Oracle on AWS Licensing FAQs 3 of 4
21. How does Oracle’s licensing differ between AWS and Oracle Cloud (OCI)?
Oracle’s cloud (OCI – Oracle Cloud Infrastructure) is often seen as having more favorable licensing terms for Oracle products, whereas AWS is a third-party cloud with stricter rules.
Some differences:
- vCPU Definition: On OCI, Oracle uses the concept of an OCPU (Oracle CPU), a physical core with two threads. One OCPU on OCI equals two vCPUs of compute power. When you bring an Oracle Database license to OCI, Oracle typically counts one license per OCPU. This works similarly to AWS’s 2 vCPU = 1 license rule. On AWS, it’s expressed as vCPUs; on OCI, they align their cloud units to licenses more directly. It’s essentially the same ratio but framed differently.
- License Included Offerings: OCI offers many Oracle services with license-included pricing or the ability to use Universal Credits. For example, Oracle Autonomous Database on OCI includes the license in the service cost (or you get a lower rate if you BYOL). On AWS, license-inclusion is very limited (only RDS for SE2). So OCI has more flexibility – you can choose BYOL or pay for everything as a service for most Oracle products.
- Support Rewards and Incentives: Oracle has programs like Oracle Support Rewards, where if you run workloads on OCI, you earn credits to offset your on-prem support costs. Using Oracle on AWS does not give you such credits. Oracle incentivizes you to use OCI by making it cheaper overall (e.g., 25% % % -33 % of your OCI spend can be subtracted from your support bill if you have that program).
- Contractual Ease: If you’re using OCI, Oracle often provides a streamlined BYOL process – essentially, you just attest you have licenses, and they might not audit as aggressively because usage is somewhat tracked through their cloud. Oracle has no visibility on AWS, so they rely on audits and your self-attestation in contracts. Some Oracle products (like WebLogic) have special cloud license offerings on OCI (WebLogic on OCI marketplace can be BYOL or included), whereas on AWS, you have to BYOL for WebLogic.
- Public Perception of Compliance: Running Oracle on OCI might reduce the chances of Oracle challenging your license counts because it’s their environment. On AWS, Oracle, in the past, had a more adversarial stance (due to competition), so they stuck to the policy letter. That said, Oracle now partners with Azure and allows Oracle Database Service on Azure; with AWS, they also announced Oracle Database@AWS (Exadata in AWS), which somewhat softens that stance. But historically, Oracle sales might have pushed customers to OCI by saying licensing is easier there. The core rules (2 vCPU per license) are the same on both clouds, but OCI gives more integrated ways to use your licenses or rent them.
- Example: If you have 10 Oracle EE licenses on AWS, you could run 20 vCPUs of DB. On OCI, you could run 10 OCPUs (also 20 vCPUs) of DB. So capacity-wise, same. However, on OC,I you could instead decide not to BYOL and just consume it as a service and pay monthly – perhaps using your existing licenses elsewhere. OCI might also allow more bursty usage where you only pay when the DB runs, similar to AWS but with Oracle’s blessings.
In short, AWS and OCI treat technical counting similarly, but Oracle provides more financial incentives and integrated licensing options for OCI to encourage you to use their cloud. AWS is treated as an “Authorized Cloud”, but it’s not Oracle’s home turf, so you don’t get extras like support rewards or broad license-included choices.
Read our Oracle licensing on AWS FAQ 2.
22. Is Oracle Cloud (OCI) treated differently from AWS in Oracle’s licensing policies?
Oracle’s formal licensing policy for authorized cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP) is separate from how it handles its cloud. OCI is Oracle’s cloud, so Oracle can set whatever terms they want there, often more lenient to attract customers.
Differences include:
- Counting Cores: On OCI, Oracle often simplifies BYOL by saying one license = 1 OCPU (which, as noted, equates to 2 vCPUs). On AWS, the policy explicitly states the 2-for-1 rule. It’s the same functionally, but Oracle’s messaging is that OCI is naturally aligned to their licensing with no ambiguity. They don’t even mention core factors for OCI because all OCI instances use Oracle’s definition natively.
