Oracle middleware

Oracle Coherence Licensing & Costs Guide

Navigating the world of Oracle Coherence licensing can be a complex task, but with the correct information, it becomes manageable.

This article provides a comprehensive understanding of Oracle Coherence and its licensing structure.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • A detailed explanation of what Oracle Coherence is and the three different editions available: Oracle Coherence Standard Edition One (OC-SEO), Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition (OC-EE), and Oracle Coherence Grid Edition (OC-GE).
  • An overview of the Oracle Coherence licensing metrics and how they are calculated.
  • A breakdown of the Oracle Coherence license costs for each edition, along with information on user minimums and the Oracle Core Factor Table.

What is Oracle Coherence?

Oracle Coherence is a distributed data grid solution that allows organizations to predictably scale mission-critical applications by providing fast and reliable access to frequently used data. It enables organizations to push data closer to the application for faster access and greater resource utilization.

By automatically and dynamically partitioning data, Oracle Coherence ensures continuous data availability and transactional integrity, even in a server or site failure.

Oracle Coherence Editions

Oracle Coherence is available in three editions:

  1. Oracle Coherence Standard Edition One (OC-SEO): This edition allows unlimited nodes in a cluster, but only two nodes can be configured to have any partitioned cache services.
  2. Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition (OC-EE): This edition provides advanced features for data grid applications, including data query and aggregation, data replication services, and data partitioning services.
  3. Oracle Coherence Grid Edition (OC-GE): This is the most feature-rich edition of Oracle Coherence, providing all the capabilities of the Enterprise Edition plus real-time data analysis, in-memory data processing, and continuous data availability.

Each edition of Oracle Coherence includes unlimited Oracle Coherence Real-Time Data Clients licenses, providing Java client access from within the Coherence cluster.

FeatureOracle Coherence Standard Edition OneOracle Coherence Enterprise EditionOracle Coherence Grid Edition
Fault-tolerant data cachingYYY
Data management, including write-behind, transactions, analytics, and eventsYYY
Local cache, Near cache, continuous query cache, real-time eventsYYY
Fully replicated data managementYYY
Partitioned data managementYYY
Data source integration through read-through/write-through/write-behind cachingYYY
Persistent, Recoverable CachingYYY
Hibernate integrationYYY
Data management, including write-behind, transactions, analytics and eventsYYY
Java Real Time Data ClientsYYY
Scale-out Caching, Query, Aggregation, and ProcessingNYY
.NET and C++ Real-Time Data ClientsNYY
Oracle WebLogic Management Framework (see Oracle WebLogic Management Framework)NYY
HTTP session management for application serversNYY
TopLink integrationNYY
WorkManagerNYY
Elastic DataNNY
GoldenGate HotCacheNNY
Unlimited Real-Time Compute ClientsNNY
MultitenancyFoot 7NNY
REST, Memcached, JCache ClientsNNY

Footnotes:

  1. Coherence Multitenancy works only in conjunction with Oracle WebLogic Server Multitenant. See Oracle WebLogic Server Multitenant for additional licensing details.
  2. Grid Edition is required for Federated Caching, WAN, and other deployments that implement cluster-to-cluster interconnects, including any deployment where responsibility for data and/or processing spans more than one data center, and activities are coordinated between those data centers using any form of Coherence-provided messaging or connectivity, such as deployments that feature two or more TCMP clusters interconnected by Coherence*Extend.

Oracle Coherence Licensing Metrics

Oracle Coherence licensing is based on two metrics:

  • Named User Plus: This metric is defined as an individual authorized by you to use the programs installed on a single server or multiple servers, regardless of whether the individual is actively using the programs at any given time. A non-human operated device will be counted as a named user plus in addition to all individuals authorized to use the programs if such devices can access the programs.
  • Processor: This metric defines all processors where the Oracle programs are installed and/or running.

Oracle Coherence License Costs

The cost of Oracle Coherence licensing is as follows:

  • Coherence Standard Edition One (OC-SEO):
    • Named User Plus License: $16.00
    • Software Update License & Support for Named User Plus: $3.52
    • Processor License: $800.00
    • Software Update License & Support for Processor: $176.00
  • Coherence Enterprise Edition (OC-EE):
    • Named User Plus License: $230.00
    • Software Update License & Support for Named User Plus: $50.60
    • Processor License: $11,500.00
    • Software Update License & Support for Processor: $2,530.00
  • Coherence Grid Edition (OC-GE):
    • Named User Plus License: $500.00
    • Software Update License & Support for Named User Plus: $110.00
    • Processor License: $25,000.00
    • Software Update License & Support for Processor: $5,500.00

Please note that these costs are subject to change, and it’s always a good idea to check the latest pricing on the Oracle Technology Global Price List.

