9.2.6 Sparse Test Masters

With the introduction of hierarchical snapshots, you can now create sparse test masters.

Hierarchical snapshot databases provide the capability to create sparse test masters. With a sparse test master there is one full copy of data to provide the parent data for multiple levels of snapshots. When you are ready to create snapshots, you create an additional set of sparse files to receive updates from your production database via a replication technology such as Oracle Data Guard.

When you need to create a new test master of current data, rather than cloning the full production database again as of the new point in time, you mark the previous additional sparse files read only creating a sparse test master and create a new set of sparse files to be kept current. Additional snapshots on this sparse test master could then be created to be used by application developers for testing. You can repeat this process up to 9 times total to allow one full copy of the production database to support snapshots from multiple points in time. Creating the new sparse test master is very quick (5 minutes or less) allowing you to easily keep current with production.

The sparse test master database can be a container database (CDB) or non-container database (non-CDB).

Figure 9-10 Example configuration with Sparse Test Masters

Description of "Figure 9-10 Example configuration with Sparse Test Masters"