Comprehensive Guide: Cloning Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 with Multitenant Database

Overview

This article provides a detailed step-by-step guide for cloning an Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 environment with a Multitenant (CDB/PDB) database using Oracle Rapid Clone. The process covers the complete migration from a source system to a target system, including database and application tier configuration.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the cloning process, ensure the following:

Source and target systems meet Oracle E-Business Suite 12.2 hardware and software requirements
All prerequisite operating system packages and libraries are installed on the target server
Appropriate directory structures and file permissions are created on the target system
Network connectivity exists between source and target systems
Sufficient disk space is available for backup and binaries
All required Oracle patches are accessible from My Oracle Support

Section 1: Source System Preparation

1.1 Verify Database and Listener Status

Before running the pre-clone utility, confirm that the CDB listener and database (both CDB and PDB) are operational.

Check Database Status:

SQL> select name, open_mode from v$database;

NAME      OPEN_MODE
--------- --------------------
FUNCDB    READ WRITE

Check PDB Status:

SQL> show pdbs

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO
         3 FBS                            READ WRITE NO

1.2 Verify ETCC Directory

Ensure the EBS Technology Codelevel Checker (ETCC) directory exists in the Oracle home appsutil folder:

/u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/etcc

If the directory is missing, create it:

mkdir -p /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/etcc

Download and Configure ETCC:

Download patch 17537119 (latest version) from My Oracle Support
Unzip the patch contents to the ETCC directory
Run the ETCC checker script to identify any missing database patches:

/u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/etcc/checkDBpatch.sh

Important: Source the PDB environment file before running the ETCC checker.

1.3 Run AD Pre-Clone Utility on Database Node

Source the PDB Environment:

cd $ORACLE_HOME
. <PDB_NAME>_hostname.env

Execute Database Tier Pre-Clone:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/scripts/$CONTEXT_NAME
perl adpreclone.pl dbTier

During execution, you will be prompted for:

APPS User Password
The utility will run ETCC and verify the database configuration

1.4 Run AD Pre-Clone Utility on Application Node

Source the Run Filesystem:

. EBSapps.env run
cd $ADMIN_SCRIPTS_HOME

Execute Application Tier Pre-Clone:

perl adpreclone.pl appsTier

You will be prompted for:

APPS User Password
Weblogic AdminServer password

Note: The Weblogic Admin Server must be running during this process. The utility verifies the Admin Server status before proceeding.

Section 2: Backup and Binary Transfer

2.1 Take RMAN Backup of the CDB Database

Perform a full CDB database backup using RMAN hot backup methodology:

Source the CDB Environment:

cd $ORACLE_HOME
. <CDB_NAME>_hostname.env

Execute RMAN Backup:

rman target /
RMAN> run {
  allocate channel c1 type disk;
  allocate channel c2 type disk;
  BACKUP as compressed backupset FULL FILESPERSET 10 
    FORMAT '/backup_location/FBS_D_%s_%p_%t.bak' DATABASE;
  BACKUP as compressed backupset filesperset 10 
    FORMAT '/backup_location/FBS_A_%s_%p_%t.bak' ARCHIVELOG ALL skip inaccessible;
  BACKUP FORMAT '/backup_location/FBS_C_%s_%p_%t.bak' CURRENT CONTROLFILE;
  RELEASE CHANNEL c1;
  RELEASE CHANNEL c2;
}

Performance Note: If you have more CPU threads, increase the number of channels for better backup performance.

Copy Backup to Target Server:

If using a shared file system, the backup is directly accessible on the target
Otherwise, transfer the backup files to the target server using scp, rsync, or similar methods

2.2 Transfer Source Binaries to Target

Database Binaries:

# On source database node
tar -zcvf /u01/backup/19c_home.tar.gz 19c

# Copy to target node
# On target database node
mkdir -p /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st
cp /u01/backup/19c_home.tar.gz /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/
cd /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st
tar -zxvf 19c_home.tar.gz
rm -rf 19c_home.tar.gz

Application Tier Binaries:

# On source application node - tar the RUN FS (fs1 in this example)
tar -zcvf /u01/backup/EBSapps_fs1_run.tar.gz EBSapps

# On target application node
mkdir -p /u01/app/FBS/fs1 /u01/app/FBS/fs2 /u01/app/FBS/fs_ne
cd /u01/app/FBS/fs1
cp /u01/backup/EBSapps_fs1_run.tar.gz .
tar -zxvf EBSapps_fs1_run.tar.gz
rm -rf EBSapps_fs1_run.tar.gz

Section 3: Target Server Configuration

3.1 Configure Oracle Home on Database Node

Create DB Context File:

Navigate to the clone bin directory and run the adclonectx.pl utility:

cd /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/clone/bin
perl adclonectx.pl contextfile=/u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/FBS_fbsebs.xml \
  template=/u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/template/adxdbctx.tmp

