

Do I have to license non-production databases supporting Oracle EBS?

Do I have to license non-production databases for Oracle EBS? Learn the answer from licensing expert Scott Rosenberg, who explains why you might have to license all database instances for EBS.

I have recently been addressing a demand by Oracle that we license test/dev database users, even though we have named user plus perpetual db licenses on our production box. The per processor minimum clause is what Oracle is now invoking, though hasn't been applied to us for many years, nor to my knowledge to many other E-Business Suite customers. Are you familiar with this? How commonly is this provision being enforced now, and why should it be necessary for test/dev if production is adequately licensed?

This all relates to Oracle Corporation’s position that clients who make ‘modifications’ to the underlying technology supporting the E-Business Suite then need to license the production and non-production (essentially all database instances) supporting the EBS.  Oracle defines ‘modifications’ as adding and/or modifying the tables, columns, stored procedures and triggers, which are the part of the Oracle E-Business Suite application schema.

So, as per Oracle, when these modifications are done (no technology licensing is EVER needed in production or non-production if you deploy EBS without making these modifications by the way), you need to license ALL instances of Oracle supporting the EBS, not just the production since Oracle is viewing this deployment as utilizing the FULL USE capacity of Oracle technology.  Also, be VERY careful that Oracle does not claim that you require iAS EE and IDS licensing as well for your EBS deployment.  That happens very often as a 2nd sales push after initial non-production licensing is required.  You may want to consider, in future procurements, negotiating a lesser cost license to support non-production or even EBS.   Miro can discuss with you these customized options.


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Does that mean that if a customer follows Oracle recommended development standards for EBS and creates custom objects such as tables and custom code, they will breach their restricted-use license agreement and must license all the EBS databases?