Domain 5: Implement Oracle Database@Google Cloud (20%)
Exam weight: ~10 questions | Difficulty: HIGH -- this domain is new for 2025 and covers a service that became generally available in late 2024. Expect less community material, fewer practice questions, and architecture nuances that trip up candidates familiar only with Database@Azure.
Why This Domain Is Tricky
- New service: Oracle Database@Google Cloud went GA in September 2024 across initial regions. The 2025 exam added it as a full domain, but deployment experience in the field is still limited.
- Different from Database@Azure: The two multicloud implementations share concepts but differ in identity integration, network architecture, management tools, and billing models. Candidates who assume they are identical will answer incorrectly.
- Dual documentation: You must know both the Oracle docs (OCI side) and the Google Cloud docs (GCP side) because management is split across both consoles.
- Rapidly expanding: Regions, services, and features are being added quarterly. Exam content may reference capabilities announced through mid-2025.
1. Architecture: Parent-Child Site Model
Core Concept
Oracle Database@Google Cloud uses a parent-child site model where OCI infrastructure is physically deployed inside Google Cloud data centers but logically managed from an OCI region.
(Source: Oracle Architecture Docs)
┌──────────────────────────────┐ Dedicated, redundant ┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ OCI REGION │ Oracle-managed dark │ GOOGLE CLOUD REGION │
│ (Parent Site) │ fiber (encrypted) │ (Child Site) │
│ │◄────────────────────────────►│ │
│ ┌────────────────────────┐ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Control Plane (HA) │ │ │ │ Oracle Zone │ │
│ │ - API Gateway │ │ │ │ ┌────────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ - Provisioning │ │ │ │ │ Exadata Infrastructure │ │ │
│ │ - Monitoring │ │ │ │ │ (X9M / X11M) │ │ │
│ │ - Patching │ │ │ │ ├────────────────────────┤ │ │
│ │ - Backup Mgmt │ │ │ │ │ VM Clusters │ │ │
│ │ - IAM │ │ │ │ │ Autonomous DB │ │ │
│ └────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ Base DB Systems │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └────────────────────────┘ │ │
│ ┌────────────────────────┐ │ │ └──────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ OCI Vault (Key Mgmt) │ │ │ │
│ └────────────────────────┘ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │ Google Cloud VPC │ │
│ │ │ │ ├── App VMs (GCE/GKE) │ │
│ │ │ │ ├── ODB Network (metadata) │ │
│ │ │ │ └── ODB Subnets │ │
│ │ │ └──────────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────────────────┘
Key facts for the exam:
- The child site is the Oracle Database@Google Cloud infrastructure deployed inside Google Cloud data centers. All Oracle hardware is operated and managed exclusively by OCI personnel. (Source: Oracle Architecture Docs)
- The parent site is the OCI region that hosts the control plane. It is in the same country and close geographic proximity to ensure data sovereignty and low latency. (Source: Oracle Architecture Docs)
- The child site is considered an extension of the OCI parent site, inheriting the same security, management, resiliency, and performance profile. (Source: Oracle Architecture Docs)
- The network between parent and child sites is dedicated, redundant, Oracle internally managed dark fiber, similar to OCI AD-to-AD network infrastructure. All traffic is encrypted. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
- There are no additional ingress/egress charges for data movement between OCI and Google Cloud over the multicloud link in the same region. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
- If the OCI link fails, the database service remains operational for existing workloads, but resource creation/updates and backups become unavailable until the link is restored. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
Control Plane Design
The OCI control plane is built on three pillars: High Availability, Resiliency, and Security. (Source: Oracle Architecture Docs)
| Pillar | Implementation |
|---|---|
| High Availability | Services deployed across Availability Domains (ADs) within OCI regions; single-AD regions use 3 fault domains. Critical services use active-active configurations. Stateless components behind load balancers with automatic unhealthy-instance removal. |
| Resiliency | Fault isolation prevents cascading failures. Configuration states, audit logs, and metadata stored with high durability and regular backups. Rate limiting prevents resource exhaustion. Progressive rollouts with quick rollback. |
| Security | OCI IAM with least-privilege policies and ephemeral access. Strong network segmentation. Encryption at rest and in transit. Comprehensive audit logging. Secure API gateways with authentication and authorization. |
ODB Network Architecture
The ODB Network is the critical networking construct that bridges OCI database resources to Google Cloud VPC. (Source: Oracle ODB Network Docs)
What it is: A metadata construct that abstracts Google Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) configurations. It maps OCI network resources (VCN, subnets) back to Google Cloud objects. When you create an ODB Network, OCI automatically provisions a Virtual Cloud Network (VCN), subnets, and private connectivity components.
