Oracle Licensing

Editions Comparison Chart Terminology User Minimums - Named User Plus Processor Licence Environments to Licence - Development Test/Staging Production Backup Failover Standby Remote Mirroring Software Update License & Support

The following chart compares the Oracle Database products.

Editions Comparison Chart

Key Features	Express Edition 10g	Standard Edition One	Standard Edition	Enterprise Edition
Maximum	1 CPU	2 Sockets	4 Sockets	No Limit
RAM	1GB	OS Max	OS Max	OS Max
Database Size	4GB	No Limit	No Limit	No Limit
Windows
Linux
Unix
64 Bit Support
High Availability
Total Recall Provides secure, efficient, easy-to-use and application-transparent solution for long-term storage of historical data.				Option
Active Data Guard Enhances disaster protection investments by offloading resource intensive operations to a single physical standby database, enhancing overall quality of service.				Option
Fail Safe Configure, verify Windows clusters and automatically fail over fast and accurately through high availability software integrated with Microsoft Cluster Server.
Flashback Query Recover older versions of data without complex, time-consuming operations.
Flashback Table, Database and Transaction Query Diagnose and undo errors to reduce recovery time.
Oracle Secure Backup Secure, high performance tape backup management for the Oracle Database and heterogenous file systems reducing the cost and complexity of networked data protection.	Oracle Secure Backup is its own product that works with each database edition
Server Managed Backup and Recovery Simplify, automate, and improve backup and recovery performance with Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN).
Scalability
Real Application Clusters Run any packaged or custom application unchanged across multiple connected, or "clustered," servers.				Option
Integrated Clusterware Create and operate database clusters with a set of common, built-in clustering services.
Automatic Workload Management Route service connection requests to appropriate server with lowest load; on failure, automatically reallocate surviving servers to services.
Java, PL/SQL Native Compilation Write stored procedures deployed in the database in both Java and PL/SQL.	PL/SQL only
Security
Oracle Database Vault Restricts super-user and privileged-user access across applications and data.				Option
Oracle Audit Vault Automates the collection and analysis of audit data from multiple systems, turning audit data into a key security resource.	Oracle Audit Vault is its own product that works with each database edition
Oracle Advanced Security Address privacy and compliance requirements.				Option
Oracle Label Security Provides out-of-the-box row-level security. Compare user security clearances with data classification labels attached to data rows.				Option
Secure Application Roles Enable roles only after a user passes any number of security checks.
Virtual Private Database Enforce data security and privacy with customizable, policy-based access control down to the row level.
Fine-Grained Auditing Allows highly focused auditing with almost no 'background noise'.
Proxy Authentication Detects and authenticates users connecting through a middle-tier application.
Data Encryption Toolkit Protect vital data by providing an extra layer of protection for data on storage media.
Application Development
Oracle SQL Developer Graphical tool that enhances productivity and simplifies database development tasks.
Application Express Develop and deploy fast, secure applications with a rapid web application development tool.
Java Support Grid-enable databases through Web Services.
Comprehensive XML Support Store and retrieve XML natively with support for the W3C XML data model; use standard access methods for navigating and querying XML.
PL/SQL and Java Server Pages Utilize a server-side Java and stored procedural language; secure, portable and seamless with SQL.	PL/SQL only
Comprehensive Microsoft .Net Support, OLE DB, ODBC Support multiple Windows data access methods.
Manageability				Top
Real Application Testing Reduces risk and costs of adopting new technologies, whether it's operating systems, servers, or software.				Option
Enterprise Manager Manage and monitor all applications and systems based on the Oracle stack via a single, integrated console.
Automatic Memory Management Automate management of shared memory used by an Oracle Database instance.
Automatic Storage Management Consistent storage management interface across all server and storage platforms.
Automatic Undo Management Monitor configuration of all Oracle systems for parameter settings, security set-up, storage and file space conditions.
Data Warehousing
Advanced Compression Compresses all types of data, including structured and unstructured data, to help you use resources more efficiently and lower storage costs.				Option
OLAP Use built-in analytical workspaces for Online Analytical Processing (OLAP).				Option
Partitioning Enables large tables and indexes to be split into smaller, more manageable components, without requiring changes to underlying applications.				Option
Data Mining Enables efficient information extraction from the very largest databases and integration with business intelligence applications.				Option
Transportable Tablespaces, Including Cross-Platform Transport a set of tablespaces from one database to another, or from one database to itself.
Star Query Optimization Join a fact table and a number of dimension tables.	PL/SQL only
Information Lifecycle Management Understand how data evolves, determine how it grows, monitor how its usage changes and decide how long it should be kept.
Summary Management - Materialized View Query Rewrite Automatically recognizing materialized view usage to satisfy requests.
Oracle Warehouse Builder Transforms disparate raw data into high-quality information optimized for business reporting and analytics.		Core ETL features included	Core ETL features included	Enterprise ETL, Data Quality, and Connectors Options available
Integration
Oracle Streams Propagate and manage data, transactions, and events in a data stream either within a database, or from one database to another.
Advanced Queuing Allow database queues to serve as durable message stores via queue-based publish-subscribe.
Distributed Queries/Transactions Query or update data on two or more distinct nodes of a distributed database.
Content Management
XML DB High-performance, native XML storage and retrieval technology.
Multimedia Develop, deploy, and manage traditional, Web, and wireless applications that include rich media in the most-popular formats.
Text Build text query applications and document classification applications.
Locator Manage geospatial data to leverage the business value of location.
Spatial Support for sophisticated GIS deployments.				Option
Secure Enterprise Search Internet-like search experience to users searching secure content inside the enterprise while protecting sensitive data from unauthorized users.	Oracle Secure Enterprise Search is its own product that works with each database edition
Oracle Content Database Ready-to-use Web services to seamlessly integrate content management capabilities into the business processes.				Option

