How to Deploy Oracle 23ai Database on OCI – Complete DBA Implementation Guide.

Introduction

Oracle 23ai is Oracle’s latest AI-enabled database release designed for modern enterprise workloads, AI applications, vector search, JSON-relational architecture, and autonomous operations. Deploying Oracle 23ai on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) provides DBAs with high performance, scalability, and enterprise-grade security.

In this guide, we will deploy Oracle 23ai Database on OCI from scratch using:

• Virtual Cloud Network (VCN)

• Public and Private Subnets

• Network Security Groups (NSG)

• Oracle DB System

• SSH Access Configuration

This article is written from a real DBA operational perspective instead of a basic cloud tutorial.

Architecture Overview

Before deployment, let us understand the architecture.

Components Used

Component	Purpose
VCN	Private cloud network for OCI resources
Public Subnet	Used for Bastion / external access
Private Subnet	Used for Database deployment
NSG	Security-level traffic control
Internet Gateway	Internet connectivity
Route Table	Controls network routing
Oracle DB System	Hosts Oracle 23ai database
SSH Key Pair	Secure server access

Target Architecture

The deployment architecture follows enterprise security standards.

Laptop
   |
SSH
   |
Public IP
   |
OCI Bastion / Public Subnet
   |
Private Subnet
   |
Oracle 23ai DB System

Prerequisites

Before starting deployment ensure:

• OCI account is active

• User has Administrator privileges

• SSH client installed

• Oracle Cloud region selected

• OCI Compartment created

Step 1 – Login to OCI Console

Open OCI Console.

Navigate to:

Oracle Cloud Console → Identity & Security → Compartments

Create a new compartment.

Example:

Name: PROD-DBA-LAB
Description: Oracle 23ai Deployment Lab

Compartments help isolate cloud resources.

Step 2 – Create Virtual Cloud Network (VCN)

What is VCN?

VCN acts like a private data center network inside OCI.

Navigate:

Networking → Virtual Cloud Networks → Create VCN

VCN Configuration

Parameter	Value
Name	OCI-23AI-VCN
CIDR Block	10.0.0.0/16
DNS Resolution	Enabled

Click:

Create VCN

Step 3 – Create Internet Gateway

Navigate:

VCN → Internet Gateways → Create Internet Gateway

Configuration:

Parameter	Value
Name	OCI-IGW
Enabled	Yes

Purpose:

• Enables internet communication

• Required for package downloads and updates

Step 4 – Create Route Table

Navigate:

VCN → Route Tables → Create Route Table

Add route rule:

Destination	Target
0.0.0.0/0	Internet Gateway

This allows outbound internet access.

Step 5 – Create Subnets

We will create:

1. Public Subnet

2. Private Subnet

Step 5A – Create Public Subnet

Navigate:

VCN → Subnets → Create Subnet

Configuration:

Parameter	Value
Name	PUBLIC-SUBNET
CIDR	10.0.1.0/24
Type	Regional
Public IP	Enabled
Route Table	OCI-RT

Purpose:

• Bastion access

• SSH connectivity

• Jump server access

Step 5B – Create Private Subnet

Configuration:

Parameter	Value
Name	PRIVATE-DB-SUBNET
CIDR	10.0.2.0/24
Public IP	Disabled
Route Table	OCI-RT

Purpose:

• Secure Oracle Database deployment

• Internal traffic only

Step 6 – Create Network Security Group (NSG)

Why NSG?

NSG provides instance-level traffic filtering.

Navigate:

Networking → Network Security Groups

Create NSG:

Name: OCI-23AI-NSG

Step 7 – Configure NSG Rules

Ingress Rules

Source	Port	Protocol	Purpose
Your Public IP	22	TCP	SSH Access
Application Server	1521	TCP	Oracle Listener
Internal Network	5500	TCP	EM Express

Egress Rules

Allow all outbound traffic.

