Oracle ZDM for Oracle Database@Azure Migrations

April 8, 2024 | 3 minute read
Sinan Petrus Toma
Principal Product Manager
Thomas Van Buggenhout
Principal Solution Architect - Oracle Cloud Infrastructure - Multi-cloud
Ricardo Gonzalez
Product Manager
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ZDM for Oracle Database@Azure - overview

We are happy to announce that Oracle Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) now supports Oracle database migrations to Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure (ExaDB-D) on Oracle Database@Azure with the Physical Online Migration workflow, which utilizes Oracle Data Guard and direct data transfer. This automated migration workflow enables our customers to benefit from Oracle Database@Azure faster and without interruption.

About Oracle Database@Azure and Oracle Zero Downtime Migration 

Oracle Database@Azure lets you take advantage of the built-in high availability, performance, and scalability provided by Oracle Exadata and Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) by running your mission-critical Oracle databases on Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure (ExaDB-D) in Microsoft Azure’s data centers, maintaining a low-latency connection to your Azure applications.

Oracle Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) is a free-of-charge migration solution trusted by customers worldwide that simplifies and automates Oracle database migrations, including those requiring minimal downtime. Following Oracle Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA) best practices, ZDM provides pre-validation and controllable automation for single database or database fleet migrations to Oracle Database@Azure.

Migration Workflow Overview

The recommended configuration is to install the ZDM Service host on a separate VM in your on-premises data center next to the source database. The target ExaDB-D database will be provisioned in the Azure data center of your choice within Azure’s VNet using a delegated subnet to Oracle Database@Azure. The on-premises data center must be connected to Azure’s data center via Azure’s ExpressRoute or Site-to-Site VPN.

ZDM Migration to Oracle Database@Azure - technical overview

The ZDM migration will use the physical online workflow based on Oracle Data Guard and direct data transfer, which means that the instantiation of the placeholder target database will use a “restore from service” approach, which avoids the need for explicitly backing up the source database to an intermediate storage location.

After you provision a placeholder target database via Oracle Cloud Tooling, set up connectivity, and meet ZDM prerequisites, ZDM will connect to the source and target databases and perform the required pre-checks.

After a successful validation, ZDM will create the standby database and perform a restore from service. Once the primary and standby databases are synchronized, ZDM switches over and swaps their roles.

In the final steps, ZDM will create a Data Guard Broker configuration, run required updates to the destination (not the source) database, and verify that the migration was successful. The migration concludes with a thorough clean-up of the environment, a disconnect, and a graceful exit.

Summary

Oracle Exadata Cloud Services are the preferred solution for mission-critical enterprise workloads. Oracle Database@Azure integrates Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure (ExaDB-D) into the Azure data centers, providing proximity and low latency to your Azure applications. Oracle ZDM simplifies and automates your database migrations to Oracle Database@Azure using the physical online workflow for minimal migration downtime.

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Sinan Petrus Toma

Principal Product Manager

As Product Manager for Multicloud Mission-Critical Database Deployments, Sinan supports Oracle's customers and partners find solutions that meet Oracle's high availability and scalability standards for mission-critical databases in multicloud environments. Sinan is passionate about Oracle Database and Cloud Technologies, believes in lifelong learning and sharing knowledge, and always seeks the next challenge.

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Thomas Van Buggenhout

Principal Solution Architect - Oracle Cloud Infrastructure - Multi-cloud

Thomas Van Buggenhout is a principal solution architect in the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure multi-cloud team with 25 years of experience. Thomas is experienced with Multicloud, Hybrid cloud, and Private cloud. He is an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure certified solution architect and  and Oracle-certified database certified professional. 

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Ricardo Gonzalez

Product Manager

Product Manager for Oracle Database Cloud Migration and Oracle ACFS.

Ricardo holds a B.Sc in Computer Science and a Master in Business Administration, focused on Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Ricardo is passionate about technology, education, photography, music and cooking. He loves languages and engaging with people from over the world. He speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and is currently learning Japanese (and somewhere hidden in his head there is a bit of French).

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