9.2.4 Types of Exadata Snapshots

You can create two types of Exadata Snapshots, depending on the current setup of your environment.

  • Using a test master from a pluggable database (PDB).

    You can create Exadata Snapshot PDBs from individual PDBs within a container database (CDB). You can clone individual PDBs to create the test master PDB, from which Exadata Snapshot PDBs are generated.

    You can move Exadata Snapshot PDBs from one CDB to another in the same Exadata cluster. You can also create an Exadata Snapshot PDB in one container from a test master PDB residing in another container as long as both CDBs are in the same Exadata cluster.

    The test master database and their Exadata Snapshots must be in the same Oracle Automatic Storage Management (Oracle ASM) cluster environment.

    The following image shows a production CDB with three PDBs. Two of the PDBs (PDB1 and PDB2) have been cloned to create test master PDBs, which were then unplugged and plugged into another CDB on the test Oracle Exadata. In this figure, six Exadata Snapshot PDBs have been created from the test master PDBs.

    Figure 9-6 Exadata Snapshot PDBs

    Description of Figure 9-6 follows
    Description of "Figure 9-6 Exadata Snapshot PDBs"
  • Using a test master from a whole database (CDB or non-CDB)

    An Exadata Snapshot database can be a snapshot of a complete container database (CDB) or non-container database (non-CDB). A snapshot of a complete CDB includes all of the PDBs in the CDB.

    Note:

    To create a snapshot of a complete CDB, you must apply Patch 32233739 to the Oracle home directory that supports the Exadata Snapshot database.

    The next figure depicts a full clone of the production database. The clone, which is the test master database, is hosted on a separate test/development system, and it is associated with six Exadata Snapshots. The test master database is created using either an Oracle Data Guard standby database (recommended if the test master will be refreshed on a regular basis) or Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN).

    The test master database and their Exadata Snapshots must be in the same Oracle ASM cluster environment.

    Figure 9-7 Exadata Snapshot Databases

    Description of Figure 9-7 follows
    Description of "Figure 9-7 Exadata Snapshot Databases"