Adding new PDB to a CDB with Standby

On Oracle 12c we got a new feature on RMAN which allows you to restore database files, over the network, from a physical standby database by using the FROM SERVICE clause of the RESTORE command.

So in a Data Guard environment in case you add a new Pluggable database (PDB) you don’t need to duplicate the entire Container database (CDB) again. You can restore only the new PDB to the physical standby. Cool right, less work, faster work. I would prefer this as RMAN would do all its magic and we would not need to manual copies to renames.

On the practical side, this would be done in case you need to add a new PDB in your Data Guard configuration.

Stop the archive log apply on the standby using DG broker

validate database verbose PRIMARY;
validate database verbose STANDBY;
edit database 'STANDBY' set state='apply-off';

On the standby database restore the new PDB

rman target /
run{
allocate channel prim1 type disk;
set newname for pluggable database NEW_PDB to new;
restore pluggable database NEW_PDB from service PRIMARY;
switch datafile all;
}

– Enable recovery on the new PDB, if you running an Active DataGuard you need to stop it and start the standby database in mount, also if you get ORA-1113 make sure you are in MOUNT stage.

sqlplus / as sysdba
shtudown immediate
startup mount
alter session set container=NEW_PDB;
alter pluggable database enable recovery;
exit

– Enable archive log apply

edit database 'STANDBY' set state='apply-on';
validate database verbose PRIMARY;
validate database verbose STANDBY;

More information you can find on the MOS Note Making Use Deferred PDB Recovery and the STANDBYS=NONE Feature with Oracle Multitenant (Doc ID 1916648.1)

Hope it helps,
Elisson Almeida