1. Licensing Information User Manual
  2. Oracle Database Appliance Licensing Overview

2 Oracle Database Appliance Licensing Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the licensing process for each hardware platform.

Topics:

About Licensing

Oracle Database Appliance provides capacity-on-demand licensing.

Capacity-on-demand (CoD) refers to an Oracle Database Appliance server that has a subset of its cores turned off so that the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition or Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 software license cost can be reduced. The number of cores can be reduced before or after the deployment. The number of active cores can be increased at a later time, when more capacity is needed. Oracle Database is licensed separately. Refer to Database Licensing Information User Manual for additional information.

When you add your hardware Support Identifier (SI) for Oracle Database Appliance to your My Oracle Support account, you establish a license for all the cores on your system. Oracle Database Appliance models can be deployed as bare metal systems or KVM-based virtualized systems. Both platform types offer capacity-on-demand licensing.

With bare-metal installations, you disable cores that you do not intend Oracle Database to use:

  • For Oracle Database Appliance X10, X9-2S, X9-2L, X9-2-HA, X8-2S, X8-2M, X8-2-HA, X7-2S, X7-2M, X7-2-HA: Issue the command odacli modify-cpucore to set the low water mark and to increase the cores.

Chapter three explains how to obtain a licensing key and record your initial license requirements with My Oracle Support. It also explains how to change the licensed core count, if necessary, later. Chapter three is appropriate for bare metal installations where your license covers the cores that you are using for Oracle Database.

Chapter four contains information about the third-party products that are included with Oracle Database Appliance.

Note:

When you use Integrated Oracle Data Guard with two Oracle Database Appliance systems, you do not require a separate Oracle Active Data Guard license.

About License Options for Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 on Oracle Database Appliance

For the purposes of licensing Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 on Oracle Database Appliance running multi-chip modules, where each chip in a multi-chip module is counted as an occupied socket for licensing purposes, you may exceed the 2 sockets per server limit. Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 requires one processor license for every 8 enabled cores on Oracle Database Appliance running multi-chip modules. If the number of enabled cores is not divisible by 8, the quotient must be rounded up to the nearest whole number to determine the number of Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 processor licenses required.

Note:

The minimum licenses when licensing by SE2 Named User Plus (NUP) metric are 10 NUP licenses per server.

Parent topic: Oracle Database Appliance Licensing Overview

CPUs and Core Count

Review this section for information about core license options for your Oracle Database Appliance hardware.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X10-HA has 2 servers, each with 2 CPUs of 32 cores each. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X10-HA, all 128 cores (64 cores in each server) are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X10-L contains 2 CPUs with 32 cores for a total of 64 cores. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X10-L, all 64 cores are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X10-S contains 1 CPU with 32 cores. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X10-S, all 32 cores are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X9-2-HA has 2 servers, each with 2 CPUs of 16 cores each. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X9-2-HA, all 64 cores (32 cores in each server) are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X9-2L contains 2 CPUs with 16 cores for a total of 32 cores. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X9-2L, all 32 cores are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X9-2S contains 1 CPU with 16 cores. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X9-2S, all 16 cores are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X8-2-HA has 2 servers, each with 2 CPUs of 16 cores each. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X8-2-HA, all 64 cores (32 cores in each server) are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X8-2M contains 2 CPUs with 16 cores for a total of 32 cores. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X8-2M, all 32 cores are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X8-2S contains 1 CPU with 16 cores. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X8-2S, all 16 cores are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X7-2-HA has 2 servers, each with 2 CPUs of 18 cores each. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X7-2-HA, all 72 cores (36 cores in each server) are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X7-2M contains 2 CPUs with 18 cores for a total of 36 cores. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X7-2M, all 36 cores are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

  • Oracle Database Appliance X7-2S contains 1 CPU with 10 cores. When you deploy Oracle Database Appliance X7-2S, all 10 cores are active with hyper-threading enabled by default.

Oracle Database Appliance bare metal licensing is determined by the number of enabled cores that you have on your system. The capacity-on-demand licensing feature enables you to change the enabled core count as your system resource needs change.

Initialize the number of licensed cores to the level currently required by your applications. Each server node has the same number of active cores. Later, increase the licensed core count as your applications require more capacity. Change the number of licensed cores by obtaining and applying a core key to configure your appliance, using the tables for your Oracle Database Appliance platform.

