Re: Practice of using chopt to disable database options

On 15/11/13 14:31, Niall Litchfield wrote:

> ...however the disjunct that Norman and Peter refer is not
> helped by referring to the licensing guide. The licensing discussions in
> the doc have, as far as I can recall, always made the comment about
> ensuring that you are correctly licensed for what you *use* though it
> isn't always clear what *use* means.

I showed the Oracle auditors the very installation documents we had been using to install, which said "pay for what you use" and they said that they were the wrong docs. And off to the Web they did go!

> However what LMS tend to refer to and is the binding legal terms, which
> used to be called the Oracle Licensing and Services Agreement (OLSA)

That sounds familar ...

> and
> is now called the Oracle Master Agreement
> http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/contracts/oma/index.html .

This does not. However, changing the name of the official docs and saving it somewhere else on the web site isn't helping in my personal opinion. If there is to be a definitive licensing doc, it must be consitent, accurate, up to date and supplied with each and every product!

Again, that's just my own opinion, but I think I'm correct! :-)

> This
> document used to be periodically updated on the main Oracle website but
> it appears that the official version for those not examining their own
> contracts is the "Software Investment Guide"
> http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/pricing/sig-070616.pdf That is quite
> clear that Oracle software should be licensed for systems where the
> software is "installed and/or running".

Yes indeed, I was reading this one a while ago, and found those very terms. It's almost impossible to keep up with what the licenisng agreement *really* is - everyone you speak to has a differeing opinion, and as we know, opinions don't count in court!

For best results, I have found since being audited all those years ago, is to make sure you install the least amount of options that you need and make sure that your own licensing team are on the ball.

Failing that, there's always Firebird Database I suppose! :-)

Cheers,
Norm. (And now, back to the housework!)

-- 
Norman Dunbar
Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd

Registered address:
27a Lidget Hill
Pudsey
West Yorkshire
United Kingdom
LS28 7LG

Company Number: 05132767
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