TENANT SEPARATION WITHIN A DATABASE INSTANCE

1 .- 19 . (canceled)

20 . A computer-implemented method for a database instance associated with a database management system, the method comprising:

receiving a command to perform at least one of a copy and a move on a first tenant partition from a first database instance to a destination partition in a second database instance;

shutting down the first tenant partition, wherein access by one or more users to tenant specific data within the first tenant partition is prevented;

packing tenant-dependent data in a common partition of the first database instance into tenant-dependent tables;

acquiring a data definition lock that prevents changes to metadata describing the first tenant partition;

obtaining tenant-specific metadata of a catalog of the first database instance;

packing the first database instance catalog tenant-specific metadata into the first tenant partition;

locking write transactions on tenant-specific data in the first tenant partition;

creating a tenant-specific snapshot of the first tenant partition;

storing the tenant-specific snapshot in a storage device external to the first database instance;

performing the received command; and

releasing both the write transaction lock and the data definition lock.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein if the received command is a move command, after the first tenant partition has been moved the method includes;

dismounting each data volume of the first tenant partition from the first database instance; and

processing undo information from the first database instance.

22 . The method of claim 21 , further including deleting undo information from the first database instance after the first tenant partition has been moved.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein if the received command is a copy command, the method includes restarting the first tenant partition.

24 . The method of claim 20 , further including:

confirming that the destination partition in the second database instance is operating; and

creating a backup of the second database instance.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein if the confirming step indicates that the destination partition is not operating, the method further includes:

recovering the destination database instance from the snapshot; and

re-running the destination database instance's redo log including copying or moving the first tenant partition from the first database instance.

26 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the first database instance and the second database instance are within the same data storage device.

27 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the tenant-dependent data includes client-specific table data and index data.

28 . The method of claim 20 , further including:

obtaining class container information of the first database instance; and

packing the class container information into the first tenant partition.

29 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the method of:

receive a command to perform at least one of a copy and a move on a first tenant partition from a first database instance to a destination partition in a second database instance;

shut down the first tenant partition, wherein access by one or more users to tenant specific data within the first tenant partition is prevented;

pack tenant-dependent data in a common partition of the first database instance into tenant-dependent tables;

acquire a data definition lock that prevents changes to metadata describing the first tenant partition;

obtain tenant-specific metadata of a catalog of the first database instance;

pack the first database instance catalog tenant-specific metadata into the first tenant partition;

lock write transactions on tenant-specific data in the first tenant partition;

create a tenant-specific snapshot of the first tenant partition;

store the tenant-specific snapshot in a storage device external to the first database instance;

perform the received command; and

release both the write transaction lock and the data definition lock.

30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29 , wherein if the received command is a move command, after the first tenant partition has been moved, further including instructions, to cause the processor to:

dismount each data volume of the first tenant partition from the first database instance; and

process undo information from the first database instance.

31 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30 , further including instructions to cause the processor to delete undo information from the first database instance after the first tenant partition has been moved.

32 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29 , wherein if the received command is a copy command, further including instructions to cause the processor to restart the first tenant partition.

33 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29 , further including instructions to cause the processor to:

confirm that the destination partition in the second database instance is operating; and

create a backup of the second database instance.

34 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33 , wherein if the confirm step indicates that the destination partition is not operating, further including instructions to cause the processor to:

recover the destination database instance from the snapshot; and

re-run the destination database instance's redo log including copying or moving the first tenant partition from the first database instance.

35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29 , further including instructions to cause the processor to:

obtain class container information of the first database instance; and

pack the class container information into the first tenant partition.