Oracle Database Appliance X10-HA Licensed Core Licensing Options

The table provides an example of how the licensed cores for each node of an Oracle Database Appliance X10-HA relate to active cores for Oracle RAC and Oracle Enterprise Edition and active cores for Oracle RAC One Node.

Table 2-1 Example of Bare Metal License Options for Oracle Database Appliance X10-HA Systems

Licensed Cores for Each Node (X10-HA Only) Active Cores for Oracle RAC and Oracle Enterprise Edition (X10-HA Only) Active Cores for Oracle RAC One Node (X10-HA Only)

2

4

2

4

8

4

6

12

6

8

16

8

10

20

10

12

24

12

14

28

14

16

32

16

18

36

18

20

40

20

22

44

22

24

48

24

26

52

26

28

56

28

30

60

30

32

64

32

Oracle Database Appliance X10-L and X10-S Licensed Core Licensing Options

Table 2-2 Bare Metal License Options for all Oracle Database Appliance X10-L and X10-S Systems

Licensed Cores for Single Node (X10-S) Licensed Cores for Single Node (X10-L)

2

2

4

4

6

6

8

8

10

10

12

12

14

14

16

16

Not applicable

18

Not applicable

20

Not applicable

22

Not applicable

24

Not applicable

26

Not applicable

28

Not applicable

30

Not applicable

32

Oracle Database Appliance X9-2-HA Licensed Core Licensing Options

The table provides an example of how the licensed cores for each node of an Oracle Database Appliance X9-2-HA relate to active cores for Oracle RAC and Oracle Enterprise Edition and active cores for Oracle RAC One Node.

Table 2-3 Example of Bare Metal License Options for Oracle Database Appliance X9-2-HA Systems

Licensed Cores for Each Node (X9-2-HA Only) Active Cores for Oracle RAC and Oracle Enterprise Edition (X9-2-HA Only) Active Cores for Oracle RAC One Node (X9-2-HA Only)

2

4

2

4

8

4

6

12

6

8

16

8

10

20

10

12

24

12

14

28

14

16

32

16

18

36

18

20

40

20

22

44

22

24

48

24

26

52

26

28

56

28

30

60

30

32

64

32

Oracle Database Appliance X9-2L and X9-2S Licensed Core Licensing Options

Table 2-4 Bare Metal License Options for all Oracle Database Appliance X9-2L and X9-2S Systems

Licensed Cores for Single Node (X9-2S) Licensed Cores for Single Node (X9-2L)

2

2

4

4

6

6

8

8

10

10

12

12

14

14

16

16

Not applicable

18

Not applicable

20

Not applicable

22

Not applicable

24

Not applicable

26

Not applicable

28

Not applicable

30

Not applicable

32

Oracle Database Appliance X8-2-HA Licensed Core Licensing Options

The table provides an example of how the licensed cores for each node of an Oracle Database Appliance X8-2-HA relate to active cores for Oracle RAC and Oracle Enterprise Edition and active cores for Oracle RAC One Node.

Table 2-5 Example of Bare Metal License Options for Oracle Database Appliance X8-2-HA Systems

Licensed Cores for Each Node (X8-2-HA Only) Active Cores for Oracle RAC and Oracle Enterprise Edition (X8-2-HA Only) Active Cores for Oracle RAC One Node (X8-2-HA Only)

2

4

2

4

8

4

6

12

6

8

16

8

10

20

10

12

24

12

14

28

14

16

32

16

18

36

18

20

40

20

22

44

22

24

48

24

26

52

26

28

56

28

30

60

30

32

64

32

Oracle Database Appliance X8-2M and X8-2S Licensed Core Licensing Options

Table 2-6 Bare Metal License Options for all Oracle Database Appliance X8-2M and X8-2S Systems

Licensed Cores for Single Node (X8-2S) Licensed Cores for Single Node (X8-2M)

2

2

4

4

6

6

8

8

10

10

12

12

14

14

16

16

Not applicable

18

Not applicable

20

Not applicable

22

Not applicable

24

Not applicable

26

Not applicable

28

Not applicable

30

Not applicable

32

Oracle Database Appliance X7-2-HA Licensed Core Licensing Options

The table provides an example of how the licensed cores for each node of an Oracle Database Appliance X7-2-HA relate to active cores for Oracle RAC and Oracle Enterprise Edition and active cores for Oracle RAC One Node.

