Oracle OEM 12c introduces a new feature that enables the creation of Oracle database thin clones by leveraging file system snapshot technologies from either  ZFS  or Netapp.  The OEM adds a graphic interface to the process of making database thin clones. The feature that enables database thin cloning in OEM is called Snap Clone and is part of OEM’s Cloud Control Self Service for data cloning. Snap Clone is available via the feature Database as a Service (DBaaS). Snap clone leverages the copy on write technologies available in some storage systems for database cloning.  Support is initially available for NAS storage and specifically on  ZFS Storage  and NetApp Storage.

In order to use Snap Clone, one has to install the source database such that the source database data files are on a ZFS storage  or Netapp array and have the storage managed by agents on a LINUX machine and then one can thin clone data files on that same storage array.

Snap Clone offers role based access, so storage admin can login in and only have access to areas they are responsible for as well as limiting access to source databases, clones and resource by end users.

Setting Snap Clone

The prerequisites for getting start with Snap Clone are having available storage on ZFS Storage Appliance or Netapp storage array as well as having access to a master test database. A master test databse is a database that has a sanatized version of a production database such that it is either a subset and or  masked. The test master database has to be registered with OEM.  After the test master is registered with OEM, Snap Clone can be setup. To set up snap clone, come into Oracle Cloud Control 12c as “cloud administrator” role with “storage adminstator” priviledge or super administrator and register the storage. To register the storage navigate to “ setup -> provisining patching -> storage registration”.

• Navigate to “ setup -> provisining patching -> storage registration”
• Click “Register” tab, and choose storage, either Netapp or ZFS,
  • Supply storage information
    • Name: Storage array name registered in DNS
    • Vendor
    • Protocol: http or https
    • Storage Credentials: credentials for interacting with storage
• Install agents on a separate LINUX machine to manage the Netapp or ZFS storage. An agent has to run on Linux host to manage the  storage. Supply the
  • Agent host
  • Host credentials
• Pick a database to make the test master
  • Put the test master on ZFS storage or Netapp storage
  • Register the ZFS storage or Netapp storage with OEM
  • Enable Snap Clone for the  test master database
• Set up a zone – set max CPU and Memory for a set of hosts and the roles that can see these zones
• Set up a pool – a pool is a set of machines where databases can be provisioned
• Set up a profile – a source database that can be used for thin cloning
• Set up a service template – reference values such as a init.ora for database to be created

Figure 1. Shows the entry page in OEM 12c Cloud Control. From here go to the top right and choose setup, then provisining patching then storage registration as shown above.

 Navigate to storage registration

To setup Snap Clone navigate to storage registyratiom choose the menus “setup -> provisining patching -> storage registration”.

Figure 2 Shows a zoom into the menus to choose

Figure 3. Storage Registration Page

Figure 4. Choose the type of storage array

Once on the Storage Registration page, choose “Register” and then choose the storage, either Netapp or Sun ZFS.

Register the Storage

Figure 5. Storage Registration Page

To register the storage supply the following information

• Name: Storage array name registered in DNS
• Vendor
• Protocol: http or https
• Storage Credentials: credentials for interacting with storage

All of which is documented in cloud administration guide.

Define agents used to manage storage

Then define agents used to manage storage. Agents have are required to run on a LINUX host.  More than one agen can define to provide redundancy.  The agents will be the path by which OEM communicates with the storage. For each agent, supply the following information

• Host name
• Credential type
• Credentials

And finally define the frequency with which the agent synchronizes with the storage to gather the sorage hardware details such as  information on aggregates shares volumes.

After the storage information, agent information and agent synchronization information has been filled out, then hit “submit” button in the top right. Hitting the submit button will return the UI back to the “Storage Registration”. On the “Storage Registration”, click on the storage appliance listed in the top, then click on the contents tab on the bottom half of the page. This will list all the  volumns and aggregates in the storage appliance.

Looking at volumns on Storage Array

Figure 6. Editing storage ceiling by clicking on a aggregate and hitting the “Edit Storage Config” tab.

For each aggregate one can set storage ceilings. Click on the aggregate or FlexVol and the click “Edit Storage Ceilings” tab.

Choosing a Database Test Master

On the database tab is a list of databases that can be used for cloning. OEM detects the database automatically on the hosts it is managing. OEM will also automatically correlate databases that have storage on the storage array added storage registration.  OEM looks for all databases that have files on the registered storage.  Click on database, then the show files tabs which will show the files and volumes for this database.

