DATABASE AND DATAPUMP ENHANCEMENTS

Ability to Create a Duplicate of an Oracle Database Using DBCA in Silent Mode

You can now create a duplicate of an Oracle Database by using the createDuplicateDB command of Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) in silent mode.

This feature enables developers to work on identical copies of an Oracle Database.

Simplified Image-Based Oracle Database Client Installation

Starting with Oracle Database 19c, the Oracle Database client software is available as an image file for download and installation. You must extract the image software into a directory where you want your Oracle home to be located, and then run the runInstaller script to start the Oracle Database client installation. Oracle Database client installation binaries continue to be available in the traditional format as non-image zip files.

As with Oracle Database and Oracle Grid Infrastructure image file installations, Oracle Database client image installations simplify Oracle Database client installations and ensure best practice deployments.

Root Scripts Automation Support for Oracle Database Installation

Starting with Oracle Database 19c, the database installer, or setup wizard, provides options to set up permissions to run the root configuration scripts automatically, as required, during a database installation. You continue to have the option to run the root configuration scripts manually.

Setting up permissions for root configuration scripts to run without user intervention can simplify database installation and help avoid inadvertent permission errors.

AutoUpgrade for Oracle Database

AutoUpgrade enables you to upgrade one or many Oracle Database instances at the command-line, using a single command, and a single configuration file.

AutoUpgrade runs pre-upgrade tasks, performs automated fix-ups where needed, processes the database upgrade, and finishes the upgrade by completing post-upgrade tasks. It includes automatic retry and fallback, the option to schedule upgrades for future points in time, and the ability to set, change, or remove initialization parameters as desired.

AutoUpgrade significantly reduces the manual effort associated with database upgrades. It enables you to upgrade multiple databases at the same time. It can even take care of routine upgrades for databases that are not actively managed by skilled database administrators. 

By reducing the effort needed for upgrades, and by implementing recommended practices automatically during the upgrade process, AutoUpgrade makes the database upgrade process easier to complete, and reduces risk.

Oracle Data Pump Ability to Exclude ENCRYPTION Clause on Import

There is a new transform parameter, OMIT_ENCRYPTION_CLAUSE, that causes Data Pump to suppress any encryption clauses associated with objects using encrypted columns.

Better Oracle Cloud migrations are now possible for non-cloud databases that have encrypted columns.

Oracle Data Pump Allows Tablespaces to Stay Read-Only During TTS Import

You can now import tablespace files mounted on two different databases as long as the files are set as read-only.

A new option allows you to restore pre-12.2 default behavior, such that tablespace data files are read-only during the transportable tablespace import process. The benefit is that this allows a tablespace data file to be mounted on two databases, so long as it remains read-only. However, using this option requires that the source and target databases have exactly the same daylight savings time (DST) version because TIMESTAMP WITH TIMEZONE data is not adjusted upon import. Also, if you specify this parameter, then the database does not automatically rebuild tablespace bitmaps to reclaim space during import. This can make the import process faster at the expense of regaining free space within the tablespace data files.

Oracle Data Pump Test Mode for Transportable Tablespaces

You can more easily determine how long an export takes, and discover unforeseen issues not reported by the closure check.

Test mode for Transportable Tablespaces (TTSs) performs a metadata-only export test using TTSs or full transportable export or import. It also removes the requirement for the source database tablespaces to be in read-only mode.

Oracle Data Pump Prevents Inadvertent Use of Protected Roles

Oracle Data Pump prevents inadvertent use of protected roles during export and import with the new command-line parameter ENABLE_SECURE_ROLES.

Some Oracle roles require authorization. If you need to use these roles with Oracle Data Pump export and import you must explicitly enable them. The new ENABLE_SECURE_ROLES parameter is available for EXPDP and IMPDP clients, and for the Oracle Data Pump PL/SQL API. Starting with Oracle Database 19c, the default is NO.

Oracle Data Pump Loads Partitioned Table Data One Operation

Oracle Data Pump can import table data in all partitions of a table as one operation instead of separate operations for each partition.

GROUP_PARTITION_TABLE_DATA, a new value for the Import DATA_OPTIONS command line parameter, changes Oracle Data Pump default behavior by importing table data in all partitions of a table as one operation. This parameter is useful when you do not want the default Import behavior that imports each table partition as a separate operation. Import chooses the default. For instance, you can use this parameter when there is a possibility that a table could move to a different partition as part of loading a table. The default is also used when the table was not created by the Import operation. 

Oracle Data Pump Allows Wildcards for Dump File in Object Store

Oracle Data Pump simplifies importing multiple dump files into Oracle Autonomous Database by allowing wildcards for URL-based dump file names.

When you need to import multiple dump files from the object store service, wildcards in URL-based dump file name can simplify the import command for Oracle Autonomous Database. It can reduce typing and lessen the possibility of a misspelled a dump file name. Do not use a wildcard character in the bucket-name component.

Oracle Data Pump Import Supports More Object Store Credentials

Oracle Data Pump import supports object store credentials beyond the DEFAULT_CREDENTIAL with a new CREDENTIAL parameter for Oracle Autonomous Database.

Oracle Data Pump import is no longer constrained to using the DEFAULT_CREDENTIAL in Oracle Autonomous Database. Starting with Oracle Database 19c (and backported to Oracle Database release 18c, version 18.3) the new IMPDP client CLI CREDENTIAL parameter accepts any Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Object Storage credential created in the Oracle Autonomous Database. Data Pump validates whether the credential exists and the user has access to read the credential.  Any errors are returned back to the IMPDP client.