Oracle's Processor license count depends on your processor model and the Core Factor from Oracle's published table. This calculator applies the correct Core Factor for your specific processor — the number Oracle's LMS team will use in an audit or ULA certification.
Add multiple servers to calculate your full estate. The formula: Cores × Core Factor = Oracle Processor Licenses
Important: This tool applies the Core Factors from Oracle's published Processor Core Factor Table. VMware soft-partitioning means all cores on every host in the vSphere cluster may count — not just VM-assigned cores. The calculator uses bare-metal or hard-partitioned counts. For VMware environments, use the Audit Risk Assessment first.
| Server | Processor | Cores | Core Factor | Proc Licenses |
|---|
Oracle's published Processor Core Factor Table determines how many Oracle Processor licenses each physical core requires. These are the key Core Factor values from Oracle's current table.
| Processor Family | Examples | Core Factor | Licenses per 16 cores |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Xeon (Multicore) | Xeon Gold/Platinum/Silver, Scalable Family | 0.5 | 8 Processor licenses |
| AMD EPYC / Opteron (Multicore) | EPYC 7xxx, EPYC 9xxx | 0.5 | 8 Processor licenses |
| IBM POWER (Multicore) | POWER9, POWER10 | 1.0 | 16 Processor licenses |
| Oracle SPARC T-Series | SPARC T4, T5, T7, T8 | 0.25 | 4 Processor licenses |
| Oracle SPARC M-Series | SPARC M7, M8 | 0.5 | 8 Processor licenses |
| ARM (Ampere Altra / similar) | Ampere Altra Max, Neoverse | 0.5 | 8 Processor licenses |
| Single Core Processors | Legacy single-core Intel/AMD | 1.0 | 16 Processor licenses |
| Dual Core Processors | Legacy dual-core | 0.75 | 12 Processor licenses |
Source: Oracle Processor Core Factor Table (reference Oracle's current published version for specific processor model listings). Always validate the precise Core Factor for each specific processor model against Oracle's published table — Core Factors for specific processor generations may differ from the family default. Not affiliated with Oracle Corporation.
Oracle's Processor license count is the most frequently contested number in Oracle audit and ULA certification engagements. Understanding the rules is the first step to challenging Oracle's count.
Oracle Processor licenses = (number of physical cores) × (Core Factor for that processor). Every server running Oracle software must be counted — including development, test, and standby servers unless your contract explicitly excludes them. More in the Database Licensing Guide →
If Oracle Database runs on VMware ESXi, Oracle's soft partitioning policy means the entire vSphere cluster's physical cores must be counted — not just the virtual machine's vCPUs. This is the single most common source of Oracle audit exposure. Get independent validation →
Oracle's LMS scripts detect Oracle software running on every processor visible to the database. An independent count uses physical inventory to validate the servers running Oracle and applies the correct Core Factor — not Oracle's often-overcounted LMS output. Audit defense service →
Oracle Database can be licenced in Named User Plus (NUP) instead of Processor metric. The minimum is 25 NUP per Processor license. For environments with small, defined user populations, NUP may be significantly cheaper than Processor. This calculator computes Processor metric only — use the Savings Estimator for a full comparison.
Oracle's Active Data Guard requires a separate license if the standby database is opened for read queries. Passive standby servers (failover only, no queries) do not require a Processor license under Oracle's rules — but "passive" must be verified and documented. Oracle's audit teams often contest standby server classifications.
This calculator provides a fast orientation. If you are within 24 months of a ULA certification, facing an Oracle audit, or approaching an Oracle agreement renewal, an independent forensic license count from our compliance review team provides a defensible, documented position for any Oracle challenge.
Monthly analysis of Oracle licensing policy changes, Core Factor Table updates, audit trends, and negotiation tactics from former Oracle LMS insiders.