There are some common factors many organizations fail to account for when securing licensing for their Oracle technology. Make sure you know what you need to have licensed! There are two routes you can take for technology licensing, Named User Plus and Processor—and each has its pitfalls and its advantages. Here is what you need to consider when making your choice:

Named User Plus Minimum licenses vary by product and edition, for example the Data Enterprise Edition and its options have a minimum of 25 Named User Plus per processor. This option is good for companies that have a clear idea of how many users are on the system—but  you must keep in mind all human users AND non-human operated devices that access the technology program must be licensed. This includes any scanners or monitors that are collecting information into a database.

Processor This option is advantageous in environments where software users cannot be easily identified or counted and allows for unlimited users. The break-even for Data Enterprise Edition is 50 users, so if above that number, this option is preferable. The pitfall: Oracle changed their licensing policies several years back to factor in how many cores a processor has. For example, if you are running two dual-core processors, then you have four cores. If each core is factored at .5, you need to carry two Processor licenses. Some Sun boxes are factored at .75, so the math can get tricky. You can reference the Oracle Processor Core Factor Table to find out how many licenses you need for your particular type of server.

Need help understanding what’s right for your organization? Avout analyzes your environment to make sure you to get the right license type and amount of licensing. Contact us for a license assessment.