- License Mobility: All Oracle software is essentially “fully mobile” to OCI. Oracle even has programs that allow you to convert on-prem licenses to cloud credits (the BYOL to PaaS program). Oracle doesn’t have a formal program for AWS – it’s just BYOL under policy. So, administratively, moving licenses to AWS means you keep paying support and just deploy. Moving to OCI could mean converting to an Oracle Cloud subscription model, where you might temporarily suspend support costs instead of cloud usage fees, etc. Oracle can restructure your license deal more if you move to OCI (since they get the cloud revenue). On AWS, your relationship with Oracle remains a standard support contract.
- Support and Certification: Oracle certifies all its products on OCI. Some products have quicker or exclusive support on OCI. For instance, certain Oracle Apps or new DB versions might be available on OCI first. On AWS, Oracle doesn’t “certify AWS” but still supports software running there (with the caveats we discussed about reproduction on certified platforms if needed). There’s a psychological difference: on OCI, Oracle support cannot use “not certified” as a reason for anything, while on AWS, in rare cases, Oracle might say, “We suspect an AWS issue; please try to reproduce on Oracle VM or physical.” They still support you, but that step can occur.
- Pricing Benefits: Oracle offers things like Universal Credits, where you pay Oracle and can use any OCI service (including Oracle software) flexibly. If you have many Oracle licenses, Oracle might give you cloud credits to move to OCI. None of that exists for AWS – AWS has its discounts, but they don’t interplay with Oracle licenses.
- Strategic Treatment: There have been anecdotes of Oracle sales teams pressuring customers by implying that running on AWS could be riskier or costly regarding licensing. While the rules are clear and you can comply with AWS, Oracle’s field teams prefer you on OCI. So they may, for example, be stricter in auditing AWS usage or less willing to negotiate cloud terms for AWS. Conversely, they might offer a better deal if you move some workloads to OCI. This is more about vendor behavior than policy language, but enterprises notice it.
- Conclusion: Officially, AWS, Azure, and GCP are “authorized clouds” with a uniform policy. OCI is Oracle’s cloud, with integrated BYOL and additional perks. From a customer perspective, you must follow the rules on whichever platform you choose. However, Oracle often treats OCI as the preferred environment, making licensing and usage more convenient.
23. Will Oracle support my software if I run it on AWS?
Yes, Oracle will support properly licensed Oracle software running on AWS, with some conditions. Oracle’s support policy attempts to diagnose and resolve customer issues on any platform, even if it is not officially “certified” by Oracle, as long as the base requirements are met.
Here’s what that means:
- Certified OS/Version: Oracle may not certify AWS, but they certify operating systems (like Oracle Linux, RHEL, Windows Server) and Oracle software versions. If you run Oracle Database on Oracle Linux 8 on an EC2 instance, from Oracle’s perspective, they support Oracle DB on Oracle Linux 8 (which is a certified combination). The fact that the underlying hypervisor is AWS shouldn’t matter. Many third-party products are not explicitly certified on every cloud, yet vendors still support customers using them. Oracle follows this: “We support more than we certify,” one of their directors famously said.
- Reproducing Issues: If you encounter a complex issue and log a support ticket, Oracle may ask you to reproduce the problem on a certified platform if they suspect the cloud infrastructure could be a factor. For example, if there’s a weird I/O bug on AWS, they might ask, “Can you try to reproduce this on a local machine or Oracle Cloud?” However, this is not a refusal of support – it’s part of troubleshooting. It’s relatively rare in practice, especially if the issue is clearly in the software logic and not low-level. However, be prepared to collaborate with Oracle support; sometimes, moving a test case to an on-prem box or an OCI VM can help isolate issues.
- E-Business Suite and other Applications: Oracle Applications like E-Business Suite have specific support notes for the cloud. Oracle has published support policies (recently, in the context of Oracle Database@Azure/AWS) stating that EBS, PeopleSoft, and JDE are supported on AWS as long as they run on Oracle-certified technology stack components. Even before those statements, many customers ran EBS on AWS. Oracle supports them if, for example, the EBS is on a certified OS and database version. If an issue is encountered, Oracle might say, “Make sure you’re using a certified storage configuration” or “that AWS network issue is beyond our app’s scope,” but they will still help on the application side.
- No Support Without License: This is obvious, but it is worth stating that you must have a valid support contract (with Oracle or possibly with a third-party support provider if you went that route). Oracle won’t support unlicensed/unsupported deployments. If you stopped paying Oracle support and run the software on AWS, Oracle support won’t take your calls (unless you reinstated support or have a ULA that includes support). AWS support cannot resolve Oracle-specific issues beyond basic infrastructure help. So, ensure you maintain Oracle Support for BYOL licenses. For AWS RDS license-included, support for the Oracle software is provided through AWS support (AWS works with Oracle behind scenes if needed), so you would contact AWS, not Oracle, for issues – and AWS will coordinate any vendor support.
