Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Documentation

Appliance Data Export

Learn how you can migrate data from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to your data center using an Oracle-supplied transfer appliance.

Data Export is Oracle's offline data export solution that lets you migrate petabyte-scale datasets from your Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage bucket to your data center using an Oracle-provided Data Transfer Appliance.

Use Data Export when you have stored terabytes or petabytes of data in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and need to retrieve it from Object Storage more quickly than using the public internet. For example, you might have media content or processed datasets you need to share with a customer or business partner.

You cannot export data from multiple Object Storage buckets to the same export job. If you want to export data from more than one bucket, you must create an export job for each of the buckets.

See Data Transfer Appliance Specifications for a table of appliance specifications by region.

Note

  • Data Export is not available for free trial or Pay As You Go accounts.

  • Data Transfer appliance availability is based on inventory per region. Oracle distributes appliances on a first come, first serve basis based on customer request. Appliances are not always immediately available. Because of inventory constraints, new Data Export users are limited to a single appliance when it is their turn. Returning users are limited to two appliances.

  • Data Export does not support exporting files from an Archive Storage bucket. Move your data from the Archive Storage bucket to an Object Storage bucket and then create an export job specifying the Object Storage bucket. See Overview of Archive Storage for more information.

Data Export Concepts

EXPORT JOB
An export job is the logical representation of an offline export of data from your Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage bucket to your data center. Exporting your data does not remove it from the original storage bucket on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
Note

An export job is associated with a single export appliance. If your data export needs exceed the capacity of the appliance (150 TB), you need to create additional export jobs with their own dedicated appliances.

DATA TRANSFER APPLIANCE
The Data Transfer Appliance (export appliance) is a high-storage capacity device used to export data from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to your data center. You request an export appliance from Oracle, specify the data files to be copied from your Object Storage bucket to the export appliance, and then have the export appliance containing the data shipped to you. After you receive the export appliance, copy your data to your data center. When you complete the copying of data, completely delete all the data from the export appliance before sending it back to Oracle.
COMMAND LINE INTERFACE
The command line interface (CLI) is a small footprint tool that you can use on its own or with the Console to complete Oracle Cloud Infrastructure tasks, including Appliance-Based Data Import jobs. See Command Line Interface (CLI) for more information.
Note

You can only run Oracle Cloud Infrastructure CLI commands from a Linux host. This differs from running CLI commands for other Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Services on a variety of host operating systems. Appliance-based commands require validation that is only available on Linux hosts.
HOST
A physical computer at the customer site on which one or more of the logical hosts (Control, Data, Terminal Emulation) is running. Depending on your computing environment, you can have any of the following:
  • A separate physical host for each logical host
  • All three logical hosts consolidated onto a single physical host
  • Two logical hosts on one physical host and the third logical host on a separate physical host
All physical hosts much be on network used for the data transfer.
CONTROL HOST
The logical representation of the host computer at your site from which you perform data export tasks. Depending on your needs, you may use one or more separate hosts (Control and Data) to configure your export job.
Note

You can only run Oracle Cloud Infrastructure CLI commands from a Linux-based Control Host machine. You can run Console tasks from a browser running on a Windows machine.

DATA HOST
The logical representation of the host computer on your site that receives the data exported from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
Note

Only Linux machines can be used as Data Hosts.

TERMINAL EMULATION HOST
The logical representation of the host computer that uses terminal emulation software to communicate with, and allow you to command, the appliance.
BUCKET
The logical container in the Object Storage from where your data is copied to the appliance before it is shipped to you. A bucket is associated with a single compartment in your tenancy whose policies determine what actions a user can perform.
APPLIANCE MANAGEMENT SERVICE
Software running on the appliance that provides management functions. Users interact with this service though the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure CLI.

Roles and Responsibilities

Depending on your organization, the responsibilities of using and managing the data transfer may span multiple roles. Use the following set of roles as a guideline for how you can assign the various tasks associated with the data export.

  • Project Sponsor: Responsible for the overall success of the data export. Project Sponsors usually have complete access to their organization's Oracle Cloud Infrastructure tenancy. They coordinate with the other roles in the organization to complete the implementation of the data export. The Project Sponsor is also responsible for signing legal documentation and setting up notifications for the data export.

  • Infrastructure Engineer: Responsible for integrating the export appliance into the organization's IT infrastructure where the data is being copied. Tasks associated with this role include connecting the export appliance to power, placing it within the network, and setting the IP address through a serial console menu using the provided USB-to-Serial adapter.

  • Data Administrator: Responsible for identifying and preparing the data to be exported from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to your data center. This person usually has access to, and expertise with, the data being exported.

These roles correspond to the various phases of the data export described in the following section. A specific role can be responsible for one or more phases.

Task Flow for Data Export

Here is a high-level overview of the tasks involved in the data export from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to your data center. Complete one phase before proceeding to the next one. Use the roles previously described to distribute the tasks across individuals or groups within your organization.

Block chart of data export workflow

Secure Appliance Data Export from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

This section highlights the security details of the data export process.

  • Appliances are shipped from Oracle to you with a tamper-evident security tie on the transit case. A second tamper-evident security tie is included in the appliance transit case for you to secure the case when you ship the case back to Oracle. The number on the physical security ties must match the numbers logged by Oracle in the appliance details.

  • The AES-256 encryption key is created by Oracle when the files are copied the export appliance.

  • When you configure the appliance for the first time:

    • The encryption key is protected by an encryption passphrase that you must know to access the encrypted data. The system securely fetches a provided encryption passphrase from Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and registers that passphrase on the appliance.

      Note

      The encryption passphrase is never stored on the appliance.

  • All data copied to the appliance is encrypted.

  • Oracle erases all of your data from the transfer appliance after it has been returned. The erasure process follows the NIST 800-88 standards.

  • Keep possession of the security tie after you have finished unpacking and connecting the appliance. Include it when returning the appliance to Oracle. Failure to include the security tie can result in a delay in the completion of the export job.