Testing is my number 1 reason for cloning a database. Nothing should ever be put into production unless it was tested first. Frequent (weekly/monthly) clones ensure that your test environment stays current with production. Jeremy P Consider the environment. Please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to. From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Freeman, Donald Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 9:42 AM To: ORACLE-L Subject: RE: what is the main purpose of cloning a database. There are other methods or products like dataguard for database failover. The main reason to make a clone (copy) of a database is to test something on it that you can't do on production. Donald Freeman Database Administrator II Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Information Technology 2150 Herr Street Harrisburg, PA 17103 ________________________________ From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of nilesh kumar Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 9:33 AM To: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: what is the main purpose of cloning a database. Hello All, Good Morning!! Hope every one is doing great this Morning. As I am a new DBA, a simple question strikes me this morning. What is the main purpose of cloning a database. Is the main purpose of the database is to provide a database failover ?? If that is case then we can go for a dataguard. Then why should we clone. ?? Thanks Nilesh 10g OCA -- Soni Temples & Softwares are more or less the same, first we build them and then we pray ;)