- Conclusion: Numerous companies run Oracle on AWS and receive timely support patches and fixes from Oracle. Oracle cannot withhold support simply because you choose AWS. Oracle’s Support documents have clarified that lack of certification doesn’t equal lack of support. The key is meeting the prerequisites (OS, hardware config) close to what Oracle certifies. AWS EC2 using Intel/AMD processors with standard OS is essentially like any x86 server, so Oracle treats it as such in most cases.
24. How do I calculate the Oracle licenses needed for a given AWS EC2 instance (example)?
Let’s walk through an example for clarity. Suppose you plan to run an Oracle Database Enterprise Edition on an AWS EC2 instance with eight vCPUs (for instance, an m5.2xlarge has eight vCPUs). AWS uses hyper-threaded Intel cores for that instance (4 physical cores, eight threads).
According to Oracle’s policy:
- Count of processor licenses: Since hyper-threading is enabled, two vCPUs equal 1 Oracle processor license. Eight vCPUs divided by 2 equals 4 Oracle processor licenses needed. Oracle’s official example is that four vCPUs equal two licenses; by extension, eight vCPUs equals 4 licenses. This covers the base database if licensing is by the processor metric.
- Named User Plus alternative: If you were licensing by Named User Plus instead (less common for eight vCPUs unless few users), you would need at least 25 named user licenses per processor. With four processors (from the above calculation), a minimum of 100 Named User Plus licenses (4 × 25) are required. NUP might not be cost-effective if you only have 40 users because you’d still buy 100 to meet minimums. That’s why, for larger instances, people choose Processor licensing.
- Options example: Now, if you plan to use an Oracle option like Partitioning on that same instance, you must license that option for four processors. So you’d need 4 Partitioning licenses and 4 DB licenses. Options must match the processor count of the base product.
- Standard Edition example: If this was an Oracle Standard Edition 2 deployment on an eight vCPU instance, how many SE2 licenses would be required instead? Using SE2’s rule: 8 vCPUs = two sockets (since > four up to 8 vCPUs counts as 2). So you’d need 2 SE2 licenses (SE2 licenses are sold per socket, so two sockets = 2 licenses). The Named User minimum for SE2 would be 10 (because up to 8 vCPUs is one unit for 10 NUP, but since it’s two licenses in this case, technically the minimum would be 20 NUP if you licensed both sockets by NUP). Usually, SE2 is just done by socket licensing.
- Multi-instance example: If you had two such 8-vCPU EC2 instances running Oracle EE, each needs four licenses, totaling eight licenses required. If those instances are part of a cluster or active/passive pair, you still count them if installed and/or running Oracle. Passive failover exceptions aside, assume each running instance needs its allocation.
- Recap formula: Generally, to calculate licenses for any EC2, take the vCPU count, if hyper-threading = yes (default for most), divide by 2 → that’s the # of processor licenses for EE (round up if odd number). If hyper-threading = no, that vCPU count is the # of licenses. For Standard Edition, take the vCPU count, divide by 4 → # of SE sockets needed (round up), and ensure it’s within 16 or 8 vCPU limit depending on the edition.
Using these straightforward calculations, you can determine the licensing needs for any AWS configuration. For edge cases (e.g., unusual instance types), always double-check with the official policy or a licensing expert, but for most, it’s formulaic.
25. How do I license Oracle WebLogic Server on AWS?
Oracle WebLogic Server (part of Oracle’s Middleware portfolio) can run on AWS, but there’s no managed AWS service for WebLogic, so you’ll be using the BYOL model on EC2.
Key points for WebLogic licensing on AWS:
- Editions and Metrics: WebLogic comes in several editions (Standard, Enterprise, Suite) and can be licensed by Processor or Named User Plus, similar to the database. On AWS, the counting of processors for WebLogic follows the same vCPU rules as the Oracle database. So, 2 AWS vCPUs = 1 WebLogic Processor license (assuming hyperthreaded). If you have a WebLogic Server with 8 vCPUs in EC2, you need 4 WebLogic processor licenses (or the appropriate number of NUP licenses with minimums – usually 10 NUP per processor for middleware). There’s no core factor application; it’s the same authorized cloud policy for any Oracle middleware product.