Figure 7. List of files by volumn for database

Figure 8. Enable Snap Clone for databases that will be used as test masters.

Nominating a database as test master requires enabling snap clone. To enable snap clone for a database, click on the chosen database, then click “Enable Snap Clone” tab just above the list of databases. This will automatically validate that all the volumes are flex clone enabled (in the case of Netapp).

Setting up Zones

The next step is to configure zone which can be used to organize cloud resources

Choose the menu option “Enterprise -> Cloud -> Midelware and Database Home”

Figure 9. Navigate first to “Cloud -> Middleware and Database Home”

Middleware and Database Cloud page

Figure 10.  Middleware and Databawe Cloud page

Setting up a Zone

In order to see the zones defined, click on the number next to the title “Paas Infrastructure Zones”  in the top left under General Information.

Figure 11. PaaS Infrastructure Zones

To create a zone, click the tab “Create”.

Figure 12. first page of wizard to create a PaaS Infrastructure Zone, give a meaningful name and description of the zone and define maximum CPU utilizaiton and memory allocation.

In the first page of the “PaaS Infrastructure Zone”, give zones a meaningful name and description. Define constraints such as maximum host CPU and memory allocations.

Figure 13. Second page of the “PaaS Infrastructure Zone” wizard, add hosts that are available to the zone.

Next define hosts that are members of the zone and provide credentials that operate across all members of this zone

Figure 14. Third page of the “PaaS Infrastructure Zone” wizard, limit which roles can see the zone.

Next define what roles can see and access this szone. The visibiliy of the zone can be limited to a certain class of users via roles like Dev, QA etc

Figure 15. Final review page for “PaaS Infrastructure Zone” wizard

Finally review settings and click submit

Figure 16. Showing the Confirmation that the PaaS Infranstructure Zone has been successfully created.

Creating Database Pool and Profiles

The remaining steps required to enable snap clone is to create a database pools which is a collection of servers or nodes that have database software installed.  The remaining part of the setup is done by a differnet user who is the administrator for database as a service.

Log in as  DBAAS_ADMIN.

For the next part navigate to the menu “Setup -> Cloud -> Database”.

Figure 17. Middleware and Database Cloud page

Figure 18. Navigate to “Setup -> Cloud -> Database”.

Figure 19. Database Cloud Self Service Portal Setup. To create a database pool choose the “Create” button in the center of the page and from the pull down, choose “For Database”.

To create a new pool click on the “Create” button in the center of the page, and chose “For Database” from the pull down menu that appears.

Figure 20. Choose “Create -> For Database”

Figure 21. Edit pool page. Provide a meaningful name a descrpition of the pool. Add Oracle home directories in the bottom of the page. At the very bottom of the page set a constraint on the number of databases instances that can be created in the pool. On the top right, set the host credentials.

Set

• Name and description
• Oracle Home
• Maximum number of databases per host
• Credentials

In the “Edit Pool” page, at the top left of the screen, provide a meaningful name and description for the pool. In the middle of the screen add Oracle homes that will be used for databse provisioning.  Every member of a database pool is required to be homogeneous. Homogenous requires that the platform and Oracle version is the same across all the hosts  and Oracle homes in the pool. All the Oracle installations also have to be of the same type either single instance or RAC. In the top right  add the  Oracle home provide oracle credentials and root credentials. Finally at the bottom of the page a constraint can be set on the number of database instances that can be started in this pool.

Figure 22. Set request limits on the pool

The next page sets the request settings. The first restriction sets how far in advanced can requrest can be made. Second restricts  how long a request can be kept which is the archive retension.  After the archive retention time  the  requests will be deleted.  Finally is the request duration which is the maximum duration for which the request can be made.

Figure 23. Set memory  and storage quotas per role for the pool. The quotas cover memory, storage, database requests and schema requests.

The above page  configures quotas.  Quota is allocated to each and every self service user. The quotas controls the amount fo resources users  have access to. Quotas are assigned to a role and users inherit quota values from the role. Click “Create” in the middle of the screen.

Figure 24. Editing the quotas on a pool for a  role.

The popup dialogue has for these entries

• Role name
• memory GB
• storage GB
• number of database request

Figure 25. Profiles and Service Templates

Profiles and service templates

.A profile is use to capture information about the source database which can then be used for provisioning.

A service template is a standardized service definition for a database configuration that is offered to the self service users. A collection of service templates forms the  service catalogue. A service template will provision databsae with or  without seed data. To capture an ideal configuration, the easist thing to do is to point at an existing database and fetch information of interest from that database.  The information from the database can be captured using a profile.

