Re: Oracle costs and requirements

Matt Bailey wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I risk sounding like an idiot here, but I'm a database newbie and I
> don't know the first thing about Oracle - not a jot!

Welcome to Oracle

> I'm currently doing a University assignment that requires me to cost
> out an Oracle database for a company, along with all its trimmings,
> but I've been unable to find any information on the web.
>
> It's a small company and its data requirements are very small. I'm
> wondering if anyone here can help me out with my estimation. I need to
> know:
>
> A. What's required for an Oracle database?
>
> So far I'm assuming:
>
> A server (any particular kind?)

Pretty much any kind you want. Oracle runs on nearly all hardware and/or operating systems. Popular platforms are Windows, Linux, and Unix

> The Oracle 10g software

There are 5 editions of the Oracle Database Software

Oracle Enterprise Edition - for high end, mission critical transaction processing and data warehousing environments.

Oracle Standard Edition - for small to medium businesses, on machines up to 4 CPUs in size

Oracle Standard Edition One - for small to medium businesses, on machines up to 2 CPUs in size

Oracle Personal Edition - for single user environments

Each of these is based on the same code line, so applications developed for one can be easily migrated to a 'stronger' edition.

There is also the new Express Edition - see below

> An Oracle license (don't have a clue about this)

Each (esxcept for the Express Edition) is licensable. The prices are published on store.oracle.com, but range from $149 per user, all the way up to $40,000 per CPU

There are also additional options available with the Enterprise Edition that addresses key requirements in the enterprise - such as advanced security, real application clustering, data partitioning etc. These are again priced seperately

>
> but is there anything else?
>

Oracle also has a new starter edition out in beta, called Express Edition. This is 100% free for use, but has some limits in terms of the amount of CPU it will use, data it will hold etc. It is also very quick to download and install, and you can literally have your first application up and developed within a minute of install. If you want to kick the tires of Oracle, I would recommend it

>
> B. How much does all this stuff cost?

Without being facteious, pretty much as much as you want to spend. You can start with Oracle for free, or, as a large corporation, literlally spend millions

>
> I hope someone's got some advice, cause I'm a bit clueless at the
> minute. Cheers,

Go to otn.oracle.com This is a free site, but you will have to register. Specifically have a look at the content starting from the database home page -
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/oracle10g/index.html

Specific information on
Enterprise Edition -
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/oracle10g/pdf/DS_General_Oracle_Database10gR2_EE_0605.pdf Standard Edition -
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/oracle10g/pdf/DS_General_Oracle_Database10gR2_SE_0605.pdf Standard Edition One -
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/oracle10g/pdf/DS_General_Oracle_Database10gR2_SE1_0605.pdf

Express Edition -
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/xe/index.html

And last but not least, I do work for Oracle, so feel free to ask any questions you have.

> Matt
Received on Thu Nov 24 2005 - 14:10:08 CST