- BYOL on EC2 or containers: You can install WebLogic on an EC2 instance (Windows or Linux) and use your licenses. Or you might containerize WebLogic in Docker and run it on an ECS/EKS cluster. Oracle’s licensing doesn’t yet have special container rules – you’d license the underlying VMs or nodes where the container runs. So, if a WebLogic container runs on an EC2 with four vCPUs, that’s two licenses, even if the container uses only part of the capacity. Suppose it’s a Kubernetes cluster of multiple nodes. In that case, you need to license any node that could run the WebLogic pod or use Kubernetes node affinity to pin WebLogic to certain nodes and license those nodes fully. This is analogous to the VMware scenario: Oracle doesn’t do sub-capacity on containers unless the container tech is certified hard-partition (which it’s not). So treat containers like processes on the host – license the host’s vCPUs.
- No AWS license included for WebLogic: Unlike Oracle DB, AWS doesn’t offer WebLogic as a service. However, Oracle has previously provided WebLogic images on AWS Marketplace – these are just VM images to simplify installation, not license-included. You still need BYOL; the marketplace listing is typically free or covers OS, and you input your license details. So don’t assume an AWS marketplace WebLogic AMI gives you a license – it does not.
- Coherence, SOA, etc.: If you use WebLogic Suite or products like Oracle SOA Suite, they include WebLogic as a component. The licensing for those works similarly – e.g., SOA Suite is licensed per processor and includes WebLogic entitlement. On AWS, you’d count vCPUs for the SOA Suite license. The bottom line is that any Oracle Middleware product on AWS requires a proper license, counted by vCPU or user. If you already own licenses for these (from on-prem days), you can deploy them on AWS under BYOL with no extra fees to Oracle (just keep paying support).
- WebLogic Basic (included with Oracle DB or EBS): Certain Oracle products include a limited-use WebLogic license (called WebLogic Basic, e.g., comes with Oracle Database for running its tools, or with E-Business Suite). If you only use WebLogic in such a context, you may not need separate WebLogic licenses. For example, Oracle Forms and Reports or EBS may use a WebLogic server covered under those products’ licenses. However, if you’re building a custom J2EE app on WebLogic on AWS, you need to license WebLogic itself.
- Monitoring and Ops: Just as with the DB, track your WebLogic usage. WebLogic has management MBeans that show active user counts if using NUP, but most enterprises use the Processor metric for simplicity. Ensure any WebLogic clusters on AWS are appropriately licensed for all nodes, especially if using auto-scaling (though WebLogic itself doesn’t auto-scale easily, you might manually add nodes). If you use Oracle HTTP Server or other middleware components, check if they require separate licenses or are included.
26. Can Oracle Fusion Middleware products (SOA Suite, OBIEE, etc.) be run on AWS under BYOL?
Yes. All Oracle Fusion Middleware and Business Intelligence products can be run on AWS using the BYOL model. AWS does not impose technical restrictions, and Oracle’s licensing policy for Authorized Cloud Environments covers these products similarly to databases.
Points to note for some common ones:
- Oracle SOA Suite / Oracle Service Bus: These run on WebLogic and are licensed typically per processor. If you deploy SOA Suite on an EC2, count the vCPUs as with WebLogic (since SOA license includes WebLogic). The same is true for Oracle BPM, etc. They often come with Oracle Middleware Suite licenses. BYOL on AWS is standard – many enterprises run their integration workloads on AWS VMs. Ensure you have enough licenses for the vCPUs in all instances of the SOA cluster.
- Oracle Business Intelligence (OBIEE/OAS): Oracle BI Enterprise Edition (or its newer incarnation, Oracle Analytics Server) can be installed on AWS. The named user or processor usually does licensing. On AWS, count vCPUs for processors. Many OBIEE deployments might prefer user-based licensing if the user count is known. That’s fine; just meet the minimums (often 10 NUP per processor for BI, depending on the version). If scaling out OBIEE with multiple VMs, each VM’s cores would need licensing. There’s no cloud-specific gotcha beyond the general vCPU rule.
- Oracle Identity and Access Management (OAM/OID): These can also run on AWS VMs. They are licensed by the processor or user (often user/employee count). If by processor, count vCPUs.
- Oracle WebCenter, Oracle BPM, etc.: All such middleware or content servers run on WebLogic or similar and follow the same principle – BYOL on AWS with vCPU-based counts. No AWS services provide these out of the box, so BYOL on EC2 is the route.
