[Solved] Container Database set up incorrectly with error ORA-65101 for Hybrid DR

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Problem Statement

We encountered the error ORA-65101: container database set up incorrectly while configuring the standby database on Oracle Cloud (OCI) using RMAN when we tried to restore the standby control file.

Error 

RMAN> restore standby controlfile from service ‘PRIMARY’

Error Reported
—————

RMAN> alter database mount;

using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of sql statement command at 12/30/2019 06:50:38
ORA-65101: container database set up incorrectly

Root Cause

Primary database on On-premise is non-container database where as all databases on Oracle cloud (OCI) are pluggable database inside container databases. Therefore, while restoring the standby file it was expecting a non container(non pluggable) database whereas it was set up as pluggable database.

Note: Read more about 12c Multitenant architecture and Container Database(CDB)/Pluggable Database(PDB).

Fix

In order to fix it, we change the database from CDB/PDB to Non-CDB in PFILE/SPFILE

In startup Pfile or SpFile set
Change from
*.enable_pluggable_database=true
TO
*.enable_pluggable_database=false

SQL> show parameter plugg

NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE
———————————— ———– ——————————
enable_pluggable_database            boolean     FALSE