Oracle database licensing / Oracle Licensing

Oracle Active Data Guard Licensing

Oracle Active Data Guard is licensed as follows:

  • License Metric and Quantities: It must match the license metric and quantities of the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition license.
  • License on Both Environments: Oracle Active Data Guard should be licensed in primary and standby environments.
  • Cost: The license cost for Oracle Active Data Guard is $11,500 per processor

Oracle Active Data Guard Licensing

Oracle Active Data Guard Licensing

Oracle Active Data Guard is an add-on feature to Oracle Database Enterprise Edition that significantly enhances your database infrastructure’s availability, data protection, and disaster recovery capabilities.

It allows you to use a standby database for reporting, backups, and query operations, all while maintaining data synchronization with the primary instance.

This article will dive into how to effectively license Oracle Active Data Guard, including cost breakdowns, examples of licensing calculations, and a detailed look at its benefits.

By understanding these licensing requirements, you can optimize your compliance and the value derived from your database infrastructure.

What is Oracle Active Data Guard?

Oracle Active Data Guard (ADG) is a set of features designed to improve the functionality and resilience of Oracle Database.

Here is a breakdown of the key features of ADG:

  • Physical Standby with Real-Time Query: This feature enables read-only access to the standby database, enhancing data availability by offloading queries to the standby environment.
  • Fast Incremental Backup on Physical Standby: Performs backups by only copying changes since the last backup, reducing the overall backup time.
  • Automatic Block Repair: Automatically repairs corrupt data blocks in real time, ensuring data reliability without impacting primary database performance.
  • Active Data Guard Far Sync provides a remote replication target for primary databases, protecting the data in case of failure.
  • Global Data Services: Helps manage global databases for workload balancing, improving performance and reliability.
  • Real-Time Cascade: Allows one standby database to receive redo data from another standby database, enhancing data protection.
  • Application Continuity: Maintains application availability even during outages by redirecting sessions and ensuring continuity.
  • Rolling Upgrade using Active Data Guard: Facilitates database upgrades with minimal downtime, enhancing the uptime during system upgrades.
  • Active Data Guard DML Redirection: Redirects DML operations to the primary database, ensuring data consistency while read-only operations continue on standby.

Oracle Active Data Guard Licensing

Licensing Oracle Active Data Guard is straightforward but involves a few important rules to ensure compliance. Here’s what you need to know:

  • License Metric and Quantities: The licensing metric (Named User Plus or Processor) and the quantities used for Active Data Guard must match those of the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition on which it is running.
  • License on Both Environments: Active Data Guard must be licensed in primary and standby environments.
  • Cost: Active Data Guard’s licensing cost is $11,500 per processor. Alternatively, it can be licensed using Named User Plus (NUP) at $230 per user.

What is the Cost of Oracle Active Data Guard?

To understand the cost of licensing Active Data Guard, consider a standard licensing setup:

  • Processor Licensing: $11,500 per processor.
  • Named User Plus Licensing: $230 per named user.

How is Active Data Guard Licensed?

How is Active Data Guard Licensed

Active Data Guard requires licensing on both the primary and standby environments. To ensure compliance, both environments must have the same number of licenses.

Calculating Active Data Guard Licensing Cost: An Example

Let’s use a practical example to illustrate how Active Data Guard licensing works, including calculating costs.

Scenario: A company runs Oracle Database Enterprise Edition on a primary environment with four processors and a standby environment with two processors. It wants to license Oracle Active Data Guard for enhanced data protection and disaster recovery.

Step 1: Calculate the Cost of Oracle Database Enterprise Edition

  • Primary Node (4 Processors): Licensing Oracle Database Enterprise Edition costs $47,500 per processor.
    • Total Cost for Primary Node:
      • $47,500 * 4 processors = $190,000
  • Standby Node (2 Processors): The standby environment must also have licensed Oracle Database Enterprise Edition.
    • Total Cost for Standby Node:
      • $47,500 * 2 processors = $95,000
  • Total Cost for Oracle Database Enterprise Edition:
    • $190,000 (primary) + $95,000 (standby) = $285,000

Step 2: Calculate the Cost of Oracle Active Data Guard

  • Primary Node (4 Processors): Active Data Guard must also be licensed in the primary environment.
    • Cost for Active Data Guard on Primary Node:
      • $11,500 * 4 processors = $46,000
  • Standby Node (2 Processors): The active Data Guard must be licensed in the standby environment.
    • Cost for Active Data Guard on Standby Node:
      • $11,500 * 2 processors = $23,000
  • Total Cost for Active Data Guard:
    • $46,000 (primary) + $23,000 (standby) = $69,000

Step 3: Calculate the Total Licensing Cost

  • Oracle Database Enterprise Edition: $285,000
  • Oracle Active Data Guard: $69,000
  • Total Cost: $285,000 + $69,000 = $354,000

This total represents the licensing cost required to run Oracle Active Data Guard alongside the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition in primary and standby environments.

Additional Licensing Considerations

1. Named User Plus Licensing: If you opt for Named User Plus (NUP) licensing instead of Processor licensing, you must ensure that the number of users meets Oracle’s minimums and matches the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition licensing metrics.

  • For instance, suppose 50 named users are using Oracle Database Enterprise Edition, and you want to enable Active Data Guard.
  • The cost calculation for Active Data Guard using NUP licensing would be:
    • 50 users * $230 per user = $11,500
  • You need to license both the primary and standby environments.
    • Total Cost for Active Data Guard using NUP:
      • $11,500 (primary) + $11,500 (standby) = $23,000

2. Licensing in Authorized Cloud Environments Oracle Active Data Guard can also be used in cloud environments, but specific licensing rules apply based on the cloud deployment type.

