Decoding WebLogic Licenses: Top 6 Compliance Risks

Oracle WebLogic licensing works as follows:

• Editions: There are four editions, Basic, Standard, Enterprise, and Suite, each with unique features and models.
• Licensing Model: Standard Edition is licensed per occupied CPU socket; Enterprise Edition and Suite are licensed per core factor.
• Cost:
  • Standard Edition: $10,000 per processor license.
  • Enterprise Edition: $25,000 per processor license.
  • Suite: $45,000 per processor license.
• Named User Plus Pricing: Also available, with specific user minimums per processor.

Oracle Weblogic Licensing Guide

Oracle WebLogic Server: Overview and Editions

Oracle WebLogic Server is available in three different editions, each catering to varying business needs. These editions include specific features and capabilities for application development and deployment scenarios.

Oracle also offers additional options, packs, and products to further enhance the functionalities of Oracle WebLogic Server. Here’s a breakdown of the three editions:

1. Standard Edition

Key Features:

• Core WebLogic Server: This includes the basic application server and essential tools like the Administration Console, Configuration Wizard, and Upgrade Framework.
• Development Tools: Oracle TopLink, Oracle Application Development Framework (ADF), Oracle JDeveloper, and Oracle Enterprise Pack for Eclipse.
• Java SE: Bundled with Java SE for running server applications.
• Messaging and Web: High-performance Java Messaging Service (JMS) and HTTP Pub-Sub Server.
• WebLogic Management: Oracle WebLogic Management Framework (available through Oracle Web Tier).
• Database Integration: Includes the WebLogic Software Kit for Oracle Database Appliance.

Use Case: It is suitable for applications that do not require clustering or advanced virtualization, making it ideal for smaller or standalone deployments.

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2. Enterprise Edition

Key Features:

• All Standard Edition Features: Inherits all the features of the Standard Edition.
• Clustering Support: Provides clustering, allowing multiple WebLogic servers to work together for load balancing and failover.
• Oracle Virtual Assembly Builder: Helps rapidly configure and provision applications on virtualized and cloud environments.
• Advanced Java SE includes Oracle Java SE Advanced with restrictions (Java SE is included for client applications accessing server components).
• Migration Features: Supports whole-server and service migration for high availability and better disaster recovery.

Use Case: Ideal for enterprises that need clustering and rapid deployment capabilities in cloud or virtual environments, providing more robustness and scalability than the Standard Edition.

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3. WebLogic Suite

Key Features:

• All Enterprise Edition Features: Includes all the functionalities of the Enterprise Edition.
• Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition: Adds advanced data caching and management capabilities, including fault tolerance, write-behind, transactions, and analytics.
• Application Management: It patches downtime for seamless updates and the Oracle Verrazzano Enterprise Container Platform for managing container-based applications.
• Management Tooling: Offers enhanced management tools like Oracle Enterprise Manager Pack for Oracle Coherence.
• Java SE Suite: Bundled with Oracle Java SE Suite for better performance and lower latency, especially with JRockit Real Time for applications running on WebLogic Server.
• Additional Products: Includes Oracle Forms, Reports, Portal, and other components of Oracle Internet Application Server Enterprise Edition.

Use Case: Best suited for large enterprises requiring sophisticated data management, container orchestration, and zero downtime maintenance for mission-critical applications.

Summary of Editions

Edition	Core Features	Additional Features
Standard	Core WebLogic server features, high-performance JMS, WebLogic JDBC drivers, and WebLogic Management Framework	Basic features suitable for smaller deployments without clustering or virtualization
Enterprise	All Standard features plus clustering support, Oracle Virtual Assembly Builder, whole-server migration, and advanced Java SE	Suitable for enterprises needing clustering, virtualization, and scalability
WebLogic Suite	All Enterprise features plus Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition, zero downtime patching, and Oracle Verrazzano	Ideal for large enterprises needing advanced data caching, container management, and full-featured application lifecycle management

Oracle WebLogic Server offers flexible options tailored to different deployment scenarios. It provides tools and features from basic application hosting to advanced enterprise-level services. Each edition adds new layers of functionality, allowing businesses to scale and optimize as needed.

