Upgrade to Oracle AI Database 26ai by Creating a Refreshable Clone

You can create a refreshable clone where the source database version is Oracle Database 19c and the cloned database version is Oracle AI Database 26ai.

Creating a refreshable clone with an Oracle Database 19c source and an Oracle AI Database 26ai refreshable clone allows you to test your workload with Oracle AI Database 26ai, or you can use the refreshable clone to upgrade to Oracle AI Database 26ai.

To create this type of refreshable clone, start with an Autonomous AI Database Database version 19c instance and follow the steps to create a refreshable clone, and select Database version 26ai for the clone. See Create a Refreshable Clone for an Autonomous AI Database Instance for more information.

Note: An Oracle Database 19c source with an Oracle AI Database 26ai refreshable clone is especially useful when you want to use Capture-Replay to test your workloads running on Oracle Database 19c before you upgrade to Oracle AI Database 26ai. See Test 19c Workloads on an Oracle AI Database 26ai Clone with Capture-Replay for more information.

Note the following when the refreshable clone source Autonomous AI Database Database version is 19c and the cloned Autonomous AI Database Database version is 26ai:

• After you create the refreshable clone, the clone will be in the stopped state and is not available for read-only operations. The only operations available for this type of refreshable clone are refresh (either manual or automatic), and disconnect.

  See Refresh a Refreshable Clone on Autonomous AI Database and Disconnect a Refreshable Clone from the Source Database for more information.

• This type of refreshable clone only allows a refresh when the database is in the “Stopped” state. The stopped refresh applies only for refreshable clones that have a source Oracle Database 19c and the cloned database is Oracle AI Database 26ai.

• To use the refreshable clone you must disconnect the clone from the source database and start the database.

  See Start Autonomous AI Database and Disconnect a Refreshable Clone from the Source Database for more information.

• You can reconnect a disconnected refreshable within 24 hours. When the source Oracle Database 19c and the refreshable clone Oracle AI Database 26ai, the clone reverts to the stopped state when you reconnect and you may refresh data from the source again.

  See Reconnect a Refreshable Clone to the Source Database for more information.

• While the refreshable clone is connected to the source database, if no refresh is performed within 7 days, the refreshable clone can no longer be refreshed. In this case you have the following option:

  • You can disconnect the refreshable clone from the source database. After the disconnect operation completes you can use the database as a standalone database and the data reflects the state of the source database at the time of the last successful refresh.

    See Disconnect a Refreshable Clone from the Source Database for more information.

• Creating a cross region refreshable clone with an Oracle Database 19c source and an Oracle AI Database 26ai refreshable clone is not supported.

• Creating a cross tenancy refreshable clone with an Oracle Database 19c source and an Oracle AI Database 26ai refreshable clone is not supported in either the same region or cross region.