This section of our site covers only the Oracle Database (Full Use) Licensing not the Application Specific Full Use Licence (ASFU).

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Terminology

Oracle Licences can be purchased either as Perpetual Licences or Term Licences.

Perpetual Licences

A perpetual Licence is a one-time Licence fee that allows continued use of the software program for as long as the customer complies with all terms of the Licence agreement.

Term Licence

A term Licence is for a specific, limited period of time, during which the user is allowed to access and use the software. At the end of the term, the user must stop using the software or extend the term or purchase new Licences through an agreement with the software vendor. Oracle offers annual term Licences for all its products in 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 4-year or 5-year terms. Term Licences are a percentage of the perpetual Licence of a given Oracle product, and the term length (i.e., 1 to 5 years) a customer chooses, determines the percentage amount.

Database Metrics

The Oracle Standard Edition One, Standard Edition and Enterprise Editions of the database can be Licenced using the Named User Plus metric or the Processor metric. The Personal Edition can only be Licenced using the Named User Plus metric.

Note ** For Oracle Database Lite Client, a minimum of 1 named user plus Licence is required when licensing Oracle Database Lite RDBMS also known, as "Clients"

In this section, we review the benefits associated with each metric.

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User Minimums

Click here to see detailed information on Oracle Database user minimums

Named User Plus

When licensing the Oracle Database by Named User Plus, all users who are using the Oracle Database, as well as all non-human operated devices that are accessing the Oracle Database must be Licenced. The following licensing rules apply:

• If non-human operated devices such as sensors are connecting to the Oracle Database, then all devices need to be Licenced.

• If human-operated devices such as bar code scanners are connecting to the Oracle Database, then all humans operating these devices need to be Licenced.
• If non-human operated devices and human-operated devices are connecting to the Oracle Database and are mutually exclusive, then all non-human devices and all humans operating devices need to be Licenced.

This metric can be used in all environments. Different minimums apply depending on the Database edition:

Oracle Database Personal Edition requires exactly one Named User Plus Licence

Oracle Database Lite Edition requires a minimum of one Named User Plus Licence or the total number of actual users, whichever is greater.

Oracle Database Standard Edition One requires a minimum of 5 Named User Plus Licences or the total number of actual users, whichever is greater. Oracle Standard Edition One may only be Licenced on servers that have a maximum capacity of 2 sockets. A blade server that meets this criteria is also eligible for licensing this program.

