NFS options overview for ZDM migrations to Oracle Database@Google Cloud

Oracle Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) is the Oracle Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA)-recommended solution to migrate Oracle Databases to the Oracle Cloud. ZDM automates the entire migration process, reducing the chance of human errors. It offers various migration workflows leveraging Oracle Database-integrated high availability technologies such as Oracle Data Guard and GoldenGate and follows all MAA best practices that ensure no significant downtime of production environments.
Oracle ZDM supports Oracle database migrations to Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure and Oracle Autonomous Database Serverless on Oracle Database@Google cloud.  Oracle ZDM offers different migration workflows, ranging from physical to logical migration, and including offline and online options. ZDM relies on an intermediate storage location as part of its migration workflow; options like physical offline, logical offline, and logical online need the location to store RMAN backup and Data Pump Dump files. The Physical Online migration with Direct Data Transfer does not need an intermediate storage location.
To help our customers and provide multiple choices, here is a list of various NFS storage solutions that can be used with Oracle ZDM to migrate to Oracle Database@Google Cloud through the Google Cloud Network.

Option 1: Oracle ACFS

Oracle Advanced Cluster File System (Oracle ACFS) is a multi-platform, scalable file system, and storage management technology that extends Oracle Automatic Storage Management (Oracle ASM) functionality to support all customer files.
Oracle ACFS can be used as an NFS storage location for Oracle ZDM migrations to Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure on Oracle Database@Google Cloud. This is achieved by leveraging Oracle ACFS’s NAS-MAX HA Extensions, which allow customers to export HA-NFS on top of an ACFS file system.

Oracle ACFS
Figure 1: Oracle ACFS

Learn more: Overview of Oracle ACFS

 

Option 2: NFS Server on Google Compute Engine VM

You can install an NFS Server on a Google Compute Engine VM and mount the NFS share on-premises and on Oracle Database@Google Cloud. 
 

NFS Server on Google Compute Engine VM
Figure 2: NFS Server on Google Compute Engine VM

Learn more: Setup NFS Server on Google Cloud

 

Option 3: Google Filestore

Google Filestore provides fully managed NFS file shares on Google Cloud that can be mounted on-premises and on Oracle Database@Google Cloud. 
 

Google Filestore
Figure 3: Google Filestore

Learn more: Google Filestore

 

Considerations

  • The Network Security Group (NSG) in OCI must be edited to allow traffic from on-premises and other Google Cloud networks requiring connectivity to Oracle Database@Google Cloud.
  • For Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure, if you are using the private IP of the NFS solution to mount the NFS share on the Exadata VMs, the A-Record in the OCI Private DNS Zone is not required.
  • Oracle Autonomous Database Serverless does not allow the usage of IP addresses to mount NFS shares. Therefore, an A-Record in the OCI Private DNS Zone must resolve the private IP address to the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the NFS service. 

 

Summary

Oracle Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) supports Oracle database migrations to Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure and Oracle Autonomous Database Serverless on Oracle Database@Google Cloud.
Various ZDM migration scenarios require an intermediate storage location to store the RMAN backup and Data Pump dump files. This storage location can be provided by using Oracle ACFS, installing an NFS Server on a Google Compute Engine VM, or using managed services like Google Filestore.
 

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