Methods for Migrating the On premise Oracle Databases to the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure(OCI)
You can migrate your on-premises Oracle Database to an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Database service database using a number of different methods that use several different tools.
- Data Pump Conventional Export/Import
- Data Pump Full Transportable
- Data Pump Transportable Tablespace
- Remote Cloning a PDB
- Remote Cloning Non-CDB
- RMAN Cross-Platform Transportable PDB
- RMAN Cross-Platform Transportable Tablespace Backup Sets
- RMAN Transportable Tablespace with Data Pump
- RMAN DUPLICATE from an Active Database
- RMAN CONVERT Transportable Tablespace with Data Pump
- SQL Developer and INSERT Statements to Migrate Selected Objects
- SQL Developer and SQL*Loader to Migrate Selected Objects
- Unplugging/Plugging a PDB
- Unplugging/Plugging Non-CDB
- GoldenGate
- Zero Downtime Migration Service
- OCI Database Migration Service
The above methods that applies to a given migration scenario depends on several factors, including the version, character set, and platform endian format of the source and target databases.
Also Oracle now offers two new solutions for migrating Oracle database workloads from on-premises and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Classic to a variety of Oracle Database Cloud services: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Database Migration Service and Zero Downtime Migration.
Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) is an installable tool which provides you with a simplified and automated migration experience, providing zero to negligible downtime for the production system.
OCI Database Migration Service is based on the ZDM tool, and as a managed OCI service it provides you with a user interface to move Oracle databases to Oracle Cloud.
Choosing a Migration Method
Not all migration methods apply to all migration scenarios. Many of the migration methods apply only if specific characteristics of the source and destination databases match or are compatible. Moreover, additional factors can affect which method you choose for your migration from among the methods that are technically applicable to your migration scenario.
To determine which migration methods are applicable to your migration scenario, gather the following information.
Some of the characteristics and factors to consider when choosing a migration method are:
- On-premises database version
- Database service database version
- On-premises host operating system and version
- On-premises database character set
- Quantity of data, including indexes
- Data types used in the on-premises database
- Storage for data staging
- Acceptable length of system outage
- Network bandwidth
- Multitenant container database (CDB)
- Non-CDB
- Endian format (byte ordering) of your on-premises database’s host platform
Some platforms are little endian and others are big endian. Query V$TRANSPORTABLE_PLATFORM to identify the endian format, and to determine whether cross-platform tablespace transport is supported.
The Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Database uses the Linux platform, which is little endian.
Database character set of your on-premises database and the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Database database.
Some migration methods require that the source and target databases use compatible database character sets.
Migration Connectivity Options
You have several connectivity options when migrating your on-premises databases to the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The options are listed below in order of preference.
FastConnect:
Provides a secure connection between your existing network and your virtual cloud network (VCN) over a private physical network instead of the internet. For more information, see FastConnect.
Site-to-Site VPN:
Provides a secure connection between a dynamic routing gateway (DRG) and customer-premise equipment (CPE), consisting of multiple IPSec tunnels. The IPSec connection is one of the components forming a Site-to-Site VPN between a VCN and your on-premises network. For more information, see Site-to-Site VPN.
Internet gateway:
Provides a path for network traffic between your VCN and the internet.