What Oracle Spatial and Graph Includes (Free in EE and SE2)
Oracle Spatial and Graph is a set of schema types, operators, functions, and packages built into Oracle Database that enable storage and querying of geometric and network data directly in SQL. Unlike most Oracle Database advanced capabilities, it carries no additional licence cost when used with Oracle Database Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition 2.
This has been Oracle's policy since Oracle Database 10g Release 2, when Oracle removed the separate Spatial option licence and included the capability in the base EE licence. The decision reflected competitive positioning against PostgreSQL/PostGIS — which offers comparable open-source spatial capabilities — and the recognition that spatial data management had become a baseline enterprise requirement rather than a premium differentiator.
Oracle Spatial and Graph: Included in Oracle Database EE and SE2 at No Additional Cost
- SDO_GEOMETRY data type — Oracle's native geometry type for storing points, lines, polygons, multi-part geometries, and geometry collections; conforms to OGC Simple Features specification
- Spatial indexing — R-tree and quadtree spatial indexes for efficient proximity queries, within-distance queries, and bounding-box intersection; included in EE and SE2
- Spatial operators and functions — SDO_RELATE, SDO_WITHIN_DISTANCE, SDO_NN (nearest neighbour), SDO_AREA, SDO_LENGTH, SDO_GEOM, SDO_CS coordinate system transformation; all included
- GeoRaster — storage and management of raster imagery, remote sensing data, and digital elevation models within Oracle Database; included in EE
- Network Data Model (NDM) — graph-based network topology modelling for transportation networks, utility networks, and logistics routing; included in EE
- Topology Data Model — management of topological relationships between geometric features (shared boundaries, shared edges); included in EE
- In-Database Graph Analytics — PGQL (Property Graph Query Language) queries against Property Graphs stored in Oracle Database tables; included in Oracle Database 19c and later
- RDF Graph for Oracle Database — storage and querying of RDF (Resource Description Framework) triples and graphs using SPARQL; included in EE
- 3D spatial data types — three-dimensional geometry support for building information modelling (BIM) and engineering applications; included
The breadth of what is included is genuinely significant. Most enterprises running Oracle Database EE have access to production-grade spatial capabilities — indexing, querying, coordinate transformation, raster data, graph topology — without any incremental licence cost. The challenge is the external ecosystem products that Oracle sells alongside the database, which some teams and Oracle sales reps conflate with the free in-database features.
Oracle Graph Server and Studio: The Separately Licensed Product
Oracle Graph Server and Studio (formerly Oracle Spatial and Graph Server) is a distinct product from the Oracle Database built-in features. It is a standalone Java-based server application that provides high-performance in-memory graph analytics engine (PGX — Parallel Graph AnalytiX), REST APIs for graph query and analysis, and Graph Studio — a web-based notebook environment for graph data exploration and visualisation.
Oracle Graph Server uses a proprietary in-memory graph representation that is separate from Oracle Database storage. It can read graph data from Oracle Database (as well as other sources) but its analytics engine runs outside the database. This architectural separation is why it is a separately licensed product.
The common misunderstanding: Oracle sales teams sometimes present Oracle Graph Server as "part of Oracle Spatial and Graph" and bundle it into deals without making the separate licence cost explicit. When the annual renewal arrives, the Graph Server licence appears as a separate line item. If your team believes they are using the free in-database graph capability but are actually running Oracle Graph Server, you have an unlicensed product in your estate.
Oracle Graph Server and Studio: What Requires a Separate Licence
- Oracle Graph Server (PGX engine) — the in-memory parallel graph analytics engine; runs as a separate Java process outside Oracle Database; requires a separate named user or processor licence
- Graph Studio UI — the web-based notebook environment for graph analysis; accessible via browser; its use constitutes use of Graph Server and requires the associated licence
- PGQL queries executed via Graph Server — PGQL queries executed through the Graph Server REST API or Graph Studio interface (rather than directly in SQL against the database); the execution context determines whether Graph Server is in use
- Graph Server REST APIs — application integration via Graph Server's REST endpoints; any application calling Graph Server APIs is a consumer of the separately licensed product
Oracle Graph Server is licensed on a Named User Plus (NUP) or Processor metric, separate from Oracle Database. The NUP minimum for Oracle Graph Server follows Oracle's standard 25-user minimum. For large deployments with unrestricted user access, the Processor metric often provides better value. Our Oracle licence optimisation service can analyse whether your Graph Server deployment is optimally licensed given your actual usage patterns.
