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Oracle Database Editions Overview

  • Adrien Bourg
  • May 1
  • 2 min read

Oracle offers different editions tailored for varying technical needs and infrastructure environments. These are divided into on-premises editions and cloud-based editions.


On-Premises Editions


1. Oracle Database Express Edition (XE)

  • Technical Summary: A lightweight, entry-level edition with limitations on memory, CPU usage, and a maximum data storage of 11 GB.

  • Licensing: Free to use. No additional licensing fees unless upgrading to other editions.


2. Oracle Database Personal Edition

  • Technical Summary: Contains all Enterprise Edition features (except Real Application Clusters) but excludes Management Packs. Available only for Linux and Windows.

  • Licensing: Licensed per Named User Plus (NUP) metric, limited to 1 NUP per database. Management Packs cannot be used.


3. Oracle Database Standard Edition 2 (SE2)

  • Technical Summary: Aimed at mid-tier environments without the need for advanced options or management packs. Supports up to 16 CPU threads.

  • Licensing: Licensed by number of sockets, with a maximum of 2 sockets per server. Database Options and Management Packs are generally not allowed, except Real Application Clusters. For user-based licensing, a minimum of 10 NUP per server is required.


4. Oracle Database Enterprise Edition (EE)

  • Technical Summary: Oracle’s flagship product offering full database functionality, with optional add-ons for advanced features and management.

  • Licensing: Licensed by number of processor cores. Additional Options and Management Packs require separate licenses. User-based licensing requires a minimum of 25 NUP per processor.


Cloud Editions


Oracle extends its offering in the cloud with consumption-based pricing on virtualized infrastructure. In addition to Standard and Enterprise Editions, two enhanced cloud-specific editions are available:


1. Oracle Database Standard Edition (Cloud)

  • Comparable to on-premises SE2.


2. Oracle Database Enterprise Edition (Cloud)

  • Included Packs: Data Masking and Subsetting Pack, Diagnostics Pack, Tuning Pack.

  • Included Options: Real Application Testing.


3. Oracle Database Enterprise Edition High Performance (Cloud)

  • Included Packs: Same as EE Cloud, plus Database Lifecycle Management Pack and Cloud Management Pack for Oracle Database.

  • Included Options: Adds Multitenant, Partitioning, Advanced Compression, Advanced Security, Label Security, Database Vault, and OLAP.


4. Oracle Database Enterprise Edition Extreme Performance (Cloud)

  • Included Packs: Same as High Performance.

  • Included Options: Further adds In-Memory Database, Active Data Guard, and Real Application Clusters.


Conclusion


Choosing the right Oracle Database edition depends on your organization’s technical requirements, infrastructure setup, and budget. Understanding the differences in features and licensing models between these editions is key to making an informed decision - whether you’re running Oracle on-premises or in the cloud.


If you have a new Oracle purchase or a renewal, let us know and we will ensure you get the best deal.

 
 

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