Storage Optimisation Module

CS-TDB: Slash Non-Production
Storage Costs by Up to 60%

Move Oracle database backups off expensive Exadata ASM disk groups onto a dedicated Clonetab appliance or Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance on OCI — and provision non-production environments from snapshots instead of full copies.

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The Challenge

Traditional Non-Prod Storage is Shockingly Expensive

In a standard setup, every non-production database requires a full backup copy stored on the same high-cost Exadata ASM disk group as production. When you add multiple non-prod environments plus snapshot retention, storage demands spiral fast.

Example: A 10 TB production database with 3 non-prod instances and 5-day retention demands ~90 TB on expensive Exadata storage — most of which is redundant. Customers consistently push back on provisioning this space.

"CS-TDB eliminates redundant storage by moving backups off Exadata and provisioning non-prod environments via lightweight NFS snapshots."

Storage Demand: 10 TB Production, 3 Non-Prods, 5-Day Retention

Traditional Model~90 TB
90 TB
CT-TDB Module~60 TB
60 TB
CS-TDB Module~60 TB
~60 TB
90 TB
Traditional cost
~60 TB
Storage saved (CS-TDB)
~40 TB

Saved with CT-TDB

vs. traditional on same example

~60 TB

Saved with CS-TDB

backup & retention offloaded to ZFS Appliance

0 TB

Exadata Backup Usage

all RMAN backups redirected off Exadata

1×

Storage per Non-Prod

No extra backup copies needed

How It Works

Backup Offload & Snapshot-Based Cloning

CS-TDB intercepts the backup flow before it hits your Exadata disk group. Instead, backups are managed via RMAN onto a dedicated appliance — and non-prod environments are provisioned directly from NFS-mounted snapshots.

CS-TDB Architecture: Source → ZFS Appliance + Clonetab → Target

The Source database sends RMAN backups to a ZFS Appliance via NFS/iSCSI, while the Clonetab Appliance orchestrates cloning to multiple non-production Target environments

CS-TDB Architecture Diagram showing Source, ZFS Appliance, Clonetab Appliance and Target servers
🏭 Source (Exadata)

The production Oracle database on Exadata. RMAN full and incremental backups are redirected via NFS/iSCSI to the ZFS Appliance — keeping the expensive ASM disk group 100% reserved for production I/O.

☁️ ZFS Appliance (OCI)

The Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance on OCI receives all backup data and holds snapshot retention. It replaces the Exadata ASM disk group as the backup home — at a fraction of the cost, with native ZFS compression on non-TDE data.

⚙️ Clonetab Appliance

Runs the Cloning Engine, CT Engine, Apache Tomcat, XE, and Ctmon. In CS-TDB mode it acts as the pure orchestrator — scheduling, monitoring, and coordinating clones between the ZFS Appliance and target non-prod hosts.

🎯 Target (Non-Prod)

DEV, QA, TST and any additional non-production environments receive clones via NFS/iSCSI from the ZFS Appliance. With thin provisioning enabled, each target mounts the snapshot directly — no full copy needed per environment.

NFS / iSCSI

Two NFS/iSCSI paths power CS-TDB: the inbound path carries RMAN backup data from the Source to the ZFS Appliance; the outbound path delivers ZFS snapshot clones to the Target non-production servers — enabling sub-hour provisioning with no data returned to Exadata, and thin-provisioned mounts for zero-copy refreshes in full CS-TDB mode.

❌ Traditional Flow — Everything on Exadata

🏭
Production DB
10 TB on Exadata
→
💾
RMAN Backup
Exadata ASM disk group
→
📋
Full Copy
Per non-prod × 3
→
📦
Total: ~90 TB
On expensive Exadata

✅ CT-TDB Module — Backups Offloaded to Clonetab Appliance

🏭
Production DB
Stays on Exadata
→
🖥️
Clonetab Appliance
RMAN backups + LUNs
→
📸
Snapshot Clone
Volume clone via NFS
→
🧪
Non-Prod × N
~60 TB total

🚀 CS-TDB Module — Cloud-Native with Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance (OCI)

🏭
Production DB
On-prem / OCI
→
☁️
Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance
RMAN backups on OCI
→
🖥️
Clonetab Appliance
Orchestrator only
→
🧪
Non-Prod × N
Thin-provisioned NFS mounts
Two Deployment Tiers

Choose the Right CS-TDB Module

CS-TDB ships with two modules addressing different levels of storage optimisation. Start with CT-TDB for an immediate win, or move to CS-TDB for maximum cloud-native savings.

Implemented · Available Now

CT-TDB Module

Offloads all RMAN backups (full and incremental) from the customer's Exadata ASM disk group onto the Clonetab appliance. Non-production environments are cloned from NFS-mounted snapshots, eliminating the need to store backup data on expensive Exadata storage.

How It Works

  • LUNs are provisioned on the Clonetab appliance; all RMAN backup data resides there
  • Production database remains on Exadata — only backups are offloaded
  • Volume clone is created from the latest snapshot on the appliance
  • Snapshot is mounted on each target non-production instance via NFS mounts
  • Data is replicated from the NFS mount into the non-production instance
In Development · Coming Soon

CS-TDB Module

Extends CT-TDB by moving all backup management onto the Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance on OCI. The Clonetab appliance becomes a pure orchestrator. Non-production environments can thin-provision directly from ZFS snapshots, dramatically cutting storage further.