To create a profile click on the “Create” button under “Profiles”

Creating a profile

Figure 26. Specify a reference target for a profile.

Click the magnifying glass to search for a source database.

Figure 27. Search for a reference target database

Pick a refrence target by clicking on it, the click the “Select” button in bottom right.

Figure 28. Creating a Database Provisioning Profile

To pick a database for use in thin cloning, choose the check box “Data Content” with suboption selected fro “Structured Data” with sub-option selected for “Create” with sub-option selected for “Storage Snapshot”. This  option is only enabled only when the “enable snapshot” option is enabled on the storage registration page. Disable option capture oracle home.

Provide credentials for the host machines Oracle account and for the database login.

The “Content Option” step is not needed for the above selections.

Figure 29. Give the profile a meaniful name and description

Next provide credentials for Oracle home and Oracle databse, then provide a meaningful name for the profile  as well as a location. The profile will be userful when creating a service template.

Figure 30. Review of create profile options.

Next  review the summary and click subit which will connect to storage and take snapshots of the storage

Figure 31. Shows a zoom into the menus to choose

To  create a new service template choose a profile and  in this case use “thin provisioning for reference DB” profile.  Now to create a new service template click “create” and choose “for database”. Service templates are part of the service catalogue and exposed to the self service users.

Figure 32. Provide a meaningful name and description for the service template.

Provide a meaningful name and description. For the rest of service template provide information about the databses that will be created from the snapshots such as providing database type, rac or single instance, for rac provide number of nodes. Provide the SID prefix to appended to the SIDs generated for the clones, provide the Domain Name and the port.

Figure 33. Provide a storage area for writes to use.

The   cloning operation only creates a read only copy thus it is required to provide write space elsewhere in order to allow writing to the thin clone.

click on the edit button

click on volumne, then edit button

Figure 34. set diretory and maximum space usage for the write location

Provide the mount point prefix and amount of writeable space wish to allocate

Users of the thin clone databses can  also be allowed to take further snapshots. These snapshots can be used as a mechinism to rollback changes, The number of thiese snapshtos can limited just below storage size section:

Figure 35. set the number of snapshots that can be taken of a a thin clone

Figure 36. set the initial passwords for database accounts on the thin clone.

next provide credentials for administrative accounts

• SYS
• SYSMAN
• DBSMNP

for all other non-administartive accounts can choose to leave them as is or change them all to one password you can modify certain init.ora parameters for exmaple memory

Figure 37. Modify any specific init.ora parameters for the thin clone

Figure 38. Set any pre and post provision scripts to be run at the creation of a thin clone.

custom scripts can be provide as pre or post creation steps this can be very useful if you want to register databses with  OID or certian actions that are specific to your organization

Figure 39. Set the zone and pool for the thin clone

Figure 40. set the roles that can use the service template.

you associate this srvice template with a zone and a template this insures that the service template can actualy work on the  group of resources that you have identified and can limit the visibility of the service tempalte usein roles

Figure 41. review of the service template creation requites

finally we review the summary and click submit

Creating  a Thin Clone

Figure 42. 12c Cloud Control

Figure 43. 12c Cloud Control Self Service Portal

Contents of the Database Cloud Self Service Potal screen

• Left hand side
  •  Notification – any instances that are about to expire
  •   Usage
    •     databases (number provisioned out of maximum)
    •     schema services
    •     Memory
    •     Storage
• Right side
  •   Top
    •     Databases
  • Bottom
    •     requests – requests that created the database services and the database instances

Figure 44. To clone a database, choose the “Request” then “Database” menu.

Figure 45. From the list choose a Self Service Template. In this case “SOEDB Service Template”

Options are

•   RMAN backups which are full clones
•   empty databases
•   snap clone which are thin clones

Figure 46. Fill out the clone Service Request

request wizard asks for

• request name
• select zone – collection of servers
• select a start and end time
• provide a user name and password, new user and password

Users do not get system access to the databases but instead get a slightly less privilege user who becomes the owner of the database

Hit Submit

Figure 47. Shows new clone database

References

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7fnfLS5Dxg&feature=youtu.be – setup

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VK1z6nU1PU – provisioning

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/oem/cloud-mgmt/dbaas-snap-netapp-2041775.mp4

http://www.slideshare.net/kellynpotvin/dbaas-database-as-a-service-in-a-dbas-world#!