1      Introduction to Cloning

1.1      Overview

Cloning is the process of copying an existing entity to a different location while preserving its state. Cloning can be performed on a Middleware home and certain Oracle Fusion Middleware components, such as Oracle SOA Suite, Oracle HTTP Server, Oracle Internet Directory and Oracle Virtual Directory.

Situations in which cloning Oracle Fusion Middleware will be useful :

·         Creating a Middleware home that is a copy of a production, test, or development environment.

·         Cloning enables to create a new Middleware home with all patches applied to all of the Oracle homes and the WebLogic Server home in a single step. This is in contrast to separately installing and applying any patches to the WebLogic Server home and separate Oracle homes.

·         Preparing a "gold" image of a patched Middleware home and deploying it to many hosts.

1.2       Cloning Types

One may clone the following, on the same host or a different host. However, the cloning operation must be on performed on the same operating system as the source.

v  Middleware home: Cloning the Middleware home, the Oracle WebLogic Server home, and all of the Oracle homes within the Middleware home.

v  Java components: Cloning the configuration of a domain containing Java components, such as Oracle SOA Suite to the same or a different Middleware home, on the same host or a different host.

v  System components: Cloning the configuration of a domain containing system components, such as Oracle HTTP Server and Oracle Internet Directory, to the same or a different Oracle instance, to the same or a different Middleware home, on the same host or a different host.

**In current version of the document, the details are about cloning Middleware home
   and the next version will contain details about cloning java and system components.