- Third-Party Access: One thing to be careful about—if these middleware systems are exposed to external users (like a B2C portal on WebCenter), you might need different licensing metrics (Oracle sometimes requires external user licenses or processor licensing in such cases because named user plus is typically only for internal users). This is a general licensing consideration, not AWS-specific, but worth keeping in mind if deploying customer-facing Oracle apps on AWS.
- Ensure Supportability: Check Oracle’s supported platform documents to ensure the OS you choose on AWS is supported for the middleware product. For example, if Oracle SOA 12c is only certified on Linux x86-64, use Amazon or Oracle Linux, etc. That way, Oracle support will be comfortable with the environment. AWS provides standard OS images, so it’s usually fine.
- Performance and Sizing: Middleware products can be memory-heavy, so choose instance types accordingly (memory doesn’t directly affect licensing; only vCPUs do – except if you choose a bigger instance for more memory, you might add vCPUs inadvertently, which ups licensing). Some clients choose EC2 bare metal for big WebLogic clusters; licensing a bare metal 32-core box means 32 cores/16 licenses if hyperthreaded, so weigh that against multiple smaller instances.
- In summary, any Oracle middleware or BI software that you can run on-prem, you can run on AWS. AWS is just infrastructure. Just count the CPUs and users per Oracle’s rules as if on a standard virtualized environment. No special cloud license for, say, OBIEE exists – BYOL is your friend.
27. How do I license Oracle E-Business Suite on AWS?
Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) is a large ERP/CRM suite that can be migrated to AWS. Licensing EBS on AWS involves the application licenses and the technology components (database and middleware).
Key points:
- Application Licenses (Modules): EBS modules (Financials, HR, etc.) are licensed by Oracle and are typically based on the number of users, employees, or other metrics (not by CPU). These application licenses are unaffected by moving to AWS. If you had 100 Financials users licensed on-prem, you still need those 100 user licenses to run on AWS. There’s no new licensing just because of AWS. You should ensure your user counts and metrics (, Order Lines if that’s a metric, etc.) remain compliant per your Oracle agreement. AWS doesn’t change that.
- Included Tech Licenses: When you purchase EBS, Oracle provides restricted-use licenses for the required technology, specifically Oracle Database Enterprise Edition and Oracle’s application server (WebLogic), for use only with EBS. This means you normally do not need to buy separate DB or WebLogic licenses for EBS as long as you use them solely for EBS. This is still true on AWS – you can use the included database license on an EC2 instance to host the EBS database. However, be mindful of the terms: the DB and middleware can only serve the EBS application, not other custom applications or integrations beyond what EBS allows. If you honor that, your existing EBS app licenses cover the DB and app server.
- Modifications and Full Use: If you heavily customize EBS beyond Oracle’s guidelines, you might lose those free license rights and need to purchase full-use licenses. For example, Oracle’s rules state that if you modify the EBS database schema (adding custom tables or triggers outside allowed interfaces), you must buy a full Oracle Database EE license for that instance. Similarly, certain modifications require the separate licensing of Oracle Internet Application Server (WebLogic) for all end users. So on AWS, if you plan to deploy EBS and also extend it significantly (maybe using the EBS database for a custom app), that could trigger the need for extra licenses. It’s the same rule as on-prem, just be aware to remain in “restricted use” boundaries.
- Deploying EBS on EC2: Typically, you would run Oracle EBS’s application tier on EC2 instances (maybe multiple VMs for forms, web, concurrent managers) and the database tier on EC2 (or RDS Custom could be an option for the DB). Because of the included licenses, you don’t have to factor DB cores into licensing costs if it’s pure EBS usage. However, note that included licenses assume you still report usage to Oracle – in an audit, Oracle will check that you have a valid EBS license and that the tech is only used for EBS. You should not use the AWS RDS license included in the EBS database because that RDS license is only for SE, and EBS requires an EE database (with specific options like partitioning in some cases). You could use RDS Custom with BYOL, but since you already have a restricted-use license, you may not want to “double-buy” a license just to use RDS. You’ll likely install Oracle Database EE on EC2 and use your EBS-granted license.