Oracle Weblogic Server Editions Licensing

The licensing model for Oracle WebLogic Server differs depending on the edition you choose, each tailored to specific business needs:

• WebLogic Basic: This edition is not available for direct purchase. It is a restricted-use license bundled with certain Oracle products, offering limited functionality compared to other editions.
• Oracle WebLogic Standard Edition: This edition is licensed per occupied CPU socket and requires a minimum of 10 Named User Plus (NUP) licenses per processor. It provides a cost-effective solution for businesses that need basic WebLogic functionalities without extensive scalability.
• Oracle WebLogic Enterprise Edition and WebLogic Suite: Licensing for these editions is determined using Oracle’s core factor table. The cost is calculated based on the number of cores in your server, with each core weighted according to Oracle’s core factor. These editions offer advanced features, including clustering support and additional management tools, making them suitable for larger, more complex environments.

Oracle WebLogic License Models

• Oracle Full-Use Licensing is the most common license model. In this model, the end customer purchases licenses only for internal use.
• Oracle ISV license models include Prop Hosting, where you build a SaaS offering using Oracle WebLogic for external entities. Oracle ASFU is a license model in which the solution partner resells WLS with its solution.

Oracle Weblogic License Cost

When planning for Oracle WebLogic licensing, understanding the cost structure is crucial for budgeting and compliance.

Processor-Based Licensing:

• Oracle WebLogic Standard Edition: This edition costs $10,000 per processor license. It charges per occupied CPU socket without factoring in the number of cores.
• Oracle WebLogic Enterprise Edition: This edition costs $25,000 per processor license. The final licensing cost is determined using Oracle’s core factor table, which considers the number of processor cores.
• Oracle WebLogic Suite: The most comprehensive option, priced at $45,000 per processor license. Like the Enterprise Edition, it calculates licensing costs based on the number of cores using the Oracle core factor table.

Named User Plus (NUP) Licensing:

• Oracle WebLogic Standard Edition: Priced at $200 per user, with a minimum requirement of 10 users per processor.
• Oracle WebLogic Enterprise Edition: Costs $500 per user, with a minimum of 10 users per processor. According to Oracle’s core factor table, this also affects the number of cores.
• Oracle WebLogic Suite: The most premium option at $900 per user, with a minimum of 10 users per processor, also considering core factors.

Licensing Considerations for Additional Oracle WebLogic Server Features

Oracle WebLogic Server offers additional features and different licensing considerations across its editions. These licensing rules ensure you understand which features are included with your edition and which may require additional licenses.

Below is a breakdown of the main topics relevant to additional licensing features for Oracle WebLogic Server.

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WebLogic for Oracle Internet Application Server

Oracle WebLogic Server comes bundled with Oracle Internet Application Server (iAS). However, the licensing differs based on how the iAS is purchased:

• When licensed separately, Oracle WebLogic Server Basic is included, which provides a constrained license for limited use.
• An unrestricted Oracle WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition license is included when licensed as part of the WebLogic Suite. This means all limitations of WebLogic Server Basic are lifted, giving full access to the Enterprise Edition features.

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Management Features

Oracle WebLogic Server includes several management tools, and the licensing for these features is as follows:

• Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control is included in the Standard, Enterprise, and WebLogic Suite Editions.
• Administration Tools: All Oracle WebLogic Server editions offer unrestricted use of the WebLogic Server Administration Console, the WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST), and WebLogic JMX.
• Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control: This tool, supported by all editions (Standard, Enterprise, and Suite), offers integrated IT management, including cloud services.

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High Availability Features

Oracle WebLogic Server provides several high-availability tools and features for scalability and reliability. However, licensing considerations for these features vary depending on the edition:

• Standard Edition: Includes most high availability features but does not support clustering.
• Cluster Support: This feature is available only with Enterprise Edition and WebLogic Suite. Clustering provides failover, load balancing, and management of clustered servers.
• Multi Data Source: This feature is available across all editions and allows Oracle WebLogic Server to manage load balancing or failover across data sources.
• GridLink for RAC: Only available with WebLogic Suite or Exalogic Elastic Cloud Software.