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Oracle Database Standard Edition requires a minimum of 5 Named User Plus Licences or the total number of actual users, whichever is greater. Oracle Database Standard Edition can only be Licenced on servers that have a maximum capacity of 4 sockets. A blade server that meets this criteria is also eligible for licensing this program. Effective with the release of 10g, the Oracle Database Standard Edition product includes the Real Applications Clusters database option. The Real Applications Clusters option is not included with any Standard Edition versions prior to 10g. Customers who participate in Oracle's Update Subscription Service for the Standard Edition Database can upgrade to the 10g version of the product for the supported Licences. Also, Customers must use Oracle Cluster Ready Services as the clusterware; third party clusterware is not supported, AND Customers must use Oracle Automatic Storage Management to manage all data.

Oracle Database Enterprise Edition requires a minimum of 25 Named User Plus per Processor Licences or the total number of actual users, whichever is greater.

Example: A customer who wants to Licence the Database Enterprise Edition on a 4-way box will be required to Licence a minimum of 4 processors * 25 Named User Plus, which is equal to 100 Named User Plus.

Processor Licence - This metric is used in environments where users cannot be identified and counted. The Internet is a typical environment where it is often difficult to count users. This metric can also be used when the Named User Plus population is very high and it is more cost effective for the customer to Licence the Database using the Processor metric.

When counting the number of processor Licences required, for a Sun UltraSPARC T1 processor with 4, 6 or 8 cores at 1.0 gigahertz or 8 cores at 1.2 gigahertz for only those servers specified on the Sun Server Table . This table lists SUN servers that are approved for licensing the multicore processors at a 0.25 multiplication factor in accordance with the processor definition as contained in the OLSA.), “n” cores shall be determined by multiplying the total number of cores by a factor of .25.

For the purposes of counting the number of processors which require licensing for AMD and Intel multicore chips, “n” cores shall be determined by multiplying the total number of cores by a factor of .50.

For the purposes of counting the number of processors which require licensing for all hardware platforms not otherwise specified in this section, a multicore chip with "n" cores shall be determined by multiplying "n" cores by a factor of .75.

For example, if an AMD, IBM, Intel or Sun UltraSparc T1 multi-core server was installed and/or running Oracle software on 8 cores, the Licences would be calculated in the following manner: IBM multi-core server - Requires 6 processor Licences (8 multiplied by a factor of .75 equals 6)

Intel or AMD server - Requires 4 processor Licences (8 multiplied by a factor of .50 equals 4)Sun UltraSparc T1 server - Requires 2 processor Licences (8 multiplied by a factor of .25 equals 2

All cores on all multicore chips for each Licenced program for each factor listed below are to be aggregated before multiplying by the appropriate factor and all fractions of a number are to be rounded up to the next whole number.

**When licensing Oracle programs with Standard Edition One or Standard Edition in the product name, a processor is counted equivalent to a socket.

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Environments to Licence

Use of any Oracle software product requires a Licence from Oracle. In order to maximize the value you receive from your Oracle software, you will want to be sure you are Licenced to use it in different environments, such as development, test, production and standby.

Development

Set up, customization, and modification of software is done in a development environment. Any person doing development work using the software must be Licenced. Oracle software may be downloaded for limited development work via the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). Software downloaded from the OTN Website is governed by a special agreement called the OTN Development Licence. This agreement grants the individual the right to use the programs only in a development environment; Licences obtained under this agreement may not be used in test, production, fail-over, or any other environments. Additionally, customers who want to use any applications developed under an OTN Licence for internal data processing, commercial or production purposes must secure a Full Use Oracle Licence for any of the development software Licenced under the OTN agreement prior to using the applications for such purposes.
Customers wanting a less restrictive Licence for development work may obtain Full Use Licences under a standard Oracle Licence and Services Agreement (OLSA) from an Oracle Partner.

Test/Staging

Test/staging environments are used to verify that new or customized code runs properly. This can be staged on separate servers or on the same servers used to run a development or production environment. Any Oracle software used in test/staging environment must be properly Licenced With a Full Use Licence under an Oracle Licence and Services Agreement (OLSA) or other appropriate Oracle (or Oracle authorized reseller) Licence agreement. If a test/staging environment is maintained on the same server as a production or development environment, and that server is fully Licenced for all relevant programs on a per Processor metric, then no additional Licences are required for the test/staging environment.

