To manage an external database using the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Database Management Service, you must create or configure a database handle and a database connection1. A database handle is a resource that represents an external database in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure2. It contains information such as the database name, version, edition, and deployment type. A database connection is a resource that enables you to connect a database handle to an Oracle Database instance located outside of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure3. It contains information such as the host name, port number, service name, and credentials. You can create and manage database handles and connections using the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console or the REST API23.

A is incorrect, because a dynamic group is not required to manage an external database. A dynamic group is a group of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure resources that are dynamically matched according to rules that you define4. You can use a dynamic group to grant permissions to the Database Management agent, which is a software component that runs on the host where the external database is located and communicates with the Database Management service5. However, creating a dynamic group is not mandatory, as you can also use other methods to grant permissions to the agent, such as using a user API key or an instance principal5.

C is incorrect, because a database group is not required to manage an external database. A database group is a logical grouping of databases that you can use to perform actions on multiple databases at once. You can create a database group for external databases, but it is not a prerequisite for managing them.

References: 1: About Database Management 2: Manage the Handles for External Database 3: Manage the Connections for External Database 4: Managing Dynamic Groups 5: About Database Management Agent : Managing Database Groups

v When you use the “Stop” option from the Console of an Exadata Database Service virtual machine within a VM cluster, the following two statements are true1:

• Billing for the CPU stops but billing for the Exadata Infrastructure continues. This is because the “Stop” option only stops the virtual machine (VM) and releases the OCPU resources allocated to it, but does not terminate the VM or delete the associated block volumes1. Therefore, you are not charged for the OCPU usage of the stopped VM, but you are still charged for the Exadata Infrastructure and the block volume storage1. You can resume the billing for the OCPU by restarting the VM from the Console1.
• The stopped VM is not available to any other database deployment. This is because the “Stop” option only stops the VM and does not delete it or detach it from the VM cluster1. Therefore, the stopped VM remains associated with the original database deployment and cannot be used by any other database deployment1. You can make the VM available again by restarting it from the Console1.

The other statements are false because1:

• The “Stop” option only stops the selected VM and does not affect the other VMs in the cluster. You can stop or start individual VMs in the cluster as needed, without impacting the availability of the other VMs1.
• The “Stop” option only stops the databases running on the selected VM and does not affect the databases running on the other VMs in the cluster. You can stop or start individual databases in the cluster as needed, without impacting the availability of the other databases1.
• The “Stop” option does not stop the billing for the OCPU and Infrastructure until the VM restarts. As explained above, the “Stop” option only stops the billing for the OCPU, but not for the Infrastructure or the block volume storage. The billing for the OCPU resumes when the VM restarts1. References:
• 4: Manage VM Clusters - Oracle Help Center

Exadata Snapshots are a feature of the Exadata Database Service that allows you to create space-efficient read-only or read-write clones of an existing database1. Exadata Snapshots use the Exadata SPARSE disk group to store the sparse files that contain the data that is read and written by the snapshots2. The sparse files only store the changed blocks, not the entire data, which saves space and improves performance2. Multiple users can create independent Exadata Snapshots from the same test master, which is a full read-only clone of the source database3. The test master can be created from a backup of the source database or from a Data Guard standby database3. Before creating Exadata Snapshots from the test master, you can modify the data in the test master, if required.

Therefore, the correct answer is A, C, and D. B is incorrect, because Exadata Snapshots can utilize all the Exadata features, such as Smart Scan, Smart Flash Cache, Hybrid Columnar Compression, and so on. E is incorrect, because you cannot modify the data in the test master after creating Exadata Snapshots from it, as it becomes read-only.