What it supports:
- Standalone VPC: Dedicated VPC for ODB resources in a single project
- Shared VPC: Multiple projects share a centralized VPC managed by a host project
Subnet configuration:
- Maximum 5 non-overlapping ODB Subnets per ODB Network
- CIDRs must use RFC 1918 ranges (10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16)
- IP range 100.64.0.0/10 is reserved for Exadata X9M and X11M -- must not be used
- Client subnets: minimum /27, maximum /22
- Backup subnets: minimum /27, maximum /22
IP address allocation per client subnet (exam-relevant detail):
| Resource | IPs Consumed |
|---|---|
| ODB Network Service (fixed) | 3 IPs (regardless of cluster count) |
| Each VM Cluster (SCANs) | 3 IPs (regardless of VM count) |
| Each Virtual Machine | 4 IPs |
| Each Autonomous AI Database | 1 IP |
| Each Base Database VM | 1 IP |
Example: 1 VM cluster with 2 VMs requires 14 client IPs (3 service + 3 cluster + 8 VM). Oracle recommends using at least /24 CIDR for client subnets to allow future expansion. (Source: Oracle ODB Network Docs)
Five Network Topologies
Oracle documents five supported network topologies. Expect exam questions asking you to select the appropriate topology for a given scenario. (Source: Oracle Network Topologies Docs)
| Topology | Best For | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Single VPC | Lowest latency; monolithic apps | Apps and databases coexist in same VPC, different subnets. Simplest setup. |
| VPC Peering | Decentralized teams; centralized DB platform | Database in dedicated VPC/project; apps in separate VPCs connected via peering. Cloud DNS peering zones for name resolution. Peering incurs cost. |
| Shared VPC | Multi-team with central IT | Centralized VPC in host project; multiple service projects. Eliminates VPC sprawl. No manual peering needed. |
| Hub-and-Spoke | Traffic inspection/control | NVA (Network Virtual Appliance) as central hub. Spoke VPCs route through NVA to reach ODB network in transit VPC. |
| Multiple VPC | Strict workload isolation | Multiple VM Clusters on same Exadata infrastructure, each connected to different VPC/project. Shared infra, isolated workloads. |
Application Traffic Flow
Google Cloud App (GCE/GKE VM)
│
▼
Google Cloud VPC Subnet (app subnet)
│
▼ (VPC routing / peering / shared VPC / NVA)
│
ODB Network Subnet (client subnet)
│
▼
Oracle Database (Exadata / Autonomous / Base DB)
│
▼ (backup traffic)
ODB Network Subnet (backup subnet)
All traffic uses private IP addresses. SCAN (Single Client Access Name) addresses within the client subnet provide database cluster connectivity -- 3 SCAN IPs per VM cluster. (Source: Oracle ODB Network Docs)
2. How It Differs from Database@Azure
This is a high-probability exam topic. The table below contrasts the two implementations based on their respective official documentation.
