Oracle Database Cloning

In every oracle development and production environment there will become the nee
d to transport the entire database from one physical machine to another. This
copy may be used for development, production testing, beta testing, etc, but res
t assured that this need will arise and management will ask you to perform this
task quickly. Listed below are the most typical uses. This document is only 1
way of cloning there are other methods of cloning that are not documented and so
me are on http://support.oracle.com .
1. Relocating an Oracle database to another machine.
2. Moving Oracle database to new Storage media.
3. Renaming Oracle database.
Instructions:
1. Ensure that your database is recoverable back to original location and state
by backing it up before executing this procedure:
Database in NON-ARCHIVE LOG MODE - take an off-line database backup. Database in
ARCHIVELOG MODE - take an on-line or off-line database backup.
2. Connect to sql*plus as the user ‘SYS AS SYSDBA’ and ensure that all users have
logged off the system by executing the following command.
SQL> connect / as sysdba
Connected.
SQL> select username from v$session; USERNAME
------------------------------

SYS
8 rows selected. SQL>
You should see several fields returning with no username (these are internal ora
cle logins and the will not affect your operations) and one SYS login (this is y
ou).
3. Place the system in restricted mode:
SQL> alter system enable restricted session; System altered.
4. Connect as SYS with SYSDBA privileges and execute the following SQL command:
SQL> connect / as sysdba
Connected.
SQL> alter database backup controlfile to trace; SQL>
The [alter database backup controlfile to trace;] command will generate a SQL sc
ript that can be used to regenerate the database.
5. Execute the sql*plus command show parameter <parameter_name> to find your us
er dump directory.
SQL> show parameter user_dump_dest
NAME TYPE VALUE
-------------------------- ----------- ------------------------------
user_dump_dest string /opt/app/oracle/product/admin/orcl/udump
6. Exit to the OS layer and move to the user_dump_dest directory. Trace file n
ames are generated by oracle in the following format [instance_name]+[oracle gen
erated number].trc, so use the timestamp to locate the last trace file generated
. Open the file in a text editor and remove everything above the ‘STARTUP NOMOUNT
.. statement. Alter the ‘CREATE CONTROLFILE’ statement for the following uses:
Rename DB in Archivelog mode:
CREATE CONTROLFILE SET DATABASE "new_db_name" RESETLOGS ARCHIVELOG
Rename DB in Non-Archivelog mode:
CREATE CONTROLFILE SET DATABASE "new_db_name" NORESETLOGS NOARCHIVELOG
Reuse DB name in Archivelog mode:
CREATE CONTROLFILE REUSE DATABASE "db_name" RESETLOGS ARCHIVELOG
Reuse DB name in Non-Archivelog mode:
CREATE CONTROLFILE REUSE DATABASE "db_name" NORESETLOGS NOARCHIVELOG

7. Edit the rest of this file to reference the correct locations of your log fi
les, datafiles and temp files.
8. Move the trace file to an appropriate location and name to recreate_db.sql.
9. Connect as SYS with SYSDBA privileges and shutdown the database in immediate
mode:
SQL> connect / as sysdba
Connected.
SQL> shutdown immediate
10. Move the following files to there corresponding locations in updated recreat
e_db.sql file.
DATAFILES Log files
NOTE: Do not move your old control files or temp files to the new location.
11. Restore or copy the backup and the archived logs (if any) to the new machine
.
12. Move your INIT$ORACLE_SID.ORA file to its new location. Ensure your controlf
ile and archive destinations in INIT are set properly to the new locations.
13. Connect to SQLPLUS on your new machine as SYS AS SYSDBA and run create_db.sq
l script as follows:
SQL> @[directory_location]/create_db.sql
14. Change the global database name if you renamed your database as follows:
SQL> ALTER DATABASE RENAME GLOBAL_NAME = new_db_name;
15. Perform full system backup and store in a safe location.
NOTE: This new backup will be your starting point for recovery in the new databa
se location.
You have completed database cloning procedure.
For assistance with Oracle Products, goto http://support.oracle.com.