You will be prompted to provide:

Target System Hostname
Target System Base Directory
Target System CDB Name
Target System PDB Name
Oracle OS User and Group
Number of DATA_TOP directories
RDBMS ORACLE_HOME location
Display settings
Port configuration (source or custom)

Configure Database Technology Stack:

cd /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/clone/bin
unset which
export CV_ASSUME_DISTID=OEL7.9
perl adcfgclone.pl dbTechStack /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/FBS_ebsdomo.xml

3.2 Create Listener and TNS Configuration

Set Environment Variables:

export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c
export PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/perl/bin:$ORACLE_HOME/bin:$PATH
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$ORACLE_HOME:$ORACLE_HOME/lib
export PERL5LIB=$ORACLE_HOME/perl/lib/5.28.2:$ORACLE_HOME/perl/site_perl/5.28.2:$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/perl
export PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/perl:$ORACLE_HOME/perl/lib:$ORACLE_HOME/perl/bin:$PATH

Configure CDB Settings:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil
./txkSetCfgCDB.env -dboraclehome=$ORACLE_HOME

Generate TNS Admin Files:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/bin
perl txkGenCDBTnsAdmin.pl -dboraclehome=$ORACLE_HOME \
  -cdbname=cdbfbs -cdbsid=cdbfbs -dbport=1551 \
  -outdir=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/log -israc=no

3.3 Start the Listener

cd $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/scripts/FBS_ebsdomo
./addlnctl.sh start cdbfbs

Note: If the source instance is at R12.TXK.C.DELTA.12 codelevel, the listener start command may exit with status 1. This can be ignored as the database hasn't been restored yet.

Section 4: Database Restore and Recovery

4.1 Prepare Database Parameters

Copy and Modify the Initialization File:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/dbs
cp initfbscdb.ora initcdbfbs.ora

Add Required Parameters to initcdbfbs.ora:

DB_FILE_NAME_CONVERT=(+EBS_DATA,+EBS_DATA)
LOG_FILE_NAME_CONVERT=(+EBS_DATA,+EBS_DATA)
*.local_listener='(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=target_hostname)(PORT=1551)))'
*.db_name='CDBFBS'

Create the ADUMP Directory:

mkdir -p /u01/app/FBS/db/admin/fbscdb/adump

4.2 Restore the Database

Start Database in NOMOUNT State:

cd /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c
. CDBFBS_ebsdomo.env
sqlplus '/as sysdba'
startup nomount pfile='/u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/dbs/initCDBFBS.ora'

Execute RMAN Duplicate:

rman target /
RMAN> run {
  allocate auxiliary channel c1 device type disk;
  allocate auxiliary channel c2 device type disk;
  duplicate database to 'cdbfbs' backup location '/backup_location' nofilenamecheck;
  release channel c1;
  release channel c2;
}

Verify Database Open Status:

SQL> select name, open_mode from v$database;

NAME      OPEN_MODE
--------- --------------------
BEECDB    READ WRITE

SQL> show pdbs

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO
         3 FBS                            READ WRITE NO

Section 5: Post-Restore Database Configuration

5.1 Rename PDB (Optional)

If the target PDB name needs to be different from the source:

Check for Existing Services:

export ORACLE_SID=cdbfbs
sqlplus '/as sysdba'
alter session set container="FBS";
select count(*) from cdb_services c, service$ s 
where upper(s.name) = upper('TARGET_PDB_NAME') 
and s.deletion_date is null and s.name = c.name;

Rename the PDB:

alter pluggable database "SOURCE_PDB" close;
alter pluggable database "SOURCE_PDB" unplug into '$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/SOURCE_PDB.xml';
drop pluggable database "SOURCE_PDB";
create pluggable database "NEW_PDB" using '$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/SOURCE_PDB.xml' 
  NOCOPY SERVICE_NAME_CONVERT=('ebs_SOURCE','ebs_TARGET','SOURCE_ebs_patch','TARGET_ebs_patch');
alter pluggable database "NEW_PDB" open read write;

Notes:
PDB name should not exceed 8 characters
Preserve the case of the PDB name during renaming

5.2 Save PDB State and Run Library Update

Save PDB State:

alter pluggable database all open;
alter pluggable database all save state instances=all;

Run Library Update Script:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/install/$CONTEXT_NAME
sqlplus '/as sysdba' @adupdlib.sql so

5.3 Configure UTL_FILE_DIR

Get Current UTL_FILE_DIR Values:

perl $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/bin/txkCfgUtlfileDir.pl \
  -contextfile=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/FBS_ebsdomo.xml \
  -oraclehome=$ORACLE_HOME \
  -outdir=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/log \
  -mode=getUtlFileDir

Review and Edit the Generated File:

cat $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/FBS_utlfiledir.txt
# Edit to reflect target instance paths