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Cluster Support

Cluster support, included in the Enterprise Edition and WebLogic Suite, provides essential high-availability functionalities such as:

• Application Failover: Ensures that if one component fails, another can take over.
• Cluster Management: Allows centralized management and administration of multiple clustered WebLogic Server instances.
• Load Balancing: Distributes workload across the cluster to prevent overload on a single server.
• Service Migration: Ensures the availability of critical services like JMS and transaction recovery.

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High Availability Considerations for Middle-Tier Instances

Oracle WebLogic Server supports multiple high-availability models with specific licensing rules:

1. Backup: No additional licenses are required to store backup files of Oracle WebLogic Server data.
2. Failover (Active/Passive): In case of primary node failure, you can run WebLogic on an unlicensed secondary server for up to 10 days per year.
3. Remote Mirroring: If software is installed and/or run on both primary and secondary sites, Oracle WebLogic Server must be fully licensed on both.

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Database Integration

Oracle WebLogic Server integrates with Oracle Database through multi-data sources and GridLink for RAC:

• Multi Data Sources: Available in all editions, enabling load balancing and failover between multiple database connections.
• Active GridLink for RAC: Only available with WebLogic Suite, offering enhanced integration with Oracle Database Real Application Cluster (RAC).

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Summary of Oracle WebLogic Server Additional Features and Licensing

Feature	Included in Editions
Oracle Internet Application Server (iAS)	Basic use included with separate iAS license; unrestricted Enterprise Edition included with WebLogic Suite
Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control	Included in Standard, Enterprise, and WebLogic Suite
Administration Console and WLST	Unrestricted across all editions
Cluster Support	Available in Enterprise Edition and WebLogic Suite
Failover and Service Migration	Included in Enterprise Edition and WebLogic Suite
Active GridLink for RAC	Only included in WebLogic Suite or Exalogic
Backup/Failover Licensing	Backup requires no additional license; failover usage for ten days without a license; full license required beyond ten days or for continuous use on secondary sites.

What is Weblogic Basic?

• WebLogic Server Basic is a license-constrained version of WebLogic Server that is available in licenses for the following Oracle products: Oracle Internet Application Server Standard Edition, Oracle Forms and Reports, and Oracle Business Intelligence Standard Edition.
• Each edition of Oracle Internet Application Server and Oracle Forms and Reports enables the right to full use of the WebLogic Server Basic license.
• It is only for running components provided within these products, such as Forms, Reports, Discoverer, and Portal, and also for custom Java applications like those developed for Oracle Containers for J2EE.
• The WebLogic Server Basic license includes usage rights to the following features:
  • Core WebLogic application server
  • Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE)
  • WebLogic Server management tools, including the Administration Console and WebLogic Scripting Tool
  • WebLogic JDBC Drivers, WebLogic Server Clients, and WebLogic and Apache Web Server Plug-Ins
  • Basic JMS messaging, deployment, and high availability functionality
  • Transactional business logic with persistence with the support of JPA and EJB
  • Basic WebLogic Server clustering support, including load balancing, failover, and cluster management
• It has limitations on usage rights and is not applicable for products outside of Oracle Internet Application Server and Oracle Forms and Reports with licensing dependencies on any edition of Oracle Internet Application Server or Oracle Forms and Reports unless explicitly stated within their licensing documentation.

Products That Include WebLogic Basic

WebLogic Basic is a foundational version of Oracle WebLogic Server and includes several Oracle products.

While it is not available for standalone purchase, it provides critical Oracle middleware functionalities as part of the following Oracle offerings:

• Oracle Internet Application Server, Standard Edition:
  • WebLogic Basic is included in the Standard Edition of Oracle Internet Application Server (IAS), offering essential application server capabilities. This edition is designed for organizations needing basic middleware services without the advanced features available in higher editions.
• Oracle Internet Application Server Standard Edition One:
  • Similar to the Standard Edition, this version is tailored for smaller deployments, providing the necessary middleware infrastructure for less complex environments. WebLogic Basic supports core Java EE applications and ensures that even smaller setups can access reliable middleware services.
• Oracle Internet Application Server Enterprise Edition:
  • In the Enterprise Edition of Oracle IAS, WebLogic Basic is included to serve the needs of larger and more demanding environments. Although this edition offers broader features, WebLogic Basic provides the underlying middleware support for critical applications.
• Oracle Forms and Reports:
  • WebLogic Basic is embedded within Oracle Forms and Reports, enabling the development and deployment of forms-based applications and reports. It offers the middleware backbone required to run Oracle Forms applications and generate complex reports effectively.
• Oracle Business Intelligence Standard Edition:
  • WebLogic Basic supports BI applications as part of Oracle’s Business Intelligence (BI) Standard Edition. It handles the middleware tasks necessary for data integration, reporting, and analysis, ensuring business intelligence tools operate smoothly.

