Oracle's Pricey In-Memory Database Feature Triggers a Row

By Richard Adhikari  08/01/14
 
Oracle's expensive in-memory database feature may not be turned on by default, but it apparently is easy to turn it on by accident. "We found on the customer side that sometimes DBAs start using an option and don't realize the organization doesn't have a license for it," said Flexera's Vincent Brasseur. "This happens all the time. ... This is where Oracle makes most of its money."
 
Oracle is taking flak over the in-memory database (IMDB) option in Oracle Database 12c, released publicly on Wednesday.
The trouble began when Kevin Closson, formerly the performance architect in Oracle's Exadata development group, pointed out that the option is turned on by default.
 
Oracle has denied his assertion.
 
However, the option is easy to turn on by accident, and it should have a default initialization setting that renders it more dormant, Closson maintained.
 
Inadvertently turning on the IMDB could be expensive. It costs US$400 per named user and $101.20 for software update license and support; or $23,000 for a processor license and $5,000 per processor for software update license and support.
 
"I think we can trust Oracle when they say the option's not on by default," said Vincent Brasseur, a director of product management at Flexera Software, who blogged about the high cost of using the option.
 
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