Multitenant Snapshot Copy using ZFSSA [Thin Database Cloning]

Starting with Oracle 12.1.0.1 it was also possible using snapshot clones with pluggable databases within the multitenant database architecture. It was limited to file systems that support sparseness and ACFS. With the first patch set 12.1.0.2 it’s possible to use direct NFS as well for snapshot copies.

Multitenant thin cloning can be managed on Oracle storage like ASM:ACFS and ZFSSA. Special thought here is not to use the clonedbparameter. This will force to use the thin cloning on database level instead the snap and clone technics inside the ZFSSA. For ZFSSA the snapshot copy command needs a key store keystore with the password of the ZFSSA server to communicate. The communication from the Database site is done with the executable ZFSSAADM which will be delivered with the Oracle software tree of the RDBMS. See my blog Using on ZFSSA:ZFSSAADM - Copy On Write (COW) on ZFS Storage Appliance (ZFSSA)

In this blog I will demonstrate and describes the steps to enable thin provisioning and instantaneous cloning features of Oracle Database 12c when it is deployed on Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance.

Thin Cloning of PDBs is a Snap with Oracle Storage

Using on ZFSSA:ZFSSAADM - Copy On Write (COW) on ZFS Storage Appliance (ZFSSA)

Database cloning with Copy On Write (COW) on ZFS Storage Appliance (ZFSSA). The method that I will demonstrate is the method of using the API ZFSSAADM for database cloning for data on ZFSSA. ZFSSAADM is an API which is part of the 12c Oracle software.

What we have is the following setup

• An Oracle database 12c server 
• With NFS mount point to the ZFS Storage Appliance Operational 
• Direct NFS for databases Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance Simulator [Server IP 192.168.56.102]


Validate my environment and settings
Validate if it is a CDB database