More than one PDB in the same directory?

Can you create more than one pluggable database (PDB) within the same directory?
And how does the file naming work? Considering the fact each PDB’s SYSTEM tablespace will be named system01.dbf by default the question is not trivial.

This question got asked by a customer during one of the workshops in Switzerland last week. And the solution is straight forward. Thanks to Roy for trying it out yesterday at 170 km/h on our way back from Stuttgart 🙂

Thanks 🙂

-Mike

Additional information:

Within ASM with OMF the file structure looks like this:

select con_id, substr(file_name,1,90),tablespace_name from cdb_data_files order by 1;

CON_ID SUBSTR(FILE_NAME,1,90)                                                           TABLESPACE_NAME
---------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------
1 +DA1/CDBUPGR/DATAFILE/system.394.845632641                                       SYSTEM
1 +DA1/CDBUPGR/DATAFILE/users.475.845632685                                        USERS
1 +DA1/CDBUPGR/DATAFILE/undotbs4.448.845632683                                     UNDOTBS4
1 +DA1/CDBUPGR/DATAFILE/sysaux.392.845632651                                       SYSAUX
1 +DA1/CDBUPGR/DATAFILE/undotbs2.393.845632679                                     UNDOTBS2
1 +DA1/CDBUPGR/DATAFILE/undotbs1.471.845632657                                     UNDOTBS1
1 +DA1/CDBUPGR/DATAFILE/undotbs3.478.845632681                                     UNDOTBS3
2 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B70DCBF2D4ECEAE0437A28890AE4D8/DATAFILE/sysaux.472.845632655      SYSAUX
2 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B70DCBF2D4ECEAE0437A28890AE4D8/DATAFILE/system.398.845632647      SYSTEM
3 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F6A142792168D540E0437A28890A4707/DATAFILE/system.493.845643325      SYSTEM
3 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F6A142792168D540E0437A28890A4707/DATAFILE/sysaux.468.845643325      SYSAUX
3 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F6A142792168D540E0437A28890A4707/DATAFILE/soets.452.845643325       SOETS
4 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9BDC2AEC4411EE0437A28890A2B81/DATAFILE/system.491.845643937      SYSTEM
4 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9BDC2AEC4411EE0437A28890A2B81/DATAFILE/sysaux.488.845643937      SYSAUX
4 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9BDC2AEC4411EE0437A28890A2B81/DATAFILE/soets.484.845643937       SOETS
5 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9CA6B92804A56E0437A28890A2721/DATAFILE/system.485.845644149      SYSTEM
5 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9CA6B92804A56E0437A28890A2721/DATAFILE/sysaux.490.845644149      SYSAUX
5 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9CA6B92804A56E0437A28890A2721/DATAFILE/soets.487.845644149       SOETS
6 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9D727715B5B4AE0437A28890AB3D9/DATAFILE/system.486.845644363      SYSTEM
6 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9D727715B5B4AE0437A28890AB3D9/DATAFILE/sysaux.483.845644363      SYSAUX
6 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9D727715B5B4AE0437A28890AB3D9/DATAFILE/soets.481.845644363       SOETS
7 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9E3D23CFC67F1E0437A28890A5A68/DATAFILE/system.453.845644575      SYSTEM
7 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9E3D23CFC67F1E0437A28890A5A68/DATAFILE/sysaux.482.845644575      SYSAUX
7 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9E3D23CFC67F1E0437A28890A5A68/DATAFILE/soets.467.845644575       SOETS
8 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9F051E81B7892E0437A28890AD3A3/DATAFILE/system.465.845644785      SYSTEM
8 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9F051E81B7892E0437A28890AD3A3/DATAFILE/sysaux.455.845644785      SYSAUX
8 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7B9F051E81B7892E0437A28890AD3A3/DATAFILE/soets.479.845644785       SOETS
9 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA2D0F2F17A755E0437A28890A72C6/DATAFILE/system.464.845645805      SYSTEM
9 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA2D0F2F17A755E0437A28890A72C6/DATAFILE/sysaux.500.845645805      SYSAUX
9 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA2D0F2F17A755E0437A28890A72C6/DATAFILE/soets.498.845645805       SOETS
10 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA3A179DAFB12FE0437A28890ABBF3/DATAFILE/system.499.845646023      SYSTEM
10 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA3A179DAFB12FE0437A28890ABBF3/DATAFILE/sysaux.504.845646023      SYSAUX
10 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA3A179DAFB12FE0437A28890ABBF3/DATAFILE/soets.502.845646023       SOETS
11 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA46A1A6B7B9C2E0437A28890AE021/DATAFILE/system.503.845646233      SYSTEM
11 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA46A1A6B7B9C2E0437A28890AE021/DATAFILE/sysaux.508.845646233      SYSAUX
11 +DA1/CDBUPGR/F7BA46A1A6B7B9C2E0437A28890AE021/DATAFILE/soets.506.845646233       SOETS
...