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This chapter describes the four Oracle Database editions and the features available with those editions. It contains the following sections:

• Oracle Personal Edition Price
• Oracle Database Personal Edition System Requirements
• Oracle 9i Database Personal Edition
• Oracle Personal Edition Database System
• Oracle Personal Edition 10g

The Oracle Database Product Family

*Personal Edition includes all of the components that are included with Enterprise Edition, as well as all of the options that are available with Enterprise Edition, with the exception of the Oracle Real Application Clusters option, which cannot be used with Personal Edition. Oracle Standard Edition One: Standard Edition One is a low cost, entry-level version of the Oracle Standard Edition database server. Standard Edition One can only be licensed on small servers with a maximum capacity of two processors. Oracle Personal Edition: Personal Oracle is a single user version of the database server. Oct 02, 2018  where to download personal edition for windows 12.1.0.2; Breadcrumb. Question and Answer. Thanks for the question, John. Oracle Database Personal Edition supports single-user development and deployment environments that require full compatibility with Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 and Oracle Database Enterprise Edition.

Oracle Database is available in five editions, each suitable for different development and deployment scenarios. Oracle also offers several database options, packs, and other products that enhance the capabilities of Oracle Database for specific application purposes. This section describes the Oracle Database editions. The database enhancement products are described in Chapter 2, 'Options and Packs'.

Oracle Database Standard Edition OneOracle Database Standard Edition One delivers unprecedented ease of use, power, and performance for workgroup, department-level, and Web applications. From single-server environments for small business to highly distributed branch environments, Oracle Database Standard Edition One includes all the facilities necessary to build business-critical applications.

Oracle Database Standard EditionOracle Database Standard Edition delivers the unprecedented ease of use, power, and performance of Standard Edition One, with support for larger machines and clustering of services with Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC). Oracle RAC is not included in the Standard Edition of releases prior to Oracle Database 10g, nor is it an available option with those earlier releases.

Oracle Database Enterprise EditionOracle Database Enterprise Edition provides the performance, availability, scalability, and security required for mission-critical applications such as high-volume online transaction processing (OLTP) applications, query-intensive data warehouses, and demanding Internet applications. Oracle Database Enterprise Edition contains all of the components of Oracle Database, and can be further enhanced with the purchase of the options and packs described in Chapter 2, 'Options and Packs'.

Oracle Database Express Edition

Oracle Database Express Edition (Oracle Database XE) is an entry-level edition of Oracle Database that is quick to download, simple to install and manage, and is free to develop, deploy, and distribute. Oracle Database XE makes it easy to upgrade to the other editions of Oracle without costly and complex migrations. Oracle Database XE can be installed on any size machine with any number of CPUs, stores up to 4GB of user data, using up to 1GB of memory, and using only one CPU on the host machine. Support is provided by an online forum.

Oracle Database Personal EditionOracle Database Personal Edition supports single-user development and deployment environments that require full compatibility with Oracle Database Standard Edition One, Oracle Database Standard Edition, and Oracle Database Enterprise Edition.

Personal Edition includes all of the components that are included with Enterprise Edition, as well as all of the options that are available with Enterprise Edition, with the exception of the Oracle Real Application Clusters option, which cannot be used with Personal Edition. Personal Edition is available on Windows platforms only. The Management Packs are not included in Personal Edition.

Feature Availability by Edition

Table 1-1 lists feature availability for Oracle Database Standard Edition One (SE1), Standard Edition (SE), and Enterprise Edition (EE). The Y value in a column means that the feature is available in the specified release; N means that it is unavailable. This table can help you understand the difference between the editions and determine whether you require Enterprise Edition (or Personal Edition for a single-user environment).

Note that Oracle Database XE is a separate product from the rest of the Oracle Database product family. The features available with Oracle Database XE are documented in Oracle Database Express Edition Licensing Information, which is installed along with the product itself.

