Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle: Licensing and Usage Explained

Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle Licensing

Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle is a specialized offering from AWS designed for Oracle databases requiring deeper customization and greater control than standard RDS allows. It provides direct operating system access and greater flexibility, enabling complex workloads or applications with special requirements to run seamlessly.

This article clearly explains the features, licensing details, ideal use cases, compliance considerations, and practical scenarios for Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle, ensuring you make informed decisions about deploying Oracle databases on AWS.

Read Oracle on AWS Licensing FAQs 2 of 4

1. What is Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle?

Overview:

Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle is an extension of Amazon RDS designed specifically for Oracle workloads that need:

• Direct operating system access.
• Ability to apply custom Oracle database patches.
• Flexibility for specialized Oracle application configurations.

Unlike standard Amazon RDS, which limits your ability to access the underlying OS or apply certain patches, RDS Custom provides full root-level access to the operating system of your Oracle database instances.

Key Features of RDS Custom:

• Root access: Full administrative control over OS and database settings.
• Custom patches: Apply Oracle Database patches not available in standard RDS.
• Custom configurations: Modify configurations required by specialized applications like Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) or SAP.
• Managed Infrastructure: AWS manages backups, automated recovery, and basic monitoring, reducing operational burden compared to EC2.

2. Licensing Requirements for RDS Custom for Oracle

BYOL (Bring Your Own License) Only:

• Amazon RDS Custom does not provide license-included Oracle editions.
• You must provide your own Oracle database licenses.
• Licensing rules mirror those of Oracle databases deployed directly on AWS EC2.

How Licensing Works (Practical Calculation):

• Oracle cloud licensing policy: 2 vCPUs = 1 Oracle Processor license (assuming hyper-threading is enabled).
• AWS does not apply Oracle core factors; licensing is straightforward.

Example Scenario:

• RDS Custom instance with 8 vCPUs:
  • Requires 4 Oracle Processor licenses (8 vCPUs ÷ 2 = 4 licenses).

3. Ideal Use Cases for Amazon RDS Custom

RDS Custom is particularly useful when standard RDS lacks flexibility, but full EC2-based database management would be too complex or costly.

Common Scenarios:

• Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS):
  • Requires specialized patches and direct OS/database schema access.
• SAP Applications on Oracle:
  • Demands specific Oracle configurations or customized database parameters.
• Unsupported Oracle Versions or Patch Sets:
  • Deploying Oracle database versions or applying critical security patches that are unavailable in standard RDS.

Example Use Case:

• Deploying Oracle EBS 12.2:
  • Standard RDS does not allow the application of required EBS-specific database patches.
  • RDS Custom allows you to manage these patches while benefiting from AWS-managed infrastructure.

4. Compliance and Oracle Support with RDS Custom

With RDS Custom, while AWS manages the underlying infrastructure, you assume responsibility for ensuring Oracle compliance and maintaining Oracle support.

Oracle Licensing Compliance:

• You must license RDS Custom instances exactly as you would EC2 instances.
• Oracle’s License Management Services (LMS) audit scripts can run directly due to OS access.
• Clearly document and maintain records of Oracle licenses used for RDS Custom.

Oracle Support Considerations:

• Oracle supports databases running on RDS Custom, similar to those running on EC2.
• You manage database-level and OS-level configurations that are compliant with Oracle’s certified platforms.
• AWS provides infrastructure-level support; database troubleshooting primarily falls to your DBA team.

Practical Example:

• In an Oracle audit:
  • Demonstrate Oracle processor license ownership matching your vCPU count.
  • Provide LMS audit script results showing license compliance.

Read Oracle Database Editions on Amazon RDS.

5. Comparing RDS Custom to Amazon EC2 and Standard RDS

RDS Custom occupies a middle ground, combining some managed-service benefits of standard RDS with the flexibility of EC2 deployments.

Comparison Table:

Example Scenario:

• Running Oracle EBS database:
  • Standard RDS: Cannot apply required EBS patches or schema changes.
  • EC2: Complete flexibility but increased operational overhead.
  • RDS Custom: Combines OS access and custom patching with AWS-managed backup and recovery services.

6. Benefits and Limitations of Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle

Benefits:

• Customization: Apply Oracle-specific patches or unique configurations.
• OS-level control: Full root access for advanced troubleshooting.
• Reduced operational overhead: Automated backups and managed recovery.

Limitations:

• No License Included Option: BYOL only.
• Increased compliance responsibility: You must actively manage Oracle license compliance.
• Partial AWS management: Certain infrastructure tasks remain your responsibility (patch application, OS-level maintenance).

Practical Example:

• Benefit: Ability to directly install specific database patches your ERP application requires.
• Limitation: You must ensure regular OS-level security patches are manually applied.

7. Practical Licensing Examples for RDS Custom

Scenario 1: Standard Oracle EE Deployment (BYOL)

• Instance: 16 vCPUs (hyper-threading enabled)
• Licensing Required: 8 Oracle EE Processor licenses (16 ÷ 2 = 8)

Scenario 2: Oracle EE with Options (BYOL)

• Instance: 8 vCPUs (hyper-threading enabled)
• Using: Oracle Enterprise Edition with Partitioning and Diagnostics Pack
• Licensing Required:
  • 4 Oracle EE Processor licenses (8 ÷ 2 = 4)
  • 4 Partitioning licenses
  • 4 Diagnostics Pack licenses

Licensing Checklist for Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle

✅ Always provide your own Oracle licenses (BYOL required).
✅ Use Oracle’s cloud licensing policy (2 vCPUs = 1 Processor license).
✅ License any Oracle options explicitly (Advanced Security, Partitioning, Multitenant).
✅ Maintain clear internal documentation of licenses allocated.
✅ Use RDS Custom when standard RDS limits critical customizations.

Common Misunderstandings Corrected

• Misconception: “RDS Custom provides Oracle licenses included.”
  • Reality: Only BYOL is available—AWS does not provide licenses for RDS Custom.
• Misconception: “AWS manages all Oracle compliance on RDS Custom.”
  • Reality: Oracle license compliance and database-level configuration remain entirely your responsibility.
• Misconception: “RDS Custom limits custom patching similarly to standard RDS.”
  • Reality: RDS Custom allows full Oracle custom patches, unlike standard RDS.

Read How to License Oracle Database Options (RAC, Multitenant, Partitioning) on AWS.

Conclusion: Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle Explained

Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle offers a unique combination of AWS-managed infrastructure with the necessary flexibility for complex Oracle workloads. It provides full OS-level access, allowing critical custom patches, schema modifications, and specialized Oracle configurations.

Key Points to Remember:

• Licensing is BYOL only (no AWS license included).
• Ideal for specialized Oracle workloads requiring OS access.
• You maintain full responsibility for Oracle compliance and support.
• Balances the flexibility of EC2 deployments with the management advantages of RDS.

Understanding licensing, compliance requirements, and practical use cases for RDS Custom ensures you can effectively deploy Oracle databases on AWS, maintaining compliance while benefiting from reduced operational complexity.

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