Re: question about product license and support

From: Hans Forbrich <forbrich_at_yahoo.net>
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2004 16:18:55 GMT
Message-ID: <PbOQc.58498$T_6.14566@edtnps89>

Following provides some definitions to help keep these things clear. Since you need to know about "Product Edition" (and "Option"), "Pricing", "Software", "Version", "License", "Support" I discuss each separately.

Disclaimer - while I was an Oracle employee, I am now an independant contractor, specializing in "license optimization". I do NOT speak for Oracle! While the final answer legally MUST lie with Oracle, you can use the following to start your discussions.

Edition (= feature set)
Details of the contents of editions are in Oracle's documents and on their web site. Options may be added (usually added license) to specific editions to provide aditional features.

A summary for both database and app servers follows ...

For Database:
.............
- Personal Edition as the same capability & feature set as Enterprise
Edition since it is intended for a developer to create Enterprise applications

Standard Edition One is virtually the same as Standard Edition, but limited to machines capable of 1 or 2 CPU
Standard Edition is a subset of Enterprise Edition, mainly with 'High Availability' capabilities turned off as it is primarily intended for a 24x6 or less workgroup or small company that would have maintenance windows. Limited to machines capable of 1-4 CPU. (In other words, not legally purchased for an 8 CPU server frame, even if only 2 CPUs are installed.)
Enterprise Edition is designed for corporations that have defined scalability and/or availability needs - 24x7x364.99 with x'000 users. Has additional features and _options_ to support those needs.

Oracle has a large number of support files, and most of these are common across all editions. In terms of what's on the disk, there are almost negligible differences between the editions. As a result, it's quite efficient for Oracle to put all editions on the same CDs (or download) and separate the few differences at install time.

(Note that Oracle's Standard Edition has a lot of the features that SQLServer Enterprise Edition provides. In many cases people misinterpret Oracle as being 'expensive' because they compare SQLServer Enterprise and Oracle Enterprise pricing, assuming they are similar.)

There are a lot of additional capabilities included with the database at not additional license charge. Look at http://oraclestore.oracle.com to see the list of options. Any feature not listed as an option (such as the job scheduler, management console/control, message queue, workflow, etc.) is generally included in the price.

The Oracle Database 'New Features' doc lists the options and features and ther definitions. The overview is at
http://www.oracle.com/database/product_editions.html

For Application Server:

.......................

- Java Edition is the HTTP server, J2EE Container (OC4J), TopLink,
JDeveloper and other basic items ;

Standard Edition adds Portal, Single Sign-On and CMSDK plus option Identity Management;
Enterprise Edition adds Web Cache, full LDAP (OiD), standard Certificate Authority, end-user tools such as Reports, Forms and ad-hoc Query, realtime personalization engine and wireless/alternate device conectivity

http://www.oracle.com/appserver/index.html?pkgsum.html

2) Pricing

Oracle separately sells: Software; Licenses; Support. Software and Support are linked back to a specific License. These are all explained below.

You obtain licenses. You then obtain software for those licenses, and the software MUST be linked to one or more licenses. For non-developement and non-trial licenses, you can optionally buy two levels of Support linked back to a specific license.

Your first stop should be the Oracle Store at http://oraclestore.oracle.com to get the MSRP (aanufaturer's Suggested Retail Price). Then contact a local (field) sales rep, a telesales rep or an Oracle Partner to negtiate the actual price.

3) Software

In most cases the software is virtually free - you pay for media and S&H either as a CD Pack or OTN TechTrack (cash for the media) or OTN download (cash to your ISP).

For production, you probably want to get a CD Pack, which contains the software you want to license and a whole lot more. (CDs are real cheap to publish, and it's to the distributer's financial advantage to have a package containing 20 CDs even if you only use 4 as compared to setting up a stock picker to select the right 4 from 20, verify, custom box and ship, and probably still make the occasional mistake.)

Note this definition does NOT include patches.

4) _Version_

Versions are the assembly of specific feature sets to a specific point in time.

These are certified for specific operating system and hardware chip set combinations.

The current major versions are branded as Oracle Server 7, Oracle8, Oracle8i, Oracle9i and Oracle10g. (Branding is a marketing tactic and is not necesarily tied to the actual version number.)

Oracle reserves the right to discontinue specific versions and eliminate their support and infrastructure costs related to discontinued versions. This is known as the terminal release and is identified by h/w and OS. The terminal releases are (roughly)

Oracle Server 7 = 7.3.4
Oracle8 = 8.0.6
Oracle8i = 8.1.7.4
Oracle9i Database = 9.2.0.5
Oracle10g (undefined)

Version numbering can be confusing, but is key to what you have.

Before Oracle9i Release 2, the versions were numbered:

version.feat_release.maint_release.generic_patch.platform_patch

As of Oracle9i Release 2, the version numbers are:

major_db_release.db_main_rel.app_server_rel.component_rel.platform_rel

Both variants are expplained in more detail in the DB Administrator's Guide for each version, found at http://docs.oracle.com

Oracle will only deliver the latest version in a CD pack. You pretty much need a Support/Update agreement to get older versions if you are lucky).

5) Licenses:
...........

These are the legal Right To Use agreements. Oracle provides several classes of these: Developer Licenses (before deployment), Trial Licenses (30 day test deployment), CPU-based (unlimited users in deployment), Named User Plus (per named person or device).

Oracle used to have quite a few different license agreements, and each was pretty unique. Now-a-days, the primary differences are the 4 classes _CPU_, _Named_User_Plus_, _Trial_ and _Developer_ and a negotiated price on the first two.

You MUST have a license to purchase or download software and to purchase support.

CPU and Named User Plus are generaly available perpetually (forever) or for a term. A few gotchas on Named User Plus:

NUP is for any end-user, person or _device_ , that can access the database or application server no matter how many multiplexers/concentrators/application_servers/etc. are involved, concurrent or not, unique userid or not.
NUP always has a 'minimum per CPU' count, such as the database Standard Edition 'minimum 5 per CPU', so if you are putting this on a dual CPU machine, you need 10 NUP. FOr some licenses NUP has a minimum of 1.

_Developer_ and _Trial_ are currently free but are 'time limited' - Seveloper "until you release the software into production" and Trial "for 30 days in any environment, including production".

Since s/w is independant of license, there are no time bombs or limits with any license.

All Oracle license monitoring is 'on your honor'. When you sign up for a license, you agree to self-audit and generally you agree to permit Oracle onsite audit.

Read your license agreement carefully (get your lawyer involved) as this is the basis of your contract!

6) Support

This has two variants: Maintenance and Update.

_Maintenance_ allows you to get phone and internet based support and access Metalink. Metalink is the online knowledge base, the place to get patches, and the usual place to request support for anything less than panic issues.

Oracle does NOT [appear to] have a per-incident or time-based charge mechanism. For the technology stuff (database, app server, devel tools) I only am aware of unlimited access.

For Severity 1 ('panic ... I'm down') Oracle will provide 24x7 assistance until you give up. (This means YOU must be prepared to be there 24x7 as well.) Terms, conditions and definitions for Sev 1 are pretty well documented.

_Update_ is built on top of Maintenance (and requires a valid Maintenance agreement) and provides unlimited software (patch and free replacement CD Pack) for the duration of the agreement.

Maintenance and Update are each:
- priced at a percentage of the License being supported

are renewed anually for each license

You open a TAR to make use of either Support capability. Received on Fri Aug 06 2004 - 11:18:55 CDT