| Aspect | Database@Google Cloud | Database@Azure |
|---|---|---|
| Network Model | ODB Network (metadata construct mapping OCI VCN to Google Cloud VPC). Standalone VPC or Shared VPC. 5 topology options. (Source: Oracle ODB Network Docs) | Azure Virtual Network with delegated subnets. Private IPs from customer VNets serve as database endpoints. (Source: Microsoft Learn) |
| Identity Model | Google Cloud IAM for resource-level access. Federated SSO via Google Cloud identity. Separate OCI IAM for OCI Console tasks. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs) | Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) is the primary identity provider. SAML federation to OCI IAM for OCI Console access. Deeper identity unification. (Source: Microsoft Learn) |
| Management Tools | Google Cloud Console, gcloud CLI, Google Cloud API/SDK, Terraform (via Google provider). OCI Console for some CDB/PDB tasks. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ) | Azure Portal, Azure API/SDK, Terraform (via AzureRM provider). OCI Console for CDB/PDB management. Azure Monitor integration for metrics. (Source: Microsoft Learn) |
| Billing | Single invoice through Google Cloud Marketplace. Counts toward Google Cloud Commitment. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ) | Single invoice through Azure Marketplace. Counts toward Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC). (Source: Microsoft Learn) |
| Key Management | OCI Vault for system-generated or customer-generated keys. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ) | Integration with Azure Key Vault via Azure Arc-enabled servers. (Source: Microsoft Learn) |
| Monitoring | Google Cloud Observability (Cloud Monitoring metrics). (Source: Google Cloud Overview) | Azure Monitor with native metrics for Exadata, Autonomous DB, and Exascale. (Source: Microsoft Learn) |
| Maturity | GA September 2024. 14 live regions as of early 2026. (Source: Oracle Regional Availability) | GA December 2023. 28+ Azure regions. More mature with deeper portal integration. |
| Support Model | All technical support requests filed with Oracle. Oracle engages Google if needed. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ) | Joint support model through both Oracle and Microsoft. |
Critical distinction for the exam: Database@Azure uses Azure's identity provider (Entra ID) as the primary identity layer with SAML federation to OCI. Database@Google Cloud uses Google Cloud IAM for Google-side resources with separate OCI IAM for OCI Console tasks. The identity integration is less unified on the GCP side.
3. Available Services
All services run Oracle Database versions 19c and 23ai, maintaining feature and list-price parity with OCI. Exadata hardware generations supported are X9M and X11M. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
Service Comparison Table
| Service | Infrastructure | Management Model | Scaling | Min. Config | Billing Model | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exadata Database Service (Dedicated) | Fully dedicated Exadata infrastructure | Manual -- DBA manages configuration, tuning, patching | Elastic vertical + horizontal | Quarter Rack (2 DB servers, 3 storage servers), 4 OCPU min | Subscription + pay-per-use (OCPUs) | Private offer only |
| Exadata Database Service (Exascale) | Shared Exadata infrastructure with VM isolation | Manual -- DBA manages configuration, tuning, patching | Single node to 10-node VM Cluster, 200 ECPU per VM | 8 ECPUs | Subscription + pay-per-use (ECPUs) | Private + public offer |
| Base Database Service | General-purpose single-instance | Manual -- DBA manages configuration, tuning, patching | 4-200 ECPUs, 300 GB - 40 TB storage | 4 ECPUs, 256 GB storage | Subscription + pay-per-use (ECPUs) | Private + public offer |
| Autonomous AI Database | Fully managed, elastic | Self-driving -- Oracle manages most tasks | Automatic elastic scaling | 2 ECPUs | Pay-as-you-go (consumption) | Private + public offer |
| Autonomous Recovery Service | Dedicated backup infrastructure | Automated -- zero data loss recovery | N/A | N/A | Included with eligible services | Private offer only |
(Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud Home; Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
Service Details
Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure: For mission-critical, latency-sensitive workloads requiring complete infrastructure isolation. Customers get full control including RAC configuration. Infrastructure patching is automatic; DB/Grid/OS patching is manual (customer responsibility). Minimum billing period is 48 hours, then per-second billing. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud Home)
Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure: Provides Exadata-class performance at a lower entry point through shared infrastructure with VM-level and storage-level isolation. No infrastructure provisioning required -- uses suggested defaults. Good for lift-and-shift workloads that need Exadata performance without dedicated hardware cost. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud Home)
Base Database Service: Single-instance Oracle Databases on general-purpose infrastructure. Supports database edition selection (Standard, Enterprise). No infrastructure provisioning required. Best for lighter workloads, dev/test environments, or applications that do not require Exadata performance. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud Home)
