Plugging a SE2 non-CDB as an EE PDB Using File Copying and Remote Link

This post list two methods for plugging a non-CDB on standard edition 2 (SE2) as a pluggable database on enterprise edition (EE) CDB. One is using a XML description file which also includes copying the data files to (if EE database reside in another server). Other method is using a remote link. Reverse of this process, that is EE plugged into SE2 is not possible according to 1631260.1. This is because SE2 has less options than EE. But as long as the options in the SE2 are a subset of EE, moving from SE2 to EE is possible (2020172.1). Current options on the SE2 are

SQL> select comp_id,comp_name,status,version from dba_registry;

COMP_ID    COMP_NAME                                STATUS   VERSION
---------- ---------------------------------------- -------- ----------
CONTEXT    Oracle Text                              VALID    12.1.0.2.0
OWM        Oracle Workspace Manager                 VALID    12.1.0.2.0
XDB        Oracle XML Database                      VALID    12.1.0.2.0
CATALOG    Oracle Database Catalog Views            VALID    12.1.0.2.0
CATPROC    Oracle Database Packages and Types       VALID    12.1.0.2.0

Options on the EE are

SQL> select comp_id,comp_name,status,version from dba_registry;

COMP_ID    COMP_NAME                                STATUS     VERSION
---------- ---------------------------------------- ---------- ---------------
DV         Oracle Database Vault                    VALID      12.1.0.2.0
APEX       Oracle Application Express               VALID      4.2.5.00.08
OLS        Oracle Label Security                    VALID      12.1.0.2.0
SDO        Spatial                                  VALID      12.1.0.2.0
ORDIM      Oracle Multimedia                        VALID      12.1.0.2.0
CONTEXT    Oracle Text                              VALID      12.1.0.2.0
OWM        Oracle Workspace Manager                 VALID      12.1.0.2.0
XDB        Oracle XML Database                      VALID      12.1.0.2.0
CATALOG    Oracle Database Catalog Views            VALID      12.1.0.2.0
CATPROC    Oracle Database Packages and Types       VALID      12.1.0.2.0
JAVAVM     JServer JAVA Virtual Machine             VALID      12.1.0.2.0
XML        Oracle XDK                               VALID      12.1.0.2.0
CATJAVA    Oracle Database Java Packages            VALID      12.1.0.2.0
APS        OLAP Analytic Workspace                  VALID      12.1.0.2.0
XOQ        Oracle OLAP API                          VALID      12.1.0.2.0
RAC        Oracle Real Application Clusters         OPTION OFF 12.1.0.2.0

Both SE2 and EE has been patched to the same level.

Method 1. File Copying
Start the SE2 in read only mode, create the non-CDB descriptor file and shutdown.

SQL> startup mount exclusive;
SQL> alter database open read only;
SQL> exec dbms_pdb.describe(pdb_descr_file=>'/home/oracle/backup/se2_noncdb_desc.xml');
SQL> shutdown imm

Copy the descriptor file the data files to the location where EE CDB resides

scp -C se2_noncdb_desc.xml  192.168.0.99:/home/oracle/backup/

cd /data/oradata/STD12C1/datafile/
scp -C * 192.168.0.99:/home/oracle/backup/

o1_mf_sysaux_byjg3ypy_.dbf                         100%  550MB  25.0MB/s   00:22
o1_mf_system_byjg3q5k_.dbf                         100%  700MB  25.0MB/s   00:28
...

On the EE CDB run a compatibility check against the descriptor file

set serveroutput on
declare
    compa boolean;
    begin
    compa := dbms_pdb.CHECK_PLUG_COMPATIBILITY(pdb_descr_file=>'/home/oracle/backup/se2_noncdb_desc.xml');
 if compa = true then
      dbms_output.put_line('compatible');
 else
    dbms_output.put_line('no compatible');
 end if;
end;
/
no compatible

As seen from the output the compatibility fails. Look in the PDB_PLUG_IN_VIOLATIONS and if the cause for warnings are due to missing options then the incompatibility is ignore-able (2020172.1).

SQL> select name,cause,status,type,action from PDB_PLUG_IN_VIOLATIONS where name='STDPDB' AND STATUS <>'RESOLVED';

NAME     CAUSE      STATUS    TYPE      ACTION
-------- ---------- --------- --------- ------------------------------------------------------------
STDPDB   OPTION     PENDING   WARNING   Fix the database option in the PDB or the CDB
STDPDB   OPTION     PENDING   WARNING   Fix the database option in the PDB or the CDB
STDPDB   APEX       PENDING   WARNING   Please contact Oracle Support.

