Oracle RAC One Node Licensing
- RAC One Node is licensed separately from Oracle Enterprise Edition (EE).
- Only the primary active node must be licensed.
- One unlicensed spare node allowed for failover up to 10 days per year.
- The licensing metric (Processor or NUP) must match the EE database.
- Exceeding the 10-day limit requires licensing the spare node or upgrading to full RAC.
Oracle RAC One Node Licensing
Oracle RAC One Node provides a cost-effective high-availability (HA) solution tailored for organizations needing minimal downtime without the complexity and cost associated with full Real Application Clusters (RAC).
Understanding its licensing terms is essential to maintaining compliance and avoiding unnecessary expenses.
Read more about Oracle Database Options licensing.
What is Oracle RAC One Node?
Oracle Real Application Clusters One Node (RAC One Node) is a specialized version of Oracle RAC. Unlike traditional RAC—which runs database instances simultaneously on multiple nodes—RAC One Node runs on a single active node at any given time, providing high availability through rapid failover capabilities.
Key Features:
- Single-instance Database: The database runs actively only on one server node, simplifying management compared to full RAC’s active-active configuration.
- Cold Failover Capability: RAC One Node provides high availability by allowing the database instance to relocate quickly to another node in the cluster during planned maintenance or unexpected failures. Oracle refers to this functionality as “Online Database Relocation.”
- Cost Efficiency: RAC One Node is priced lower than full RAC, making it attractive for organizations seeking robust HA solutions without the need for active-active scaling.
Why Choose Oracle RAC One Node?
RAC One Node is ideal for workloads that:
- It requires high availability with rapid failover but not constant active-active load balancing.
- Need to minimize licensing costs associated with traditional RAC.
- Have relatively stable workloads with minimal frequent switching between nodes.
Oracle RAC One Node Licensing Basics
Oracle RAC One Node is a separately licensed option exclusively available in Oracle Enterprise Edition (EE) databases. It requires a dedicated license separate from the EE database license itself, although at a lower price point than full RAC.
Licensing Metrics:
RAC One Node licensing must match the database’s licensing metric. The two licensing metrics are:
- Processor-based licensing
- Named User Plus (NUP) licensing
The chosen licensing metric must remain consistent between the Oracle EE database and RAC One Node.
Read about Oracle Active Data Guard Licensing.
Licensing Requirements and Limitations
Oracle RAC One Node licensing is straightforward but includes specific rules and limitations to maintain compliance:
Primary Node Licensing:
- You license the primary node where the Oracle database instance actively runs.
- The cores or processors on this node must be fully licensed under your selected metric.
Failover Node Licensing:
- Oracle permits one spare (secondary) node to serve as a failover target without additional licensing, but with specific limits:
- You can operate the database on this spare node for up to 10 distinct days per calendar year without requiring additional licensing.
- If you exceed the 10-day limit, the secondary node must be fully licensed for RAC One Node.
Practical Licensing Scenarios for RAC One Node
To illustrate licensing clearly, consider a practical scenario involving a mid-sized manufacturing firm.
Example Scenario:
- Cluster Setup: Two-node cluster (Node A primary, Node B standby).
- Database: ERP database on Oracle EE with RAC One Node option.
- Processors: Node A has 16 cores; Node B has 16 cores configured similarly for redundancy.
- Licensing Decision:
- The company fully licenses Node A under the Processor metric for Oracle EE and RAC One Node.
- Node B remains unlicensed initially under Oracle’s spare-node policy.
Read about Oracle RAC Licensing.
Failover and Compliance:
- During scheduled maintenance or unexpected outages, the database moves (relocates) temporarily from Node A to Node B.
- Oracle’s failover rules permit Node B to operate unlicensed for up to 10 separate days per year.
- After completing maintenance on Node A, the instance relocates seamlessly, ensuring minimal downtime.
- If the company exceeds the 10-day limit on Node B, Node B must also be licensed fully for RAC One Node.
