connected to the database.
```
/home/oracle/labs/dbca.sh
```

Launch DBCA in silent mode to relocate PDB1 from ORCL as PDB1_IN_CDB19 in CDB19.

dbca -silent -relocatePDB -remotePDBName PDB1 -remoteDBConnString ORCL -sysDBAUserName SYSTEM -sysDBAPassword password  -remoteDBSYSDBAUserName SYS -remoteDBSYSDBAUserPassword password  -dbLinkUsername c##remote_user -dbLinkUserPassword  password  -sourceDB CDB19 -pdbName PDB1_IN_CDB19

Prepare for db operation 
Prepare for db operation
50% complete
Create pluggable database using relocate PDB operation
100% complete
Pluggable database "PDB1_IN_CDB19" plugged successfully.
Look at the log file "/u01/app/oracle/cfgtoollogs/dbca/CDB19/PDB1_IN_CDB19/CDB19.log" for further details.

Check that the PDB Is Relocated

Connect to CDB19 as SYS. Check that PDB1 is relocated in CDB19.

sqlplus sys@CDB19 AS SYSDBA
Enter password: password

SHOW PDBS

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO
         3 PDB1_IN_CDB19                  READ WRITE NO

Check that PDB1_IN_CDB19 contains the

HR.EMPLOYEES

table as in PDB1.

CONNECT hr@PDB1_IN_CDB19
Enter password: password

SELECT count(*) FROM employees;

  COUNT(*)
----------
       107

Connect to ORCL as SYS. Check that PDB1 does not exist anymore in ORCL.

CONNECT sys@ORCL AS SYSDBA
Enter password: password

SHOW PDBS

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO

Clean Up the PDB Relocated

Connect to CDB19 as SYS.

CONNECT sys@CDB19 AS SYSDBA
Enter password: password

Close PDB1_In_CDB19.

ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb1_in_cdb19 CLOSE;

Drop PDB1_IN_CDB19.

DROP PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb1_in_cdb19 INCLUDING DATAFILES;

Quit the session.
```
EXIT
```