Editorial photograph of a database administrator reviewing Oracle LMS script output with options usage highlighted on a procurement screen
Guide · Oracle · LMS Audit

Read the LMS script. Before LMS does.

The Oracle LMS measurement script dumps every option, every pack, and every feature ever touched on the database. Read it the way LMS reads it. The audit finding sits in the script, not in the cover letter.

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Key Takeaways

What this guide delivers

  • Script is read only. The LMS collection script does not change data but it reads every option ever used.
  • Six views drive the finding. v$option, dba_feature_usage_statistics, dba_users, dba_segments, v$instance, and gv$instance.
  • Feature usage history is permanent. Oracle treats first use date as the license obligation start point.
  • Seventeen options carry list price exposure. Partitioning, Diagnostic Pack, Tuning Pack, Advanced Compression are the four largest.
  • ULA history hides in the script. Options used during a ULA leave evidence that survives certification.
  • Standard Edition is not safe. The script runs on every edition and reports every touch.
  • Buyer side reads first. Run the script in a non production copy before LMS receives the output.

The Oracle LMS measurement script is a single SQL collection bundle. It runs against the database, reads six core views, writes the output to a flat file, and ships the file to LMS. The data inside the file is the audit finding. The cover letter is decoration.

The buyer side that runs the script in a non production copy first, reads the option findings, and contains the exposure controls the audit. The buyer side that hands the file to LMS without preparation surrenders the finding.

What the script actually does

The LMS collection script is a SQL bundle delivered as a zip. It contains a master script, six core SQL files, and an output formatter. The buyer side runs the master script as a privileged user against the target database. The output is a single flat file.

What the script reads

The script queries the data dictionary views that record option usage. It also reads the database instance metadata, the user list, the segment list, and the storage allocations. Nothing in the script writes or modifies data.

What the script does not read

The script does not read user data. It does not read application tables. It does not read row level content from any schema. The audit data is metadata about feature deployment and configuration, not customer data.

Where the output ends up

The output file is a flat text file with one section per view. The file sits on the database server in a defined output directory. The customer transmits the file to LMS through the audit response process, usually as an email attachment or secure upload.

What the buyer side has to verify

Before the file leaves the customer firewall, the buyer side has to verify the option findings, the feature usage dates, the user list, and the storage allocation. The buyer side that reads the file first sees the audit finding before LMS does.

  • Run as DBA. The script needs privileged access to read the data dictionary views.
  • Run in non production first. A clone of production allows safe inspection before LMS sees the data.
  • Capture the output directory. The flat file sits in the directory defined at run time.
  • Inspect before transmit. The buyer side reads the file, scopes the findings, and contains exposure before sending the file.

The six critical views

Six data dictionary views drive every Oracle LMS audit finding. The buyer side that knows the six views can read the script output as fast as the auditor.

v$option

The v$option view lists every Oracle option installed on the database. The view records the option name and a flag showing whether the option is enabled. An enabled option does not prove usage but it proves the option is reachable.

dba_feature_usage_statistics

This view records every feature touch on the database since the database was created. Each row carries the feature name, the first use date, the last use date, and the use count. The buyer side reads this view first because it drives the largest findings.

dba_users and dba_role_privs

The user views capture every account that ever held privileges that match an option. Database Vault, Label Security, and Advanced Security findings often trace to a single privileged user grant. Removing the grant does not erase the finding.

dba_segments

The segment view captures every partitioned table, every compressed segment, and every encrypted tablespace. The view is the canonical source for Partitioning, Advanced Compression, and Advanced Security findings on the storage layer.

v$instance and gv$instance

The instance views capture the database edition, the version, the cluster topology, and the platform. The script uses these views to detect Real Application Clusters deployment and to confirm Enterprise Edition versus Standard Edition installation.

The reference matrix

ViewWhat it provesAudit weightCommon finding
v$optionOption installed and enabledMediumMultitenant, RAC enabled
dba_feature_usage_statisticsFeature touched at least onceHighDiagnostic Pack, Tuning Pack
dba_users / dba_role_privsPrivileged grantsMediumAdvanced Security, Vault
dba_segmentsPartition, compression, encryptionHighPartitioning, Advanced Compression
v$instanceEdition and cluster topologyMediumEnterprise Edition, RAC
gv$instanceCluster wide instance metadataMediumRAC node count

Options and packs

Seventeen Oracle Database options and management packs sit behind the largest LMS findings. The buyer side that knows the list can read the script output in minutes and predict the finding before the auditor responds.

The four largest exposure items

Partitioning, Diagnostic Pack, Tuning Pack, and Advanced Compression drive the majority of audit findings by value. Each of these options costs a meaningful percentage of the Enterprise Edition list price per processor.

The data security cluster

Advanced Security, Label Security, and Database Vault sit in a data security cluster. The findings frequently chain together because a single privileged user grant can register all three.

Cluster and availability options

Real Application Clusters, RAC One Node, and Active Data Guard sit in the high availability cluster. The findings register against v$instance, gv$instance, and feature usage statistics in combination.

Multitenant and the Standard Edition trap

Multitenant deployment shows up in v$option and feature usage. The Standard Edition database that ran a CDB before the customer noticed registers a Multitenant finding even though Multitenant is not licensable on Standard Edition.

