A comprehensive ITAM guide to Oracle TimesTen Cache licensing—covering Processor and Named User Plus metrics, pricing, deployment compliance, common audit pitfalls, and cost optimisation strategies for enterprise IT asset managers.
Oracle TimesTen Application-Tier Database Cache is an in-memory relational database that caches a subset of Oracle Database data in the application tier. By keeping frequently accessed data in memory close to the application, it drastically reduces latency for read-write operations—benefiting high-throughput applications such as financial trading platforms, telecommunications systems, and real-time analytics that demand microsecond response times.
For global enterprises, TimesTen Cache can offload workload from the core Oracle Database and significantly improve scalability. However, from a licensing perspective, TimesTen Cache is not a free feature of Oracle Database Enterprise Edition (EE)—it is a separately licensed product option that must be explicitly purchased and factored into your IT asset management plans.
TimesTen Cache is included at no additional cost with Oracle Database Personal Edition (limited to single-user environments). However, in any enterprise setting using Oracle Database EE, TimesTen Cache is a premium add-on that requires separate licensing. It is not available for Standard Edition.
For an overview of all Oracle Database licensing models, see Six Oracle Database Licensing Models and Costs.
TimesTen Cache licensing mirrors Oracle Database EE licensing. This means the licence metric and quantity for TimesTen must match those of the underlying Oracle Database EE deployment it accelerates. Oracle offers two standard licensing models:
Count all processor cores on the servers where TimesTen Cache will be installed. Every core must be licensed. Oracle uses the same processor core factor calculations as it does for databases. For x86 cores, this is typically 1:1. This model is standard for large deployments or when user counts cannot be easily limited.
Count all unique individuals or devices that will access the TimesTen Cache. Oracle enforces a minimum of 25 Named User Plus per processor for TimesTen, consistent with its database licensing. This model can be cost-effective for smaller, well-defined user populations where the user count is low relative to server processing power.
You cannot mix metrics. If your Oracle Database EE is licensed by Processor, your TimesTen must also be licensed by Processor—and the quantity must match exactly. If you have 4 processors licensed for Oracle EE, you need 4 processors licensed for TimesTen. If you have 100 Named Users on Oracle EE, you must license at least 100 Named Users for TimesTen Cache. Any mismatch will be flagged as a licensing shortfall during an audit.
For more on Oracle's licensing metrics, see Understanding Oracle Licence Types. Read about DB Vault licensing in our Oracle Database Vault Licensing guide.
Oracle's Technology Global Price List sets out TimesTen Application-Tier Database Cache pricing. For the latest pricing data, see the Oracle Price List Guide.
| Criteria | Processor Licensing | Named User Plus (NUP) |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of Licensing | Per processor core on TimesTen servers | Per named user or device accessing TimesTen |
| Alignment with Oracle EE | Must match total processor count of Oracle EE deployment | Must match user count of Oracle EE (min 25 per core) |
| List Price (USD) | $23,000 per processor (+~22% yearly support) | $460 per Named User Plus (+~22% yearly support) |
| Annual Support | ~$5,060 per processor/year | ~$101 per NUP/year |
| Best For | Large-scale deployments, high throughput, broad or unknown user population | Smaller, controlled user bases where users can be counted |
| Example Cost | 4 processors = $92,000 licence + ~$20,240/yr support | 75 users = $34,500 licence + ~$7,590/yr support |
TimesTen Cache ($23,000/processor) is priced lower than the standalone TimesTen In-Memory Database ($47,500/processor) because the Cache option requires an existing Oracle Database EE licence. The standalone product does not require an Oracle DB licence but costs roughly double. Also remember that Oracle's 25-per-core NUP minimum means that on a 4-core server, the minimum NUP count is 100 (100 × $460 = $46,000), regardless of actual user count. These are list prices before enterprise discounts; large customers typically negotiate significant reductions. TimesTen is on par with other Oracle database options such as Oracle RAC or Oracle In-Memory in terms of price.
For more on Oracle support costs, see Oracle Support Fees Explained. Read about Diagnostics Pack licensing in our Oracle Diagnostic Pack and Tuning Pack Licensing guide.
Essential strategies for defending against Oracle licence audits covering database options, TimesTen, and all Oracle products.
TimesTen Application-Tier Database Cache requires a licensed Oracle Database Enterprise Edition as the data source. Oracle's rules stipulate that at least one cache group (table) in TimesTen must be linked to an Oracle DB table for the Cache licence to be valid. If you deploy TimesTen without caching Oracle data, you are technically using it as a standalone database and need the full TimesTen In-Memory Database licence ($47,500/processor) instead.
The Cache option is available for Oracle Database EE (including EE on Exadata) and is included with Personal Edition. It is not available for Standard Edition. Standard Edition customers who want TimesTen's capabilities must either upgrade to EE or purchase TimesTen as a separate standalone product. If an Oracle audit discovers TimesTen in use, they will expect to see an EE licence in place.
