Oracle 12c Multitenant PDB – Managing ARCHIVELOG

The notes about this in Oracle 12.1.0.2 state that it is not required to move/copy the files from the primary during the plugin. The note also states that in this release the copy of the standby files of the source can be postponed using the standbys=none clause. This makes it possible to plugin a large primary database in a primary container database and perform redo apply/recovery later, when all files are copied into to correct file structure.

seeHandling of Standby Databases during plugin note 1576755.1

My conclusion is that in 12.1.0.2 the standby files need to be copied but this is not perse during the plugin of the primary database so it does not cause any extra downtime.

Still I would like to see this tested before I would do this on production.

you can recover the XML file of a not unplugged PDB.

1. COPY the PDB folder into the CDB folder on the new machine.
2. Connect as SYSDBA to the new CDB (I use SQLDeveloper)
3. EXECUTE the package DBMS_PDB.RECOVER

it uses 3 parameters:

1. /path/to/new/file.xml
2. NAME_OF_PDB (you can use the same as OLD PDB or a NEW ONE)
3. /path/to/pdb/folder/

EXAMPLE:

BEGIN
  DBMS_PDB.RECOVER (
  pdb_descr_file => '/path/to/new/file.xml.xml',
  pdb_name => 'NAME_OF_PDB',
  filenames => '/path/to/pdb/folder/'
  );
END;
/

THEN, you can plug the database using:

CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE NAME_OF_PDB USING '/path/to/new/file.xml' NOCOPY TEMPFILE REUSE;

THEN open the PDB:

ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE NAME_OF_PDB OPEN FORCE;

IF PDB DON'T OPEN, check PDB_VIOLATIONS

SELECT * FROM PDB_PLUG_IN_VIOLATIONS;

SOURCE http://www.oraclebuffer.com/oracle/oracle-12c-lost-your-pdbs-xml-manifest-file-heres-how-you-can-recover-it/