Table 1-1 Feature Availability for Oracle Database Editions

Features Specific to the Windows Platform

The following features related to application development are available only on Windows platforms:

• COM Automation

• Microsoft Transaction Server/COM+ integration

• Oracle OLE DB Provider

• Oracle Objects for OLE (OO4O)

• VLM Support

• OLE DB .NET and ODBC .NET support

• Native .NET Data Provider - ODP.NET

• Oracle Database Extensions for .NET (.NET Stored Procedures)

Special-Use Licensing

Oracle Database Express Edition Oracle Database Express Edition may be used for free, for the purposes of developing, prototyping and running applications. It can also be used for free to provide demonstrations and training. It may also be distributed for free with any applications. However, any use of the Oracle Database Express Edition is subject to the following limitations:

1. Express Edition is limited to a single instance on any server.

2. Express Edition may be installed on a multiple CPU server, but may only be executed on one processor in any server.

3. Express Edition may be used only to support up to 4GB of user data (not including Express Edition system data).

4. Express Edition may use up to 1 GB RAM of available memory.

The Oracle technical support organization will not provide technical support, phone support, or updates for Oracle Database Express Edition.

Oracle Standard Edition and Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) When used with Oracle Real Application Clusters in a clustered server environment, Oracle Database Standard Edition requires the use of Oracle Clusterware. Third-party clusterware management solutions are not supported.

Oracle Personal Edition Price

When used with Oracle Real Application Clusters, Oracle Advanced Security SSL/TLS is included.

The license restrictions for Standard Edition must be adhered to. The maximum number of CPUs defined is for the entire cluster; it is not a per node maximum.

Automatic Storage Management (ASM) must be used to manage all database-related files. Third-party volume managers and file systems are not supported for this purpose. ASM is required for the storage of:

• Database data files

• Online logs

• Archive logs

• Control files

• Server parameter files (spfiles)

• Flash Recovery Area

RAW disk partitions are required for:

• Voting disk

• Oracle Cluster Registry

Local storage must be used for:

• Oracle Home

• Trace files

• Dump files

No Oracle-maintained copies of any of the above files can exist in any other locations, with the following exception: Customers who want to manually script maintenance of a standby database can create a second copy of their archive logs outside of ASM on a local file system only, designated by the LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n parameter.

RMAN backups of files can reside on either a local or network mounted file system.

No other cluster software can be installed on the system, including, OCFS, OCFS2, third-party clusterware, third-party cluster volume managers, and third-party cluster file systems.

Oracle Clusterware

Oracle Clusterware can be installed and used to protect any Oracle or third-party software provided any of the following conditions are met:

1. The software being protected is from Oracle.

2. The software being protected uses an Oracle Database.

3. The software being protected is running on Oracle Unbreakable Linux.

4. The software being protected is running in a cluster where at least one machine involved in the cluster is licensed using the appropriate metric for either Oracle Database Enterprise Edition or Oracle Database Standard Edition.

A cluster is defined to include all the machines that share the same Oracle Cluster Registry (OCR) and Voting Disk.

Oracle Database Vault and Oracle9i Database Release 2 (9.2.0.8) A separate Oracle Database 10g can be installed and used to administer Oracle Database Vault when installed with Oracle9i Database Release 2 (9.2.0.8), without additional license requirements. All 9.2.0.8 databases managed by Database Control in this manner must be correctly licensed with the Oracle Database Vault option. The installation of Oracle Database 10g deployed in this manner may not be used or deployed for other uses.

Oracle Connection Manager Oracle Connection Manager can be installed and used on a machine different from the machine where the Oracle Database is installed and used. It is not necessary to obtain a separate license for the machine running Oracle Connection Manager.

Oracle Database Gateway for ODBC

Oracle Database Gateway for ODBC can be installed and used on a machine different from the machine where the Oracle Database is installed and used. It is not necessary to obtain a separate license for the machine running Oracle Gateway for ODBC.

Support of Real Application Testing in Earlier Releases

The full functionality of Oracle Real Application Testing is available only on Oracle Database 11g Release 1 or higher. Partial functionality of Oracle Real Application Testing is available to customers wishing to upgrade from Oracle9i Database Release 2 or Oracle Database 10g.

The functionality available on Oracle9i Database Release 2 is as follows:

• Database Replay: Only the Workload Capture feature is supported, and the captured workload may only be replayed only on Oracle Database 11g. This feature can be used only to facilitate upgrades from Oracle 9i Database Release 2 to Oracle Database 11g.