  • Bring Your Own License (BYOL): Active Data Guard licenses must match the number of database licenses when using BYOL in cloud environments such as Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).
  • Oracle Cloud and Third-Party Clouds: Licensing terms can vary between using Oracle’s cloud versus authorized third-party clouds. Always ensure the licensing metrics are adhered to, and consult with Oracle if unsure.

3. Licensing Metrics Must Match Remember, the licensing metrics for Active Data Guard must match those of the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition. If you use Processor Licensing for your database, you must also use Processor Licensing for Active Data Guard.

What Benefits Does Oracle Active Data Guard Provide?

What Benefits Does Oracle Active Data Guard Provide
  • Improved Availability: Offloads read-only queries and reporting workloads to the standby database, reducing the load on the primary database.
  • Faster Backups: Utilizes standby databases for incremental backups, reducing the overall backup time and impact on the primary database.
  • Disaster Recovery: This feature offers real-time synchronization between the primary and standby databases, ensuring data protection and minimizing downtime during outages.
  • Automatic Repairs: Automatically repairs corrupt data blocks, ensuring data integrity without impacting the primary database’s performance.
  • Rolling Upgrades: Facilitates rolling upgrades to the database with minimal downtime, allowing businesses to apply patches or upgrade their database while keeping services online.

What is the Catch?

While Oracle Active Data Guard provides significant benefits, there are a few important considerations:

  • Additional Cost: Active Data Guard is not included with the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition; it must be licensed separately at $11,500 per processor.
  • License on Both Primary and Standby: Licensing applies to both environments, which can double the cost for organizations maintaining multiple standby databases.
  • Core Factor Calculations: The number of processor licenses required may vary depending on the core factor for the underlying hardware, meaning licensing requirements may be more complex in environments with varied server configurations.

Core Factor Example Calculation

Oracle uses a Core Factor Table to determine the licensing requirements based on the number of cores and the processor type. Here’s a quick example:

Scenario: You have an Intel-based server with eight cores. According to the Core Factor Table, Intel processors have a core factor 0.5.

  • Number of Licenses Required:
    • 8 cores * 0.5 core factor = 4 processor licenses
  • Cost of Licensing Active Data Guard:
    • 4 processor licenses * $11,500 per processor = $46,000

If you have both a primary and a standby environment with similar server configurations, you need to double this cost:

The Total Cost for Primary and Standby is $46,000 (primary) + $46,000 (standby) = $92,000. The cost for guard licenses would be $285,000 + $69,000 = $354,000.

Oracle Active Data Guard Licensing FAQ

What is Oracle Active Data Guard? It is an add-on feature to Oracle Database Enterprise Edition that utilizes a physical standby database to provide advanced data protection, disaster recovery, and improved database availability.

Do I need to license primary and standby databases for Active Data Guard? Oracle Active Data Guard must be licensed for the primary and standby databases to ensure compliance.

What is the cost of licensing Oracle Active Data Guard? The cost is $11,500 per processor or $230 per Named User Plus (NUP). Licensing is required for both the primary and standby environments.

How do I decide between processor licensing and NUP licensing? Processor licensing is ideal for environments with many users or where it is impractical to count them all. NUP licensing can be more cost-effective if you have limited users.

Is Active Data Guard included with Oracle Database Enterprise Edition? No, It is an optional add-on that requires a separate license from the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition license.

What features does Oracle Active Data Guard offer? Features include real-time query, fast incremental backups, automatic block repair, Active Data Guard Far Sync, application continuity, and rolling database upgrades with minimal downtime.

Do I need an Oracle Active Data Guard license for read-only operations on standby databases? It must be licensed if the standby database is used for read-only operations, such as reporting.

How is Active Data Guard licensed in a cloud environment? For cloud environments, Active Data Guard is licensed through the Bring Your Own License (BYOL) model or by using Oracle Cloud subscription-based pricing. The licensing metrics must match the database licenses.

What is the difference between Oracle Data Guard and Oracle Active Data Guard? Oracle Data Guard is included with Enterprise Edition and provides basic disaster recovery. Active Data Guard extends these capabilities by allowing real-time query, reporting, and backups on standby databases.

How do I license Active Data Guard if I have a standby database with fewer processors than the primary? Each processor in the primary and standby environments must be licensed, regardless of their differences in processor count.

Can I license Active Data Guard just for the standby environment? No, as the primary and standby environments are part of the data protection and availability solution.

What is the role of the Oracle Core Factor Table in licensing? The Oracle Core Factor Table determines the licenses required based on the processor type. For example, Intel processors may have a core factor of 0.5, which affects the total number of processor licenses needed.

Is there a minimum number of licenses required for Named User Plus (NUP)? Yes, Oracle requires a minimum number of NUP licenses depending on the type of database environment. This minimum must be met for both the primary and standby databases.

What happens if I use Active Data Guard features without proper licensing? This is considered non-compliance, which can lead to penalties during an Oracle audit, including back payments and fines.

How can I ensure compliance with Oracle Active Data Guard licensing? To ensure compliance, match the licensing metrics of Active Data Guard to your Oracle Database Enterprise Edition, license both environments (primary and standby), and consult the Oracle Core Factor Table for accurate license calculation.

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Author
  • Fredrik Filipsson has 20 years of experience in Oracle license management, including nine years working at Oracle and 11 years as a consultant, assisting major global clients with complex Oracle licensing issues. Before his work in Oracle licensing, he gained valuable expertise in IBM, SAP, and Salesforce licensing through his time at IBM. In addition, Fredrik has played a leading role in AI initiatives and is a successful entrepreneur, co-founding Redress Compliance and several other companies.

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