Usage and Licensing Considerations

WebLogic Basic is restricted to use within the context of the Oracle products it accompanies. It is designed to support the specific applications in these packages and is not intended for broader, standalone deployment.

Oracle Internet Application Server Licensing

Oracle Internet Application Server (IAS) is available in multiple editions, each tailored to different deployment needs and licensed according to the specific installation type.

Here’s an overview of the key aspects of Oracle IAS licensing:

• Editions and Licensing Models:
  • Standard Edition: Licensed based on the number of processor sockets, the Standard Edition provides essential middleware capabilities but does not include Oracle Forms, Reports, or Discoverer. If needed, these components must be licensed separately.
  • Enterprise Edition: This edition is licensed based on Oracle’s core factor table, which considers the number of processor cores. It includes additional features and advanced functionalities, making it suitable for more complex enterprise environments.
• Licensing for Stand-Alone Components: Certain stand-alone components within Oracle IAS, such as Oracle Forms and Reports, require separate licenses. This ensures that organizations can customize their licensing to match their specific application requirements.
• Upgrade and Migration to WebLogic: Organizations with IAS licenses can upgrade or migrate to Oracle WebLogic products at no additional cost. This provides a pathway to more advanced and scalable middleware solutions, allowing for future growth and enhanced performance without incurring extra licensing expenses.

What is Oracle WebLogic Standard Edition

Oracle WebLogic Server Standard Edition is a comprehensive middleware solution designed for enterprises that require a reliable and scalable platform for developing, deploying, and managing applications.

It provides a solid foundation with essential tools and features to support various enterprise applications.

Here’s what Oracle WebLogic Server Standard Edition includes:

• Core WebLogic Application Server: This serves as the Standard Edition’s backbone, offering robust application deployment and management capabilities. Key features include the Administration Console, Configuration Wizard, and Upgrade Framework, all of which simplify the management and maintenance of WebLogic environments.
• Oracle TopLink and Application Development Framework: These tools provide powerful options for building enterprise applications. Oracle TopLink facilitates advanced object-relational mapping, while the Application Development Framework (ADF) streamlines the development process, enhancing productivity and reducing time to market.
• Oracle JDeveloper: This integrated development environment (IDE) supports the entire development lifecycle, offering tools for coding, testing, debugging, and deployment. It is tightly integrated with WebLogic, making developing and deploying Java-based applications easier.
• Oracle Enterprise Pack for Eclipse: Oracle provides this pack for developers who prefer Eclipse. It includes plugins and extensions that enhance Eclipse’s capabilities for building and deploying WebLogic applications.
• Oracle Security Developer Tools: These tools help developers incorporate security features into their applications, ensuring that security is integral to the development process.
• Java SE: The Standard Edition includes Java SE, essential for running Java applications on the WebLogic platform. It ensures compatibility and performance across various environments.
• Oracle Web Tier: This component handles the web server functions, enabling efficient traffic management and ensuring high availability and performance for web applications.
• Oracle Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control provides comprehensive management capabilities for middleware components. It allows administrators to monitor and manage WebLogic Server instances and other middleware components from a centralized console.
• Oracle WebLogic Software Kit for Oracle Database Appliance: This kit includes tools and configurations specifically designed to optimize the performance of WebLogic Server on Oracle Database Appliances, ensuring seamless integration and enhanced performance.

Licensing Model:

• Processor Socket-Based Licensing: Oracle WebLogic Standard Edition is licensed based on the number of occupied processor sockets, making it a straightforward and predictable model. This allows organizations to align their licensing costs with hardware investments, ensuring cost efficiency.

