Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find the latest news and information for Oracle Database Cloud Services?

For an overview of the Oracle Database Cloud Services, pricing information, videos, documentation and much more, visit:

cloud.oracle.com/database.

Which Oracle Database Cloud Service is right for me?

Oracle Cloud offers a range of database services for different customer profiles and use cases. These services start with entry-level fully managed cloud services such as Schema Service and Oracle Database Exadata Express Cloud Service.

Higher-end cloud services that provide full-instance Oracle Databases running in elastic virtual machines, on Oracle Bare Metal Cloud, and on Exadata also are available. In addition, Oracle Cloud offers NoSQL databases. For more information on Oracle’s comprehensive cloud database portfolio, visit cloud.oracle.com/database.

Note:

As of the release of Oracle Database Exadata Express Cloud Service, in September 2016, customers considering standalone Schema Service should purchase Exadata Express instead. Exadata Express is a similar fully managed service that provides important added functionality at a similar entry-level price.

Who is the Schema Service offering right for?

This offering is well suited to Oracle Application Express developers who wish to develop or deploy Oracle Application Express applications in one schema or access data in their schema using RESTful Web services.

How do customers access data in Schema Service?

You can access data in your service in multiple ways, including:

From an Oracle Application Express application running in Schema Service
From a Java application running in an Oracle Java Cloud Service - SaaS Extension
Through RESTful Web services

Where can I find the pricing for Oracle Database Cloud Services?

Pricing is published on cloud.oracle.com in the Pricing tab.

See cloud.oracle.com/database.

How do customers load data into Schema Service?

You can load data into this service using Oracle SQL Developer, allowing users to quickly identify and transfer data from external data sources. Data can also be loaded with various data import methods supported by Oracle Application Express that allow importing data from text, XML, or CSV files.

For more information about data import into this service, see Import Data.

Can customers run existing applications outside Schema Service and access the data through Oracle SQL*Net?

No. This service cannot be accessed using SQL*Net network protocol. For customers interested in using Oracle SQL*Net for service access, Oracle recommends the Oracle Database Exadata Express Cloud Service, which does support this type of access.

How is storage allocated for Schema Service?

For Schema Service, the database storage is limited to 5GB, 20GB or 50GB depending on which level of service you sign up for. Upgrading to a higher level of maximum storage is possible by purchasing the corresponding subscription.

How are users defined for Schema Service?

Users of this service are defined in the Traditional Cloud Identity Management system through the Oracle Cloud Portal.

Can additional software be loaded into Schema Service?

No. You cannot load additional software into this service.

Can customers move applications and data from one Schema Service to another?

Yes, you can export your data and scripts (DDL) from this service and import them into any other on-premise Oracle Database (11g Release 2 or 12c) or Schema Service to reproduce your data structures, applications, and RESTful Web Services.

In addition, Oracle Application Express application metadata can be exported and imported using Oracle Application Express application administration functions. For more information about data import into Schema Service, see Import Data

Is it possible to setup an Oracle Wallet for Schema Service?

No. It is not possible to setup individual SSL certificates or Oracle Wallets for a specific custom domain with this service. However, this service is attached to an Oracle Wallet with over 50 common certificates.

What Oracle Database release is Schema Service running?

Schema Service runs Oracle Database 11g Release 2 Enterprise Edition. Other database releases are not offered.

Is there any additional charge for support?

No. Support is included in the subscription price for Schema Service.

How does Oracle prevent another tenant from accessing my data on Schema Service?

Schema Service provides isolation at the database and network levels. Each tenant receives a dedicated Oracle Database schema.

In addition to standard protections provided by database schemas, Oracle has implemented an additional schema lock-down technology for advanced tenant isolation.

Is it possible to configure a whitelist that restricts access to my database only to certain IP addresses?

Because the web tier of Schema Service is shared between tenants, it is not possible to define a whitelist at the web tier level that will apply only to an individual tenant. However, customers can implement their own IP whitelists specifically for Oracle Application Express applications and RESTful Web services by using OWA_UTIL PL/SQL package and examining the value of the REMOTE_ADDR CGI variable.

Customers who desire a whitelist at the web tier level should consider using Oracle Database Exadata Express Cloud Service instead of Schema Service. Exadata Express supports whitelists in the optional load balancer component. See Managing Vanity URLs for Exadata Express Hosted Applications in Using Oracle Database Exadata Express Cloud Service.

Is HTTP traffic over the internet to Schema Service encrypted? How are SSL/TLS certificates managed?

Yes. HTTP traffic over the internet to Oracle Database Cloud Schema Service is encrypted by SSL/TLS. Unencrypted access is not permitted.

Schema Service uses public SSL/TLS certificates signed by DigiCert certificate authority for all HTTP access. These certificates are trusted by modern web browsers by default and are renewed by Oracle annually. For non-browser clients that connect to APEX apps and REST endpoints deployed in Schema Service, Oracle recommends adding the DigiCert Global Root CA certificate to the client's trust store (for example, Oracle Wallet, Java TrustStore). When this root certificate is trusted, annual certificate renewals are transparent to the client.

How do I get patches applied to my database?

Since Schema Service is a fully managed service, all critical patches are applied by Oracle.

Is it possible to upgrade Oracle Application Express and Oracle REST Data Services in Schema Service?

No. For latest releases of these software components, consider migrating to Oracle Autonomous Database.

Can I increase the storage or compute capacity available to my database instance?

You can increase the database storage allocation for Schema Service up to 50GB by purchasing a higher shape of service. Schema Service is not a metered service and does not support on-demand scaling.

Schema Service does not offer the ability to increase the compute capacity.

Are there prerequisites to subscribe to other Oracle Oracle Cloud services in order to subscribe to Schema Service?

No such prerequisites exist.

Does the Schema Service administrator need to perform Oracle Database backups?

Customers should implement their own backup strategy.

For example, customers can use the Schema Service Export to Secure FTP or Export to Cloud Storage features to create their own backups.

Note:

Oracle Cloud Operations takes internal backups of Schema Service regularly. These backups are intended for restoring internal systems in the unlikely event of a severe outage impacting multiple customers.

Why do I see an Access Denied message when attempting to access the service console?

Two common reasons why access to the service console user interface may be denied are:

The logged in user does not have either the Database Administrator or Database Developer role for this Database Schema Service instance. To remedy this, logout and login with another user account that has the Identity Domain Administrator role, then grant either Database Administrator or Database Developer role to the target user.
The cloud Identity Domain of the current login session does not match the Identity Domain where the Database Schema Service instance is provisioned. You can determine the current Identity Domain by checking it in the user dropdown at top-right of the Service Console. You can determine the Identity Domain where your instance is provisioned by checking the URL of Access Denied message in the browser address bar. This URL should follow the format https://<Instance Name>-<ID Domain>.db.*. If the Identity Domains that you see do not match, then logout and login to the correct Identity Domain where your instance is provisioned.

Is it possible to migrate from Schema Service to Oracle Autonomous Database

Yes. Oracle APEX apps, data, and RESTful services can be migrated from Schema Service to Oracle Autonomous Database, including Always Free Oracle Autonomous Database, which remains free for an unlimited time as long as it is used.

See About Migrating to Oracle Autonomous Database in Migrating Oracle Database Cloud Schema Service Apps to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.