Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Documentation

Oracle Database@Azure

Learn about using Oracle Database@Azure to run Oracle Databases in your existing Azure environment.

Oracle Database@Azure is an Oracle Cloud Database service that runs Oracle Database workloads in your Azure environment. All hardware for Oracle Database@Azure is colocated in Azure's data centers and uses Azure networking. The service benefits from the simplicity, security, and low latency of a single operating environment within Azure. Federated identity and access management for Oracle Database@Azure is provided by Microsoft Entra ID.

Available Database Services

Oracle Database@Azure offers the following Oracle Database services:

Both Oracle Autonomous Database and Exadata Database on OCI use the same underlying high-performance hardware optimized for database workloads, but they each offer distinct advantages to meet different customer needs.

Feature Oracle Autonomous Database Oracle Exadata Database

Usage

Fully managed, elastic, and scalable database service. Designed for variable workloads, cloud native applications, and flexible usage, automatically scaling resources up and down as needed. Minimal admin effort needed.

Dedicated, high-performance infrastructure for running Oracle Databases. Suitable for mission-critical, latency-sensitive workloads requiring predictable performance.

Performance

Provides consistent performance with automatic scaling. It delivers low latency and high throughput, leveraging the elasticity of the cloud.

Offers consistent and predictable high performance with low latency because of optimized hardware and software integration.

Manageability

Self-driving and self-managing, automating tasks such as provisioning, scaling, tuning, patching, and backups.

Requires manual management and administration, including database configuration, tuning, and maintenance.

Operations

Reduces operational overhead, as Oracle manages most administrative tasks. Customers only need to focus on application development and data management.

Cloud automation provides the creation, maintenance updates, and basic monitoring for databases. Database administrators will need to tune, apply maintenance updates, and configure additional database monitoring.

Cost

Uses a pay-as-you-go model, charging based on actual resource consumption. Costs scale up and down with usage, providing flexibility and potential cost savings.

Upfront costs for dedicated infrastructure, and ongoing support expenses. Provides predictable pricing.

Scaling

Offers automatic and elastic scaling. It can scale up and down based on workload demands without manual intervention, providing true serverless scalability.

Provides elastic scaling allowing customers to vertically and horizontally scale when they need more resources for their workloads.

Security

Built-in security with automatic data encryption, user authentication, and threat detection. Oracle manages security updates and patches.

Robust security features, such as encryption, access controls, and security patches. Customers are responsible for security configuration and management.

Configuration

Pre-configured and instantly provisioned, requiring minimal setup and configuration.

Requires initial configuration and setup, including hardware provisioning and software installation. Full control over configuration but default values suggested in provisioning.

Patching

Automatic patching with no downtime, managed by Oracle.

Infrastructure security and maintenance updated applied automatically on configured schedule. Customers receive Database, Grid Infrastructure, and Guest OS patches, which they apply based on their schedules.

Isolation

Data isolation through dedicated database instances, ensuring customer data separation.

Complete isolation as customers has their own dedicated infrastructure.

Dependencies

Relies on OCI's infrastructure and automation, reducing dependencies on manual tasks.

Uses dedicated hardware. Requires manual administration, including administration of maintenance processes.

Flexibility

Provides flexibility in usage and scaling, adapting to dynamic workload demands.

Offers flexibility in customization and integration, but requires planning for capacity and maintenance.

Third-party integrations

Provides open standards and APIs for easy integration with cloud native and third-party tools.

Integrates with third-party tools and applications through Oracle's extensive partner ecosystem and APIs.

Use Cases

While both Oracle Autonomous Database and Exadata Database on OCI offer high performance and run on the same underlying Oracle optimized hardware, the choice depends on the specific needs of the enterprise. Autonomous Database Serverless offers flexibility, automation, and dynamic scaling, making it ideal for variable workloads and cloud native applications. However, Exadata Database Dedicated provides dedicated infrastructure, predictable performance, and customization, making it a good choice for mission-critical, latency-sensitive applications, especially in regulated industries.

Consider the following scenarios and use cases:

Small Enterprise

For a small online retailer with fluctuating demand patterns:

  • Oracle Autonomous Database: The small online retailer can take advantage of the flexibility and scalability of Autonomous Database Serverless. During peak demand, the database can automatically scale up to handle increased transaction loads, and scale down during quieter periods, optimizing costs. The self-driving nature of the service relieves the burden of database administration, allowing the small enterprise to focus on core business operations and growth. The pay-as-you-go pricing model also aligns with their dynamic resource requirements.
  • Oracle Exadata Database: While Exadata Database Dedicated offers high performance and reliability, it may not be the most cost-effective solution for a small enterprise with variable demand. The dedicated infrastructure could result in underutilized resources during quieter periods, leading to higher costs. However, if the small enterprise has strict performance requirements and prefers full control over the database environment, Exadata Database Dedicated could still be considered.

Medium-Sized Enterprise

For a mid-sized SaaS company delivering cloud-based applications to customers worldwide:

  • Oracle Exadata Database: The SaaS company can benefit from the dedicated and predictable performance of Exadata Database Dedicated. With a distributed customer base and strict SLAs to meet, Exadata provides the necessary scalability, low latency, and high availability. The control and customization offered by Exadata Dedicated allow the SaaS company to optimize the database environment for their specific application needs. The dedicated infrastructure also ensures data isolation and security, critical for handling sensitive customer data.
  • Oracle Autonomous Database: While Autonomous Database Serverless provides flexibility and automation, the mid-sized SaaS company may require more control over the database configuration and security settings to meet specific compliance requirements. The dynamic scaling of serverless might not be necessary if their workload demands are relatively consistent. However, Autonomous Database Serverless could still be considered for non-critical applications or development environments.

Large Enterprise

For a large multinational bank with stringent regulatory requirements and high-volume transactions:

  • Oracle Exadata Database: The large bank can leverage Exadata Database Dedicated to power its core banking applications, ensuring high availability, performance, and security. Exadata's scalability and optimized hardware-software integration can handle the high-volume, low-latency demands of the banking industry. The dedicated infrastructure provides full control over data security and compliance, which is critical for the banking sector.
  • Oracle Autonomous Database: The large bank can use Autonomous Database Serverless for specific use cases, such as development and testing environments, or variable workload applications such as customer analytics. The elastic scaling and automated management of Autonomous Database Serverless can free up resources and reduce costs. However, for mission-critical applications with strict regulatory requirements, the dedicated and controlled environment of Exadata Database Dedicated might be more suitable.