Re: Could Mark Townsend please comment on this question re: Standard Edition

From: DA Morgan <damorgan_at_psoug.org>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 09:15:18 -0700
Message-ID: <1160669715.45915@bubbleator.drizzle.com>

hpuxrac wrote:
> Mark Townsend wrote:

>> hpuxrac wrote:
>>> Charles Hooper wrote:
>>>> hpuxrac wrote:
>>>>> I just did an install of Oracle Standard Edition 10.2 on a linux centos
>>>>> 4.3 machine and created a database.
>>>>>
>>>>> I did acknowledge thru OEM that I was aware of the license requirements
>>>>> for the oracle packs ( configuration/diagnostic/tuning ).
>>>>>
>>>>> The database control comes up and yes indeed you can use the
>>>>> Performance tab, ADDM, etc on the standard edition database.
>>>>>
>> <Snip>
>>
>>>> I had the same experience with Oracle 10.2.0.2 Standard Edition on
>>>> Windows 2003 x64.  The first time you log in as SYSMAN, you are given
>>>> the chance to disable the performance tuning pack and other features
>>>> that should not be an option for Standard Edition licenses.
>> <Snip>
>>
>>> Thanks I wasn't aware of that wrinkle.
>>>
>>> At the present time it seems like the first thing you "are supposed to
>>> do" with Standard Edition and the database control is to "rely on
>>> someone" to turn off these features before they are used.
>>>
>>> If you turn them off from the database control I wonder if the grid
>>> control somewhere else can still access those features.  That would
>>> also probably be something that there's no way to be properly licensed.
>>>
>> Is there still an outstanding question here ?

>
> There were several. If you want a short recap here you go:
>
> 1) Why does oracle ship the product with the options packs installed
> configured and ready to use when in fact one can never license those
> packs?
>
> a) is that a bug and should it be reported as such to oracle support?
>
> b) if it is not a bug then why is it done like that?
>
> 2) Is the product properly designed so that it is fully functional
> without using any of the packs?
>
> 3) What are the implications for any people who use grid control and
> have a set of enterprise edition and standard edition databases that
> they need to manage/monitor/support?
>
> 4) Are there any potential legal implications for both oracle and
> oracle customers because oracle is shipping a product that has features
> enabled and ready to use that one cannot license?
>
> That's probably a good set of items to start with.

Good questions. While I am somewhat sympathetic to Mark's position I think Oracle's position, in a court of law, would be indefensible but, far more importantly, this is just plain counterproductive both in terms of customer relations and it is turning down a perfectly good source of revenue.

Mark ... if anyone inside Oracle is arguing that a customer is going to pay another $10K-20K/cpu to get EE just for the ability to pay still more for the use of these packs they've been spending way too much time in the sun. This really needs to go back to the drawing board. Great product ... lousy policy.

-- 
Daniel A. Morgan
University of Washington
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace x with u to respond)
Puget Sound Oracle Users Group
www.psoug.org

Received on Thu Oct 12 2006 - 11:15:18 CDT