ORACLE DATABASE LICENSING
Optimize software investment with the best in licensing practices
Oracle Database 10g, the industry’s first database designed for grid computing, is available in a choice of editions: Express Edition, Standard Edition One, Standard Edition, and Enterprise Edition. All editions are built using the same common code base, which means your database applications can easily scale from small, single processor servers to clusters of multi-processor servers without changing a line of code.
Additional options for enhanced performance, scalability, availability, security and manageability are available with Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition. Whether you’re a lone developer, small and midsize business, or large corporate enterprise, there’s an edition of the world’s #1 database tailored to meet your business and technical requirements.
Given Oracle’s extensive product porffolio only Database Licensing is explained here. For licensing questions, pricing and special promotions regarding all Oracle products (for example Internet Application Server) you can also contact your Insight account manager.
Database Metrics
The Standard Edition One, Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition of the Oracle database can be licensed using the Named User Plus metric or the Processor metric.
Named User Plus is defined as an individual authorized to use the programs which are installed on a single server or multiple servers, regardless of whether the individual is actively using the programs at any given time.
Processor shall be defined as all processors where the Oracle programs are installed and/or running. For a complete description of the Named User Plus metric and the Processor metric, including the product specific licensing requirements please visit the Oracle Software Investment Guide on
http://www.oracle.com/corporate/pricing/sig.pdf
Licensing Terms
Oracle offers fixed-term or perpetual licenses. With fixed-term licenses, the license rights terminate automatically with the passing of time. Should the Oracle environment need to be operated longer, a new license must be purchased. A mix is also usually possible: e.g. the data bank can have a perpetual license but the development tool (e.g. Internet Developer Suite) can have a license lasting only 2 years.
Platform Independence
Oracle products are available for all current Unix, Linux and Windows platforms. The selected product is purchased separately from the platform for which it is supplied. A change of platform is therefore only associated with media costs.
Support
Oracle offers a Software Update License & Support service in the framework of its support services, which can be purchased as an option. The costs for this are to be paid annually in advance. The initial fee is 22% of the license price.
Further Information
Oracle has a discount chedule that is transaction-based. Some (global) customers have special discount agreements, based on a transaction or even for a specified period. In both cases Insight can fulfill and manage the license requirement. You can obtain further information from your Insight advisors or online at
www.oracle.com/corporate/pricing/sig.pdf
TOP 3 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. I HAVE OLDER LICENSES THAN ARE DESCRIBED HERE. CAN I STILL USE THEM?
a. If the licenses are perpetual you still can. However, you are not able to buy additional licenses of this type.
b. If you need additional licenses, you can migrate your old ones to one of the current license definitions (Named User Plus or By doing this, you must adhere to the new definition. Migrations can be profitable as your annual support fees may decrease. However there are cases where it may be beneficial to keep the old definition.
2. DO I NEED TO LICENSE TEST AND DEVELOPMENT SERVERS?
a. Yes, they need to be licensed. If a server is only used for the purpose of Development (Prototyping/ Proof of Concept), a development license (Internet Development Suite) can be purchased for the hired and contracted developers of your company.
b. Testing servers are usually licensed correctly by Named User Plus based on the minimum requirements per processor (if the amount of users of the testing server is lower than the minimum).
3. HOW DO I LICENSE STANDBY/FAILOVER DATABASES?
a. In a typical Standby scenario databases are installed (one for each server). The standby server is installed and running and is ‘synced’ with the production server. All queries on the production server are also replicated on the standby server (usually with Archive-Log files). Therefore a standby server must be licensed the same way the production server is licensed.
b. Failover is allowed: in this scenario there is only one database existing (for example in a SAN). The failover server cannot be used and is only checking the heartbeat of the production server (using Failsafe or similar technology) and cannot be accessed. Oracle allows using a Failsafe server without licenses as long as it is not used for more than 10 separate calendar days per year.
