Oracle Database Licensing for High Availability and Failover Scenarios
Oracle Database provides specific licensing rules for scenarios involving high availability (HA) or disaster recovery (DR) configurations. Licensing correctly for failover setups ensures you maintain compliance and control costs effectively.
This article covers:
- How Oracle defines and licenses cold/passive failover environments (the “10-day rule”)
- Licensing implications for active standby databases (Active Data Guard)
- Rules for licensing Standard Edition 2 (SE2) high availability setups
- Practical examples to help you navigate these scenarios
Read more Oracle Database Licensing FAQs.
Licensing Rules for Cold/Passive Failover (Oracle’s “10-Day Rule”)
Oracle allows a licensing exemption for passive (cold) standby servers, provided these servers are used only briefly and occasionally. This policy is commonly known as the “10-day rule.”
Key Points:
- A passive standby server does not require an additional license if:
- It remains shut down or idle most of the year.
- It’s activated only during failover or brief, periodic testing.
- Its total usage (failover + tests) does not exceed 10 days per calendar year.
- Once the usage exceeds 10 days in a year, the standby server must be fully licensed.
- This exemption applies to only one standby server per licensed primary.
Licensing Conditions for the 10-Day Rule:
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Number of Standby Servers | Only 1 standby server can be unlicensed per primary. |
| Usage Limit | Maximum of 10 cumulative days per calendar year. |
| Type of Use Allowed | Failover, maintenance, or testing (no active workload). |
| Location | Typically the same data center or cluster. |
Practical Example:
You have an 8-core primary Oracle Database Enterprise Edition server and a matching 8-core standby.
- If your primary database fails and you switch operations to your standby for 4 days, you’ve used 4 of your 10 free days.
- Later, you run a scheduled DR test for 2 days. Total use: 6 days.
- If another outage requires 3 more days later that year, the total cumulative use is 9 days.
- Still within the 10-day limit, no additional licensing is required.
- However, if usage exceeds 10 days, the standby server needs full licensing.
Read Hardware Limits and Restrictions for Oracle Database Standard Edition 2.
Licensing Active Standby Environments (Active Data Guard)
If your standby database is continuously active (used for queries, reporting, or read-only transactions), it is considered active standby and must be fully licensed. Additionally, if you use Oracle’s Active Data Guard, you need an extra license for that option.
Key Points for Active Data Guard Licensing:
- Active Data Guard allows standby databases to be open for read-only access, while continuously applying redo logs from the primary.
- Requires full licensing for the standby server.
- Also requires separate licensing for the Active Data Guard option (on top of the Enterprise Edition license).
Active Standby vs. Passive Standby Licensing Comparison:
| Standby Type | License Required? | Active Data Guard Option? |
|---|---|---|
| Cold/Passive | No, within 10-day rule limits | No |
| Active Standby | Yes, always licensed | Yes (if open for queries) |
Practical Example (Active Standby):
Your primary database runs on an 8-core server. You maintain a standby on an identical 8-core server open for reporting purposes using Active Data Guard:
- Primary server: Licensed fully for eight cores.
- Standby server: Requires a separate full 8-core EE license.
- Active Data Guard option: Must license separately for eight cores on standby.
Total licenses required:
- Primary EE (8 cores) + Standby EE (8 cores) + Active Data Guard Option (8 cores).
High Availability Licensing with Oracle Standard Edition 2 (SE2)
Oracle Standard Edition 2 licensing simplifies failover with included clustering capabilities known as Standard Edition High Availability (SEHA). However, SEHA operates as active-passive only (one database active at a time).
Key Points for SE2 High Availability:
- SEHA provides basic active-passive clustering at no additional licensing cost.
- The passive node (standby) does not require additional licensing if:
- It is used only during failover or occasional testing (under the 10-day rule).
- You must license both nodes if both become regularly active or exceed the 10-day limit.
SE2 High Availability Licensing Scenario:
| Scenario | License Required? |
|---|---|
| Single node active, passive node idle | Only active node licensed (passive node falls under 10-day rule). |
| Passive node activated frequently (>10 days/year) | Both nodes require full SE2 licenses. |
Practical Example (SE2):
- You deploy SE2 on two identical 2-socket servers in an active-passive configuration.
- The primary server is fully licensed (2 sockets).
- The standby server remains passive and idle except during failover or maintenance tests (total usage under 10 days per year).
- Only primary server licenses are required; standby falls under the 10-day rule.
Common Misunderstandings about HA Licensing
- Misconception: All standby servers must be licensed.
- Reality: Passive servers under the 10-day rule are exempt if used briefly.
- Misconception: Active Data Guard requires only one license.
- Reality: Both the standby server and the Active Data Guard option require separate licenses.
- Misconception: SE2 active-passive clustering always requires licensing both nodes.
- Reality: A Passive node can be exempt under the 10-day rule if it is idle and rarely used.
Summary of Oracle HA Licensing Rules and Recommendations
Cold/Passive Failover (10-Day Rule):
- No license is required for one passive standby server, provided usage stays under 10 cumulative days annually.
- Ideal for DR scenarios or occasional failover testing.
Active Standby (Active Data Guard):
- Fully license both primary and standby servers.
- Additional Active Data Guard licenses are required for the active standby.
SE2 High Availability:
- SEHA active-passive clustering is included free with SE2.
- The passive node is license-free under 10-day rule conditions.
Read Oracle Database Licensing on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).
Best Practices for Managing Oracle HA Licensing:
- Document standby usage (dates, durations) to track compliance with the 10-day rule.
- Educate database and infrastructure teams about licensing limits and implications.
- Use Active Data Guard selectively, given the significant licensing costs.
- Regularly review failover configurations to avoid inadvertently triggering extra licensing requirements.
Proper understanding and tracking of Oracle Database licensing rules for high availability ensures cost-effective deployment, regulatory compliance, and confidence during Oracle license audits.