Autonomous AI Database: Self-driving, self-securing, self-repairing. Pre-configured and instantly provisioned. Automatic patching with no downtime. Built-in encryption, authentication, and threat detection. Oracle manages most tasks; customers focus on application development. Best for variable workloads and cloud-native applications. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud Home)
Autonomous Recovery Service (also called Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service): Automated backup and recovery for Oracle databases. Available as a private offer only. Provides zero data loss protection through real-time redo log transport. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
4. Onboarding and Configuration
Prerequisites
Before provisioning any database resources, you must:
- Complete a Marketplace order for Oracle Database@Google Cloud (private offer via Oracle Sales, or public offer for eligible services)
- Complete Oracle onboarding tasks (OCI tenancy creation and subscription to paired OCI region)
- Have gcloud CLI version 532.0.0 or later installed
(Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
Step-by-Step Setup
Step 1: Enable the Oracle Database@Google Cloud API Enable the API in your Google Cloud project using the gcloud CLI or Google Cloud Console. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
Step 2: Configure VPC Networks Choose between Standalone VPC (single project) or Shared VPC (host project + service projects). Create the VPC and configure subnets for your application workloads. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
Step 3: Create ODB Network and Subnets Associate the ODB Network with your VPC (standalone or shared). Specify the Google Cloud project and region. Configure client and backup subnets with non-overlapping CIDR ranges. Plan CIDR allocation carefully (minimum /24 recommended for client subnets). (Source: Oracle ODB Network Docs)
Step 4: Generate SSH Keys Generate SSH key pairs for secure access to database resources. Required for Exadata VM cluster access. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
Step 5: Configure IAM Roles Assign appropriate predefined roles based on least-privilege principles:
| Admin Role | Required IAM Roles |
|---|---|
| Network Admin | roles/oracledatabase.odbNetworkAdmin, roles/oracledatabase.odbSubnetAdmin |
| Database Admin | roles/oracledatabase.odbSubnetUser, roles/oracledatabase.autonomousDatabaseAdmin |
| Exadata Admin | roles/oracledatabase.odbSubnetUser, roles/oracledatabase.cloudExadataInfrastructureAdmin, roles/oracledatabase.cloudVmClusterAdmin |
| Exascale Admin | roles/oracledatabase.odbSubnetUser, roles/oracledatabase.exadbVmClusterAdmin, roles/oracledatabase.exascaleDbStorageVaultAdmin |
| DB System Admin | roles/oracledatabase.odbSubnetUser, roles/oracledatabase.dbSystemAdmin |
For Shared VPC deployments, network admin roles go to the host project and database admin roles go to the service projects. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
Step 6: Provision Resources Provision in this order: Exadata Infrastructure -> VM Clusters -> Exascale VM Clusters -> Autonomous Databases -> DB Systems. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
Terraform Provisioning
Infrastructure-as-code deployment is available through Terraform using the Google Cloud provider. This enables automated, repeatable provisioning of all Oracle Database@Google Cloud resources. Terraform support covers Exadata infrastructure, VM clusters, Autonomous databases, and Base Database systems. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
5. Billing and Purchasing
Purchasing Models
| Model | How It Works | Available Services |
|---|---|---|
| Private Offer | Oracle Sales negotiates terms; customer purchases through Google Cloud Marketplace | All services (Exadata Dedicated, Exascale, Base DB, Autonomous AI DB, Recovery Service) |
| Public Offer | Direct purchase in Google Cloud Marketplace as pay-as-you-go | Autonomous AI Database, Exascale, Base Database Service |
| Channel Partner | Reseller extends private offers through Google Cloud Marketplace | Same as private offer |
(Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
Billing Details
- Single invoice through Google Cloud Marketplace -- Oracle Database@Google Cloud charges appear alongside other Google Cloud services. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
- Google Cloud Commitments: Oracle Database@Google Cloud usage counts toward your existing Google Cloud spend commitment. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
- Oracle contract: Usage does NOT count toward existing Oracle/OCI contract commitments. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
- Oracle Support Rewards (OSR): Using Oracle Database@Google Cloud accrues the same Oracle Support Rewards as OCI. OSR applies to private offers only. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
- BYOL: Customers can use existing Oracle AI Database licenses, including Unlimited License Agreements (ULAs) and Bring Your Own License (BYOL). (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
Minimum Billing Periods
| Service | Minimum Period |
|---|---|
| Exadata Dedicated | 48 hours, then per-second |
| Exascale / Base DB / Autonomous AI DB | 1 minute |
(Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
No Egress Fees on Multicloud Link
There are no additional ingress or egress charges for data movement between OCI and Google Cloud over the multicloud link within the same region. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
6. Management Tools
Oracle Database@Google Cloud management is split between two consoles depending on the task. This split is a key exam concept.
