Database architecture for Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle - Amazon Relational Database Service
Supported Oracle database architecturesSupported engine typesSupported features in the Oracle multitenant architecture
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Database architecture for Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle

RDS Custom for Oracle supports both the Oracle multitenant and non-multitenant architecture.

Supported Oracle database architectures

The Oracle multitenant architecture, also called the CDB architecture, allows an Oracle database to function as a container database (CDB). A CDB includes pluggable databases (PDBs). A PDB is a collection of schemas and objects that appears to an application as a traditional Oracle database. For more information, see Introduction to the Multitenant Architecture in the Oracle Multitenant Administrator’s Guide.

The CDB and non-CDB architectures are mutually exclusive. If an Oracle database isn't a CDB, it's a non-CDB and so can't contain PDBs. In RDS Custom for Oracle, only Oracle Database 19c supports the CDB architecture. Thus, if you create DB instances using previous Oracle database releases, you can create only non-CDBs. For more information, see Multitenant architecture considerations.

Supported engine types

When you create an Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle CEV or DB instance, choose either a CDB engine type or a non-CDB engine type:

  • custom-oracle-ee-cdb and custom-oracle-se2-cdb

    These engine types specify the Oracle multitenant architecture. This option is available only for Oracle Database 19c. When you create an RDS for Oracle DB instance using the multitenant architecture, your CDB includes the following containers:

    • CDB root (CDB$ROOT)

    • PDB seed (PDB$SEED)

    • Initial PDB

    You can create more PDBs using the Oracle SQL command CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE. You can't use RDS APIs to create or delete PDBs.

  • custom-oracle-ee and custom-oracle-se2

    These engine types specify the traditional non-CDB architecture. A non-CDB can't contain pluggable databases (PDBs).

For more information, see Multitenant architecture considerations.

Supported features in the Oracle multitenant architecture

An RDS Custom for Oracle CDB instance supports the following features:

  • Backups

  • Restoring and point-time-restore (PITR) from backups

  • Read replicas

  • Minor version upgrades