What is Oracle Weblogic Enterprise Edition

Oracle WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition is a robust, feature-rich middleware platform designed for enterprise-level applications that require enhanced performance, scalability, and management capabilities.

It builds upon the foundation provided by the Standard Edition, offering additional tools and functionalities to support more complex environments.

Here’s what’s included in Oracle WebLogic Enterprise Edition:

• All Standard Edition Features: The Enterprise Edition includes everything available in the Standard Edition, ensuring a strong baseline of features such as basic management tools, application development frameworks, and core WebLogic Server functionalities.
• Advanced Clustering Support: This edition provides advanced clustering capabilities, enabling high availability, load balancing, and failover support. This is crucial for maintaining service continuity and reliability in large-scale, mission-critical applications.
• Oracle Virtual Assembly Builder: This tool allows for rapidly creating and deploying multi-tier applications in virtualized environments. It streamlines the process of packaging and deploying applications, making it easier to manage complex, distributed systems.
• Oracle Java SE Advanced: The Enterprise Edition includes Oracle Java SE Advanced but is restricted to Oracle WebLogic Server. This ensures the Java components are optimized and fully supported for enterprise application development and deployment within WebLogic environments.
• Java SE for Client Applications: The Enterprise Edition also includes Java SE components for client applications that interact with the server, ensuring seamless communication and performance across the application stack.

Licensing Model:

• Core-Based Licensing: Oracle WebLogic Enterprise Edition is licensed based on the number of cores in the server. Oracle’s core factor table determines the appropriate licensing requirements. This approach aligns licensing costs with the server’s processing capacity, ensuring that enterprises pay for the resources they use.

What is Oracle Weblogic Suite?

Oracle WebLogic Suite is a comprehensive, powerful middleware solution for enterprise-level applications.

It includes all the advanced features of the Oracle WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition and additional tools and capabilities that enhance performance, scalability, and management.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s included:

• Full Enterprise Edition Functionality: Oracle WebLogic Suite encompasses all the features of the WebLogic Enterprise Edition, providing a robust foundation for running complex applications.
• Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition: This feature adds in-memory data grid capabilities, enabling high availability, scalability, and low-latency data access across distributed systems.
• Oracle Forms, Reports, and Portal: These tools support the development and deployment of web applications, providing a complete solution for building, managing, and running enterprise applications.
• Oracle Enterprise Manager Pack for Oracle Coherence: This pack offers advanced monitoring and management tools specifically designed for Oracle Coherence environments. It ensures optimal performance and easier administration.
• Oracle Verrazzano Enterprise Edition is a modern enterprise container management platform that allows containerized applications to be deployed and managed across on-premises and cloud environments.
• Oracle Java SE Suite: This suite is restricted to WebLogic Server, Oracle Containers for J2EE, and Coherence. It includes the necessary Java SE components to support these environments and allows client applications to access the server components efficiently.
• WebLogic Server Zero Downtime Patching: This feature ensures that updates and patches can be applied without any service interruption, maintaining the application’s continuous availability.

Licensing Considerations:

• Core-Based Licensing: Oracle WebLogic Suite is licensed per core, using the core factor table to calculate the required licenses based on the server’s physical cores. This model ensures that licensing costs are aligned with the server’s processing power.
• Oracle SOA prerequisite: To deploy the Oracle SOA Suite, you must have a WebLogic Suite license. This prerequisite ensures that the underlying infrastructure is fully supported and optimized for SOA implementations.

What are the differences between Weblogic SE and Enterprise?

Understanding the distinctions between Oracle WebLogic Standard Edition (SE) and Enterprise Edition (EE) is crucial for selecting the right edition for your organization’s needs. Here are the primary differences:

