Simplifying Lower Environment Refreshes with Oracle Exadata Cloud as Service (ExaCS)

 

Intro

AI technologies are evolving at a rapid pace, but the landscape is still unstable. At the core of every AI system lies data, and validating AI models without proper test environments is simply not possible. To ensure reliability, lower environments must be refreshed regularly with production-scale data. Large datasets are essential for accuracy, and inadequate test data often leads to issues such as hallucinations something many enterprises are already struggling with.

Refreshing databases from higher environments is therefore a critical part of any testing strategy. However, managing large-scale refresh operations is complex and requires careful preparation to ensure scripts, processes, and dependencies are fully aligned. With Oracle ExaCS (Exadata Cloud@Customer), this process is greatly simplified, allowing DBAs to execute refresh operations efficiently and with minimal disruption—bringing environment refreshes quite literally to your fingertips.

Creating a Lower Environment Using EXACS

In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of creating a lower environment using Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer (EXACS).

Scenario:

• Database Backups: Managed via the Automatic Recovery Service.

• Database Location: Databases are hosted on EXACS.

• Note: The Automatic Backup Service utilizes Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance (ZDLRA) for restoring backups.

Step 1: Navigate to the Database Backup

Begin by accessing your database backup configurations to initiate the environment setup process. Once you locate the 

.

                                              Figure 1 : Navigate the backup

Step 2: Create the Database

This step is quite simple. Here, you’ll select the appropriate Pluggable Database (PDB) and the desired Availability Domain.

Make sure to carefully choose the correct Exadata Infrastructure, as selecting the wrong one can lead to deployment issues or connectivity problems later on.

                                               Figure 2 : Create database using backup

Step 3: Select the Correct Cluster

The next step is to select the appropriate cluster. Remember, ExaCS runs VMs on top of Exadata infrastructure, which allows you to create multiple VMs and segregate different environments. I’ll cover this topic in more detail in a separate blog.

                                        Figure 3 : Create database backup - 1  

Step 4 : Database Configuration and Duplication Setup

In Figure 4, you need to specify both the database name and the database unique name.

You can set the SYS password to any value that follows Oracle’s standard password conventions.

For a database duplication, ensure that you provide the TDE password, as the backup pieces will be directly retrieved from ZDLRA.

                                                  Figure 4 : Set passwords.  

An interesting piece of information I’d like to share is where to find the duplicate database logs.

1. Log in to the target host where the duplicate database is running.

2. The duplicate logs are located at: /var/opt/oracle/log/TEST2/dtrs/rman/bkup

3. Sample log file: DBRS_IRESTORE_2025-08-08_18-41-56-5774831298590343329.log

[grid@exatestdb-node1 bkup]$ tail -200f DBRS_IRESTORE_2025-08-08_18-41-56-5774831298590343329.log
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467743375_198"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467743401_198"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467734225_219"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467734315_219"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467734317_219"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467734307_219"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467734316_219"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467734322_219"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467743306_254"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467743388_254"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467729735_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730363_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730614_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730825_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730875_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730901_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730919_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730923_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730940_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730986_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467730985_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467731010_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467731023_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467731036_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467731836_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467731341_271"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467743414_273"
new media label is "Recovery Appliance (raiadp4)" for piece "VB$_3990092206_467743537_273"
channel RA0: starting datafile backup set restore
channel RA0: specifying datafile(s) to restore from backup set
channel RA0: restoring datafile 00009 to +DATAC1/TEST_EXA/DATAFILE/reefer_svc_tbs.2509.1208630651
channel RA0: restoring section 1 of 18
channel RA0: reading from backup piece VB$_3890646435_481469587_9
channel RA1: starting datafile backup set restore
channel RA1: specifying datafile(s) to restore from backup set
channel RA1: restoring datafile 00010 to +DATAC1/TEST_EXA/DATAFILE/generic_sensor_hist_2024_q3.3874.1208630651
channel RA1: restoring section 1 of 10
channel RA1: reading from backup piece VB$_3890646435_481469600_10
channel RA2: starting datafile backup set restore
channel RA2: specifying datafile(s) to restore from backup set
channel RA2: restoring datafile 00011 to +DATAC1/TEST_EXA/DATAFILE/generic_sensor_hist_2024_q1.2488.1208630651
channel RA2: restoring section 1 of 10
channel RA2: reading from backup piece VB$_3890646435_481469605_11
channel RA3: starting datafile backup set restore

Conclusion

AI systems rely heavily on data, making well-maintained test environments essential for validating models and avoiding issues like hallucinations. Refreshing lower environments with production-scale data is critical but complex, requiring careful coordination of scripts, dependencies, and processes. Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer (ExaCS) simplifies this, enabling DBAs to perform efficient, secure, and low-downtime environment refreshes.

My Focus at Oracle AI World 2025 – AI, Security, and the Road Ahead

 

Intro

Navigating the Future of AI and Security at Oracle AI World 2025

As we step into the age of intelligent enterprises, AI and data security have become inseparable pillars of innovation and resilience. This year’s Oracle AI World 2025, taking place October 13–16 in Las Vegas, marks a defining shift in Oracle’s vision ,  from cloud transformation to AI-driven reinvention.

