Oracle GoldenGate 21c: Real-time Replication On-Premises to OCI

Overview: Bridging the Gap – Real-time PeopleSoft Replication to OCI with Oracle GoldenGate 21c

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations are increasingly leveraging the agility and scalability of cloud platforms. For many enterprises, critical business applications like Oracle PeopleSoft, which often reside on-premises, represent a significant investment and a trove of invaluable operational data. The challenge lies in seamlessly integrating these on-premises behemoths with cloud-native services for enhanced analytics, disaster recovery, cloud migration strategies, or simply offloading reporting workloads without impacting production.

Oracle GoldenGate 21c emerges as a powerful, robust, and highly performant solution for achieving real-time data replication in such hybrid cloud scenarios. Specifically, for PeopleSoft environments, GoldenGate 21c offers unparalleled capabilities to capture transactional changes from an on-premises Oracle PeopleSoft database and deliver them with sub-second latency to an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) database. This article, penned from the trenches of TechNews Venture, will delve into the practical implementation of GoldenGate 21c Microservices Architecture (MA) to establish a real-time data pipeline between an on-premises PeopleSoft instance and a target database in OCI.

The journey to the cloud for PeopleSoft often begins with data. Whether it's for a phased migration, creating a near real-time reporting environment in OCI, or setting up a robust disaster recovery solution, GoldenGate 21c provides the foundational technology. Its Microservices Architecture, a significant evolution from the classic architecture, brings cloud-native characteristics like REST APIs, service discovery, and containerization readiness, making it ideal for modern hybrid deployments. We will explore the intricacies of configuring the source (on-premises PeopleSoft) and target (OCI database) environments, deploying GoldenGate components, and ensuring secure, efficient, and reliable data flow.

Prerequisites for a Successful Hybrid Replication Strategy

Before embarking on the implementation journey, several critical prerequisites must be met to ensure a smooth and successful deployment of Oracle GoldenGate 21c for PeopleSoft replication.

On-premises PeopleSoft Environment (Source)

• Oracle Database Version: Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2) or higher is recommended for full compatibility with GoldenGate 21c's advanced features.
• ARCHIVELOG Mode: The source database must be running in ARCHIVELOG mode. GoldenGate relies on archived redo logs for change data capture.
• Supplemental Logging: Database-level and schema/table-level supplemental logging must be enabled. This ensures that GoldenGate captures all necessary key and column information for accurate replication, especially crucial for PeopleSoft's complex data structures.
• GoldenGate User: A dedicated Oracle user with appropriate privileges (e.g., CONNECT, RESOURCE, SELECT ANY DICTIONARY, FLASHBACK ANY TABLE, SELECT_CATALOG_ROLE, and specific SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE on replicated tables) must be created.
• Network Connectivity: Secure and reliable network connectivity between the on-premises GoldenGate host and the OCI GoldenGate deployment is essential. This typically involves a VPN Connect or Oracle Cloud Infrastructure FastConnect setup, along with appropriate firewall rules.
• GoldenGate 21c Binaries: Download and install the Oracle GoldenGate 21c Microservices Architecture binaries for your specific on-premises operating system.
• PeopleSoft Schema Knowledge: A deep understanding of the PeopleSoft schema, particularly the tables critical for replication (e.g., PS_JOB, PS_PERSON_DATA, PS_EMPLOYEE, PS_DEPT_TBL, etc.), their primary keys, and potential customisations.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Environment (Target)

• OCI Tenancy: An active OCI tenancy with sufficient credits and resource limits.
• Virtual Cloud Network (VCN): A properly configured VCN with public/private subnets, routing tables, and internet/NAT gateways as required.
• Security Lists/Network Security Groups (NSGs): Ingress/Egress rules configured to allow communication between the OCI GoldenGate deployment, the OCI target database, and the on-premises GoldenGate host.
• OCI Database Service: A target Oracle Database in OCI. This could be an Autonomous Transaction Processing (ATP) database, a VM DB System, or an Exadata DB System. For PeopleSoft, a VM DB System or Exadata DB System often provides the necessary flexibility for schema management, but ATP can also be used with careful planning.
• OCI GoldenGate Service: A provisioned OCI GoldenGate deployment. This is a fully managed service that simplifies the deployment and management of GoldenGate in OCI.
• IAM Policies: Appropriate OCI Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies to allow necessary permissions for OCI GoldenGate to interact with OCI databases, networks, and other services.

Step-by-Step Implementation: On-premises PeopleSoft to OCI Real-time Replication

This section outlines the detailed steps to configure real-time replication using Oracle GoldenGate 21c MA from an on-premises PeopleSoft database to an OCI target database.

1. OCI Infrastructure and Database Setup

First, ensure your OCI environment is ready. We'll assume a VCN and subnets are already in place. We'll provision a VM DB System and an OCI GoldenGate deployment.

1.1. Create OCI VM DB System (Target Database)

For our PeopleSoft target, we'll provision a 2-node VM DB System. Replace placeholders like ocid1.compartment.oc1..aaaaaa... with your actual OCIDs.

oci db system create \
    --compartment-id ocid1.compartment.oc1..aaaaaaaeo64d7zsq65c7g4k4x7w7h7e7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7d7c7b7a7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f7f