Oracle Database Personal Edition System Requirements

The functionality available on Oracle Database 10g Release 2 is as follows:

• Database Replay: Only the Workload Capture feature is supported, and the captured workload may be replayed only on Oracle Database 11g. This feature can be used only to facilitate upgrades from Oracle Database 10g Release 2 to Oracle Database 11g.

• SQL Performance Analyzer: Only the Remote SQL Test Execute and SQL Capture into SQL Tuning Set features are supported. These features can be used only to facilitate upgrades from Oracle9i Database Release 2 and Oracle Database 10g Release 1 to Oracle Database 10g Release 2 or higher. When upgrading to Oracle Database 10g Release 2 from earlier releases (Oracle 9i Database or Oracle Database 10g Release1), Oracle Database 11g is needed to remotely execute SQL on the target database (that is, Oracle Database 10g Release 2). Real Application Testing licensing is required for both systems, Oracle Database 10g Release 2 and Oracle Database 11g.

Oracle Scheduler

Oracle Scheduler is a database feature that provides job scheduling functionality. Execution of jobs on machines where the Oracle database is installed is included with the Oracle Database license. For enterprise scheduling, the execution of jobs on remote machines where no Oracle database is installed is licensed as part of System Monitoring Plug-in for Hosts.

Oracle 9i Database Personal Edition

Oracle Secure Backup Express Oracle Secure Backup Express is bundled with the Oracle Database. Oracle's technical support organization will provide technical support, phone support, or updates to you for Oracle Secure Backup Express when it is used to back up another Oracle Product that has a valid Customer Support Identifier (CSI). For example, if Oracle Secure Backup Express is used to back up an Oracle database that has a valid Customer Support Identifier, then Oracle Support provides technical support for the backup of this database.

Updates and technical support are only provided to customers who maintain technical support services for their Oracle licenses in accordance with Oracle's Technical Support Policies. Oracle Secure Backup is a separately licensed product and is supported in accordance with Oracle's Technical Support Policies.

Legato Storage Manager and Legato Single Server Version. Oracle Secure Backup Express is the replacement product for Legato Storage Manager (LSM) and Legato Single Server Version (LSSV). If you are currently using LSM or LSSV, then you can use Oracle Secure Backup Migration Guide to learn how to migrate these products to Oracle Secure Backup Express.

Oracle Secure Backup Express can back up an Oracle database as well as Oracle home files and other file system data requiring tape protection.

Oracle Wallet

An Oracle Wallet is a PKCS#12 container used to store authentication and encryption keys. The Oracle database secure external password store feature stores passwords in an Oracle Wallet for password-based authentication to the Oracle database. The Oracle Wallet may also be used to store credentials for PKI authentication to the Oracle Database, configuration of network encryption (SSL/TLS), and Oracle Advanced Security transparent data encryption (TDE) master encryption keys. Strong authentication services (Kerberos, PKI, and RADIUS) and network encryption (native network encryption and SSL/TLS) are no longer part of Oracle Advanced Security and are available in all licensed editions of all supported releases of the Oracle database.

Infrastructure Repository Databases A separate Oracle Database can be installed and used as a Recovery Manager (RMAN) repository without additional license requirements, provided that all the Oracle databases managed in this repository are correctly licensed. This repository database may also be used for the Oracle Enterprise Grid Control repository. It may not be used or deployed for other uses.

A separate Oracle Database can be installed and used as an Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control (OEM Grid Control) repository without additional license requirements, provided that all the targets (databases, applications, and so forth) managed in this repository are correctly licensed. This database may also be used for the RMAN repository. It may not be used or deployed for other uses.

Current User Database Links

Current user database links are one type of database link that is supported inside the Oracle Enterprise Edition database. Current user database links provide stronger security because they do not require credentials to be stored inside the database link definition. Current user database links require Enterprise User Security and use SSL to secure the communication channel over which the current user database link communicates with the target database. If you wish to use current user database links, you do not need to license Oracle Advanced Security to enable SSL.

