Oracle Database Options Licensing
One of the most important considerations when licensing Oracle Database is whether additional licenses are required for using certain advanced features or functionalities—referred to as “options” or “packs.”
Many of Oracle’s powerful database enhancements, such as Real Application Clusters (RAC), Partitioning, Multitenant, and Active Data Guard, are licensed separately from the base Oracle Database Enterprise Edition (EE).
This article outlines clearly what you must know about Oracle Database options licensing:
- Which database features require separate licensing?
- How are these licenses calculated?
- Important considerations for compliance and cost control.
Read more Oracle Database Licensing FAQs.
Oracle Database Options Licensing
Oracle Database Enterprise Edition provides robust database features included in its base license, such as advanced indexing, parallel query, and basic replication. However, advanced functionality often requires purchasing separate licenses, known as “options” or “packs.”
Each option or pack you activate in your database must be licensed separately, and each carries an additional licensing cost in addition to the base EE license.
Examples of Separately Licensed Oracle Database Options:
- Real Application Clusters (RAC)
- Partitioning
- Multitenant
- Active Data Guard
- Advanced Security
- In-Memory Database
- Diagnostics and Tuning Packs
Licensing Requirements for Key Oracle Database Options
Let’s discuss several of Oracle’s most popular options and clarify their licensing requirements:
1. Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)
Oracle RAC allows multiple database instances to run across multiple servers (nodes) simultaneously for high availability, scalability, and load balancing.
- Separate License Required:
RAC is not included with Enterprise Edition by default. - Licensing Calculation:
You must license the RAC option for every processor and server node participating in the RAC cluster. - Example:
If you have two RAC nodes, each with 16 cores, you must license:- 32 Oracle Database EE processor cores (16 cores × 2 nodes)
- Plus 32 RAC processor licenses (one RAC license for each EE core licensed)
2. Oracle Partitioning
Oracle Partitioning divides large tables and indexes into manageable parts, improving performance, availability, and manageability.
- Separate License Required:
Partitioning is an additional licensed option and is not included by default. - Licensing Calculation:
Partitioning licenses must match the number of processor licenses you have for the Oracle EE database where partitions are enabled. - Example:
A single server with eight cores running Oracle EE and using partitions:- Requires 8 Oracle EE processor licenses
- Requires eight additional Partitioning licenses
3. Oracle Multitenant (Pluggable Databases)
Oracle Multitenant is Oracle’s container database architecture, allowing multiple pluggable databases (PDBs) in a single container (CDB).
- Licensing Rule:
Oracle EE allows you to use up to 3 PDBs per database instance without additional licenses starting from 19c. - If You Exceed 3 PDBs:
You must separately license the Multitenant option for all processor licenses used by the container database. - Example:
If you run 6 PDBs on a server licensed for 12 cores, you must have:- 12 Oracle EE processor licenses
- 12 Multitenant processor licenses (since more than 3 PDBs are being used)
4. Oracle Active Data Guard (ADG)
Oracle Active Data Guard allows standby databases to be open in read-only mode, enabling continuous query and reporting workloads without affecting the primary database.
- Licensing Rule:
Using Active Data Guard features requires a separate license for every processor on the standby server(s) using ADG. - Important Note:
The Active Data Guard option is not required for normal, passive Data Guard standby (which is not open for queries). - Example:
If your standby database (open read-only) runs on a 16-core server:- You need 16 Oracle EE licenses for the standby server
- Plus 16 Active Data Guard licenses
Read Oracle Licensing for Development, Testing, and QA Environments.
5. Other Oracle Database Options & Packs
Oracle offers additional powerful features as licensed options, including:
- Advanced Security (Transparent Data Encryption, Data Redaction)
- In-Memory Database (column store)
- Advanced Compression
- Diagnostics Pack (Performance diagnostics, AWR reports)
- Tuning Pack (SQL tuning, automated performance tuning)
All these options/packs are licensed separately per processor (or named user), matching the database license metric.
- Example:
Enabling Advanced Compression on a 4-core server requires:- 4 EE licenses plus 4 Advanced Compression licenses
Oracle Standard Edition and Options Licensing
If you’re running Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 (SE2), be aware of a significant difference:
- No Separate Options Licensing for SE2:
Oracle Standard Edition does not allow any separately licensed options. Features like RAC (after Oracle 19c), Partitioning, Multitenant, and Advanced Security are unavailable to SE2 users. - Included Features (SE2):
Oracle has made some functionalities (like basic Spatial, Graph, and Machine Learning features) available for free in all editions starting with Oracle 19c. However, advanced licensed options remain unavailable for SE2.
Important Licensing Compliance Considerations
Oracle Database does not technically prevent enabling licensed options. Administrators or developers might accidentally activate them, leading to compliance issues.
- Audits:
Oracle regularly audits customers for database feature usage. Auditors use built-in views (DBA_FEATURE_USAGE_STATISTICS) to identify enabled features requiring separate licenses. - Compliance Tips:
- Carefully monitor your Oracle Database feature usage
- Disable options you don’t own via database parameters or configuration
- Regularly run internal audits to proactively detect unlicensed feature use
Read Free and Trial Options for Oracle Database.
Practical Recommendations to Manage Oracle Options Licensing Costs
Licensing Oracle Database options separately can significantly increase your overall database spend. To control costs and compliance risks:
- Enable Options Cautiously:
Ensure that your database administrators understand Oracle licensing clearly and only enable options explicitly approved and budgeted. - Use Regular Internal Checks:
Periodically validate Oracle Database usage to ensure no unlicensed options have been inadvertently activated. - Negotiate Oracle Contracts Thoughtfully:
When licensing Enterprise Edition, consider negotiating bundle packages or discounts that include necessary options upfront, reducing future compliance complexity and cost.
Quick Summary of Oracle Database Options Licensing
| Option Name | License Required? | Metric | Example Licensing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Application Clusters (RAC) | ✅ Yes | Processor or NUP | Every node/core licensed separately |
| Partitioning | ✅ Yes | Processor or NUP | License matches EE processor count |
| Multitenant (PDBs) | ✅ Yes, if >3 PDBs | Processor or NUP | License matches EE processor count |
| Active Data Guard | ✅ Yes | Processor or NUP | All standby DB cores licensed |
| Advanced Security | ✅ Yes | Processor or NUP | Matches EE processor count |
| Diagnostics/Tuning Pack | ✅ Yes | Processor or NUP | Matches EE processor count |
Final Advice on Oracle Database Options Licensing
Licensing Oracle Database features separately from Enterprise Edition is critical to controlling costs and ensuring compliance. Review your database deployments regularly, carefully manage feature usage, and plan your Oracle licensing strategy accordingly.