- Support on AWS: Oracle now explicitly supports EBS on cloud infrastructure if you follow their guidelines (they even allow running EBS with an Oracle-managed database via the new Database@AWS service). For DIY on EC2, Oracle Support will treat it as any EBS deployment – they’ll ask that you use a supported OS (Oracle provides documentation on supported OS for EBS, e.g., Oracle Linux or RHEL). If you do that, they will issue patches and help as if it were on your hardware. We’ve seen numerous companies successfully run EBS in production on AWS with Oracle’s blessing. Ensure your OS, database, and EBS versions are certified combinations per Oracle’s documentation, and AWS provides the compute.
- Summary: License the EBS application modules per your contract (no change on AWS). Use the included Oracle DB/WebLogic licenses for EBS only – no extra cost unless you break the “restricted use” clause. You would need to buy additional Oracle licenses on AWS if you go beyond the allowed usage (heavily customized or using the DB for other apps).
28. Do I need separate Oracle Database licenses for Oracle e-Business Suite on AWS?
You do not need to purchase separate Oracle Database licenses on AWS if you use Oracle E-Business Suite as delivered (no forbidden customizations). The EBS license includes a restricted-use Oracle Database Enterprise Edition license.
However, it’s important to understand the conditions:
- Restricted-use means E-Business Suite only: The included DB license can only host the E-Business Suite database. Without breaching the license, you cannot use that database instance to house additional schemas or databases for other applications (outside of EBS). If you do, you’d be required to convert to full-use DB licenses for that processor. On AWS, that means if your EC2 instance running the EBS database is being used solely for EBS data, you’re covered. If you piggyback a custom app’s schema on it, you’ve stepped out of bounds.
- Modification levels: Oracle defines levels of customization. You’re fine with no modifications or minor modifications (reports, forms) – the DB remains covered. But if you modify the database schema (adding tables/columns to EBS schema, etc.), Oracle considers that requiring full DB and middleware licenses. On AWS, this doesn’t change; it’s the nature of how you use the software. So, if your AWS EBS deployment is vanilla or has minor extensions, there is no additional DB license. If you have major custom schemas in the EBS database, you should procure DB EE licenses for that AWS instance (and possibly WebLogic if needed) to be compliant.
- CPU Count and Size: Even though EBS gives you DB licenses, you should still be mindful of not exceeding what’s reasonable for EBS. There isn’t a hard cap on how many CPUs of DB you can use for EBS under the restricted license (the application license covers usage as your business needs). But if you spin up an enormous DB server way beyond typical EBS sizing, it could raise eyebrows in an audit. Typically, this isn’t an issue; companies size the DB to their needs, and the EBS license allows it. Just ensure it’s solely for EBS.
- WebLogic (Oracle IAS) for EBS: EBS has a restricted WebLogic (Oracle Internet Application Server) for the middle tier. You don’t separately license that unless you’ve done unsupported customizations on the application tier (like deploying non-EBS apps on the same WebLogic). Your EBS application servers can use that included WebLogic without a separate purchase on AWS. Deploying a custom Java app onto the same WebLogic domain might trigger a need for a full WebLogic license. The rule: Use the app server only for EBS-specific functionality.
- The bottom line is that for an out-of-the-box EBS installation on AWS (with maybe standard extensions using Oracle’s guidelines), no extra DB license is required – your Oracle EBS licensing covers it. If you step outside those lines, treat it as if EBS isn’t providing the license and buy what’s needed.
29. What about other Oracle applications like PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, or Siebel on AWS?
Oracle’s other enterprise applications (PeopleSoft, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, Siebel CRM, etc.) can also be run on AWS under similar terms:
- PeopleSoft: Like EBS, PeopleSoft is often licensed by modules/users. PeopleSoft typically uses Oracle Database as a backend and WebLogic or Tuxedo for middleware. In many cases, Oracle provides a restricted-use Oracle Database license with PeopleSoft (for the PeopleSoft schema) and possibly WebLogic (for the PIA – PeopleSoft Internet Architecture). If you run PeopleSoft on AWS, you use BYOL for the application license, but you likely don’t need to separately license the database if it’s only housing PeopleSoft data (check your PeopleSoft license docs; they have a concept of “customers can use Oracle DB EE restricted to PeopleSoft”). The same customization caveats apply – if you use the DB beyond PeopleSoft, you’d need full licensing.