CloudWorld has been reimagined as Oracle AI World, reflecting Oracle’s commitment to embedding AI across every layer of its ecosystem from applications to infrastructure to data platforms. The event will highlight Oracle’s latest advancements in agentic AI, AI infrastructure, and autonomous systems, reshaping how businesses operate, secure, and scale in the era of intelligent automation.

My Focus: AI and Security

For me, understanding AI and agentic AI is essential. However, my current focus is on the intersection of AI and security. With AI, it’s increasingly difficult to predict which options or vulnerabilities could be exposed, and data has become the lifeblood of AI. Businesses are driven by data, and without strong protection, even a hard-earned reputation can be compromised within hours.

Scripts and agentic AI are already having a profound impact, and it’s challenging to imagine the scale of threats we may face in the future regarding hacking and data theft. The stakes for securing data have never been higher.

Sessions I Recommend at Oracle AI World 2025

If you’re attending Oracle AI World, here are some sessions I highly recommend based on your area of interest:

1st Choice – For Those Focused on Security

• Be a Data Security Superhero with Oracle Data Safe [HOL2820]

• How Oracle Ensures Security and Compliance with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure [THR3119]

• Build a Secure Landing Zone on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure [LRN2727]

2nd Choice – For Those Managing Large-Scale Workloads and Migrations

• Deploying Mission-Critical: What’s New with Oracle Database 23ai, Exadata, Cloud [LRN1139]

• Exadata Mastery: Maximize Performance, Reduce Risk, and Save Costs [LRN2980]

3rd Choice – For Those Exploring Virtualization Alternatives

With VMware licensing costs rising, many small and medium-sized businesses are rethinking their virtualization strategy. It’s the perfect time to evaluate Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager (OLVM) as a cost-effective, enterprise-grade alternative.

• Migrating to Oracle Virtualization Using Oracle Cloud Migrations Service [LRN3085]

• Oracle Virtualization: The Cost-Effective, High-Performance Alternative [LRN1119]

Final Thoughts

AI brings enormous opportunity , but also a new dimension of risk. As AI systems become more autonomous and interconnected, security must evolve at the same pace. At Oracle AI World 2025, I look forward to exchanging ideas with peers, customers, and Oracle experts on how to build intelligent, secure, and resilient data-driven enterprises.

Join Us at Oracle AI World 2025 – Optimizing and Securing Enterprise Databases

 

Join Us at Oracle AI World 2025 – Optimizing and Securing Enterprise Databases

I’m excited to announce that I will be attending Oracle AI World 2025, taking place October 13–16 in Las Vegas, alongside the Eclipsys and DSP teams.

This year marks a significant milestone for Oracle’s flagship event: CloudWorld has been reimagined as Oracle AI World. AI is no longer a supporting element, it is now the foundation for Oracle’s strategy across applications, infrastructure, and data platforms.

Recent developments highlight Oracle’s leadership in the enterprise AI space:

• Participation in the $500 billion “Stargate” AI infrastructure initiative with OpenAI and SoftBank, providing unprecedented compute capacity for AI workloads.

• A $30 billion-per-year agreement with OpenAI to host large-scale model training clusters powered by tens of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs.

• Support for Google Cloud’s Gemini AI models via Vertex AI, giving customers access to advanced multimodal AI tools directly in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

Oracle is also advancing agentic AI capabilities, enabling AI systems to autonomously plan, decide, and act. The Globally Distributed Exadata on Exascale service ensures mission-critical systems and agentic AI workloads remain resilient and high-performing across regions. Additionally, AI Agent Studio empowers customers and partners to build, extend, and orchestrate AI agents within Fusion Applications, creating autonomous workflows tailored to real business needs. Collectively, these innovations position Oracle AI World as a central hub for the enterprise AI era.

Why Database Optimization and Security Matter

Databases remain the backbone of modern enterprises. Optimizing them for performance, scalability, and security is more important than ever. With tools such as Oracle 23ai, Autonomous Database, and Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager (OLVM), organizations can achieve more intelligent, secure, and cost-efficient database operations across both cloud and on-premises environments.

At Eclipsys and DSP, we specialize in helping organizations:

• Enhance database performance with Oracle Cloud and AI-driven optimization

• Strengthen security using Oracle Data Safe, Audit Vault, and AI-powered threat detection

• Modernize workloads leveraging Oracle 23ai, Autonomous Database, and containerized architectures

• Simplify infrastructure management with OLVM for efficient VM provisioning, clustering, and high availability

• Deliver end-to-end managed services to ensure reliability, compliance, and operational excellence

Let’s Connect at Oracle AI World

If you are attending Oracle AI World and are looking to optimize and secure your Oracle databases, implement OLVM, or leverage AI-driven Oracle services, we would be delighted to connect. We’ll share practical strategies, real-world use cases, and insights from across the Oracle ecosystem.

See you in Las Vegas, October 13–16, 2025 at Oracle AI World!