Oracle Spatial and Graph Licensing at a Glance
| Component |
Licence Requirement |
Applies To |
| SDO_GEOMETRY and spatial SQL (all SDO_ functions) |
Included in Oracle DB EE and SE2 |
EE, SE2 |
| Spatial indexes (R-tree, quadtree) |
Included in Oracle DB EE and SE2 |
EE, SE2 |
| GeoRaster |
Included in Oracle DB EE |
EE only |
| Network Data Model |
Included in Oracle DB EE |
EE only |
| Topology Data Model |
Included in Oracle DB EE |
EE only |
| In-Database Property Graph (SQL/PGQL) |
Included in Oracle DB EE (19c+) |
EE only |
| RDF Graph |
Included in Oracle DB EE |
EE only |
| Oracle Graph Server (PGX) |
Separately licensed product |
Processor or NUP |
| Graph Studio UI |
Requires Graph Server licence |
Processor or NUP |
The licensing distinction follows the execution boundary: if spatial or graph operations execute within Oracle Database using SQL and PL/SQL, they are covered by the base EE or SE2 licence. If they execute using external server processes, REST APIs, or the Graph Server engine, a separate product licence is required.
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How Oracle LMS Audits Spatial and Graph Usage
Oracle LMS approaches Spatial and Graph auditing differently from most other database options — because the in-database spatial capability is free, the primary LMS focus is on identifying Oracle Graph Server deployments that have not been separately licensed. LMS scripts look for evidence of Graph Server installation and usage, not for in-database spatial feature usage.
Oracle LMS Spatial and Graph Detection Methods
- Graph Server installation evidence — LMS auditors request evidence of all software deployed on Oracle Database hosts; presence of the Oracle Graph Server (oracle-graph) process, its configuration files, or its installation directory triggers a Graph Server licence requirement
- Network port scanning — Oracle Graph Server listens on specific ports (default: 7007 for HTTPS, 7080 for HTTP); LMS may include infrastructure topology analysis that identifies Graph Server endpoints
- DBA_REGISTRY check for Spatial components — LMS queries DBA_REGISTRY for MDSYS-schema components to confirm Oracle Spatial is installed; this is informational (since Spatial is free) but establishes the baseline for any Graph Server claim
- SDO_UTIL.GET_WKBGEOMETRY and similar API calls in application logs — where LMS has access to application integration records, usage of Graph Server REST APIs corroborates Graph Server deployment
- Oracle Autonomous Database spatial charges — on Autonomous Database, certain spatial operations (particularly those requiring the Spatial Studio SaaS component) may have incremental consumption charges; LMS reviews Autonomous Database service usage reports
The practical implication: if your team has deployed Oracle Graph Server — either following Oracle's recommendation as part of a database upgrade or as a standalone installation — and that deployment is not in your Oracle licence inventory, it represents an unlicensed product. LMS audits increasingly include infrastructure discovery that goes beyond Oracle Database itself, and Graph Server is a specific target.
If you have received an Oracle LMS audit letter and are concerned about Graph Server exposure, our Oracle audit defence team can review your infrastructure and help you construct a technical and contractual response.
Spatial and Graph in Oracle Cloud Services
Oracle's cloud services handle Spatial and Graph licensing differently depending on the service type. Understanding this distinction matters for enterprises using Oracle Database as a managed cloud service on OCI or running BYOL Oracle Database instances in the cloud.
Oracle Cloud Spatial and Graph Licensing
- Oracle Autonomous Database (ADW, ATP, JSON) — Oracle Spatial capabilities are included in Autonomous Database service pricing; no separate Spatial option is required; Oracle Spatial Studio (the web-based mapping interface) is available as an additional OCI service with its own pricing
- Oracle Database Cloud Service (DBCS) BYOL — same rules as on-premises; Oracle Spatial and Graph is included in EE; Oracle Graph Server requires a separate licence if deployed
- Oracle Exadata Cloud Service — Oracle Spatial and Graph is included; Graph Server remains a separate product
- Oracle Spatial Studio on OCI — a separate OCI marketplace service that provides a web-based map visualisation and analysis interface; requires its own service subscription on top of Autonomous Database or DBCS
- Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC) with Spatial — OAC includes spatial map visualisations as part of the analytics service; this does not require a separate Oracle Database Spatial licence
Enterprises using OCI's Oracle Cloud licensing model should review their Autonomous Database service agreements to confirm which Spatial Studio features are included in their subscription tier versus billed as additional OCI consumption.