Step 8 – Generate SSH Key Pair

Linux / macOS

Run:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

Windows (PowerShell)

ssh-keygen

Files generated:

File	Purpose
id_rsa	Private Key
id_rsa.pub	Public Key

Important:

Never share private keys.

Step 9 – Create Oracle 23ai DB System

Navigate:

Oracle Database → Base Database Service → Create DB System

Step 10 – Configure DB System

Basic Information

Parameter	Value
DB System Name	OCI23AI-DB
Compartment	PROD-DBA-LAB
Availability Domain	AD-1
Shape	VM.Standard.E5.Flex
OCPU	2
Memory	32 GB

Step 11 – Configure Networking

Parameter	Value
VCN	OCI-23AI-VCN
Subnet	PRIVATE-DB-SUBNET
NSG	OCI-23AI-NSG
Hostname	oci23ai-db

Step 12 – Database Configuration

Database Details

Parameter	Value
Database Version	Oracle 23ai
Database Name	ORCL23AI
PDB Name	ORCLPDB1
Character Set	AL32UTF8
Workload Type	OLTP

Step 13 – Upload SSH Public Key

Paste contents of:

id_rsa.pub

OCI injects this key into the server during provisioning.

Step 14 – Create the DB System

Click:

Create DB System

Provisioning typically takes:

20 to 40 minutes

Step 15 – Verify Deployment

After deployment verify:

Database Status

Available

Listener Status

lsnrctl status

Database Status

sqlplus / as sysdba

Then:

select name,open_mode from v$database;

Expected:

READ WRITE

Step 16 – SSH Access to Oracle Server

SSH Command

ssh -i id_rsa opc@<PUBLIC-IP>

Switch to Oracle user:

sudo su - oracle

Step 17 – Verify Oracle 23ai Features

Connect database:

sqlplus / as sysdba

Check version:

select banner_full from v$version;

Expected output:

Oracle Database 23ai Enterprise Edition

Step 18 – Configure Automatic Backups

Navigate:

DB System → Backup Configuration

Enable:

• Automatic backups

• Recovery window

• Object storage backup

Recommended:

Setting	Recommended Value
Backup Window	Night Time
Retention	30 Days
Incremental Backup	Enabled

Step 19 – Enable Monitoring and Alerts

OCI monitoring helps DBAs proactively identify issues.

Navigate:

Observability & Management → Monitoring

Create alerts for:

• CPU utilization

• Tablespace usage

• Memory pressure

• Backup failures

• Storage growth

Step 20 – Security Best Practices

Recommended Security Standards

1. Use Private Subnet for Databases

Never expose database servers directly to internet.

2. Restrict SSH Access

Allow SSH only from office or VPN IP.

3. Enable TDE

Transparent Data Encryption should remain enabled.

4. Rotate SSH Keys

Rotate keys periodically.

5. Enable Audit Policies

Monitor database login activities.

DBA Operational Validation Checklist

Validation	Status
Listener Running	Verified
Database Open	Verified
SSH Access	Verified
NSG Rules Applied	Verified
Backup Enabled	Verified
Monitoring Enabled	Verified

Common Deployment Issues

Issue 1 – SSH Timeout

Cause:

• NSG rule missing

• Port 22 blocked

Solution:

• Verify ingress rules

• Verify public IP

Issue 2 – Listener Not Reachable

Cause:

• Port 1521 blocked

Solution:

• Add NSG ingress rule

Issue 3 – Database Creation Failed

Cause:

• Insufficient quota

• Wrong shape

Solution:

• Verify tenancy limits

Real DBA Recommendations

Recommended Shapes

Environment	Shape Recommendation
Dev	VM.Standard.E4.Flex
Test	VM.Standard.E5.Flex
Production	Exadata / DenseIO

Why Oracle 23ai on OCI?

Key Benefits

• AI-ready database engine

• Integrated vector search

• High scalability

• Enterprise-grade HA

• Built-in security

• Automated patching

• Cloud-native architecture