Restricted-Use Licensing The following restricted-use licenses are included with Oracle Database 11g in the editions indicated:

• A restricted-use license for Oracle Internet Directory (OID) is included with all editions (except for Oracle Database Express Edition) if users use the Directory Naming feature to configure Oracle Net Services. OID may not be used or deployed for other uses. Please contact your Oracle sales representative for additional information on Oracle Internet Directory (OID).

• A restricted-use license for Oracle Application Server Containers for J2EE (OC4J) is included with all editions (except for Oracle Database Express Edition). This embedded version is provided solely to support Oracle Enterprise Manager (Database and Grid Control), Advanced Queuing Servlet, Ultra Search, Application Express, and Warehouse Builder, and may not be used or deployed for other purposes.

• A restricted-use license for Oracle HTTP Server is included with all editions (except for Oracle Database Express Edition) when the HTTP Server is running on the same server as the database. Running Oracle HTTP server on a different server requires that other server be licensed to use the HTTP server, either through an Oracle Database license or an Oracle Application Server license.

• A restricted-use license for Oracle Application Express Listener is included with all editions (except for Oracle Database Express Edition) solely to support connectivity to Oracle Application Express, which may be installed in the Oracle Database. Running Oracle Application Express Listener on a different server does not require that that server be licensed to use the Oracle Database.

• Restricted-use licenses of Load Testing Accelerator for Oracle Database, Oracle Load Testing, and Oracle Load Testing Controller are included with Oracle Real Application Testing for use for Oracle Database testing and may not be used for application testing.

Changes in Product Licensing

Oracle Warehouse Builder Enterprise ETL Option

The following features, previously licensed with the Oracle Warehouse Builder ETL Option, are no longer licensed with the Oracle Database. Instead, they are licensed via the Oracle Data Integrator Enterprise Edition:

• Slowing Changing Dimensions (SCD) Type 2 and 3

• XML Files as a target

• Transportable ETL modules, multiple configurations, and pluggable mappings

• Operators for pluggable mapping, pluggable mapping input signature, pluggable mapping output signature

• Design Environment Support for RAC

• Target load ordering

• Seeded spatial and streams transformations

• Process Flow Activity templates

• Process Flow variables support

• Process Flow looping activities such as For Loop and While Loop

• Process Flow Route and Notification activities

• Metadata lineage and impact analysis

• Metadata change propagation

• Schedulable Mappings and Process Flows

• Metadata Extensibility

• Deployment to Discoverer EUL

• Deployment to Oracle BI Beans catalog

Posted Jul 15, 2010

By Steve Callan

Oracle's software is freely available for personal use but you'll have to pay for access to technical notes, patches, and other specialized content. Plus, there's a technical/legal catch; you can't use My Own Support to find database articles under a different product license. In terms of compliance, you really need a database product. Enter Oracle Database Personal Edition.

We all know that virtually all of Oracle's software is freely available for personal use, particularly along the lines of your own education and training. The software download section at Oracle Technology Network presents at least one version or release of a product. Unlike the try before you buy trial approach at Microsoft (typically with a 180-day license) what you get from Oracle is good until the end of time. However, what you do not get is access to My Oracle Support (MOS). If you want to go beyond what is free and want to have access to technical notes, patches, and other specialized content or information, you have to be willing to pay in order to take the next step.

What is the least expensive Oracle product you can personally license? You can browse through all products at Oracle Store and see some fairly low prices, or at least prices that won't necessarily break the bank. One version of WebLogic Server (Standard Edition) looks like it rings in pretty low, but that pesky minimum number of users (under the Named User Plus license metric) kicks in and the price goes up by about a factor of 10. On the other hand, it depends upon whom you're dealing with. A sales person at Oracle told me the minimum number of users is 10, but upon checkout at Oracle Store, only one user is required. Using the online store, your cost is $200 for the license, $44 for annual support, plus depending where you live, a few extra dollars for state, county, city and district taxes.

Upon providing your credit card and billing address information, you get a Customer Support Identifier (CSI) number right away. Once you have a CSI, the next step in gaining access to My Oracle Support is to register your CSI at MOS. However, you don't gain access right away as it takes around 24 hours for MOS to recognize the CSI. The email you get from Oracle Store suggests that you can contact Oracle Support if you need access sooner rather than later.

