Oracle Database and WebLogic Server licensing in soft-partitioned environments

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Oracle Database and WebLogic Server licensing in soft-partitioned environments

    The Software Asset Management (SAM) application supports licensing rules for Oracle Database and WebLogic Server in soft-partitioned environments, such as those using VMware virtualization technology. Soft partitioning segments the operating system (OS) into different types or versions using OS resource managers, which allocate CPU resources to applications like Oracle Database or WebLogic Server within the same OS. This segmentation impacts how licensing is applied.

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    Key Licensing Rules for VMware vSphere

    Oracle licensing for databases and WebLogic Server running on VMware vSphere requires licensing all processors on the physical ESXi host running the virtual machines (VMs), regardless of how many VMs host Oracle software on that host.

    Licensing obligations depend on the VMware vSphere version and its vMotion capability, which enables VM migration without service interruption. The licensing models are:

    • vSphere ESXi 5.0 and earlier: VMs can migrate within the same datacenter’s shared storage. You must license all processors on all physical ESXi hosts within that shared storage and datacenter.
    • vSphere ESXi 5.1 to 5.5: VMs can migrate within the same VMware vCenter Server instance. You must license all processors on all physical ESXi hosts in that vCenter instance.
    • vCenter Server 6.0 and later: VMs can migrate across physical ESXi hosts within any vCenter Server instance on the network running ESXi 5.1 or later. You must license all processors on all these physical hosts across all vCenter instances.

    Additional Licensing Considerations

    Enabling the Use host affinity for reconciling licenses option in SAM properties ensures that VM-host affinity rules are respected during license reconciliation. This means licensing is based on the combined set of physical ESXi hosts that VMs can run on according to affinity rules, providing more precise license management aligned with VM placement policies.

    This detailed licensing approach helps ServiceNow customers accurately manage Oracle licensing costs in virtualized environments by aligning license reconciliation with VMware’s VM mobility and infrastructure setup.

    The Software Asset Management application supports Oracle Database and WebLogic Server licensing rules in soft-partitioned environments, such as VMware virtualization technology.

    Soft partitioning enables you to segment the operating system (OS) of the environment into different OS types and OS versions by using OS resource managers. OS resource managers limit the number of processors that each Oracle database or WebLogic server can run on by creating segments in which CPU resources are allocated to applications within the same OS. For more information about Oracle licensing and soft partitioning, refer to the Oracle Help Center.

    VMware vSphere

    VMware vSphere is a virtualization platform through which you can install and run Oracle databases or WebLogic servers on virtual machines (VMs). To run an Oracle database or WebLogic server on a VM, you must license all processors on the underlying physical ESXi host that is running your VM. If your physical ESXi host is running multiple VMs simultaneously, you must still license all processors on the host regardless of how many VMs are running the database or WebLogic server.

    Oracle licensing on VMware vSphere is based on the VMware vMotion capability that is associated with each vSphere version. VMware vMotion is the VMware vSphere technology that enables VMs to migrate from one physical ESXi host to another without service interruptions.

    The Oracle publisher pack supports the following Oracle licensing models on VMware vSphere:

    Table 1. Oracle licensing models on VMware vSphere
    VMware vSphere version VMware vMotion capability Licensing model
    VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0 and earlier VMs can migrate to any physical ESXi host within the same shared storage under the same datacenter. You must license the processors on all physical ESXi hosts within the same shared storage under the same datacenter.
    VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1-5.5 VMs can migrate to any physical ESXi host within the same VMware vCenter Server instance. You must license the processors on all physical ESXi hosts within the same VMware vCenter Server instance.
    VMware vCenter Server 6.0 and later VMs can migrate to physical ESXi hosts within any VMware vCenter Server instance across your network. Migration is supported only on physical hosts that run VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1 or later on VMware vCenter Server 6.0 and later instances. You must license the processors on all physical hosts that run VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1 or later within all VMware vCenter Server 6.0 and later instances across your network.
    Important:
    If you enable the Use host affinity for reconciling licenses for Oracle databases and WebLogic servers on VMware at the vCenter(s) aggregation level option in your Software Asset Management properties, the Software Asset Management application honors all VM-Host affinity rules when reconciling Oracle licenses within your VMware vCenter Server instances. In this scenario, licensing is based on the sum of all physical ESXi hosts that the VMs can reside on, as specified in your VM-Host affinity rules.

    Oracle database licensing on VMware vSphere.

    For more information about Oracle licensing on VMware, see Understanding Oracle Certification, Support and Licensing for VMware Environments.