What Is Managed Where
| Task | Google Cloud Console / gcloud CLI | OCI Console |
|---|---|---|
| Provision Exadata Infrastructure | Yes | No |
| Provision VM Clusters | Yes | No |
| Provision Autonomous AI Database | Yes | No |
| Provision Base Database Systems | Yes | No |
| Manage Container Databases (CDB) | No | Yes |
| Manage Pluggable Databases (PDB) | No | Yes |
| Network (ODB Network/Subnet) | Yes | No |
| IAM Role Assignment | Yes (Google Cloud IAM) | Yes (OCI IAM for OCI tasks) |
| Monitoring / Metrics | Yes (Google Cloud Observability) | Yes (OCI Monitoring) |
| Key Management | No | Yes (OCI Vault) |
| Patching (Infrastructure) | Automatic (Oracle-managed) | N/A |
| Patching (DB/Grid/OS) | N/A | Manual (customer-managed via OCI) |
(Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ; Source: Google Cloud Overview)
How Google Cloud APIs Invoke OCI APIs
The Oracle Database@Google Cloud API is a Google Cloud-native API that internally invokes OCI APIs for resource provisioning and management. When you use the Google Cloud Console, gcloud CLI, or Terraform Google provider to manage Oracle database resources, these tools call the Oracle Database@Google Cloud API, which translates requests into OCI API calls executed against the control plane in the parent OCI region. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud Home)
gcloud CLI
The gcloud CLI provides command-line access to all Oracle Database@Google Cloud operations available in the Google Cloud Console. Requires version 532.0.0 or later. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
7. Oracle Multicloud Hub
The Multicloud Hub is a centralized management capability in the OCI Console for discovering and managing Oracle resources deployed across partner clouds. (Source: Oracle Multicloud Hub Overview)
Core Capabilities
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Resource Discovery | View and discover Oracle Multicloud resources across AWS, Azure, and GCP from the OCI Console |
| Resource Anchors | Bind partner cloud resources to OCI resources for unified management |
| Network Anchors | Point-to-point mapping of network resources between OCI and partner cloud networks |
| Geographic Mapping | Map OCI availability domains to partner cloud regions/zones for HA/DR planning and limit increase requests |
| Contractual Terms | View multicloud contractual terms directly from OCI Console |
(Source: Oracle Multicloud Hub Overview)
Linked Compartments
The Multicloud Hub creates OCI compartments that correspond to partner cloud organizational structures. Each has a cloud-specific prefix:
| Partner Cloud | Compartment Maps To | Prefix | |--------------|--------------------|----- --| | Google Cloud | GCP Project | GCP Project ID | | Azure | Azure Subscription | Azure Subscription ID | | Azure | Resource Group | Resource Group Name | | AWS | AWS Account | AWS Account ID |
The top-level Multicloud Base Compartment follows the naming convention: MulticloudLink_<CSP_name>_<unique_identifier>. This compartment is not visible in the Console via the Multicloud Hub interface. (Source: Oracle Multicloud Hub Overview)
Key Terminology
- Multicloud Subscription: The contract with a partner cloud provider to use Oracle resources
- Resource Container: Cloud-specific organizational unit (OCI: Compartment, AWS: Account, Azure: Subscription/Resource Group, GCP: Project)
- Multicloud Resource: Any Oracle database or service running in a partner cloud
