The Oracle Diagnostics and Tuning Pack guide. The auto enable trap, decoded.

The Oracle Diagnostics Pack and Tuning Pack are two management packs licensed on top of Oracle Database Enterprise Edition. The Diagnostics Pack carries Automatic Workload Repository (AWR), Active Session History (ASH), and the alert framework. The Tuning Pack carries SQL Tuning Advisor and SQL Access Advisor.

Both packs auto enable on a clean Enterprise Edition install. A DBA touching AWR or running SQL Tuning Advisor without separate license entitlement creates an immediate audit liability. The single biggest source of Oracle non compliance findings in 2026 sits on this auto enable mechanic.

Read this alongside the Oracle hub, the Oracle services page, the Oracle Database licensing guide, the Oracle core factor table, and the Vendor Shield subscription.

What the packs cover

The two packs sit at the center of the Oracle DBA toolkit. Most DBAs reach for them on day one without a separate license check.

Diagnostics Pack contents

• Automatic Workload Repository (AWR). Performance snapshots collected every hour.
• Active Session History (ASH). One second sampling of active sessions.
• Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM). Performance problem analysis on AWR data.
• Server generated alerts. The default alert framework on tablespace fill, ORA errors, and so on.
• Performance monitoring views. The full set of DBA_HIST views.

Tuning Pack contents

• SQL Tuning Advisor. Plan analysis and recommendation engine.
• SQL Access Advisor. Index, materialised view, and partition recommendation.
• Automatic SQL Tuning. Background job that runs the SQL Tuning Advisor on top SQL.
• SQL Profile generation. Plan stability mechanism for accepted recommendations.
• Real Time SQL Monitoring. Live SQL execution monitoring view.

The auto enable trap

The auto enable trap is the single biggest Oracle compliance finding in 2026. The two packs enable by default on Enterprise Edition. Any DBA touching AWR, running SQL Tuning Advisor, or even clicking the Enterprise Manager performance page triggers usage.

Three triggers that create usage

1. AWR snapshot retention. The default 8 day retention runs an AWR snapshot every hour. Every snapshot reads as Diagnostics Pack usage.
2. Enterprise Manager performance page. Opening the EM performance page reads ASH and reports as Diagnostics Pack usage.
3. SQL Tuning Advisor. A single run of the advisor records as Tuning Pack usage. The Automatic SQL Tuning task is enabled by default on 19c and 21c.

How Oracle detects usage

• DBA_FEATURE_USAGE_STATISTICS. The view records feature usage across all sessions. Oracle LMS scripts read this view at audit.
• DBA_HIST_SQL_PLAN. AWR captured plan history shows the pack was active.
• SQL Profile entries. Tuning Pack generated SQL Profiles persist in SQL Plan Management views.
• The lookback window. The audit reads up to 1,500 days of feature usage history.

Licensing math

The packs license per processor on the same Core Factor Table as Enterprise Edition. The license cost is additive to the Database EE license cost.

List rate card

Pack	List per processor	22% support	Total year one
Diagnostics Pack	$7,500	$1,650	$9,150
Tuning Pack	$5,000	$1,100	$6,100
Diagnostics plus Tuning	$12,500	$2,750	$15,250

Three licensing rules

1. Per processor only. The packs do not sell on Named User Plus.
2. Tuning Pack requires Diagnostics Pack. A Tuning Pack license without Diagnostics Pack is not contractually valid.
3. Full server licensing. The packs license every processor licensed for Database EE on the same server.

Worked example: a 16 processor estate

The math below uses a 16 processor Database EE estate. Diagnostics Pack and Tuning Pack are in active use on every database.

Annual bill of materials

Line	Processor count	Unit list	Annual support
Database EE	16	$47,500	$167,200
Diagnostics Pack	16	$7,500	$26,400
Tuning Pack	16	$5,000	$17,600
Total annual support			$211,200
Total perpetual		$960,000

The pack lines add 211K USD perpetual and 44K USD annual support on top of the Database EE bill. On a 50% renewal discount the perpetual cost compresses to 105K, the support holds at 44K.

Audit risk profile

The audit risk on the packs is the highest in the Oracle portfolio. The auto enable mechanic creates usage without intent.

Five common audit findings

1. AWR active without license. The default 8 day retention runs and the database carries no Diagnostics Pack license.
2. EM performance page click history. Operations team opened the page during a triage event.
3. SQL Tuning Advisor manual run. Developer ran the advisor from SQL Developer.
4. Automatic SQL Tuning task enabled. Default on 19c and 21c, reads as continuous Tuning Pack usage.
5. SQL Profile entries from Tuning Pack. A profile generated three years ago still sits in the catalog.

Three counter positions

• CONTROL_MANAGEMENT_PACK_ACCESS = NONE. Document the parameter as set across every database not licensed.
• Feature usage purge. The view can be cleared but the underlying tables persist. Document the policy.
• Quote and remediate. If usage is documented, request a 12 month remediation window in the renewal.

What to do next

The eight step checklist takes an Oracle EE estate from the default pack risk posture to a buyer side position ready for the procurement memo.

1. Inventory every EE database. List database name, version, processor count, and current parameter value.
2. Query DBA_FEATURE_USAGE_STATISTICS. Document any non zero pack feature usage in the last 1,500 days.
3. Score the gap. Pack usage versus pack entitlement on the certificate.
4. Set the parameter. CONTROL_MANAGEMENT_PACK_ACCESS to NONE on every unlicensed database.
5. Purge SQL Profile entries. Remove Tuning Pack generated profiles from unlicensed databases.
6. Draft the procurement memo. Pack decision per database, with parameter status and gap math.
7. Negotiate the renewal. Pack lines should not auto roll on the renewal. Audit each line.
8. Document the policy. Pack parameter status review in the change control process.

Frequently asked questions

How Redress engages on Oracle pack risk

Redress runs Oracle pack advisory inside the Vendor Shield subscription, the Software Spend Assessment, the Renewal Program, and the Benchmark Program.

Read the related Oracle hub, the Oracle services page, the Oracle Database licensing guide, the Oracle core factor table, the Oracle on VMware page, the Oracle ULA framework, the benchmarking page, the about us page, and the contact page.