Choose the operation by what should happen to the source: use remote PDB cloning or RMAN duplication to keep it and create a second PDB; use relocation to move it and remove the source after completion. For relocation, Oracle documents CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE ... FROM source_pdb@dblink RELOCATE. Check the requirements for your exact Oracle release before running any of these procedures.
Choose the operation that matches your goal
“Duplicate” can mean either create another copy or move the existing PDB. That distinction matters: relocation removes the source after the target is ready, while cloning creates a separate PDB and leaves the source in place.
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| Desired result | Documented path | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Move the PDB to another CDB and retire the source copy | CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE ... FROM source_pdb@dblink RELOCATE |
Connects the destination to the remote source, clones the PDB to the target, moves its associated files, and removes the source when relocation completes. Oracle Database 21c relocation guide |
| Create a second PDB and keep the source | Remote PDB cloning with CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE ... FROM |
Creates a target copy; a remote source requires a database link. Oracle Database 21c cloning guide |
| Duplicate a PDB into an existing CDB using RMAN | DUPLICATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb_name TO cdb_name |
Uses RMAN’s dedicated syntax for duplicating a PDB into an existing CDB. Follow the RMAN guide for the installed release for the procedure and connection or backup requirements. Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User’s Guide 26ai |
| Move a PDB through an unplugged artifact | Unplug, then create a PDB using its XML metadata or archive | Uses CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE ... USING; check source-target release compatibility and any upgrade work. Oracle Database 18c plug-in guide |
The SQL Language Reference documents the CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE syntax, including cloning and relocation clauses: Oracle Database SQL Language Reference 26ai.
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Move the PDB with remote relocation
What relocation changes
Relocation first clones the remote source PDB into the target CDB and then removes the source. Oracle describes the source as remaining open read/write and operational during much of the work. Its 19c guide describes online copying of data files, redo, and undo, followed by session draining and source closure when the target is opened to finish relocation. The outage is therefore not a fixed number: Oracle says it is approximately the time needed to copy the files, and actual client impact depends on file-copy time, services, environment, and the chosen availability mode. AVAILABILITY MAX is an option for connection redirection. See the 21c relocation guide and 19c relocation guide.
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Check the 21c guide’s prerequisites
The following requirements are stated in Oracle’s 21c relocation guide; verify the corresponding guide for your deployed release and architecture before applying them:
- The source CDB must use local undo mode.
- Save the PDB service and open state across source instances. The guide gives
ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE ALL SAVE STATE INSTANCES=ALL;as the command. - A user in the target CDB root needs the
CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASEprivilege. - The target-to-source database link must connect to the appropriate source root. The link user must satisfy the guide’s common-user and
CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASEorSYSOPERprivilege conditions. - Source and destination platforms must have the same endianness. Installed source database options must be the same as, or a subset of, the destination’s options.
- If the destination character set is not
AL32UTF8, the character sets must be compatible. - If the target is not in
ARCHIVELOGmode, the target PDB must be opened read-only during the operation.
Relocation command shape
At a high level, the target CDB issues a statement of this form, replacing the illustrative names with values for your environment:
CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE target_pdb FROM source_pdb@dblink RELOCATE;
This is a syntax shape, not a complete deployment script: database-link creation, naming, file placement, privileges, and any availability clauses must be resolved for your release and environment. Use the SQL Language Reference and the relocation guide for the exact syntax and procedure.
Create a separate PDB with remote cloning
Choose cloning when the original must remain available as a separate PDB. Oracle documents cloning from a local or remote PDB, with the clone automatically plugged into its CDB. A remote source requires a database link. The 21c guide says hot cloning is possible when the CDB is in ARCHIVELOG mode and local undo mode, allowing the source PDB to remain open read/write and operational during the clone. These statements describe the 21c guide; check the guide for the release you run. Oracle Database 21c cloning guide
For an encrypted PDB or one with a TDE master encryption key, the 21c guide says to supply the target keystore password with the KEYSTORE IDENTIFIED BY clause. Account for access to the target keystore as part of the clone plan. Oracle Database 21c cloning guide
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The command uses the CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE ... FROM form. Its complete clauses depend on the source, target, file placement, encryption, and release, so build it from the SQL Language Reference rather than treating a short example as a ready-to-run script. Oracle Database SQL Language Reference 26ai
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Oracle’s RMAN guide documents DUPLICATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE pdb_name TO cdb_name for duplicating a PDB into an existing CDB. It also documents separate syntax for duplicating specified PDBs into a new CDB. Choose this route when the RMAN workflow fits the way the source, target, and backups are managed; consult the guide for your installed release for the required auxiliary configuration, backups, and connections. Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User’s Guide 26ai
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Use unplug and plug for an artifact-based move
An unplug/plug workflow exports PDB metadata as an XML file or uses a compressed PDB archive, then plugs it in with CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE ... USING. Oracle’s 18c guide states that a PDB cannot be plugged in if the source CDB has a higher database release than the target CDB. Because that compatibility statement is from an 18c guide, verify the current rule and any upgrade requirements for your specific source-target release pair before choosing this path. Oracle Database 18c plug-in guide
Plan the change around the risks that apply to your path
- Source disposition: decide whether the source must survive. Relocation removes it on completion; cloning and RMAN duplication create a copy.
- Availability: estimate outage and client reconnection behavior from your own file-copy time, services, and chosen availability mode. Oracle’s documentation does not establish a universal downtime figure.
- Connectivity and privilege: for remote relocation or cloning, verify database-link connection details and required users and privileges in the guide for your release.
- Compatibility: check release, platform endianness, database options, and character-set conditions where the selected procedure requires them.
- Storage and files: plan target file placement and capacity; relocation moves associated PDB files.
- Recovery and encryption: confirm RMAN’s backup and auxiliary setup if using RMAN, and address the target keystore password when cloning encrypted data.
Oracle’s 19c guide also identifies SQL, DBCA, and Fleet Patching and Provisioning as interfaces for relocation. Use the interface aligned with your deployment and automation practices, and confirm its capabilities in the documentation for your release. Oracle Database 19c relocation guide
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