(Source: Oracle Multicloud Hub Overview)
8. Regional Availability
Your OCI tenancy must be subscribed to the paired OCI region to provision resources in the corresponding Google Cloud region. (Source: Oracle Regional Availability)
Live Regions
North America (5 regions)
| Google Cloud Region | Google Cloud ID | Paired OCI Region | OCI ID | ExaDB Dedicated | Autonomous AI | Exascale | Base DB | Recovery Svc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. Virginia | us-east4 | US East (Ashburn) | us-ashburn-1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Salt Lake City | us-west3 | US West | us-saltlake-2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Iowa | us-central1 | US Midwest (Des Moines) | us-desmoines-1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Montreal | northamerica-northeast1 | Canada Southeast | ca-montreal-1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Toronto | northamerica-northeast2 | Canada Southeast | ca-toronto-1 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Europe (2 regions)
| Google Cloud Region | Google Cloud ID | Paired OCI Region | OCI ID | ExaDB Dedicated | Autonomous AI | Exascale | Base DB | Recovery Svc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt | europe-west3 | Germany Central | eu-frankfurt-1 | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial | Yes |
| London | europe-west2 | UK South | uk-london-1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Asia Pacific (6 regions)
| Google Cloud Region | Google Cloud ID | Paired OCI Region | OCI ID | ExaDB Dedicated | Autonomous AI | Exascale | Base DB | Recovery Svc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | asia-northeast1 | Japan East | ap-tokyo-1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Melbourne | australia-southeast2 | Australia Southeast | ap-melbourne-1 | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | Partial |
| Sydney | australia-southeast1 | Australia East | ap-sydney-1 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Mumbai | asia-south1 | India West (Mumbai) | ap-mumbai-1 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Delhi | asia-south2 | India North (Delhi) | ap-delhi-1 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Osaka | asia-northeast2 | Japan Central | ap-osaka-1 | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Latin America (1 region)
| Google Cloud Region | Google Cloud ID | Paired OCI Region | OCI ID | ExaDB Dedicated | Autonomous AI | Exascale | Base DB | Recovery Svc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sao Paulo | southamerica-east1 | Brazil East | sa-saopaulo-1 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
(Source: Oracle Regional Availability)
Planned Regions
Milan (europe-west8), Turin (europe-west12), and Mexico (northamerica-south1) are announced as planned. (Source: Oracle Regional Availability)
Where to Check for Updates
Oracle publishes regional availability updates at:
- Oracle Database@Google Cloud Regional Availability
- Google Cloud Supported Regions and Zones
- Oracle press releases and the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure blog
Exam note: Not all services are available in all regions. Exadata Database Service (Dedicated) has the widest availability. Exascale, Base Database, Autonomous Recovery Service, and Autonomous AI Database are progressively rolling out to additional regions.