  • Partitioning. Storage layer evidence in dba_segments is the most direct proof.
  • Diagnostic Pack. Touching ASH, AWR, or ADDM registers the pack.
  • Tuning Pack. SQL Tuning Advisor and SQL Access Advisor register the pack.
  • Advanced Compression. Compressed segments and backup compression register the option.
  • Advanced Security. Transparent Data Encryption and Network Encryption register the option.
  • Real Application Clusters. Cluster instance count above one registers the option.
  • Multitenant. A pluggable database structure registers Multitenant on Enterprise Edition.
Database administrator reviewing Oracle LMS script output showing options usage and feature history in a buyer side audit defence review
The seventeen high value options drive the majority of LMS audit findings by list price.

Feature usage history

The dba_feature_usage_statistics view is the longest memory in the script. The view records every feature touch from the moment the database was created. Oracle uses the first use date as the license obligation start point.

How feature usage gets recorded

Every feature use registers a row with the first use date, the last use date, the use count, and the highest concurrent use. The recording is automatic. The customer cannot opt out of recording without breaking the database.

Why purging the history is not safe

Oracle treats any attempt to purge or modify the feature usage tables as a license violation. The audit team will check the table for tamper evidence. A clean history on a long lived database raises a separate finding.

How to read the history defensively

The buyer side reads the history from oldest to newest. A first use date in 2014 on a feature the customer claims is not in use suggests either dormant code, a former DBA test, or unattended product behavior. Each cause carries a different remediation.

The ULA evidence trap

Customers in a former Unlimited License Agreement often have feature usage history from the ULA period. The ULA certification process does not erase the history. Post certification LMS audits read the historical records and challenge the certified position.

Interpretation rules

The script output is a flat file. The buyer side reads it through three lenses. The option lens identifies the high value findings. The usage lens proves whether the option is in active use. The history lens shows the duration of exposure.

Rule one. Read v$option first

Any option flagged TRUE in v$option is reachable. The next question is whether the option has registered usage. Reachable plus unused is a defensible position. Reachable plus used is the finding.

Rule two. Cross reference feature usage

Every option finding has a corresponding feature usage row. A Diagnostic Pack finding traces to ASH, AWR, or ADDM usage. A Partitioning finding traces to a partitioned segment in dba_segments.

Rule three. Test the usage attribution

Not every usage record proves licensable usage. Oracle Enterprise Manager touches features in the course of normal operation. Backup tools, monitoring agents, and DBA scripts can register a feature touch that is not user driven.

Rule four. Contain before transmit

Where the usage is incidental, the buyer side documents the attribution. Where the usage is intentional but limited, the buyer side scopes the population. Where the usage is broad, the buyer side prepares the negotiation position before the file leaves the firewall.

What to do next

The checklist takes the SAM manager from the LMS audit notice to a contained finding. The earlier the work starts, the wider the option set on the negotiation.

  1. Take a non production copy. A clone of production allows safe script execution.
  2. Run the script in the copy. Inspect the output before any production run.
  3. Read v$option and dba_feature_usage_statistics. Identify every option flagged or used.
  4. Cross reference dba_segments. Confirm Partitioning, Advanced Compression, and Advanced Security findings.
  5. Attribute the usage. Document automated tool usage versus user driven usage.
  6. Scope the population. Identify the servers, processors, and users that drive the finding.
  7. Prepare the negotiation position. Quantify the exposure, the recovery, and the remediation.
  8. Engage Vendor Shield. Independent buyer side review before the script output leaves the firewall.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Oracle LMS database script?

The Oracle License Management Services script is a SQL collection that reads the dba_feature_usage_statistics view, the v$option view, the dba_users view, and several option specific tables. The output captures every option that has ever been used since the database was created.

Why does LMS care about feature usage statistics?

The dba_feature_usage_statistics view records when a feature was first used and when it was last used. The first use date proves the option was deployed. Oracle treats the first use date as the license obligation start point.

Can the customer purge feature usage history?

No. Oracle treats any attempt to purge or modify the feature usage tables as a license violation. The buyer side must contain exposure through option configuration and process control before LMS arrives.

What is the difference between Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition usage in the script?

The script captures Enterprise Edition options separately from Standard Edition features. A Standard Edition installation does not raise option findings, but the script still measures the database against Enterprise Edition usage.

What are the highest risk options in the script output?

Partitioning, Diagnostic Pack, Tuning Pack, Advanced Compression, Advanced Security, Real Application Clusters, and Multitenant carry the highest list price exposure. Touching any of these features once registers a usage record.

How does Redress reduce LMS script exposure?

Redress runs the script in a non production copy first inside the Vendor Shield subscription. The team scopes the options that show usage, tests whether the usage is intentional or incidental, and contains the exposure before the script result leaves the customer firewall.

What is the median recovery on an Oracle LMS audit?

Median 28 percent recovery on the audit finding through option scoping, partition rules, ULA history tests, and feature usage attribution. The recovery requires the buyer side to read the script before LMS does.

How long does the script run on a production database?

The script is read only and runs in a few minutes on a healthy production database. The output is a flat file that the customer attaches to the audit return. The data inside the file drives the finding.

How Redress engages

Redress runs this practice inside the Vendor Shield subscription, the Renewal Program, and the Software Spend Assessment.

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17
High value options
6
Critical views
120
Days of feature history
40%
Audits with options finding
28%
Median recovery

The script is a confession. Read it before you hand it over. The auditor will not ask twice. The cover letter never says the words that the data already proves.

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LMS measurement engagements
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Editorial photograph of a SAM team review with Oracle LMS script output and a contained audit response on screen

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