OCM 12c Preparation - Create and manage pluggable databases

Creating the CDB database is one of the most elementary tasks a DBA must do in 12c. For OCM exam, you must create the container DB easily in all the ways imaginable.

I can think on the following ways of creating it:

1. Create database using dbca via GUI (the fastest and recommended if the exam does not put any restrictions)
2. Create database using dbca with response file.
3. Create database using dbca with parameters in the command line.
4. Create database using the "CREATE DATABASE" statement (not recommended if the database is CDB as catcdb.sql takes a lot of time).

Create those databases in your Single Instance Oracle VM and also in your Oracle RAC VM, to be sure you are used to it.

But this topic also talks about "manage pluggable databases". So, you must know all the ways of cloning, copying, removing and plugging and unplugging it:

1. Create a PDB by using the seed
2. Create a PDB by cloning an existing PDB or non-CDB (local or remote databases via DBLink)
3. Create a PDB by plugging an unplugged PDB into a CDB
4. Create a PDB by using a non-CDB
5. Unplugging a PDB from a CDB
6. Dropping a PDB

Using:

1. DBCA
2. SQL Plus
3. SQL Developer
4. EM Express Edition
5. EM Cloud Control

PS 1: Don't forget to try to plug a PDB from different version like 12.1.0.1 or even a non-CDB 11.2 and performing the upgrade.

PS 2: Play also unplugging/plugging using Xml File / PDB Archive / PDB File Set (the last 2 only available with dbca in 12.1.0.2).

PS 2: Plug something from a different charset and convert it.

In Oracle 12.1.0.2c, we also "save time" improvements as:

• PDBs can be hot cloned, i.e. you don’t need to put the source PDB in read-only for cloning so that it can be cloned to a CDB online. In Oracle 12.1.0.1c, a pluggable database can be cloned only if it is read-only.
• PDBs can be remote cloned, i.e. the source PDB may be located in a remote container. This feature was listed in Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1.0.1), but didn’t work.
• There is no need to create the directories where the database files of clone PDB will be placed. If the directory is not already present, it will be automatically created as part of the cloning operation.

Path to Documentation:

Database Administrator's Guide -> Creating and Configuring a CDB
Database Administrator's Guide -> Creating and Removing PDBs with SQL*Plus
Database Administrator's Guide -> Creating and Removing PDBs with Cloud Control
Database Administrator's Guide -> Administering a CDB with SQL*Plus
Database Administrator's Guide -> Administering PDBs with SQL*Plus
Database Administrator's Guide -> Administering CDBs and PDBs with Cloud Control
Database SQL Language Reference -> CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE
Database Upgrade Guide -> Upgrading Oracle Database -> Upgrading a Pluggable Database (PDB)

+3