By Franck Pachot
.
Going to multitenant architecture is not a big change. The administration things (DBA, monitoring, backups) connect to the CDB and the application things connect to the PDB. Without the multitenant option, it is still recommended to go to the CDB architecture. The non-CDB is deprecated and the multitenant architecture brings interesting features. People often ask how to name the CDB and the PDB, especially when they have naming rules or policies in the company. My recommendation is to name the PDB as you are used to naming the databases: the name often gives an idea of the data that is inside, the application, and the environment. The CDB is the container, and in my opinion, you should apply the same naming rules as for servers. Don’t forget that pluggable databases are made to be moved across CDB, so the CDB name should not depend on the content.
But, with single tenant, you have a one-to-one relationship between the CDB and the PDB and then may come the idea to set the same name for CDB and PDB… I’m not sure if it is supported or not and please, don’t do that.
Service Name
There’s one rule: the service name must be unique on a server, especially when registered to the same listener. The PDB name will be the default service name registered by the PDB. And the DB_UNIQUE_NAME of the CDB will be the default service name registered by the CDB. Then the PDB name must be different than the DBA_UNIQUE_NAME.
With this rule, it should be possible to have the same name for the CDB (the DB_NAME) and the PDB, given that we have set a different DB_UNIQUE_NAME.
Here is an example. The name of my Container Database is CDB1. But as it is part of a Data Guard configuration I changed the unique name to CDB1A (and standby will be CDB1B).
Here are the services from by CDB:
SQL> select * from v$services;
SERVICE_ID NAME NAME_HASH NETWORK_NAME CREATION_DATE CREATION_DATE_HASH GOAL DTP AQ_HA_NOTIFICATION CLB_GOAL COMMIT_OUTESSION_STATE_CONSISTENCY GLOBAL PDB SQL_TRANSLATION_PROFILE MAX_LAG_TIME STOP_OPTION FAILOVER_RESTORE DRAIN_TIMEOUT CON_ID
---------- ---- --------- ------------ ------------- ------------------ ---- --- ------------------ -------- ---------------------------------- ------ --- ----------------------- ------------ ----------- ---------------- ------------- ------
7 CDB1A 3104886812 CDB1A 27-AUG-17 1962062146 NONE N NO LONG NO NO CDB$ROOT NONE NONE 0 1
1 SYS$BACKGROUND 165959219 26-JAN-17 1784430042 NONE N NO SHORT NO NO CDB$ROOT NONE NONE 0 1
2 SYS$USERS 3427055676 26-JAN-17 1784430042 NONE N NO SHORT NO NO CDB$ROOT NONE NONE 0 1
0 pdb1 1888881990 pdb1 0 NONE N NO SHORT NO NO PDB1 NONE NONE 0 4
6 CDB1XDB 1202503288 CDB1XDB 27-AUG-17 1962062146 NONE N NO LONG NO NO CDB$ROOT NONE NONE 0 1
All are default services: CDB1A is the DB_UNIQUE_NAME, SYS$BACKGROUND for background processes, SYS$USERS when connecting without a service name, CDB1XDB is used to connec to XDB dispathers. PDB1 is the default service of my pluggable database PDB1.
I can also look at the services registred in the listener:
SQL> host lsnrctl status
LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 12.2.0.1.0 - Production on 28-AUG-2017 20:34:36
Copyright (c) 1991, 2016, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Connecting to (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=)(PORT=1521))
STATUS of the LISTENER
------------------------
Alias LISTENER
Version TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 12.2.0.1.0 - Production
Start Date 27-AUG-2017 20:41:33
Uptime 0 days 23 hr. 53 min. 3 sec
Trace Level off
Security ON: Local OS Authentication
SNMP OFF
Listener Log File /u01/app/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/VM104/listener/alert/log.xml
Listening Endpoints Summary...
(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=VM104)(PORT=1521)))
Services Summary...
Service "57c2283990d42152e053684ea8c05ea0" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "CDB1", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "CDB1A" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "CDB1", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "CDB1XDB" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "CDB1", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
Service "pdb1" has 1 instance(s).