Differences Between Oracle RAC One Node and Full RAC Licensing
While similar, licensing for RAC One Node differs from full RAC in several important ways:
Active Node Count:
- RAC One Node: Only the primary (active) node is required, and limited, temporary failover is allowed without extra costs.
- Full RAC: Requires licensing all nodes in the cluster, even lightly loaded or passive ones.
Pricing:
- RAC One Node: Significantly lower cost than full RAC, making it attractive for smaller deployments or budget-sensitive organizations.
- Full RAC: Higher cost reflecting active-active scalability and continuous load balancing capabilities.
Scalability:
- RAC One Node: Does not provide active-active scaling; suitable only for failover scenarios.
- Full RAC: This offers full active-active load balancing and horizontal scaling.
Upgrading from RAC One Node to Full RAC
Oracle allows license upgrades from RAC One Node to full RAC when organizations need active-active operation:
- Upgrade involves paying the difference between RAC One Node and full RAC licensing fees.
- Organizations can expand seamlessly, starting with RAC One Node and upgrading to full RAC later if their workload demands active-active clustering.
RAC One Node Licensing Metrics Detailed
Processor-Based Licensing:
Under the processor licensing model:
- Count the processor cores on the primary active node.
- Apply Oracle’s core factor for specific processors (e.g., Intel, IBM Power, SPARC).
- All cores on the primary node must be licensed for EE and RAC One Node.
Example:
- Node A with 16 processor cores (after core factor).
- License all 16 cores for EE and RAC One Node.
Named User Plus (NUP) Licensing:
Under NUP licensing:
- The minimum Oracle licensing is 25 Named User Plus licenses per processor core.
- Ideal only for limited user populations due to mandatory minimums.
- Licensing must match EE database licenses.
Example:
- Node A has eight processor cores.
- Minimum Named User Plus licenses: 8 cores × 25 NUP = 200 NUP licenses required.
Common Licensing Mistakes to Avoid
To ensure full compliance, avoid common pitfalls such as:
- Ignoring the 10-Day Rule: Exceeding the allowed failover duration results in non-compliance and potential audit penalties.
- Mixing Licensing Metrics: Oracle requires consistent metrics between EE and RAC One Node licenses. Do not mix Processor and Named User Plus licenses.
- Confusing RAC One Node with Full RAC: RAC One Node is strictly a single-node active operation; frequent or prolonged two-node operation requires upgrading to full RAC licenses.
Licensing Audits and Compliance for RAC One Node
Due to their specialized licensing conditions, Oracle actively audits RAC environments, including RAC One Node deployments.
Recommendations for Audit Compliance:
- Maintain accurate documentation of node usage and failover events.
- Track the total number of failover days annually.
- Regularly review licensing status to ensure no inadvertent violations.
Cost Optimization Strategies with RAC One Node
Properly managed RAC One Node licenses can significantly reduce costs compared to full RAC:
- Manage Failover Days Carefully: Effectively plan maintenance windows to stay within Oracle’s 10-day allowance for unlicensed failover nodes.
- Assess User Populations for NUP Licensing: If using Named User Plus licensing, ensure user counts align with Oracle’s minimum requirements and actual usage.
- Consider Strategic Upgrade to RAC: If active-active scenarios become necessary, proactively upgrading licensing avoids audit surprises or non-compliance penalties.
Key Takeaways for Oracle RAC One Node Licensing
- RAC One Node is a cost-effective, high-availability solution licensed separately from Oracle EE.
- Licensing is required only for the primary active node, and a single spare node is allowed temporarily (up to 10 days per year) without additional cost.
- Licensing metrics (Processor or NUP) must match the EE database licenses exactly.
- Prolonged use beyond 10 days annually or active-active scenarios requires full licensing for both nodes or upgrading to full RAC.
Conclusion
Oracle RAC One Node delivers substantial high-availability capabilities at reduced licensing costs compared to full RAC.
Organizations must carefully manage licensing requirements—particularly the 10-day failover allowance—to maintain compliance and cost-effectiveness. Companies gain dependable, cost-efficient database reliability and minimize audit risks by understanding and adhering to Oracle’s RAC One Node licensing terms.
