Licensing can be fun....NOT

Some notes to help me work out what I am, and more importantly, am NOT allowed to use.

• Check your edition. V$VERSION will tell you if you are on Standard, Enterprise, Express or Personal Editions.

Enterprise Edition can use Diagnostics and Tuning Features if the option is licensed. Personal Edition includes "all of the options that are available with Enterprise Edition", except RAC. Shame it is Windows only. Standard and Express are definite No-No's

• For 11gR2, check the parameter CONTROL_MANAGEMENT_PACK_ACCESS.

A canny DBA will have this set to NONE if the Diagnostics and Tuning pack are not licensed. The 11gR2 Beta for XE has this value set to NONE so maybe they'll do that as a default in future.

• If the package dbms_awr is installed, then there's a good chance it was done so in order to disable AWR data gathering.
• Check the name, detected_usages and currently_used columns from DBA_FEATURE_USAGE_STATISTICS

If it isn't disallowed, disabled and has been used then there's a reasonable chance it is licensed, but check with the DBA anyway. But at least you won't annoy them when it is obviously not allowed.


What is off limits (based on the 11th revision of 11gR2 licensing document - E10594-11) includes :

• Packages : DBMS_WORKLOAD_REPOSITORY, DBMS_ADDM, DBMS_ADVISOR (for ADDM, Tuning Advisor or Access Advisor), DBMS_WORKLOAD_REPLAY.COMPARE_PERIOD_REPORT, DBMS_SQLTUNE, DBMS_XPLAN.DISPLAY_AWR (which uses DBA_HIST views)
• V$ Views : V$ACTIVE_SESSION_HISTORY, V$SQL_MONITOR, V$SQL_PLAN_MONITOR
• Other views: DBA_ADDM_, DBA_HIST_ (except DBA_HIST_SNAPSHOT, DBA_HIST_DATABASE_INSTANCE, DBA_HIST_SNAP_ERROR, DBA_HIST_SEG_STAT, DBA_HIST_SEG_STAT_OBJ, and DBA_HIST_UNDOSTAT)                DBA_STREAMS_TP_PATH_BOTTLENECK and DBA_STREAMS_TP_COMPONENT_STAT (some), DBA_ADVISOR_ (some) 
• Reports :  awrrpt.sql, awrrpti.sql, awrgrpt.sql, awrgrpti.sql, awrgdrpt.sql, awrgdrpi.sql, addmrpt.sql, addmrpti.sql, ashrpt.sql, ashrpti.sql, awrddrpt.sql, awrddrpi.sql, awrsqrpi.sql, awrsqrpt.sql, awrextr.sql, awrload.sql, awrinfo.sql, spawrrac.sql

Generally you are licensed for "internal business operation". At the recent Sydney Oracle Meetup, Mogens Nørgaard pointed out that you aren't allowed to use your databases to train people outside your company. One exception is Express Edition which expressly (sorry) states "(c) you may use the programs to provide third party demonstrations and training; "


So if anyone around Sydney wants some training on Oracle SQL, PL/SQL or similar, I'm open to offers :) But you may want to wait until the XE 11gR2 goes live.