Instance "CDB1", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...
The command completed successfully
There is just one additional service here: the GUI of my PDB (see https://www.dbi-services.com/blog/service-696c6f76656d756c746974656e616e74-has-1-instances/)
ORA-65149
Do you see any service named ‘CDB1’ here? No. Then I should be able to create a PDB with this name.
SQL> create pluggable database CDB1 admin user admin identified by covfefe file_name_convert=('pdbseed','cdb1');
Error starting at line : 1 in command -
create pluggable database CDB1 admin user admin identified by covfefe file_name_convert=('pdbseed','cdb1')
Error report -
ORA-65149: PDB name conflicts with existing service name in the CDB or the PDB
65149. 00000 - "PDB name conflicts with existing service name in the CDB or the PDB"
*Cause: An attempt was made to create a pluggable database (PDB) whose
name conflicts with the existing service name in the container
database (CDB) or the PDB.
*Action: Choose a different name for the PDB.
Ok. This is impossible. However, the error message is not correct. My PDB name does not conflict with existing service names. It may conflict with instance name or DB_NAME, but not with any service.
NID
As I’m not satisfied with this, I try to find another way to have the same name for CDB and PDB. I have a pluggable database named ‘PDB1’ and I’ll try to change the CDB name to this:
[oracle@VM104 ~]$ nid dbname=PDB1 target=sys/oracle
DBNEWID: Release 12.2.0.1.0 - Production on Mon Aug 28 20:40:08 2017
Copyright (c) 1982, 2017, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Connected to database CDB1 (DBID=926862412)
Connected to server version 12.2.0
Control Files in database:
/u01/oradata/CDB1A/control01.ctl
/u01/fast_recovery_area/CDB1A/control02.ctl
The following datafiles are read-only:
/u01/oradata/CDB1A/PDB1/USERS2.db (17)
These files must be writable by this utility.
Change database ID and database name CDB1 to PDB1? (Y/[N]) => Y
Proceeding with operation
Changing database ID from 926862412 to 3460932968
Changing database name from CDB1 to PDB1
Control File /u01/oradata/CDB1A/control01.ctl - modified
Control File /u01/fast_recovery_area/CDB1A/control02.ctl - modified
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/system01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/sysaux01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/undotbs01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/pdbseed/system01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/pdbseed/sysaux01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/users01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/pdbseed/undotbs01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/PDB1/system01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/PDB1/sysaux01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/PDB1/undotbs01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/PDB1/USERS.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/PDB1/USERS2.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/temp01.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/pdbseed/temp012017-08-27_18-30-16-741-PM.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Datafile /u01/oradata/CDB1A/PDB1/temp012017-08-27_18-30-16-741-PM.db - dbid changed, wrote new name
Control File /u01/oradata/CDB1A/control01.ctl - dbid changed, wrote new name
Control File /u01/fast_recovery_area/CDB1A/control02.ctl - dbid changed, wrote new name
Instance shut down
Database name changed to PDB1.
Modify parameter file and generate a new password file before restarting.
Database ID for database PDB1 changed to 3460932968.
All previous backups and archived redo logs for this database are unusable.
Database is not aware of previous backups and archived logs in Recovery Area.
Database has been shutdown, open database with RESETLOGS option.
Succesfully changed database name and ID.
DBNEWID - Completed succesfully.
SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 859832320 bytes
Fixed Size 8798552 bytes
Variable Size 784338600 bytes
Database Buffers 58720256 bytes
Redo Buffers 7974912 bytes
ORA-01103: database name 'PDB1' in control file is not 'CDB1'
SQL> alter system set db_name=PDB1 scope=spfile;
System altered.
SQL> shutdown immediate
ORA-01507: database not mounted
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL>
SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 859832320 bytes
Fixed Size 8798552 bytes
Variable Size 784338600 bytes
Database Buffers 58720256 bytes
Redo Buffers 7974912 bytes
Database mounted.
ORA-01589: must use RESETLOGS or NORESETLOGS option for database open
SQL> alter database open resetlogs;
Database altered.
