Cloning and Renaming an Oracle Database

Question

Hi All,
Can someone please tell me, in brief, the steps to;
1. Create a clone of a database?
2. Rename an existing Database?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Hello,
1. Create a clone of a database?
You can use RMAN Duplicate and if you have access to metalink you can find tons of documents and notes for cloning
2. Rename an existing Database?
Here is stepwise procedure to rename existing database.
1. Take full backup (RMAN, export or datapump)
2. Stepwise instructions (Windows but it should very similar for unix/linux as well).
Edit tnsnames.ora entry
orcl =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = orionnet-24d24b)(PORT = 1521))
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
      (SERVICE_NAME = orcl)
Add new one
ODS =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = orionnet-24d24b)(PORT = 1521))
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVER = DEDICATED)
      (SERVICE_NAME = ODS)
C:\ set ORACLE_SID=orcl
C:\>sqlplus "/as sysdba"
SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Sun Dec 21 20:35:17 2008
Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
Connected to:
Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production
With the Partitioning, Oracle Label Security, OLAP and Data Mining Scoring Engine options
SQL> select instance_name, status from v$instance;
INSTANCE_NAME    STATUS
orcl             OPEN
SQL> create pfile='C:\oracle\product\10.2.0\ods\admin\pfile\initorcl.ora' from spfile;
File Created
SQL> shutdown immediate;
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup mount pfile='C:\oracle\product\10.2.0\ods\admin\pfile\initorcl.ora';
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area  209715200 bytes
Fixed Size                  1248116 bytes
Variable Size              67110028 bytes
Database Buffers          134217728 bytes
Redo Buffers                7139328 bytes
Database mounted.
Open a new cmd session from Start-> Run -> cmd
C:>nid TARGET=sys/whateveryourpassword@orcl DBNAME=ODS SETNAME=Y
where orcl=old database name, ODS=new database name
DBNEWID: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Sun Dec 21 20:43:33 2008
Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
Connected to database ORCL (DBID=2232941135)
Connected to server version 10.2.0
Control Files in database:
    C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL01.CTL
    C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL02.CTL
    C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL03.CTL
Change database name of database ORCL to ODS? (Y/[N]) => Y
Proceeding with operation
Changing database name from ORCL to ODS
    Control File C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL01.CTL - modified
    Control File C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL02.CTL - modified
    Control File C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL03.CTL - modified
    Datafile C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\SYSTEM01.DBF - wrote new name
    Datafile C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\UNDOTBS01.DBF - wrote new name
    Datafile C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\SYSAUX01.DBF - wrote new name
    Datafile C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\USERS01.DBF - wrote new name
    Datafile C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\TEST.DBF - wrote new name
    Datafile C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\TEMP01.DBF - wrote new name
    Control File C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL01.CTL - wrote new name
    Control File C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL02.CTL - wrote new name
    Control File C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.2.0\ORADATA\ODS\CONTROL03.CTL - wrote new name
    Instance shut down
Database name changed to ODS.
Modify parameter file and generate a new password file before restarting.
Succesfully changed database name.
DBNEWID - Completed succesfully.
C:\>oradim -DELETE -SID orcl
Instance deleted.
Edit initorcl.ora file and replace "ORCL" with "ODS"
C:>oradim -new -sid ODS -intpwd mypassword -startmode AUTO -pfile 'C:\oracle\product\10.2.0\admin\ODS\initorcl.ora'
Instance created.
C:\>set ORACLE_SID=ODS
C:\>sqlplus "/as sysdba"
SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Sun Dec 21 20:50:30 2008
Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
Connected to an idle instance.
SQL> startup mount pfile='C:\oracle\product\10.2.0\admin\ODS\pfile\initorcl.ora';
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area  209715200 bytes
Fixed Size                  1248116 bytes
Variable Size              67110028 bytes
Database Buffers          134217728 bytes
Redo Buffers                7139328 bytes
ORA-01103: database name 'ODS' in control file is not 'ORCL'
Note: If you don't modify initorcl.ora file and replace it with ODS, you will get ORA-01103 error.
SQL> shutdown immediate;
ORA-01507: database not mounted
Edit initorcl.ora file and replace "ORCL" with "ODS"
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup mount pfile='C:\oracle\product\10.2.0\admin\ODS\pfile\initods.ora';
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area  209715200 bytes
Fixed Size                  1248116 bytes
Variable Size              67110028 bytes
Database Buffers          134217728 bytes
Redo Buffers                7139328 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL>
SQL> alter database open;
Database altered.
NOte: My verification if TESTUSER exists or not after database name change
SQL> select username from dba_users;
USERNAME
SYS
SYSTEM
TESTUSER
OUTLN
MDSYS
ORDSYS
ANONYMOUS
EXFSYS
DBSNMP
WMSYS
XDB
USERNAME
ORDPLUGINS
SI_INFORMTN_SCHEMA
DIP
TSMSYS
15 rows selected.
NOte: ANother test for object existence
SQL> select table_name from dba_tables where owner='TESTUSER';
TABLE_NAME
TESTME
MY_OBJECTS
Note: Final test
SQL> select count(*) from testuser.my_objects;
  COUNT(*)
     38174Regards