oracle license的計算有兩種方式：按照使用者數和cpu個數. 其中按cpu計算方式如下：
license number = the number of cpu cores * core factor
如
果oracle 安裝在vmware 上，是否也是按照這個方式計算呢？
也就是說，在虛拟機vmware上oracle的license計算是否也是按照配置設定cpu核數來計算的呢？
關于虛拟機上oracle的license計算，oracle 引入了下面 soft partitioning (軟分區)和hard
partitioning (硬分區)概念(如下所示),而且明确規定 vmware是軟分區，并且規定soft
partitioning is not permitted as a means to determine or limit the
number of software licenses required for any given server。
也
就是說在一台實體機上,假如如下所示，虛拟了一台linux伺服器做oracle database server，
虛拟了另外一台windows伺服器做sql server伺服器，實體機上有2個實體cpu，每個4
core，平均配置設定給這兩個伺服器，此時oracle的license計算是
license number = 2* 4*0.5= 4 而不是 license number = 1*4*0.5= 2.
也就是說，不管是配置設定兩核、四核、多核給oracle 資料庫伺服器，oracle license的計算都不以配置設定的核數計算，而是以實體機cpu核數來計算。
這樣雖然不合理，但是也沒有辦法。至于為什麼oracle在vmware上這樣計算license，就不得而知了。有可能是處于商業戰略考慮，也有可能是處于打擊商業對手。
oracle partitioning policy
"partitioning"
occurs when the cpus on a server are separated into individual sections
where each section acts as a separate system. sometimes this is called
“segmenting.” there are several hardware and software virtualization
technologies available that deliver partitioning capabilities, with
varying degree of resource allocation flexibility.
the
purpose of this policy document is to define which of these partitioning
technologies is deemed to be soft, hard or an oracle trusted partition,
and under what conditions oracle permits them as a means to determine
or limit the number of oracle processor licenses required for a given
server, i.e., to license a sub-capacity of total physical cores as an
exception from the contractual oracle processor definition. oracle may
modify the definitions and conditions specified in this document from
time to time.
there are two main types of partitioning available:
soft partitioning:
soft
partitioning segments the operating system using os resource managers.
the operating system limits the number of cpus where an oracle database
is running by creating areas where cpu resources are allocated to
applications within the same operating system. this is a flexible way of
managing data processing resources since the cpu capacity can be
changed fairly easily, as additional resource is needed.
examples
of such partitioning type include: solaris 9 resource containers, aix
workload manager, hp process resource manager, affinity management,
oracle vm, and vmware
soft partitioning is not permitted as a means to determine or limit the number of software
licenses required for any given server.
hard partitioning:
hard
partitioning physically segments a server, by taking a single large
server and separating it into distinct smaller systems. each separated
system acts as a physically independent, self-contained server,
typically with its own cpus, operating system, separate boot area,
memory, input/output subsystem and network resources.
oracle-approved
hard partitioning technologies as listed in this section of the policy
document are permitted as a means to limit the number of software
licenses required for any given server or a cluster of servers. oracle
has deemed certain technologies, possibly modified by configuration
constraints, as hard partitioning, and no other technology or
configuration qualify. approved hard partitioning technologies include:
dynamic system domains (dsd) -- enabled by dynamic reconfiguration (dr),
solaris zones (also known as solaris containers, capped
zones/containers only), lpar (adds dlpar with aix 5.2), micro-partitions
(capped partitions only), vpar, npar, integrity virtual machine (capped
partitions only), secure resource partitions (capped partitions only),
fujitsu’s ppar.
using ibm processors in turbocore mode is
not permitted as a means to reduce the number of software licenses
required; all cores must be licensed.
ibm power vm live
partition mobility is not an approved hard partitioning technology. all
cores on both the source and destination servers in an environment using
ibm power vm live partition mobility must be licensed.
oracle vm server may be used as hard partitioning technology only as described in the following documents:
oracle vm server for x86, only if specific cores are allocated per the following document:
oracle vm server for sparc, only if specific cores are allocated per the following document:
oracle trusted partitions for oracle engineered systems
for
approved oracle engineered systems, (see table below), oracle permits
the use of oracle vm server (ovm) as a means to limit the number of
oracle processor licenses required, i.e., to license a sub-capacity of
total physical cores. oracle’s trusted partitions policy also requires
use of oracle enterprise manager as described below – if both of these
conditions are met, the partition is deemed a ‘trusted partition.’
