Step by Step Clone 19c DB from source to target

Step by Step Manually Clone 19c DB from source to target

Environment:

• Oracle 19c

• Multitenant (CDB + PDBs)

• Different server

• Filesystem (no ASM)

• Using RMAN full backup (not active duplicate)

Below is the correct production-grade procedure.

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🔷 Architecture Assumption

Source:

• CDB name: CDBPROD

• PDBs inside: PDB1, PDB2

• Backup location: /backup/rman/

Target:

• New CDB name: CDBCLONE

• Datafiles will go to /u02/oradata/CDBCLONE/

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✅ STEP 1 — Take Full Backup on Source

On source:

export ORACLE_SID=CDBPROD
rman target /

BACKUP AS COMPRESSED BACKUPSET DATABASE PLUS ARCHIVELOG;
BACKUP CURRENT CONTROLFILE;

Confirm:

LIST BACKUP SUMMARY;

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✅ STEP 2 — Copy Backup to Target

Copy all backup pieces + archivelogs:

scp -r /backup/rman/* oracle@target:/backup/rman/

Ensure permission:

chown -R oracle:oinstall /backup/rman

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✅ STEP 3 — Prepare Target Server

On target server:

Set environment

export ORACLE_SID=CDBCLONE

Create password file

orapwd file=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapwCDBCLONE password=oracle

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✅ STEP 4 — Create Minimal PFILE (Important for CDB)

Create /tmp/initCDBCLONE.ora

db_name=CDBPROD
db_unique_name=CDBCLONE
enable_pluggable_database=TRUE

control_files='/u02/oradata/CDBCLONE/control01.ctl'

db_file_name_convert=
'/u02/oradata/CDBPROD/','/u02/oradata/CDBCLONE/'

log_file_name_convert=
'/u02/oradata/CDBPROD/','/u02/oradata/CDBCLONE/'

🔎 Critical:

• db_name must match source CDB name

• enable_pluggable_database=TRUE is mandatory

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✅ STEP 5 — Start Instance NOMOUNT

sqlplus / as sysdba

startup nomount pfile='/tmp/initCDBCLONE.ora';

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✅ STEP 6 — Restore Controlfile

rman target /

RESTORE CONTROLFILE FROM '/backup/rman/<controlfile_piece>.bkp';
ALTER DATABASE MOUNT;

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✅ STEP 7 — Catalog Backup Pieces

CATALOG START WITH '/backup/rman/';

Verify:

LIST BACKUP;

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✅ STEP 8 — Restore CDB (All PDBs Included)

RUN {
  SET NEWNAME FOR DATABASE TO '/u02/oradata/CDBCLONE/%b';
  RESTORE DATABASE;
  SWITCH DATAFILE ALL;
}

This restores:

• CDB$ROOT

• PDB$SEED

• All PDBs automatically

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✅ STEP 9 — Recover Database

RECOVER DATABASE;

Archivelogs will be applied automatically.

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✅ STEP 10 — Open with RESETLOGS

ALTER DATABASE OPEN RESETLOGS;

Now entire CDB + PDBs should open.

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✅ STEP 11 — Verify Multitenant

select name, open_mode from v$pdbs;
select name, cdb from v$database;

If PDBs are MOUNTED:

alter pluggable database all open;

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✅ STEP 12 — Change DBID & DBNAME (Recommended)

To avoid backup conflicts:

nid target=/

Change name to:

CDBCLONE

Restart database.

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✅ STEP 13 — Recompile Invalid Objects

@?/rdbms/admin/utlrp.sql

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🔎 Important Multitenant Notes

✔ You do NOT restore PDB separately
✔ Entire CDB is restored as one unit
✔ All PDBs come automatically
✔ enable_pluggable_database=TRUE is mandatory
✔ Backup must be taken from CDB root

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🚀 Cleaner Method (Recommended in 19c)

Instead of manual restore:

DUPLICATE DATABASE TO CDBCLONE
  BACKUP LOCATION '/backup/rman/'
  NOFILENAMECHECK;

For multitenant on different server, this is the safest and least error-prone method.