Oracle Personal Edition Database System

In reality, that is practically a myth. Depending upon which path you take in the automated attendant voice system (press '1' if whatever, etc.), you can wind up talking to someone in an accounting department in Australia, or being disconnected while waiting to speak to an engineer via the create a new service request process. Probably not the type of support you were hoping to get, but the process does eventually work.

Logon to My Oracle Support and you will be prompted to acknowledge some terms and conditions, and since this is your own personal account, you also get to be the administrator. Fill out a second page containing your personal information (name, address, phone number) and then submit the form. After that, you are ready to start browsing MOS.

However, here is the technical/legal catch: if you are using MOS to find database articles under a different product license (such as WebLogic Server), you are not in compliance with the terms and conditions of your support contract. To be honest in terms of compliance (and Oracle does state that your use of MOS can be monitored), what you really need is a database product. Enter Oracle Database Personal Edition.

Oracle Store gives the following description of this product:

Oracle Database Personal Edition is designed to provide software developers a cost effective, yet full featured Oracle Database environment on which to develop, test and run custom or packaged applications. Designed without technical limits, time bombs or other 'gotchas', the Personal Edition provides all the power of the Oracle Database at a very attractive price point. With its ability to handle virtually any type or size of data, from gigabytes of transactions to terabytes of XML data, the Personal Edition takes you a significant step towards mastery of the Oracle environment.

You get everything that is included in the Enterprise Edition except for RAC. More importantly, you get access to support resources, which includes technical documentation not found in the public domain (what would you look for during a health check of your database?), patches, and help with issues.

It is highly unlikely your issues with the personal edition would ever rise to the stature of an SEV 1 service request, but you should be able to get help above and beyond what you may find on public Q&A forums, including those at OTN.

There are at least three arguments for going down the road of purchasing and licensing this product. First, let's say you want to venture out into the consulting world. Having access to support services (obviously, not submitting SRs on a client's behalf using your account, but you can at least ask questions) adds to your credibility and professionalism. It shows you are invested in your profession.

Second, suppose you become unemployed and are out of work for several months (or more). What are you doing to stay current with Oracle? Those job postings with requirements for having used ASM, Streams, or whatever? Why not browse through the knowledge base and read up on topics such as those, or find best practices notes and the like? Or, read through the more than 120 notes covering a database health check. Ever change employers and lose all your bookmarked notes? Not anymore with your own CSI.

Finally, you have your own private workspace in which to ask questions that may not otherwise be appropriate to ask while using an employer-sponsored CSI. Or, you may not be allowed to create an SR because the administrator or management has capped or limited who can do things like that. With your own account, you can do whatever you'd like in this regard.

So, what does Oracle Database Personal Edition cost? Aside from the minimum number of users (and to state the obvious in case it isn't: very few personal users are going to be licensing anything at the proce$$or level), another issue to consider is the maintenance fee. Are you buying or investing for a limited time, or forever (perpetual)?

If you need access to My Oracle Support at the lowest possible cost, then whatever you buy should be at the one year of support level. If you are looking at this purchase as a long-term investment, then your purchase should be at the perpetual level.

Oracle Personal Edition 10g

Based on a Named User Plus metric (i.e., you) with a perpetual term, you are looking at $460 plus $101.20 (first year's maintenance fee). You will probably also have to pay city, county, state and district (whatever that is) taxes. My total cost was just over $600. I asked about licensing this edition through the services of a sales rep, but was told that for orders under $3000, you have to use Oracle Store.

In Closing

Is the cost worth it? I think so. Aside from the up front cost, the annual cost going forward isn't any different when compared to what you'd spend buying a couple of books about Oracle. Documentation is always being added to the knowledge base, and those items typically go beyond what you're likely to find in a third party book. Another way to look at the cost is to consider it an investment in your career. Over the long term, it's really a small price to pay.

Additional Resources

Oracle Licensing by Independent helps Customers Ensure they are Properly Licensed
Oracle Support Resources
My Oracle Support | Oracle Premier Support
Oracle: Global Pricing and Licensing