dbed_clonedb - clone an Oracle database to the same or a different instance, allowing the two databases to co-exist

To create a clone database:

dbed_clonedb -S CLONE_SID -m MOUNT_POINT [-i] [-h]
-c CKPT_NAME [-p pfile_modification_file]

To unmount or restart a clone database:

dbed_clonedb -o umount | restartdb [-d] [-h]

Storage Foundation. To determine whether this product is installed on the system, enter:

lslpp -L VRTSdbed

The dbed_clonedb command is used to create a copy of an existing Oracle database (the primary database), cloning all existing files to new locations. Cloning an existing Oracle database requires a writable Storage Checkpoint, where a clone database needs to be started on the same host as the existing database. The primary database remains unaffected. For Oracle RAC database(*), the clone database is started as a single instance, on the node where the dbed_clonedb command is executed. The node needs to be within the RAC database(*) cluster.

To use dbed_clonedb, the current environment must be configured correctly for the primary database. This means that the ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME environment variables must be set correctly for the primary database. Be sure you have enough space to create a clone database on your system. For Oracle RAC database(*), the archive log destination is required to be on Veritas Cluster File System.

dbed_clonedb brings up a mounted, writable clone of an Oracle instance. The new instance is given a new name and mount point, as specified by arguments to the command. The mount point should be identical to that used to mount the Storage Checkpoint. The dbed_clonedb command is designed to work with a mounted, writable Storage Checkpoint of an Oracle instance. If the Storage Checkpoint has not been mounted (for example, using the dbed_ckptmount command), dbed_clonedb will automatically mount the Storage Checkpoint as read-write at the specified mount point. The new Oracle instance is given a new name, and datafiles are on a new location, as specified by arguments to dbed_clonedb.

For online and instant Storage Checkpoints, all available archive logs will be played back for the recovery process. For information about Oracle recovery, see the Oracle Backup and Recovery Guide for your version of Oracle.

The following options are supported:

-S CLONE_SID	The name of the clone database to be created from the original.
-m MOUNT_POINT	The location of the database files to be cloned. It should be identical to the mount point supplied to the dbed_ckptmount command used when mounting the Storage Checkpoint.
-c CKPT_NAME	Specifies the name of the Storage Checkpoint to use for creating the new database instance. If the Storage Checkpoint is not mounted at the specified mount point, it is mounted automatically during the cloning process.
-i	This option has no effect. It is retained for backwards compatibility.
-p pfile_modification_file	Specifies a file containing initialization parameters to be modified or added to the clone database initialization parameter file prior to startup. The format of the pfile_modification_file is the same as that of the Oracle initialization parameter file.
-o umount | restartdb	The -o umount option shuts down the clone database and unmounts the Storage Checkpoint file system. The -o restartdb option mounts the Storage Checkpoint file system and starts the clone database. The -o restartdb option will not attempt to recover the clone database.
-d	This option is only for use with the -o umount option. If the -d option is specified, the Storage Checkpoint used to create the clone database will be removed along with the clone database.
-h	Shows command help.

* Real Application Clusters (RAC) Considerations

RAC is not supported on some SF products/configurations. For details please refer to the Storage Foundation: Storage and Availability Management for Oracle Databases Guide.

dbed_clonedb is designed to work with VxFS file systems or CFS file systems, and mounted Storage Checkpoints. Other types of file system are not supported by dbed_clonedb.

The -p pfile_modification_file allows modification to the memory-related parameters of the clone database initialization parameter file. See the Administrators Guide for the complete list of parameters that may be modified. The format of the pfile_modification_file is the same as the Oracle initialization parameter file. Any parameter matching one found in the primary database initialization parameter file will be replaced with the corresponding value from the pfile_modification_file. Any parameter not found will be added to the clone database pfile.

The ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME environment variables must be set correctly to use dbed_clonedb. If they are not set, then the dbed_clonedb command will not run. The ORACLE_SID environment variable must be set to the SID of the primary database.

To clone an Oracle database with automatic Oracle recovery:

$ /opt/VRTS/bin/dbed_clonedb -S clone -m /local/oracle11/clone -c Checkpoint_988813047

dbed_ckptdisplay(1M), dbed_ckptmount(1M), dbed_ckptremove(1M), dbed_ckptrollback(1M), dbed_ckptumount(1M), dbed_clonedb(1M), dbed_update(1M), vxsfadm-oracle-checkpoint(1M), vxsfadm(1M)

Storage Foundation: Storage and Availability Management for Oracle Databases Guide

Storage Foundation for Oracle RAC Installation and Configuration Guide