• Clustering Functionality:
  • WebLogic Standard Edition: This edition does not include clustering capabilities. Applications running on WebLogic SE cannot leverage clustering for scalability, load balancing, or failover, limiting its use in high-availability environments.
  • WebLogic Enterprise Edition: Provides advanced clustering support, enabling the deployment of applications across multiple server instances. This enhances performance, ensures high availability, and supports load balancing and failover, making it suitable for enterprise-level applications that demand reliability and scalability.
• OEM Diagnostic Pack for Oracle Middleware:
  • WebLogic Standard Edition does not support the Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) Diagnostic Pack for Middleware, which limits the ability to perform deep diagnostics, monitor, and manage the middleware environment.
  • WebLogic Enterprise Edition supports the OEM Diagnostic Pack for Middleware, which offers enhanced monitoring, diagnostics, and performance management capabilities. This is essential for organizations that require detailed insights and proactive management of their middleware infrastructure.
• Additional Licensable Features:
  • WebLogic Standard Edition does not support advanced features such as Oracle Coherence and WebLogic Management Pack, which are critical for certain enterprise applications.
  • WebLogic Enterprise Edition: Supports additional licensable features, including Oracle Coherence (a distributed cache solution) and WebLogic Management Pack, which provides advanced management tools. These features are indispensable for managing large, distributed systems and optimizing application performance across an enterprise environment.
• Oracle Java SE Advanced:
  • WebLogic Standard Edition: This does not include Oracle Java SE Advanced, which limits the Java-related capabilities and tools available for application development and deployment.
  • WebLogic Enterprise Edition: It comes with Oracle Java SE Advanced for servers and clients, offering extended Java features such as advanced monitoring, diagnostics, and management capabilities. This is particularly beneficial for organizations that rely heavily on Java-based applications and require enhanced Java performance and security features.

Oracle Weblogic Suite Licensing

Core-Based Licensing Model

Oracle WebLogic Suite is licensed using a core-based model, which is more complex than standard per-processor licensing. This model requires organizations to account for all physical cores in the servers where WebLogic Suite is deployed. Here’s how it works:

1. Counting Physical Cores:
   • Identify the number of physical cores in each server where Oracle WebLogic Suite is installed.
   • For instance, if you have a server with 16 physical cores, you will begin by counting all 16 cores.
2. Applying the Oracle Core Factor:
   • Oracle uses a Core Factor Table that assigns a specific multiplier to different types of processors. This multiplier adjusts the required licenses based on the processor’s performance capabilities.
   • For example, if your server’s processor has a core factor of 0.5, you would multiply the 16 physical cores by 0.5, requiring 8 Oracle processor licenses.
3. Calculating the Total Licenses Required:
   • The final number of licenses is determined by multiplying the number of physical cores by the core factor. Continuing the previous example, 16 physical cores multiplied by a 0.5 core factor equals eight licenses.

This approach ensures that the licensing costs are proportionate to the computing power utilized, aligning costs with the servers’ actual performance and capacity.

Named User Plus (NUP) Licensing in WebLogic Suite

In addition to core-based licensing, Oracle offers a Named User Plus (NUP) licensing option for WebLogic Suite. This model is based on the number of users or devices accessing the software.

Here’s how NUP licensing works:

1. Minimum User Requirement:
   • Oracle requires that a minimum of ten Named User Plus licenses be purchased for each processor license, regardless of the number of users.
   • For example, if your deployment requires eight processor licenses (as calculated above), you must purchase at least 80 NUP licenses (10 NUPs per processor license).
2. User Counting:
   • Count all distinct users or devices that will access the WebLogic Suite. This includes human users and automated devices such as servers or applications that interact with WebLogic.
   • It’s important to note that every individual user and device must be licensed under NUP to ensure comprehensive coverage.
3. Ensuring Compliance:
   • Organizations ensure compliance with Oracle’s licensing policies by adhering to the minimum user requirement and accurately counting users and devices. This reduces the risk of under-licensing, which can lead to penalties during audits.

Practical Example of WebLogic Suite Licensing:

Imagine a company that deploys Oracle WebLogic Suite on a server with 32 physical cores and uses Intel processors with a core factor of 0.5:

The total licensing cost for this deployment would be $864,000.

Step 1: Calculate Processor Licenses

32 cores x 0.5 core factor = 16 processor licenses.

Step 2: Calculate Named User Plus Licenses

With 16 processor licenses, the minimum number of NUP licenses required would be 160 (10 NUP licenses per processor).

Step 3: Apply the Costs

If each processor license costs $45,000, the total cost for processor licenses would be $720,000 (16 x $45,000).

If each NUP license costs $900, the total cost would be $144,000 (160 x $900).