Any environment where TimesTen is installed and running—production, testing, QA, and development—must be licensed, unless you are using the free TimesTen Express Edition (XE). TimesTen XE is limited to 16 GB of memory on Linux and is not covered by Oracle Support. Enterprises may use TimesTen XE for prototyping, but production and full-scale testing require commercial licences. Oracle does not differentiate licences by environment—if the software is installed and not under a free licence category, it counts.
In a TimesTen Scaleout cluster, Oracle has stated that purely administrative or redundant components (management instances, ZooKeeper coordination servers) do not need to be licensed—only the cores running TimesTen data stores. Document these roles clearly in case of an audit to show why certain servers running TimesTen components were not licensed.
Cloud licensing mirrors on-premises rules (BYOL—Bring Your Own Licence). TimesTen is not currently available as a cloud-managed service; it runs on compute instances. In Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), vCPUs may count as half a processor licence for BYOL. Account for all vCPUs or user counts accordingly. For more on Oracle licensing in virtualised environments, see our dedicated guide.
Ensure that DR servers, standby servers, or test instances of TimesTen are licensed. Oracle's standard database policies permit some standby databases to be temporarily used without additional licences under certain conditions (e.g., the 10-day failover rule), but there is no explicit public rule for TimesTen Cache on standby environments. It is safer to include DR servers in your licence count or obtain written clarification from Oracle.
| Pitfall | Description | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Assuming It's "Free" | A common misconception that TimesTen Cache is included with Oracle Database EE. It is not—it requires a separate licence purchase. Many enterprises have been caught during audits deploying TimesTen without licences. | Critical |
| Metric Mismatches | Licensing Oracle DB by Processor but TimesTen by NUP (or vice versa), or licensing fewer TimesTen units than Oracle EE units. Oracle requires exact one-to-one metric and quantity alignment. | Critical |
| Unlicensed Pilot Deployments | Project teams install TimesTen for a pilot or performance test, then leave it deployed. Even if not heavily used, Oracle considers any active installation to require licensing. | High |
| Forgetting NUP Minimums | Oracle calculates the minimum NUP as 25 × number of processor cores. A server with 8 cores requires at least 200 NUP, even if you have only 50 actual users. | High |
| Standalone vs Cache Confusion | Using TimesTen without caching Oracle data requires the standalone TimesTen In-Memory Database licence ($47,500/processor), not the Cache option ($23,000/processor). Misclassification creates audit exposure. | High |
| Non-Production Oversight | Dev, test, QA, and DR environments running TimesTen require licences unless using the free XE edition. Enterprises frequently overlook non-production installations during licence inventories. | High |
Oracle's Licence Management Services (LMS) is aware that database options like TimesTen are frequently overlooked. During audits, they run scripts or questionnaires specifically designed to reveal TimesTen usage—checking whether TimesTen software or cache groups exist. Be prepared to provide proof of TimesTen licences if you are using it. Proactively audit your TimesTen usage internally just as you would your core database licences.
For comprehensive audit preparation, see our Oracle Audit Strategic Guide.
Choose the licensing metric that best fits your scenario. If you have a controlled user base (e.g., an internal application with 50 users), NUP licensing may be significantly cheaper than per-processor licensing. For thousands of users or internet-facing applications, Processor licensing may be the only practical choice. Revisit this periodically—if user counts grow, switching to Processor licences may become more cost-effective.
Deploy TimesTen only on servers and for applications that truly require ultra-low latency. Consolidate workloads—instead of running TimesTen on 10 separate application servers, run fewer, larger TimesTen instances serving multiple applications if your architecture permits. Each additional core adds $23,000 in licence costs.
The free TimesTen Express Edition (XE) supports up to 16 GB of memory on Linux. Use it for development and prototyping to avoid licensing non-production environments. Document clearly which environments use XE versus commercial TimesTen.
TimesTen licensing is often negotiated as part of a larger Oracle database deal, ULA, or enterprise agreement. Bundling TimesTen with other Oracle products can yield significant discounts from list price. See our guide on Oracle Contracts & Licensing Agreements.
If your organisation has or is considering an Oracle Unlimited Licence Agreement (ULA), verify whether TimesTen is included in the product list. A ULA can provide unlimited deployment rights during the term, eliminating per-unit cost pressure. If TimesTen is not included and you deploy it during a ULA thinking it is covered, you could face a surprise at ULA exit.
Consider whether your use case truly requires TimesTen or if a less costly caching approach could suffice. Oracle Database In-Memory ($23,000/processor) accelerates analytics inside the Oracle DB itself but targets query performance rather than transaction latency. Outside Oracle, technologies such as Redis, Apache Ignite, and Hazelcast can serve as distributed caches with different cost and licensing implications.
Remember that 22% annual support compounds every year. If you have legacy TimesTen licences no longer actively used, consider terminating support or repurposing those licences elsewhere. Oracle support costs can often be negotiated down for large bundles—negotiate a cap or discount on support increases as part of your contract. Ensure you are genuinely benefiting from TimesTen's performance; otherwise you are paying support for an idle product.
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