How to solve ORA-17628: Oracle error 1031 returned by remote Oracle server ORA-01031: insufficient privileges when cloning a non-cdb oracle instance to a PDB

When attempting to clone my database testdb01, a normal, non-cdb database, into a CDB and convert it to a PDB, I hit a permission error. I found the solution on Oracle Supports web site, Doc ID 2485839.1.

Prior to this error, I had set up a database link in my CDB:

SYS@cdb>SQL>create database link noncdb connect to system identified by mypassword using 'testdb01.mydomain.no';

I tested the database link, worked fine:

SYS@cdb>SQL>select host_name from v$instance@noncdb;

HOST_NAME
--------------------------------------------------
mynoncdbserver.mydomain.no

I tried to create the pluggable database, using the appropriate file destination paths already created:

create pluggable database testdb01 
from non$cdb@noncdb 
file_name_convert=('/data1/oradata/testdb01/','/data1/oradata/cdb/testdb01/', 
                   '/data2/oradata/testdb01/', '/data2/oradata/cdb/testdb01/');

Errors out:

ORA-17628: Oracle error 1031 returned by remote Oracle server
ORA-01031: insufficient privileges

To solve the error, simply logon to your non-cdb database as a sysdba user and grant the privilege "create pluggable database" to the user you're using for copying (in my case, SYSTEM):

grant create pluggable database to system;

Try the create pluggable database command again, and it succeeds.