References: 1: About Exadata Snapshots 2: Sparse Disk Sizing and Allocation Methodology 3: Creating Exadata Snapshot Masters : Refresh Considerations, or Lifecycle of Exadata Snapshots : Exadata Snapshots

The statements that are true about cloning a Virtual Machine DB System are:

• When creating a clone of the Virtual Machine DB system, you need to specify a new SSH key and admin password1. This is because the clone is a new DB system that requires its own credentials for security and access purposes1.
• Cloning creates a copy of a source Virtual Machine DB system as it exists at the time of the cloning operation, including the storage configuration software and database volumes12. This means that the clone will have the same database software, patches, configuration, and data as the source DB system at the time of cloning12.

The statements that are false about cloning a Virtual Machine DB System are:

• When creating a clone, you must use the same SSH key and admin password as the source Virtual Machine DB system. This is false, as explained above, you need to specify a new SSH key and admin password for the clone1.
• Cloning only creates a copy of a source Virtual Machine DB system as it exists at the time of the cloning operation, but does not include the storage configuration software and database volumes. This is false, as explained above, cloning includes the storage configuration software and database volumes of the source DB system12.

References:

• Clone a DB System
• Virtual machine DB system cloning available for single-node systems using LVM storage management

The Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Database Management Service is a fully integrated feature of Oracle Database that provides a single console for managing and monitoring your Oracle Databases on OCI. It supports Oracle Database versions 11.2.0.4 and later, running on any edition, including Enterprise Edition, Standard Edition 2, and Express Edition1. It can monitor both OCI databases and external databases that are accessible from the OCI tenancy2. External databases are databases that are not deployed on OCI, but can be registered with the Database Management Service using a Database Management private endpoint and a Database Management agent3.

According to the documentation, the following types of external databases are supported by the Database Management Service3:

• Oracle Database on-premises
• Oracle Database on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Classic
• Oracle Database on other cloud platforms
• Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer
• Oracle Exadata Database Machine

Therefore, the correct answer is A and C, as they are both external databases that can be monitored by the Database Management Service. B is incorrect, because Oracle Autonomous Database is not an external database, but an OCI database that is managed by Oracle and does not require a Database Management agent4. D is incorrect, because Oracle 11gR2 Database is not a supported version for the Database Management Service, as it requires at least 11.2.0.41.

References: 1: Supported Database Versions and Features 2: About Database Management 3: Managing External Databases 4: Autonomous Database on Shared Exadata Infrastructure

When enabling Data Guard on Exadata Database Service, the following two statements are true:

• You should use similar configurations for your Primary and Standby databases to ensure you meet the same performance service level after a role transition. This is a best practice recommended by the Oracle Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA) to avoid any performance degradation or unexpected behavior when switching roles between the primary and standby databases1. Similar configurations include the same database version, edition, shape, storage, and network settings2.
• You can enable Data Guard to support your Standby or Disaster Recovery (DR) needs with a single API call or mouse click in the Ul using cloud automation. This is one of the benefits of using Data Guard on Exadata Database Service, as it simplifies the creation and management of the standby database. You can use the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console, the REST API, or the CLI to enable Data Guard when creating a new database or to add Data Guard to an existing database3.

C is incorrect, because Active Data Guard does not provide read/write functionality on the standby or disaster recovery system, but read-only functionality. Active Data Guard allows you to open the standby database for read-only access while it is synchronized with the primary database, enabling real-time query and reporting on the standby database4.

D is incorrect, because you do not have to configure Data Guard manually to create the standby or DR instance for your primary Exadata Database. As mentioned above, you can use cloud automation to enable Data Guard with a single API call or mouse click in the UI3.

E is incorrect, because you can edit your configuration to change between synchronous or asynchronous transport of data to the DR site, after enabling Data Guard. You can use the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Console, the REST API, or the CLI to modify the Data Guard association and change the protection mode, which determines the data transport method5.

References: 1: Disaster Recovery Best Practices for Exadata Database Machine using Oracle Data Guard 2: About Configuring Oracle Data Guard for Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure 3: Using Oracle Data Guard in Exadata Cloud Service 4: About Oracle Active Data Guard 5: Modifying a Data Guard Association