Quick & Dirty: Create a pluggable database in Oracle 12c

1. Log in as sys
2. Change to CDB$ROOT and verify container:

   SQL> alter session set container = cdb$root;
   Session altered.
   SQL> show con_name
   CON_NAME
   ------------------------------
   CDB$ROOT

3. Create plugable database from seed (this command also adds the new pdb2 directory):

   create pluggable database pdb2 admin user pdb2_admin 
   identified by secret_password
   file_name_convert =(
   '/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/cdb1/pdbseed/',
   '/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/cdb1/pdb2/'
   );

4. At this point the database is created and mounted. Open new database:

   SQL> alter pluggable database pdb2 open read write;

5. List pluggable databases:

   alter session set container=CDB$ROOT;
   col pdb_name for a30
   col status for a10
   col status for a10
   
   select a.pdb_name,a.status,b.open_mode
     from dba_pdbs a, v$pdbs b
    where a.pdb_name = b.name(+)
    order by 1
   /
   PDB_NAME		       STATUS	  OPEN_MODE
   ------------------------------ ---------- ----------
   ORCL			       NORMAL	  READ WRITE
   PDB$SEED		       NORMAL	  READ ONLY
   PDB2			       NORMAL	  READ WRITE
   

6. Create a new tnsnames.ora entry for the database:

   PDB2 =
       (DESCRIPTION =
           (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 0.0.0.0)(PORT = 1521))
           (CONNECT_DATA =
               (SERVER = DEDICATED)
               (SERVICE_NAME = pdb2)
           )
       )

7. Log in as pdb2_admin:

   sqlplus pdb2_admin/secret_password@pdb2

8. Log in as sys to pdb2:

   1. sqlplus sys@pdb2 as sysdba;

      or

   2. sqlplus sys as sysdba;
      alter session set container = pdb2;

The new database will have three tablespaces;

SQL> select tablespace_name,contents from dba_tablespaces;

 TABLESPACE_NAME                CONTENTS
 ------------------------------ ---------
 SYSTEM                         PERMANENT
 SYSAUX                         PERMANENT
 TEMP                           TEMPORARY

For more information see the Oracle-Base article.