Question: I want to perform a
cross-platform database migration, moving my database to a different
type of server with a different operating system. I want to migrate my
database from Windows to Red Hat Linux, but I don't know the best
way to move the entire database across different platforms. I know that I can use a Data
Pump export-import, but I wonder if I can migrate my database to
Linux with RMAN?
Answer: There are
many ways to move a database, cross-platform between hardware platforms and OS
environments:
BC provides
Oracle UNIX to Linux Migration support
services.
CTAS in parallel: You can create a database link and copy
tables between databases using
create table as select.
Then, you punch the indexes and
constraints using
dbms_metadata and re-add them on the
target platform.
Data Pump nigration: You can use the Date Pump
export and import utilities to migrate an Oracle database
between platforms and OS environments, but it can be very slow
for large systems.
RMAN:
RMAN is handy for moving a
database to different hardware, even if it is not on the same
operating system. Oracle employee Alejandro Vargas has posted these
complete directions for migrating with RMAN.
Goldengate:
Goldengate provides
cross platform replication that can be used to migrate
tables across platforms. You can them migrate the
supplemental indexes and constraints with
dbms_metadata.
Cross-platform transportable tablespaces: See
this link for details on
Cross platform transportable tablespaces.
For complete details on using Oracle utilities to migrate
Oracle databases, see these recommended books:
In related topics, see my notes on:
- Oracle Migration from Solaris to Linux
-
Cross platform Oracle migration example using
RMAN
Oracle ACE Kamran Agayev Agamehdi, co-author of the great book "Oracle
Backup & Recovery: Expert secrets for using RMAN", shows how to use RMAN
to convert a Windows database to Linux.
