1. How to plugin a non-CDB
database to a Container
Database (CDB)
Osama Mustafa
@OsamaOracle
Oracle ACE Director
• Osama Mustafa is Founder of Gurus Solutions Company, Oracle ACE Director , Creator/Director of Jordan Amman Oracle
User Group the first Group in Jordan related to oracle technology,Author of the book Oracle Penetration Testing, Osama has
been working on project and customer support in EMEA Region, Providing Database Implementation Solutions, his
specialties Fusion middleware, In memory database Timesten, Exalytics and Exalogic machine, Include to this Osama Is
frequently Speaker in Oracle User Groups around the world and one of RAC ATTACK event organizer, Fusion middleware
ATTACK Organizer as well, he published articles in Oracle Magazine, OTECH magazine and UKOUG Oracle Scene magazine,
Also he is Blogger and Certified Oracle Database and Fusion middleware, he assists with sharing his knowledge at
conferences, webinars, white papers ,slide share and blog posts to the Oracle community, Simply he is Oracle passionate.

2. Steps to do this
1. Setting Non-CDB to Read Only Mode.
2. Generate a pluggable database manifest file
for Non-CDB.
3. Create and Plug in PDB into CDB2 by using
manifest file ( from Step #2).
4. Optional :- Convert to PDB data dictionary.
5. Test the environment.

3. Tips before you start
• Ensure that you have enough disk space to
hold a second copy of the non-CDB.
• Make sure that environment set correctly.
• This should be done in Oracle 12c.

4. in depth technical
• Connect to the noncdb instance.
– sqlplus / as sysdba
– shutdown immediate
– startup mount exclusive
– alter database open read only;

5. in depth technical
• Execute the dbms_pdb.describe procedure to
generate the manifest file.
– exec
dbms_pdb.describe(pdb_descr_file=>'/u01/app/o
racle/noncdb/noncdb.xml');
• Shutdown the Non-CDB to prepare to copy
the data files.
– shutdown immediate

6. in depth technical
• Now Connect to cdb2.
• Create a PDB by using the noncdb manifest
file. Use the file_name_convert parameter to
place the copied data files in a different
location.
– create pluggable database exnoncdb as clone
using '/u01/app/oracle/noncdb/noncdb.xml'
file_name_convert=('/u01/app/oracle/oradata/no
ncdb','/u01/app/oracle/oradata/newnoncdb')
copy;

7. in depth technical
• Finalize the plug-in by opening the new PDB,
closing it, and then reopening it.
– alter pluggable database newnoncdb open;
– alter pluggable database newnoncdb close;
– alter pluggable database newnoncdb open;
– exit

8. in depth technical
• This step is optional.
• Without this step the new PDB cloned from
the non-CDB will work fine.
• if you need to upgrade the CDB later, you
should run the noncdb_to_pdb.sql script to
remove superfluous non-CDB data from the
PDB data dictionary
• Regarding to oracle documentation it’s
recommended in a production environment.

9. in depth technical
• This step is optional.
– Connect to the new newnoncdb PDB.
• sqlplus sys/oracle@localhost:1521/exnoncdb as sysdba
• @$ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/noncdb_to_pdb.sql

10. Finally Test
• Make sure everything is working fine.
• Test your new PDB by reset/bounce DB.
– alter pluggable database newnoncdb close
immediate;
– Alter Pluggable database newnoncdb open;
OR
Alter Pluggable database all open;

11. Using EM12c

12. Using EM12c

13. Using EM12c

14. Using EM12c

15. Using EM12c