Duplicate Oracle Database with RMAN
Overview A powerful feature of RMAN is the ability to duplicate (clone), a database from a backup. It is possible to create a duplicate database on: A remote server with the same file structure A remote server with a different file structure The local server with a different file structure A duplicate database is distinct from a standby database, although both types of databases are created with the DUPLICATE command. A standby database is a copy of the primary database that you can update continually or periodically by using archived logs from the primary database. If the primary database is damaged or destroyed, then you can perform failover to the standby database and effectively transform it into the new primary database. A duplicate database, on the other hand, cannot be used in this way: it is not intended for failover scenarios and does not support the various standby recovery and failover options. To prepare for database duplication, you must first create an auxiliary instance.