Create Required Directories:

mkdir -p /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/temp/FBS
mkdir -p /u01/app/FBS/db/tech_st/19c/appsutil/outbound/FBS_ebsdomo

Set UTL_FILE_DIR Values:

perl $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/bin/txkCfgUtlfileDir.pl \
  -contextfile=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/FBS_ebsdomo.xml \
  -oraclehome=$ORACLE_HOME \
  -outdir=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/log \
  -mode=setUtlFileDir

Create Directory Objects:

perl $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/bin/txkCfgUtlfileDir.pl \
  -contextfile=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/FBS_ebsdomo.xml \
  -oraclehome=$ORACLE_HOME \
  -outdir=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/log \
  -mode=createDirObject
# Enter the s_outbound_dir path when prompted

Sync UTL_FILE_DIR Values:

perl $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/bin/txkCfgUtlfileDir.pl \
  -contextfile=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/FBS_ebsdomo.xml \
  -oraclehome=$ORACLE_HOME \
  -outdir=$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/log \
  -mode=syncUtlFileDir -skipautoconfig=yes

5.4 Configure the Target Database

Run Database Configuration:

cd $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/clone/bin
. $ORACLE_HOME/FBS_ebsdomo.env
perl adcfgclone.pl dbconfig $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/FBS_ebsdomo.xml

Section 6: Configure Target Application Node

6.1 Clean Up and Prepare Directories

If this is a refresh of an existing test instance, clean up the PATCH FS, FS_NE, and oraInventory directories. For a new server, ensure all required directories exist.

6.2 Run Application Tier Configuration

cd /u01/app/FBS/fs1/EBSapps/comn/clone/bin/
perl ./adcfgclone.pl appsTier dualfs

You will be prompted for:

APPS password
Weblogic AdminServer password
Target System Hostname
Target System Database SID
Target System Database Server Node
Database Domain Name
Target System Base Directory
Display settings
Service enablement options
Port configuration (source or custom)

6.3 Start Application Services

When prompted during configuration, select "y" to start application services, or start them manually:

cd /u01/app/FBS/fs1/inst/apps/FBS_ebsdomo/admin/scripts
./adstrtal.sh

The startup process will sequentially start:

Fulfillment Server
Oracle Process Manager (OPMN)
Oracle HTTP Server (OHS)
Node Manager
Concurrent Managers
WebLogic Admin Server
Managed Servers (forms, oafm, oacore)

Section 7: Post-Clone Validation

7.1 Verify Database Services

Check Database Status:

select name, open_mode from v$database;
show pdbs

Check Listener Status:

lsnrctl status cdbfbs

7.2 Verify Application Services

Check Application Status:

cd /u01/app/FBS/fs1/inst/apps/FBS_ebsdomo/admin/scripts
./adopmnctl.sh status
./adalnctl.sh status
./adapcctl.sh status

Access the Application:

Navigate to http://target_hostname:port/OA_HTML/AppsLogin
Verify login functionality with APPS credentials

7.3 Test Concurrent Processing

Submit a simple concurrent request to verify Concurrent Manager functionality.

7.4 Review Log Files

Check for any errors in the following locations:

Database: $ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/log/$CONTEXT_NAME/
Application: /u01/app/FBS/fs1/inst/apps/FBS_ebsdomo/logs/

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Database Connectivity Issues

If ETCC reports database connectivity issues:

Verify the listener is running
Check tnsnames.ora configuration
Ensure the PDB is open
Validate environment variable settings

Port Conflicts

If port values are already in use:

Use the n option when prompted to preserve source ports
Specify alternative ports during configuration
Check /etc/services for port allocation

Missing Directories

Ensure all directories referenced in the context file exist:

$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/outbound/
$ORACLE_HOME/appsutil/log/
$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/
Application tier log directories

FMW Pre-requisite Issues

Review the FMW pre-requisite check log:

/u01/app/FBS/fs1/EBSapps/comn/clone/FMW/logs/prereqcheck.log

References

Oracle Documentation: Cloning Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 with Multitenant Database using Rapid Clone (Doc ID 2552208.1)
My Oracle Support: Patch 17537119 - Latest ETCC Version
Oracle E-Business Suite Installation Guide: Release 12.2

Summary

This comprehensive guide provides a proven methodology for cloning Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.2 with Multitenant databases. Key steps include:

Preparation: Running pre-clone utilities on source system
Backup: Creating RMAN backups and transferring binaries
Configuration: Setting up target database and application nodes
Restoration: Restoring the database using RMAN duplicate
Post-Configuration: Configuring UTL_FILE_DIR and database settings
Application Setup: Running application tier configuration
Validation: Verifying all services are operational

Following these steps ensures a successful clone with minimal downtime and maintains data integrity throughout the process.

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