Re: Re Oracle Licensing

Thanks to all who replied. No thanks to Oracle for forcing me to read the license document again..... :(

Standard Edition: 2 CPUs per machine, 8 threads per CPU, as far as I am aware

Until that review what I recall is I am licensed to run on a maximum number of CPU's per machine with a maximum number of threads. There is nothing about installs and for many years/decades the definition of running a server was an open database.

> A standby database ( and dev databases) has always* been licensable, and in the same way as the primary.

No, this is not true. Before 2000 no one, or very few, ran a hot standby, the hardware was too expensive. In 2001 I set up a hot standby for a 2 node RAC (OPS as it was called then) with Oracle's help. It was explicitly stated in the standard Oracle 8 documentation (Backup and Recovery manual :) that a hot standby did not require a license until it was opened. Since the only time it would open is if production goes down, the production license can be used.

>
> I suspect this comes from the wording of the docs when Active Data Guard arrived
>

Nothing to do with it. No-one trusted RMAN or Data Guard when it arrived. Now somewhere around that time came READ ONLY standbys and standbys you could open and close and open again. Around that time came the up to 10 day usage rule. And I guess a whole bunch of confusion. Typical Oracle.

Now I agree the above need to be licensed, but my hot standby never leaves mount state. I don't need the 10 day rule. It is never usable while production is running.

> The "policies" are explicitly non-contractual and may be revoked or changed by Oracle at any time. However, there is probably a good legal argument that you relied on them for guidance.

Yeah, I would agree. Problem is I am not qualified to assess the risk. Thats for legal. Of course explaining the practicalities of licensing in an operations environment to legal is my job :(

No wonder I have not recommended Oracle to my clients for the past six years.

Anyway thanks to all for your help and input

Dave

-- 
Dave Morgan
Senior Consultant, 1001111 Alberta Limited
dave.morgan_at_1001111.com
403 399 2442
--
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l