Table 2-7 Example of Bare Metal License Options for Oracle Database Appliance X7-2-HA Systems

Licensed Cores for Each Node (X7-2-HA Only) Active Cores for Oracle RAC and Oracle Enterprise Edition (X7-2-HA Only) Active Cores for Oracle RAC One Node (X7-2-HA Only)

2

4

2

4

8

4

6

12

6

8

16

8

10

20

10

12

24

12

14

28

14

16

32

16

18

36

18

20

40

20

22

44

22

24

48

24

26

52

26

28

56

28

30

60

30

32

64

32

34

68

34
36

72

36

Oracle Database Appliance X7-2 Licensed Core Licensing Options

Table 2-8 Bare Metal License Options for all Oracle Database Appliance X7-2 Systems

Licensed Cores for Single Node (X7-2S) Licensed Cores for Single Node (X7-2M)

2

2

4

4

6

6

8

8

10

10

Not applicable

12

Not applicable

14

Not applicable

16

Not applicable

18

Not applicable

20

Not applicable

22

Not applicable

24

Not applicable

26

Not applicable

28

Not applicable

30

Not applicable

32

Not applicable

34

Not applicable

36

Parent topic: Oracle Database Appliance Licensing Overview

Oracle Database Appliance KVM Hard Partitioning Compliance

Review this section for information about Oracle Database Appliance KVM Hard Partitioning compliance.

Oracle Database Appliance DB systems and application KVMs conform to Oracle Linux KVM Hard Partitioning requirements as specified in Hard Partitioning with Oracle Linux KVM:

https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/linux/ol-kvm-hard-partitioning.pdf

Considerations for CPU Pool Subscription

CPU Pools are used for management of CPU resources only. Database license requirements are determined by KVM Hard Partitioning only.

In a DB system with a shared or internal CPU pool, the cores are pinned based on the database shape selected for the DB system. For example, if you create a DB system with odb2, then you must license 2 cores.

In a DB system with a shared CPU pool, consider both undersubscription and oversubscription scenarios.
  • Undersubscription: Consider a shared CPU pool with 8 cores. If you create a DB system with odb2 and another with odb4, then a total of 6 cores are used. So, although the shared CPU pool is undersubcribed, you must run the virsh command in each KVM or DB system to determine the pinned cores that need to be licensed. In this case, it is the same 8 cores visible to both DB systems.
  • Oversubscription: Consider a shared CPU pool with 8 cores, and you create a DB system with odb4 and another with odb6. Although the shared CPU pool is oversubscribed, you must run the virsh command in each KVM or DB System to determine the pinned cores that need to be licensed. In this case, it is the same 8 cores visible to both DB systems.

Note that the same CPU pool subscription policy applies to shared CPU pools for application KVMs too.

Validating the CPUs for an Oracle Database Appliance DB System and Application KVM

You must run the virsh command for every DB system to identify the pinned vCPUs and CPU cores licensing requirements.

To validate that the CPUs for a virtual machine are pinned to a physical thread or core, run the following command:
# virsh --readonly vcpuinfo VM_name --pretty
The following example illustrates how you can validate the CPUs for an Oracle Database Appliance DB System with the db shape odb2 that uses 2 cores (4 vCPUs):
  1. Determine the VM Name by running this command:
    # odacli describe-dbsystem -n dbs1 | grep "VM Name"
VM Name:  x97f18b518

    In this example, the DB System name is dbs1.

  2. Run the virsh command to confirm that vCPUs are pinned to physical threads or cores for x97f18b518:
    # virsh --readonly vcpuinfo x97f18b518 --pretty

VCPU:           0
CPU:            19
State:          running
CPU time:       79.3s
CPU Affinity:   19,24,55,60 (out of 72)

VCPU:           1
CPU:            55
State:          running
CPU time:       71.5s
CPU Affinity:   19,24,55,60 (out of 72)

VCPU:           2
CPU:            60
State:          running
CPU time:       71.7s
CPU Affinity:   19,24,55,60 (out of 72)

VCPU:           3
CPU:            24
State:          running
CPU time:       73.1s
CPU Affinity:   19,24,55,60 (out of 72)
----------------------------------------

    In this example, the pinned vCPUs are 19, 24, 55, and 60, out of 72.

Parent topic: Oracle Database Appliance Licensing Overview