Legitimate Use Cases and What Licence They Require
The practical question for most enterprise teams is: given my specific spatial or graph use case, what do I actually need to licence? The answer depends entirely on where the computation happens.
Use Case to Licence Requirement Mapping
- Storing addresses with coordinates and querying within-distance — SDO_GEOMETRY column + SDO_WITHIN_DISTANCE in SQL; no additional licence required in EE or SE2
- GIS asset management with shapefiles imported into Oracle — MDSYS schema, SDO types, spatial indexes; no additional licence required in EE
- Transportation network routing using Oracle Network Data Model — NDM packages in PL/SQL; no additional licence required in EE
- Social network graph analysis using Property Graph stored in Oracle tables — PGQL queries via SQL on Property Graph in Oracle DB 19c+; no additional licence required in EE
- Knowledge graph / RDF triple store with SPARQL queries — Oracle RDF Graph in EE; no additional licence required
- Large-scale parallel graph analytics (PageRank, community detection) via PGX engine — Oracle Graph Server; separate Graph Server licence required
- Graph Studio notebooks for data science graph exploration — Oracle Graph Server; separate Graph Server licence required
- Application integration via Graph Server REST APIs — Oracle Graph Server; separate Graph Server licence required
- Spatial analytics dashboards via Oracle Spatial Studio — Oracle Spatial Studio; separate OCI service subscription required (or covered by Autonomous Database service tier)
The key principle: if your data scientists or GIS analysts are using web-based interfaces (Graph Studio, Spatial Studio) rather than SQL tools, they are almost certainly using separately licensed products. If your application developers are calling APIs against a server process (not directly against Oracle Database via JDBC/ODBC), they are using Graph Server.
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Defending Against Oracle Spatial and Graph Audit Claims
Oracle Spatial and Graph audit disputes typically fall into two categories: claims that Graph Server is unlicensed (most common), and historical claims from organisations with pre-2006 Oracle Spatial option licences that Oracle argues need to be converted to current metric/product structures.
Oracle Spatial and Graph Audit Defence Strategies
- Confirm that Oracle Spatial in-database features are free — if Oracle LMS is claiming that in-database spatial usage (SDO_ functions, spatial indexes, GeoRaster) requires a separate licence, push back immediately; Oracle's own licensing documentation confirms these are included in EE and SE2
- Scope Graph Server deployments precisely — if Graph Server is deployed but usage is limited to a specific team or application, establish the actual Named User count and challenge any Processor-metric claim that would significantly over-count licence requirements relative to actual use
- Challenge Graph Server detection evidence — if Oracle is claiming Graph Server is deployed based on port scanning or infrastructure evidence rather than confirmed installation, require Oracle to produce specific evidence of Graph Server process execution; a dormant installation that was never actively used is a different scenario from a production deployment
- Review Graph Server licence inclusion in existing Oracle contracts — some Oracle ULA, ULA, and broad cloud agreements include Oracle Graph Server as a separately listed but included product; review your Order Form and CSI entitlements before accepting that Graph Server is unlicensed
- Challenge historical Spatial option conversions — if Oracle LMS is claiming that a legacy Oracle Spatial option licence from a pre-2006 Order Form needs to be converted to a current Oracle Database licence or Graph Server licence at additional cost, challenge the contractual basis for that conversion; the licence terms at the time of purchase govern what you are entitled to
Key Takeaways: Oracle Spatial and Graph Licensing
- Oracle Spatial and Graph (in-database) is included at no additional cost in Oracle Database EE and SE2 — spatial SQL, spatial indexes, GeoRaster, Network Data Model, Property Graph, RDF Graph are all included
- Oracle Graph Server and Studio (PGX engine, Graph Studio UI, REST APIs) is a separately licensed product — not part of the free in-database Spatial and Graph feature
- If your team is using Graph Studio notebooks or calling Graph Server REST APIs, you need a Graph Server licence regardless of whether Oracle Database spatial is in use
- Oracle LMS audits focus on Graph Server deployment evidence, not in-database spatial usage — in-database spatial is free and not an audit target
- Oracle Spatial Studio on OCI is a separately priced OCI service on top of Autonomous Database or DBCS
- The execution boundary — in-database SQL vs external server process — determines whether you need a Graph Server licence
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Written by the Oracle Licensing Experts team — former Oracle executives, LMS auditors, and contract managers who now work exclusively for enterprise buyers. Not affiliated with Oracle Corporation.