Can I rename a PDB in a Data Guard configuration?

Someone asked me this question recently.

The answer is: yes!

Let’s see it in action.

On the primary I have:

----- PRIMARY
SQL> show pdbs;

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO
         3 RED                            READ WRITE NO
         4 SAND                           READ WRITE NO

And of course the same PDBs on the standby:

----- STANDBY
SQL> show pdbs

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       MOUNTED
         3 RED                            MOUNTED
         4 SAND                           MOUNTED

Let’s change the PDB RED name to TOBY: The PDB rename operation is straightforward (but it requires a brief downtime). To be done on the primary:

SQL> alter pluggable database red close;

Pluggable database altered.

SQL> alter pluggable database red open restricted;

Pluggable database altered.

SQL> alter session set container=red;

Session altered.

SQL> alter pluggable database rename global_name to toby;

Pluggable database altered.

SQL> alter session set container=cdb$root;

Session altered.

SQL> show pdbs

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       READ ONLY  NO
         3 TOBY                           READ WRITE YES
         4 SAND                           READ WRITE NO

SQL> alter pluggable database toby close;

Pluggable database altered.


SQL> alter pluggable database toby open;

Pluggable database altered.

SQL>

On the standby, I can see that the PDB changed its name:

SQL> show pdbs

    CON_ID CON_NAME                       OPEN MODE  RESTRICTED
---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
         2 PDB$SEED                       MOUNTED
         3 TOBY                           MOUNTED
         4 SAND                           MOUNTED
SQL>

The PDB name change is propagated transparently with the redo apply.

—

Ludo