Also, the licensing user minimums are ten named users per processor for all products, and all licensing is calculated by applying the Oracle Core Factor Table.

FAQ

What is Oracle Coherence?

Oracle Coherence is a distributed data grid solution that allows organizations to predictably scale mission-critical applications by providing fast and reliable access to frequently used data.

What are the three editions of Oracle Coherence?

Oracle Coherence is available in three editions: Oracle Coherence Standard Edition One (OC-SEO), Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition (OC-EE), and Oracle Coherence Grid Edition (OC-GE).

What is the Oracle Coherence Standard Edition One (OC-SEO)?

OC-SEO allows unlimited nodes in a cluster, but only two nodes can be configured to have any partitioned cache services.

What is the difference between Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition (OC-EE) and Oracle Coherence Grid Edition (OC-GE)?

OC-EE provides advanced data grid application features, including query and aggregation, replication services, and partitioning services. OC-GE delivers all the capabilities of the Enterprise Edition plus real-time data analysis, in-memory data processing, and continuous data availability.

What are the Oracle Coherence licensing metrics?

Oracle Coherence licensing is based on two metrics: Named User Plus and Processor.

What is the cost of Oracle Coherence licensing?

The cost for a Named User Plus License varies depending on the edition: $16.00 for OC-SEO, $230.00 for OC-EE, and $500.00 for OC-GE. The Processor License costs $800.00 for OC-SEO, $11,500.00 for OC-EE, and $25,000.00 for OC-GE

Are there any user minimums for Oracle Coherence licensing?

Yes, the licensing user minimums are ten named users per processor for all products.

How is Oracle Coherence licensing calculated?

All licensing is calculated by applying the Oracle Core Factor Table.

What is the Oracle Coherence Real-Time Data Clients (OC-RTDC)?

OC-RTDC enables client access from outside the Oracle Coherence cluster. An unlimited number of OC-RTDC licenses are included with each license of Oracle Coherence.

What is the Oracle WebLogic Coherence Grid Edition Option?

A license to Oracle WebLogic Coherence Grid Edition Option includes a license to use the following features in OC-GE: Elastic Data, GoldenGate HotCache, Unlimited Real-Time Compute Clients, Multitenancy, and Federated Caching.

Our Software Asset Management Tool is indicating that we have installed Coherence, what is the likely answer?

You can indeed be using the product. But in our experience, Coherence has been installed as part of the fusion middleware installer. You should understand if you can avoid installing Coherence if you are not using it. If you are unable not to install Coherence, document this fact.

Coherence Community Edition – What is it?

Coherence Community Edition (CE) is a free and open-source edition of Oracle Coherence, a market-leading in-memory data grid. It provides a reliable and scalable platform for state management and polyglot processing on the data grid.

Cost

As an open-source edition, Coherence CE is free of charge. This makes it an accessible choice for organizations looking to leverage the capabilities of an in-memory data grid without the associated costs of commercial software.

How it Differs from Other Editions

Coherence CE differs from other editions of Coherence in several ways:

  1. Licensing: Coherence CE is licensed under the Open Source Initiative’s Universal Permissive License, Version 1.0. This means it’s free to use for any purpose, unlike the Enterprise edition, which requires a paid license.
  2. Features: While Coherence CE provides a reliable and scalable platform for state management and polyglot processing on the data grid, some advanced features in the Enterprise edition may not be included in the Community edition.
  3. Community Support: As an open-source project, Coherence CE benefits from a community of developers who contribute to its development and offer support to other users. This contrasts with the Enterprise edition with Oracle’s official support.
  4. Integration: Coherence CE can be integrated with other systems through Coherence*Extend, allowing each cluster to act as a Data Client or a Real-Time Client.

In summary, Coherence Community Edition offers a cost-effective solution for organizations leveraging the power of an in-memory data grid. While it may lack some of the advanced features of the Enterprise edition, it’s open-source nature and community support make it a compelling choice for many use cases.

Call to Action

If you need help navigating Oracle Coherence licensing, don’t hesitate to contact Redress Compliance.

Our team of experts is ready to assist you in understanding and managing your Oracle Coherence licenses effectively and efficiently. Contact us today for a consultation.

Author

  • Fredrik Filipsson

    Fredrik Filipsson possesses 20 years of experience in Oracle license management. Having worked at Oracle for 9 years, he gained an additional 11 years of expertise in Oracle license consulting projects. Fredrik has provided assistance to over 150 organizations worldwide, ranging in size and tackling various Oracle licensing challenges, including Licensing Assessments, Oracle audits, Oracle ULAs, and more.