SQL> select status,message from PDB_PLUG_IN_VIOLATIONS where name='STDPDB' AND STATUS <>'RESOLVED';

STATUS    MESSAGE
--------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PENDING   Database option APS mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   Database option CATJAVA mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   Database option DV mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   Database option JAVAVM mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   Database option OLS mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   Database option ORDIM mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   Database option SDO mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   Database option XML mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   Database option XOQ mismatch: PDB installed version NULL. CDB installed version 12.1.0.2.0.
PENDING   APEX mismatch: PDB installed version NULL CDB installed version 4.2.5.00.08

Plug the SE2 non-CDB using the descriptor file

SQL> create pluggable database se2pdb as clone using '/home/oracle/backup/se2_noncdb_desc.xml'
source_file_name_convert=('/data/oradata/STD12C1/datafile','/home/oracle/backup') move;

Pluggable database created.

SQL> show pdbs

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO
         3 ONEPDB                         READ WRITE NO
         4 TWOPDB                         READ WRITE NO
 5 SE2PDB                         MOUNTED

Chane to the PDB container and run noncdb_to_pdb.sql script

SQL> ALTER SESSION SET CONTAINER=se2pdb;
SQL> show con_name;

CON_NAME
------------------------------
SE2PDB

SQL> @?/rdbms/admin/noncdb_to_pdb.sql

When the script completes open the PDB

SQL> alter pluggable database open;

SQL> show pdbs;

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
5 SE2PDB                         READ WRITE NO

PDB opens without any restriction and is ready to use. EE CDB was setup using OMF, as such the plugged SE2 DB's datafile and tempfile will be created in a OMF structure with a new GUID.

SQL> select name from v$tempfile;

NAME
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/3B61A02E318577C4E0536300A8C051DC/datafile/o1_mf_temp_cwg1lqd0_.dbf

1 row selected.

SQL> select name from v$datafile;

NAME
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_cvchzywd_.dbf
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/3B61A02E318577C4E0536300A8C051DC/datafile/o1_mf_system_cwg1lqcv_.dbf
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/3B61A02E318577C4E0536300A8C051DC/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_cwg1lqcz_.dbf
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/3B61A02E318577C4E0536300A8C051DC/datafile/o1_mf_users_cwg1lqd0_.dbf
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/3B61A02E318577C4E0536300A8C051DC/datafile/o1_mf_tools_cwg1lqd1_.dbf

The files associated with the undo and temp tablespaces on the non-CDB will not be used in the plugged in PDB.

Method 2. Remote Link
In this method a remote link created from the EE CDB to SE2 non-CDB and used to create the PDB.

stdtns =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 192.168.0.66)(PORT = 1521))
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
      (SERVICE_NAME = std12c1)
    )
  )

SQL> create database link std_link connect to system identified by system using 'STDTNS';
Database link created.

Validate the link by running a query against the remote SE2 DB

SQL> select instance_name from v$instance@std_link;

INSTANCE_NAME
----------------
std12c1

As OMF is used no other steps are needed to create the PDB. Run the create PDB statement

SQL>  create pluggable database stdpdb from std12c1@std_link;
Pluggable database created.

SQL> show pdbs;

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO
         3 ONEPDB                         READ WRITE NO
         4 TWOPDB                         READ WRITE NO
         5 STDPDB                         MOUNTED

Change to the newly created PDB, run the noncdb_to_pdb script and finally open the PDB

SQL> ALTER SESSION SET CONTAINER=stdpdb;

SQL> show con_name;

CON_NAME
------------------------------
STDPDB

SQL> @?/rdbms/admin/noncdb_to_pdb.sql

SQL> alter pluggable database open;

SQL> show pdbs

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO
         3 ONEPDB                         READ WRITE NO
         4 TWOPDB                         READ WRITE NO
         5 STDPDB                         READ WRITE NO

Similar to method 1 and plugging violation due to missing options are ignore-able.
Unlike the method 1, in method 2 the undo tablespace within the PDB will be offline.

SQL> select tablespace_name,status from dba_tablespaces order by 2,1;

TABLESPACE_NAME                STATUS
------------------------------ ---------
UNDOTBS1                       OFFLINE

This is due to the fact that both non-CDB and CDB where it's plugged having the same name for undo tablespace and undo tablespaces are not local to PDB but common to entire CDB. Unfortunately it's not possible to drop this within the PDB (2067414.1). However querying data files within the PDB shows the CDB's undo tablespace's data file

SQL> select name from v$datafile;

NAME
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/datafile/o1_mf_undotbs1_cvchzywd_.dbf
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/3BEEE6493046715CE0536300A8C0B4F0/datafile/o1_mf_system_cx0l5krb_.dbf
/opt/app/oracle/oradata/CGCDB/3BEEE6493046715CE0536300A8C0B4F0/datafile/o1_mf_sysaux_cx0l5krf_.dbf

Useful Metlink Notes
"OPTION WARNING Database option mismatch: PDB installed version NULL" in PDB_PLUG_IN_VIOLATIONS [ID 2020172.1]
Unplug an Enterprise Edition PDB and Plug into a Standard Edition CDB says not compatible when using DBMS_PDB.CHECK_PLUG_COMPATIBILITY [ID 1631260.1]

Related Post
Move a PDB Between Servers