Oracle Database Vault Licensing – The Complete Guide

This article deals with Oracle Database Vault Licensing. But what is this uncommon product? – Oracle Database Vault is a powerful security solution that helps businesses safeguard sensitive data.

It provides robust controls to manage access to data and applications, ensuring that only authorized users can access specific information.

However, understanding its licensing can be a complex task. This article aims to simplify Oracle Database Vault licensing, discussing its features, restrictions, and the versions it can use.

Understanding Oracle Database Vault Licensing

Oracle Database Vault is a feature of Oracle Database that provides advanced security measures. It allows businesses to control who, when, and where data and applications can be accessed, providing high security and compliance.

You need to license this product like you do the enterprise edition product. The license metric and quantities must match the enterprise edition license.

Key Features of Oracle Database Vault

Oracle Database Vault comes with a host of features designed to enhance the security of your Oracle databases:

1. Realms: These are protective shields around your sensitive data, preventing unauthorized access.
   
2. Command Rules: These rules control how and when specific SQL commands can be executed.
   
3. Factors: These are specific attributes or characteristics, such as IP address or time of day, that can be used to enhance security rules.
   
4. Rule Sets: These are groups of rules associated with realms and command rules to provide more granular security controls.
   
5. Secure Application Roles: These roles ensure that users can only access certain data when specific conditions are met.
   
6. Multi-Factor Authorization: This feature adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple conditions to be met before access is granted.

Oracle Database Vault Restrictions

While Oracle Database Vault provides robust security features, there are certain restrictions to be aware of:

1. Limited to Certain Oracle Database Versions: Oracle Database Vault is available for Oracle Database Enterprise Edition (version 10.2.0.3 and later).
   
2. Not Available for Standard Edition: Oracle Database Vault is not available for Oracle Database Standard Edition.
   
3. Requires Separate Licensing: Oracle Database Vault requires a separate license with an additional cost.

Oracle Database Vault Licensing

Oracle Database Vault licensing is based on the number of processors used or the number of users accessing the database. Understanding your organization’s usage is important to choose the most cost-effective licensing option.

Processor-Based Licensing

This licensing option is based on the number of processors in the server where Oracle Database Vault is installed. It’s a good option for organizations with many users and can be more cost-effective as the number of users grows.

Named User Plus Licensing

This licensing option is based on the number of users accessing the database. It’s a good option for organizations with a small number of users. However, as users increase, processor-based licensing may become more cost-effective.

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