How to Provision an Autonomous Database in Oracle Cloud (OCI) – A Step-by-Step Guide

The Oracle Autonomous Database (ADB) is a self-driving, self-securing, and self-repairing database service powered by machine learning. It automates common database management tasks, significantly reducing administrative overhead and costs while boosting performance and security. Whether you're building new applications, migrating existing ones, or just exploring the power of Oracle's cloud database, provisioning an ADB in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a straightforward process.

This guide will walk you through each step to get your Autonomous Database up and running.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • An Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) account.
  • The necessary IAM policies and permissions to create and manage Autonomous Databases within your OCI tenancy.

Follow these steps to create your Autonomous Database instance:

Step 1: Log In to the OCI Console

Open your web browser and navigate to the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Console login page. Enter your Cloud Account Name, Username, and Password to log in.

Step 2: Navigate to Autonomous Database Service

Once logged in, you'll be on the OCI Dashboard. In the navigation menu on the left (often called the "hamburger menu" or "Navigation Bar"):

  1. Click the Navigation Menu icon (☰) in the top-left corner.
  2. Go to Oracle Database.
  3. Select Autonomous Database.

This will take you to the Autonomous Databases page, where you can view existing instances or create a new one.




Step 3: Choose Your Compartment and Click "Create Autonomous Database"

On the Autonomous Databases page:

  1. Select the Compartment from the dropdown menu on the left where you want to provision your database. A compartment is a logical container for your OCI resources.
  2. Click the "Create Autonomous Database" button. This will open the "Create Autonomous Database" wizard.


Step 4: Configure Basic Database Information

This section requires you to define the fundamental characteristics of your database:

Choose a workload type:

  1. Data Warehouse: Optimized for analytics workloads (Autonomous Data Warehouse - ADW).
  2. Transaction Processing: Optimized for mixed workloads or transactional applications (Autonomous Transaction Processing - ATP).
  3. JSON Database: Optimized for JSON document store workloads (Autonomous JSON Database - AJD).
  4. APEX Application Development: Optimized for APEX application development and deployment (Autonomous APEX - APEX).
  5. Choose the type that best suits your application's primary use case.


Choose a deployment type based on options:


  1. Shared Infrastructure: The default and most common option, where your database runs on shared Exadata infrastructure managed by Oracle. This is typically the most cost-effective.

  2. Dedicated Infrastructure: Provides a dedicated Exadata infrastructure for your exclusive use, offering greater isolation and control, ideal for very large or sensitive workloads (requires prior setup of Autonomous Exadata Infrastructure and Container Database).

  3. For most users, "Shared Infrastructure" is the appropriate choice.

Step 5: Provide Display Name and Database Name

  1. Display Name: Enter a display name for your database. This is a user-friendly name that appears in the OCI Console. Example: MyFirstADW.
  2. Database Name: Enter a unique database name (up to 14 alphanumeric characters, starting with an alphabet). This is the actual name of the database that applications will connect to. Example: ADWPROD1.

Step 6: Configure Database Details

This section defines the compute and storage resources:

  1. CPU Count: Specify the number of CPU cores for your database. This determines the processing power. You can scale this up or down later as needed.
    • Tip: Start with a lower number and scale up if performance dictates.
  2. Storage (TB): Define the storage capacity in Terabytes. You can also scale this up or down later.
    • Tip: Storage billing is separate from compute, so choose based on your current needs.
  3. Auto Scaling: (Highly Recommended) Check the "Enable auto scaling" box. This allows the database to automatically use up to three times more CPU and I/O resources when the workload requires it, providing consistent performance during peak times.
  4. Always Free Eligible: If you are using a Free Tier account, you can enable the "Always Free" option if available. This will provision a database that doesn't consume your paid credits, but it comes with limitations (e.g., 1 OCPU, 20 GB storage).



Step 7: Set Administrator Credentials

  1. Password: Enter a strong password for the ADMIN user of your database. Confirm the password.
    • Requirement: The password must be between 12 and 30 characters long and include at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one numeric character, and one special character (except double quotes, '$', or the whitespace character).


Step 8: Choose Network Access

This section determines how your database can be accessed:

  1. Secure Access from Everywhere (Recommended for testing/dev): This option allows connections from any IP address. Oracle configures network access for you.
  2. Secure Access from specified IP addresses and VCNs: This is the most secure option for production. You define specific IP addresses (CIDR blocks) or Virtual Cloud Networks (VCNs) that are allowed to connect.
  3. Private Endpoint Access: For the highest security, creates a private endpoint within a specified VCN subnet, meaning the database is only accessible from within that VCN.
    • For most initial setups or development, "Secure Access from Everywhere" is simplest. For production or sensitive data, choose one of the more restricted options and configure your security lists/network security groups accordingly.


Step 9: Select License Type Can be changed later

  1. Bring Your Own License (BYOL): If you already have existing Oracle Database licenses.

  2. License Included: Oracle provides the necessary licenses, and the cost is included in your Autonomous Database service charges.

    Choose the option that aligns with your licensing agreement.




Step 10: All other options as default and create.

Review all the settings you've configured. If everything looks correct:

  1. Click the "Create Autonomous Database" button at the bottom of the page.

What Happens Next?

After clicking "Create Autonomous Database," the provisioning process will begin.

  • The database status will initially show as "Provisioning."
  • This process typically takes a few minutes (5-15 minutes) depending on the resources requested.
  • Once provisioning is complete, the status will change to "Available."




Congratulations! Your Oracle Autonomous Database is now provisioned and ready for use.







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