How It Works

  • All backups (full and incremental via RMAN) stored on Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance (on OCI)
  • NFS-based storage access replaces ACFS — no Exadata disk group usage at all
  • Clonetab appliance orchestrates cloning between production, ZFS Appliance, and non-prod
  • Non-production environments can directly mount ZFS snapshots via thin provisioning
  • Customer provisions and manages their own ZFS Appliance storage on OCI
💡 Key advantage: Thin provisioning means non-prod environments mount snapshots directly — no full copy required per instance, unlocking a step-change in storage efficiency.
Side-by-Side Comparison

Storage Model Comparison

Based on 10 TB production, 3 non-production instances, 5-day snapshot retention.

Metric Traditional CT-TDB Module CS-TDB Module
Production storage 10 TB on Exadata 10 TB on Exadata (unchanged) 10 TB on Exadata (unchanged)
Backup location Exadata ASM disk group Clonetab Appliance (offloaded) Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance (OCI)
3 non-prod copies 30 TB on Exadata 30 TB (on non-prod hosts) Thin-provisioned NFS mounts
5-day retention 50 TB on Exadata On appliance (offloaded) On ZFS Appliance (cloud)
Total effective storage ~90 TB ~60 TB ~60 TB
Savings vs. traditional — ~40 TB ~75–80 TB
File system ACFS (Exadata) NFS mounts NFS (ZFS Appliance)
Core Capabilities

What Makes CS-TDB Different

CS-TDB is purpose-built for Oracle environments on Exadata, combining RMAN-based backup offload, snapshot cloning, and NFS-native provisioning in one unified solution.

RMAN Backup Offload

All full and incremental backups are managed via Oracle RMAN and stored on the Clonetab or ZFS appliance — completely off the Exadata disk group.

Snapshot-Based NFS Cloning

Volume clones are created from snapshots and mounted via NFS mounts. Non-prod environments are provisioned without full data copies, dramatically cutting refresh times.

Oracle ZFS Integration (CS-TDB)

Native integration with Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance on OCI. All RMAN backup data, full and incremental, is managed and stored on the ZFS Appliance — completely removing it from Exadata ASM disk groups.

Exadata Cost Protection

Exadata storage is reserved exclusively for production workloads. No more provisioning expensive ASM disk group space for test backup copies that most customers couldn't justify.

Clonetab Orchestration

The Clonetab appliance seamlessly orchestrates the full flow — from production backup to clone provisioning — whether running CT-TDB locally or CS-TDB via the ZFS Appliance on OCI.

Thin Provisioning (CS-TDB)

Non-production environments mount ZFS snapshots directly, bypassing the need to replicate a full copy per environment. Storage consumption only grows as data actually changes.

Ideal For

Who Benefits Most from CS-TDB

Exadata Customers

Enterprises running Oracle databases on Exadata who find the cost of provisioning additional ASM disk group space for non-production backups prohibitive.

OCI-Migrating Enterprises

Organisations moving workloads to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure who want to leverage the Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance for cost-efficient non-prod backup management.

Large Non-Prod Footprints

Teams running 4, 6, or 8+ non-production environments from a single production source where traditional full-copy storage multiplication makes refresh economics unworkable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Questions Answered

What is the difference between CT-TDB and CS-TDB?
CT-TDB offloads RMAN backups from Exadata to a Clonetab appliance deployed on-premises or in the cloud. Non-prod instances still require full data copies from the NFS mount. CS-TDB goes further — it moves backup management entirely to the Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance on OCI, and non-prod environments can thin-provision directly from ZFS snapshots, eliminating full copy requirements altogether.
Does CS-TDB require changes to the production database?
No. The production database continues running on Exadata as before. CS-TDB only changes where RMAN backups are directed — from the Exadata ASM disk group to the Clonetab appliance or Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance. Production storage and performance are unaffected.
Does TDE encryption affect CS-TDB?
TDE (Transparent Data Encryption) does not affect CS-TDB's core functionality. RMAN backups, snapshot cloning, and NFS-based provisioning all operate normally regardless of whether TDE is enabled on production. The storage savings from offloading backups to the Clonetab appliance or Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance are fully retained with or without TDE.
How many non-production environments can CS-TDB support?
CS-TDB scales to support any number of non-production instances. In CT-TDB mode, each non-prod still requires its own full data copy, so storage grows linearly. In CS-TDB mode with thin provisioning, each additional non-prod environment requires minimal extra storage since they all mount the same underlying ZFS snapshot.
Is the Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance mandatory for CS-TDB?
No. The Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance is only required for the CS-TDB module. The CT-TDB module uses only the Clonetab appliance (on-premises or cloud), which is already part of your Clonetab deployment. CS-TDB is an optional upgrade for customers who want maximum cloud-native storage savings on OCI.
Does CS-TDB work with CT-Clone and other Clonetab modules?
Yes. CS-TDB is designed as a complementary storage optimisation layer that works alongside CT-Clone, CT-Core, and other Clonetab modules. Non-production environments provisioned via CS-TDB can still be managed with full post-clone automation, data scrambling (CT-ADS), and all other Clonetab capabilities.

Ready to Eliminate Redundant Non-Prod Storage?

See how CS-TDB can offload your Oracle backup costs, reduce Exadata disk group demand, and provision non-production environments from lightweight NFS snapshots.

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