9. Migration
Oracle supports the following migration methods for moving databases to Oracle Database@Google Cloud. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud Home)
| Method | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Oracle Zero Downtime Migration (ZDM) | Automated, near-zero downtime migration |
| Oracle Data Guard | Real-time replication for cross-region or cross-cloud DR and migration |
| RMAN | Backup-based migration for smaller databases |
| Data Pump | Logical export/import; can import from Google Cloud Storage |
| Transportable Tablespaces | Fast migration of large datasets |
| Oracle GoldenGate | Real-time data replication for heterogeneous environments or ongoing sync |
Supported Applications
The following Oracle applications are certified to run on Oracle Database@Google Cloud: E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, Enterprise Performance Management, Retail Applications, and Primavera P6 EPPM. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
10. Security
Encryption
- All data encrypted at rest and in transit using industry-standard protocols. (Source: Oracle Architecture Docs)
- All traffic between parent and child sites is encrypted. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
- OCI Vault manages system-generated or customer-generated encryption keys. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
- Google Cloud CMEK (Customer-Managed Encryption Keys) support is available. (Source: Google Cloud Setup Docs)
Autonomous AI Database Specific Security
Built-in automatic data encryption, user authentication, threat detection, and Oracle-managed security updates with no downtime. (Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud Home)
Network Security
The interconnect between OCI and Google Cloud uses dedicated, private dark fiber -- traffic does not traverse the public internet. The Oracle Interconnect for Google Cloud FAQ notes that traffic on this interconnect is not encrypted by default at the network layer (encryption is at the application/service layer), and organizations can apply additional encryption independently. (Source: Oracle Interconnect FAQ)
11. Support Model
Oracle and Google Cloud have a joint support model for mission-critical workloads:
- Customers create all technical support requests directly with Oracle.
- Oracle engages Google Cloud support if the issue involves Google Cloud infrastructure.
- SLAs follow OCI service-level frameworks.
(Source: Oracle Database@Google Cloud FAQ)
Contrast with Database@Azure: For Database@Azure, customers can file support requests with either Oracle or Microsoft, and the two companies collaborate to resolve them.
12. Exam Preparation Checklist
Use this checklist to verify you have covered the high-probability topics for Domain 5:
- Can you draw the parent-child site architecture from memory?
- Can you explain what the ODB Network is and how it maps OCI VCN to Google Cloud VPC?
- Can you calculate IP address requirements for a given VM cluster configuration?
- Can you select the correct network topology (Single VPC, VPC Peering, Shared VPC, Hub-and-Spoke, Multiple VPC) for a given scenario?
- Can you list all five database services and distinguish their management models (manual vs. self-driving)?
- Can you explain the billing model -- single invoice, Google Cloud Commitment, Oracle Support Rewards, BYOL?
- Can you identify which tasks are performed in Google Cloud Console vs. OCI Console?
- Can you contrast Database@Google Cloud with Database@Azure on identity, networking, billing, and management?
- Can you explain the Multicloud Hub's resource anchors, network anchors, and linked compartments?
- Can you identify which OCI region pairs with a given Google Cloud region?
- Do you know that Exadata Dedicated is the only private-offer-only service (along with Recovery Service)?
- Can you explain what happens if the OCI-GCP dark fiber link goes down?
13. Key Facts Quick Reference
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| GA date | September 2024 |
| Database versions | 19c, 23ai |
| Exadata generations | X9M, X11M |
| Max ODB Subnets per ODB Network | 5 |
| Client subnet CIDR range | /27 (min) to /22 (max) |
| IPs reserved for ODB Network Service | 3 per subnet |
| IPs per VM Cluster (SCAN) | 3 |
| IPs per VM | 4 (client), 3 (backup) |
| Minimum Exadata config | Quarter Rack (2 DB + 3 storage servers), 4 OCPU |
| Minimum Autonomous AI DB | 2 ECPUs |
| Minimum Base DB | 4 ECPUs, 256 GB storage |
| Minimum Exascale | 8 ECPUs |
| Exadata min billing | 48 hours |
| Other services min billing | 1 minute |
| gcloud CLI minimum version | 532.0.0 |
| Live regions | 14 (5 NA, 2 EU, 6 APAC, 1 LATAM) |
| Planned regions | 3 (Milan, Turin, Mexico) |
| Support model | File with Oracle; Oracle engages Google if needed |
| Egress on multicloud link | Free (same region) |
| Control plane location | OCI parent region |
| Data plane location | Google Cloud child site |
| OCI link failure impact | Existing workloads continue; no new provisioning or backups |