- JD Edwards: JD Edwards can run on Oracle Database or other databases (SQL Server, etc.). If you use Oracle DB for JDE on AWS, Oracle historically gave a restricted-use DB license for JDE. Ensure that’s the case in your contract. JDE licensing is often by named user or concurrent user. On AWS, you’d run JDE’s enterprise server and logic on EC2 VMs (possibly Windows for older versions or Linux for newer). The Oracle DB license (if any) included would cover the JDE DB, similar to EBS. Oracle DB licensing is moot if using a different DB (SQL Server, etc.).
- Siebel CRM: Siebel, acquired by Oracle, also usually includes the right to use Oracle Database for the Siebel repository. If running Siebel on AWS, you’d follow the same pattern: The Siebel app itself is user/CPU licensed (depending on what metric you have). The DB is covered for Siebel usage. Siebel uses a mix of components, but Oracle also often bundles a limited WebLogic or other middleware for it now. Check the Siebel license docs, but you likely won’t need to separately license WebLogic for Siebel – it’s part of Siebel’s tech stack license.
- Hyperion/EPM, Retail, etc.: Oracle’s industry and EPM apps have varying license models, but similarly, if they include Oracle DB or OAS, those are typically included for that application’s data. No additional licensing is needed if you stick to the application’s usage. A license is needed if you use the tech outside the scope.
- Support on AWS: Oracle has recently clarified support for many of these apps in the multicloud. For example, they have documents stating PeopleSoft and JDE are supported on cloud infrastructure, including AWS. The condition is that you must use supported OS and database versions. Running these apps on AWS is quite common (PeopleSoft on AWS is also popular for HR and JDE). As long as you’re properly licensed for the apps and any required technology, Oracle supports it.
- Database options: If an application like PeopleSoft uses Oracle Database, typically, it doesn’t require fancy options like RAC or Partitioning for the app to function. If you decide to use RAC for high availability for these apps, you might need to buy the RAC license because that wouldn’t be included. Or if you partition some large PeopleSoft tables for performance, technically, the Partitioning option is a separate license (PeopleSoft license wouldn’t include that). So, consider any additional DB features beyond the app license’s base.
- Summary: Oracle’s major applications can be BYOL to AWS. Their license grants often include the needed Oracle technology as part of the deal (with usage restrictions). Always confirm the specifics in your contract – for instance, some older PeopleSoft agreements might not include Oracle DB rights, especially if you originally ran it on DB2 or SQL Server. If you switch to Oracle DB on AWS, you’d need to license that. But it’s likely covered if you already have Oracle DB for PeopleSoft as part of your migration. When in doubt, consult Oracle or a licensing expert with your specific agreements in hand.
Read Oracle on AWS Licensing FAQs 4 of 4.
30. Is Oracle Java (Java SE) licensing relevant on AWS?
You must know Oracle’s Java licensing changes if you use Oracle’s Java SE (the Oracle JDK/JRE) in AWS environments. While the question focuses on Oracle Database/Middleware, Java is an Oracle product too, so briefly:
- Oracle Java SE licensing: Oracle changed its Java SE licensing for commercial use. As of 2019, the Oracle JDK requires a paid subscription for production use (unless you use an open alternative like OpenJDK or AdoptOpenJDK). In 2023, Oracle moved to an employee-based metric for Java SE subscriptions. Suppose you deploy Oracle’s Java on AWS servers (for example, running a Java app on an EC2 instance using Oracle’s JDK). In that case, you are technically required to have a Java SE subscription or license from Oracle, just as you would on-prem. The cloud doesn’t exempt you.
- Alternatives: Many companies avoid this by using OpenJDK (AWS Corretto is an Amazon-provided OpenJDK distribution) instead of Oracle’s JDK. If you use AWS Lambda or other AWS services that run Java, they use OpenJDK by default, so no Oracle license is needed. However, if you explicitly install Oracle Java on an EC2 or use an AMI that includes Oracle Java, ensure you’re properly licensed or switch to a free Java.
- Oracle Middleware includes Java: Products like WebLogic come with a license to use the necessary Java as part of that product – you don’t need a separate Java SE license for the JVM running WebLogic; it’s included in WebLogic licensing. The Java SE concern concerns standalone Java usage, client PCs, etc.
- Oracle Linux on AWS: Similarly, Oracle Linux is free to use (like CentOS), but if you want Oracle’s support on AWS, you’d need an Oracle Linux Support subscription. Otherwise, you can run it without support. Running Oracle Linux doesn’t require a license per se; it’s just support. This is tangential, but some confuse it with Oracle product licensing.