Final Licensing Costs

The total licensing cost for this deployment would be $864,000.

Components of Oracle WebLogic Suite vs. Oracle WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition

When comparing Oracle WebLogic Suite with Oracle WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition, it’s important to understand each edition’s specific components and features.

These components define each product’s capabilities and potential use cases, helping organizations choose the edition that best meets their needs.

Oracle WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition

Oracle WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition includes the following key components:

• Core WebLogic Application Server:
  • Provides the fundamental environment for developing, deploying, and managing enterprise Java applications.
  • Supports Java EE (Enterprise Edition) for building scalable, transactional, and multi-tier applications.
• Clustering Support:
  • Enables application scalability and high availability by deploying applications across multiple server instances.
  • Provides load balancing and failover capabilities to ensure continuous availability of services.
• Oracle Virtual Assembly Builder:
  • Facilitates creating and deploying multi-tier applications as assemblies, enabling rapid provisioning in virtualized environments.
  • Supports the deployment of application components in Oracle VM and other cloud environments.
• Oracle Java SE Advanced (restricted for Oracle WebLogic Server):
  • Includes advanced features for Java SE, such as monitoring, diagnostics, and security tools.
  • Restricted usage specifically for WebLogic Server environments, enhancing Java application performance and management.
• Support for WebLogic Management Pack:
  • Offers tools for managing WebLogic domains, including monitoring and diagnostics, ensuring the efficient operation of WebLogic environments.
  • Enables automation of routine administrative tasks, improving the manageability of large-scale deployments.

Oracle WebLogic Suite

Oracle WebLogic Suite builds upon the features of the Enterprise Edition, adding a range of advanced components and capabilities:

• All Features of WebLogic Enterprise Edition:
  • Oracle WebLogic Suite includes everything in WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition, ensuring full compatibility and an upgrade path for organizations needing more advanced features.
• Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition:
  • Provides an in-memory data grid solution for distributed caching, enabling high-performance, fault-tolerant data management.
  • Enhances application scalability and responsiveness by reducing the database load and improving data access times.
• Oracle Forms, Reports, and Portal:
  • Legacy components for building, managing, and deploying Oracle Forms and Reports applications.
  • Supports Oracle Portal, enabling the creation and management of web portals that integrate enterprise applications and content.
• Oracle Enterprise Manager Pack for Oracle Coherence:
  • Integrates with Oracle Enterprise Manager to offer comprehensive monitoring and management of Oracle Coherence clusters.
  • Provides detailed insights into Coherence nodes, caches, and services, facilitating efficient management of large-scale Coherence deployments.
• Oracle Verrazzano Enterprise Edition:
  • A container platform that helps manage and deploy containerized applications in Kubernetes environments.
  • Supports multi-cloud and hybrid cloud strategies, enabling modern application development and deployment practices.
• Oracle Java SE Suite (restricted for WebLogic Server, Oracle Containers for J2EE, and Coherence):
  • Includes all the features of Oracle Java SE Advanced but with broader usage rights across WebLogic Server, Oracle Containers for J2EE, and Oracle Coherence.
  • Provides enhanced Java capabilities for both server-side and client-side applications, ensuring robust and secure Java application environments.
• Oracle WebLogic Server Zero Downtime Patching:
  • Facilitates the application of patches without requiring server downtime, ensuring continuous application availability.
  • Critical for mission-critical applications where downtime can result in significant business impact.

Summary of Differences

• WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition focuses on providing a robust Java EE application server with clustering, advanced Java capabilities, and management tools suitable for large enterprises that require scalable and highly available environments.
• WebLogic Suite extends these capabilities with advanced in-memory data management through Oracle Coherence, legacy application support with Oracle Forms and Reports, modern container platform support with Oracle Verrazzano, and zero-downtime patching. It is ideal for organizations with complex, multi-faceted middleware needs looking for comprehensive solutions that integrate modern and legacy technologies.