That’s done.
My CDB is named PDB1:
SQL> select * from v$database;
DBID NAME CREATED RESETLOGS_CHANGE# RESETLOGS_TIME PRIOR_RESETLOGS_CHANGE# PRIOR_RESETLOGS_TIME LOG_MODE CHECKPOINT_CHANGE# ARCHIVE_CHANGE# CONTROLFILE_TYPE CONTROLFILE_CREATED CONTROLFILE_SEQUENCE# CONTROLFILE_CHANGE# CONTROLFILE_TIME OPEN_RESETLOGS VERSION_TIME OPEN_MODE PROTECTION_MODE PROTECTION_LEVEL REMOTE_ARCHIVE ACTIVATION# SWITCHOVER# DATABASE_ROLE ARCHIVELOG_CHANGE# ARCHIVELOG_COMPRESSION SWITCHOVER_STATUS DATAGUARD_BROKER GUARD_STATUS SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_MIN SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_PK SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_UI FORCE_LOGGING PLATFORM_ID PLATFORM_NAME RECOVERY_TARGET_INCARNATION# LAST_OPEN_INCARNATION# CURRENT_SCN FLASHBACK_ON SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_FK SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_ALL DB_UNIQUE_NAME STANDBY_BECAME_PRIMARY_SCN FS_FAILOVER_STATUS FS_FAILOVER_CURRENT_TARGET FS_FAILOVER_THRESHOLD FS_FAILOVER_OBSERVER_PRESENT FS_FAILOVER_OBSERVER_HOST CONTROLFILE_CONVERTED PRIMARY_DB_UNIQUE_NAME SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA_PL MIN_REQUIRED_CAPTURE_CHANGE# CDB CON_ID PENDING_ROLE_CHANGE_TASKS CON_DBID FORCE_FULL_DB_CACHING
---- ---- ------- ----------------- -------------- ----------------------- -------------------- -------- ------------------ --------------- ---------------- ------------------- --------------------- ------------------- ---------------- -------------- ------------ --------- --------------- ---------------- -------------- ----------- ----------- ------------- ------------------ ---------------------- ----------------- ---------------- ------------ ------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------- ----------- ------------- ---------------------------- ---------------------- ----------- ------------ ------------------------ ------------------------- -------------- -------------------------- ------------------ -------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------------- ------------------------- --------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ ---------------------------- --- ------ ------------------------- -------- ---------------------
3460932968 PDB1 27-AUG-17 1495032 28-AUG-17 1408558 27-AUG-17 ARCHIVELOG 1495035 0 CURRENT 27-AUG-17 2574 1496538 28-AUG-17 NOT ALLOWED 27-AUG-17 READ WRITE MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE ENABLED 3460947145 3460947145 PRIMARY 0 DISABLED NOT ALLOWED DISABLED NONE NO NO NO NO 13 Linux x86 64-bit 3 3 1497050 NO NO NO CDB1A 0 DISABLED 0 NO NO YES 0 NOT APPLICABLE 3460932968 NO
And I have a PDB with the same name:
SQL> show pdbs
CON_ID CON_NAME OPEN MODE RESTRICTED
------ -------- ---- ---- ----------
2 PDB$SEED READ ONLY NO
4 PDB1 MOUNTED
SQL> alter pluggable database PDB1 open;
Pluggable database PDB1 altered.
SQL> show pdbs
CON_ID CON_NAME OPEN MODE RESTRICTED
------ -------- ---- ---- ----------
2 PDB$SEED READ ONLY NO
4 PDB1 READ WRITE NO
What was forbidden with a wrong error message was made possible with this other way.
So what?
Please, do not take this as a solution. There is clearly a problem here. Maybe the documentation and error message are wrong. Maybe the NID has a bug, allowing to do something that should be blocked. Or the create pluggable database has a bug, blocking something that should be possible. Until this is fixed (SR opened) I would recommend that the PDB name is always different than the CDB name, independently of service names. Well, I would recommend it anyway as it brings a lot of confusion: when you mention a database name, people will not know whether you are referring to the CDB or the PDB.
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