1z0-060 Upgrade to Oracle Database 12c - Explain root and multitenant architecture

Extracted from: http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E16655_01/server.121/e17636/cdb_intro.htm#ADMIN14145

A CDB includes the following components:

• Root

  The root, named CDB$ROOT, stores Oracle-supplied metadata and common users. An example of metadata is the source code for Oracle-supplied PL/SQL packages. A common user is a database user known in every container. A CDB has exactly one root.

• Seed

  The seed, named PDB$SEED, is a template that you can use to create new PDBs. You cannot add objects to or modify objects in the seed. A CDB has exactly one seed.

• PDBs

  A PDB appears to users and applications as if it were a non-CDB. For example, a PDB can contain the data and code required to support a specific application. A PDB is fully backward compatible with Oracle Database releases before Oracle Database 12c.

Each of these components is called a container. Therefore, the root is a container, the seed is a container, and each PDB is a container. Each container has a unique container ID and name within a CDB. Figure 36-1 shows a CDB with several PDBs.

You can easily plug a PDB into a CDB and unplug a PDB from a CDB. When you plug in a PDB, you associate the PDB with a CDB. When you unplug a PDB, you disassociate the PDB from a CDB. An unplugged PDB consists of an XML file that describes the PDB and the PDB's files (such as the data files and wallet file).

You can unplug a PDB from one CDB and plug it into a different CDB without altering your schemas or applications. A PDB can be plugged into only one CDB at a time.

Each PDB has a globally unique identifier (GUID). The PDB GUID is primarily used to generate names for directories that store the PDB's files, including both Oracle Managed Files directories and non-Oracle Managed Files directories.