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

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

Supported Oracle database architectures

Oracle Database 19c supports both the multitenant and non-multitenant (non-CDB) architecture. The multitenant architecture enables an Oracle database to function as a container database (CDB). A CDB includes pluggable databases (PDBs). A PDB is a portable 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 multitenant and non-multitenant architectures are mutually exclusive. If a database isn't a CDB, it's a non-CDB and so can't contain other databases. In RDS Custom for Oracle, only Oracle Database 19c supports the multitenant architecture. Thus, if you create instances using previous database releases, you can create only non-CDBs.

Supported engine types

When you create an Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle CEV or DB instance, choose either of the following engine types:

  • custom-oracle-ee-cdb

    This engine type specifies the 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

    This engine type specifies 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 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