Six Most Common Weblogic License Compliance Issues

Some of the most common Weblogic compliance issues:

• Oracle customers use Cluster support that would trigger Enterprise Licenses but are only licensed for WebLogic Standard Edition.
• Oracle customers use Oracle WebLogic Basic (a restricted-use license part of other Oracle products) beyond their license grants.
• Oracle customers miscalculate Oracle licensing on core factors or licensing minimums.
• Customers who have installed the wrong version of Oracle WebLogic and then need to license a more expensive version
• Oracle WLS editions include Java SE Advanced licenses, but Java can only run WLS-based applications, not third-party Java applications.
• Compliance issues often arise if you have included Weblogic in your Oracle ULA.

Manual check for Oracle WebLogic Licensing

To check the installed version of WebLogic and its licensable components:

1. Locate Install Directory:
   • Typically, WebLogic is installed in a directory named Oracle_Home or similar.
   • Within this directory, navigate to the wlserver folder.
2. Version Check:
   • Inside wlserver, locate a file named registry.xml or version.txt.
   • Open this file to find the installed version of WebLogic.
3. Checking Licensable Components:
   • Examine the inventory directory, often found at the root of Oracle_Home.
   • Within inventory, the Components folder or an oraInst.loc file can provide details on installed licensable components.

In the inventory or Components folder, or the oraInst.loc file, look for:

• Component Entries: A list of installed components with their respective versions.
• Specific Files: XML or text files detailing the components installed in the WebLogic suite.
• Unique Identifiers: Each component will have an identifier to help determine which features are part of the WebLogic installation.

FAQ on Oracle WebLogic Server Editions and Licensing

What are the four different Oracle WebLogic Server editions?

WebLogic Basic, Weblogic Standard Edition, Weblogic Enterprise Edition, Weblogic Suite

How is WebLogic Basic licensed?

WebLogic Basic is not available on the Oracle price list. It is included in Oracle products like Oracle Internet Application Server and Oracle Forms and Reports.

How do I determine if we are using WLS basic or a WLS edition that requires a license?

The easy way is to analyze Oracle LMS Scripts; the hard way is to make a checklist with your IT operations to determine how you use WLS and which features are used. This is unreliable as IT operations are often unaware of all components being utilized.

How is WebLogic Standard Edition licensed?

WebLogic Standard Edition is licensed per occupied CPU socket, with a minimum of 10 user licenses per processor.

How is WebLogic Enterprise Edition licensed?

WebLogic Enterprise Edition is licensed per core factor and includes advanced clustering support.

Can I bring my Weblogic licenses to Microsoft Azure?

You can bring it to Azure, use it in the public cloud, and calculate the required licenses per instance using the Oracle cloud licensing policy. However, you should review your licensing terms to ensure you have the necessary licensing rights.

Can I bring my Weblogic licenses to AWS?

Yes, you can either bring your Oracle WebLogic to AWS EC2 or you can use it on AWS RDS (BYOL)

How is WebLogic Suite licensed?

WebLogic Suite is also licensed per core factor. It includes features such as Oracle Coherence Enterprise Edition, Oracle Forms, Reports, and Portal, Oracle Enterprise Manager Pack for Oracle Coherence, Oracle Verrazzano Enterprise Edition, and Oracle Java SE Suite.

What are the most common Oracle WebLogic license compliance issues?

Using Cluster support without the appropriate license
Using Oracle WebLogic Basic beyond their license grants
Mis-calculating Oracle licensing on core factors or licensing minimums
Installing the wrong version of Oracle WebLogic and needing to license a more expensive version
Using Java SE Advanced licenses for non-WLS-based applications

What about BEA Licenses?

If you own BEA licenses, you can use some Weblogic products. Please read our article on how to license BEA Weblogix.

How to license Oracle WebLogic on VMWare?

Oracle WebLogic licensing on VMware follows the same rules and policies as databases and other technology products. For more information, please read our detailed guide on this topic.

How to license Oracle WebLogic on Hyper-V ?

Oracle has defined Hyper-V as soft partitioning, meaning you must license all physical hosts in the cluster.

What are the Oracle Weblogic license differences?

• WebLogic SE is licensed per occupied socket.
• WebLogic EE is licensed per core and uses the Oracle core factor table.

Can you Upgrade from WLS Standard to Enterprise Edition?

You can upgrade Oracle WebLogic Standard Edition licenses to WLS Enterprise and Enterprise to WebLogic Suite.

Read about our Oracle License Management Services.

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