Oracle Database Cloning

XLServer allows you to provision Oracle cloned databases for development, testing, QA, troubleshooting, or parallel workloads.
Two clone types are supported:

• Virtual Clone: Lightweight clone using snapshots (no data duplication, minimal disk space).
• Physical Clone: Full copy of the source database (block-to-block duplication).

When a backup strategy is attached to a live database, snapshots of the live database are created at regular intervals.
From the Live Database detail page, you can create either a Virtual Clone or a Physical Clone using the latest snapshot (default).
Alternatively, from a Snapshot detail page, you can create a clone specifically from that snapshot content.

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⚙️ Prerequisites

To create Oracle clones from XLServer:

• Oracle database is reachable from XLServer.
• Target environment must be already added to XLServer.
• XLServer must have SSH access to the target host.
• Target environment must have Oracle RDBMS installed and listener running.
• Target environment must be compatible with source environment:
  • Same Linux architecture.
  • Same distribution and major version.
• Target Oracle RDBMS must be equal to or higher than source RDBMS version.
• Database hosts must have NFS client installed.

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🌀 Clone Types

Virtual Clone

• Created instantly from snapshots.
• Uses minimal disk space (ZFS snapshot rollback).
• Can be reset, shared, converted to physical, stopped, or started.

Physical Clone

• Full copy of live database (all data duplicated).
• Takes longer to create.
• No advanced actions (reset/share).
• Managed like an independent database.

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🌐 Create Oracle Virtual Clone

1. Go to Oracle database detail page.
   

2. Click Actions > Create Virtual Clone → Confirm.

3. The Cloning wizard is displayed.

4. Select the target environment → Next.
   

5. On Database Configuration page, enter:

   • Database Name (target DB name).
   • Mount Base (NFS mount point).
   • DB Unique Name (default: same as Database Name).
   • Instance Name (default: same as Database Name).
   • Post Script path (optional SQL script to run after clone creation).
   • RMAN Channels (used for parallel restore when converting to physical).
     Ignored for Oracle Standard Edition.
     

   Click Next.

6. In Parameters page, customize clone DB parameters.
   Parameters are inherited from template (if attached) or source database.
   

   Click Next.

7. Summary page displays entered values.
   

8. Review and click FINISH.

9. Follow execution in Jobs list.
   

   As no masking/upgrade is applied, clone creation is usually few seconds.

10. Access the newly created Virtual Clone detail page.
    

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📋 Oracle Virtual Clone Management

Configuration Parameters

Clone detail page (left panel) displays all settings:

Parameter	Description
Project	Project to which clone belongs
Environment	Clone environment
Vendor	Always ORACLE
DB Unique Name	Unique database identifier
Instance Name	Oracle instance name
Node Name	Host node name
JDBC Service	JDBC connection string
Source Database	Name of source DB
Oracle Home	ORACLE_HOME path
Version	Oracle version
Character Set	Clone character set
DB ID	Clone DB identifier
Mount Base	NFS mount point
Database Type	Clone Database
DB User	Database credentials
Specific Post Script Execution	Status (none, failed, success)
Generic Post Script Execution	Status (none, failed, success)
Datamasking	Status (none, failed, success)
Creation Time	Timestamp of clone creation
Created By	User who created the clone

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Dashboard Cards

On the right side:

• Disk Usage
• Disk Usage Ratio (vs live DB)
• Clone Age
• Snapshot Version (increments on reset)

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Parent Container

Displays lineage of parent snapshot:

• Last Applied SCN
• Last Change Time
• Snapshot creation time
• Datafiles, controlfiles, tempfiles

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🔑 Change Credentials

1. Click pencil near DB User.
2. Enter new Username/Password.
   
3. Click VALIDATE.

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⚡ Actions on Virtual Clone

Available from Actions menu:

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⏹ Stop

• Stops clone DB.
• Unmounts NFS from host.
  

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▶️ Start

• Starts clone DB (mount + open DB).
  

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🔄 Reset

• Rewinds clone to initial state (all changes lost).
• Snapshot version increments.
  

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🤝 Share

• Creates another similar virtual clone on same/new environment.
• No masking/post-script executed → very fast.

Steps:

1. Actions > Share → Confirm.
   
2. Select target environment.
   
3. Enter DB config (Name, Mount Base, DB Unique Name, Instance Name).
   
4. Review summary → Finish.
   
5. Follow job progress.
   
6. New shared clone is listed.
   

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💽 Convert to Physical

• Moves clone DB files to local host directory.
• Requires sufficient disk space (same size as source DB).

Steps:

1. Actions > Convert to Physical → Confirm.
   
2. Enter Local Directory, DB File Name Convert, Log File Name Convert.
   
3. Review summary → Finish.
   
4. Track job progress.
   
5. Converted DB is listed as Physical Clone.
   

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🗑 Delete

• Deletes virtual clone metadata.
• Confirmation required.
  

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🏗️ Create Oracle Physical Clone

1. Go to Oracle database detail page.
   

2. Actions > Create Physical Clone → Confirm.

3. Cloning wizard appears.

4. Select Target Environment.
   

5. In Database Configuration page, enter:

   • Database Name
   • Mount Base
   • DB Unique Name
   • Instance Name
   • Post Script path (optional)
   • RMAN Channels
     

6. Parameters page → Customize parameters.
   

7. Review Summary.
   

8. Click FINISH.

9. Follow progress in Jobs list.
   

10. Physical clone DB metadata visible in detail page.
    (No container defined in XLServer).

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🗑 Delete Physical Clone

• Actions > Delete.
• Removes clone metadata from XLServer only.
• Database continues to run independently on target host.
  

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✅ Summary

• Virtual Clones: Fast, lightweight, shareable, resettable, convertible.
• Physical Clones: Full independent copies, resource-heavy, slower to create.
• Both provide a safe, isolated environment for testing and dev, without impacting production.