Production

The environment used by end users for business or other operations is called a production environment. All programs used in the production environment must be properly Licenced based on the applicable Licence metrics under an Oracle Licence and Services Agreement (OLSA) or other appropriate Oracle (or Oracle authorized reseller) Licence agreement.

Backup/Failover/Standby/Remote Mirroring

Described below, Oracle differentiates between four methods of database recovery:

Backup – In this type of recovery, database data/files of the primary database are stored on storage devices, such as tape media, and customers are NOT required to purchase additional Licences.

Failover – In this type of recovery, nodes are configured in “cluster;” the first installed node acts as a primary node. If the primary node fails, one of the nodes in the cluster acts as the primary node. In this type of environment, Oracle permits Licenced Oracle Database customers to run the Database on an unLicenced spare computer for up to a total of ten separate days in any given calendar year. Any other use requires the environment to be fully Licenced. Same rule applies for Internet Application Server. Additionally, the same metric must be used when licensing the databases in a failover environment.

Standby – In this type of recovery, a copy of the primary database is maintained on a separate server at all times. These systems are configured for disaster recovery purposes. If the primary database fails, the standby database is activated to act as the new primary database. In this environment, both the primary and the standby databases must be fully Licenced. Additionally, the same metric must be used when licensing the databases in a standby environment.

Remote Mirroring - This method involves the mirroring (copying) of the changes in the primary database storage units to a remote storage unit at a secondary site. This can be accomplished through techniques such as storage based remote mirroring or host based mirroring. In the event of a failure at the primary site, Oracle is run using the remote storage. In this environment, Oracle must be fully Licenced at the primary site, and if it is ever installed and/or run at the secondary site, it must also be fully Licenced there. Additionally, the same metric (i.e. processor-based, or named user based) must be used to Licence both databases.

Software Update License & Support

Software Update License & Support provides customers with rights to Oracle product upgrades, maintenance releases and patches distributed on Media Packs during the subscription period.

Software Update License & Support offers several critical benefits:

Stability and predictability - Receiving and installing the latest product releases eliminates known problems and enhances the stability of your Oracle-based system
The latest technology - By implementing the latest product release, you maximize system functionality and availability
Expenditure control and budgeting - You can minimize expenditures for new licenses by maintaining an ongoing subscription fee, which eliminates the need to repurchase licenses as your technology needs and user population evolve

Software Update License & Support provides customers with rights to Oracle product upgrades, maintenance releases and patches distributed on Media Packs and OracleMetaLink, PeopleSoft Customer Connection, and Siebel SupportWeb during the annual subscription period. This service may be purchased as a stand-alone option by customers who do not require technical support from Oracle.

Software Update License & Support is the ideal solution for organizations that need rapid, easy access to technical information and assistance 24x7. This service provides around-the-clock problem diagnosis and resolution through access to Oracle technical repositories and assistance via the web or phone.

Around-the-clock problem diagnosis and resolution through access to Oracle technical information and assistance.
Real-time solutions through 24x7 web and telephone access to technical expertise.
Rich web-based technical resources - including technical repositories and the ability to log and track Service Requests (SRs) - via OracleMetaLink. Available 24x7, MetaLink enables you to enhance productivity and minimize business disruptions.

Software Update License & Support is a robust support solution which leverages the Internet and telephone system to provide you with 24x7 coverage. It gives you 24x7 access to technical information and technical analysts for problem resolution, bug reporting, knowledge transfer, and technical guidance.

Software Update License & Support provides customers with access to OracleMetaLink, /PeopleSoft Customer Connection/Siebel SupportWeb which empowers users to self-diagnose problems and search for solutions. OracleMetaLink is Oracle's web based support system and gives you access to the most up to date information to prevent system downtime. With OracleMetaLink, customers can log, update and check the status of SRs. Other features include proactive notifications, customized home pages, technical libraries and forums, product life-cycle information, bug database, and a knowledge base search.

Software Update License & Support allows you to submit unlimited SRs any time of the day through the Internet or by phone. SRs are directly routed to and resolved by technical analysts, who have access to a comprehensive range of software diagnostic tools. All SRs are customer prioritized, using a set of pre-defined severity levels, which are assigned according to the impact on your business.

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