Oracle database

From Oracle FAQ
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The Oracle database is Oracle Corporation's flagship database product.

Database Editions

The Oracle database server is available in the following editions:

Oracle Enterprise Edition

Oracle's top-end database server product for big enterprise customers.

Oracle Standard Edition

Four-processor version of Oracle Database, including full clustering support (Real Application Clusters).

Oracle Standard Edition One

Two-processor version of Standard Edition at an attractive entry-level price. While Real Application Clusters is included in the installation package, the right to use is NOT included with Standard Edition One.

Oracle Personal Edition

Full-featured version for individuals, compatible with the entire Oracle Database family (except Real Application Clusters).

Oracle Express Edition

Free version of Oracle that is limited to 1 processor, 1 GB RAM and 11 GB of data. For more info, see Oracle XE.

Database Options

The following optional database options can be purchased separately. These options are only available with the Enterprise Edition (the only exception is RAC):

Partitioning Option

The partitioning option allows DBAs to split large tables into more manageable sub-tables (partitions). Some of the advantages offered:

  • Partitions can be stored in different tablespaces;
  • Partitions can be added/ removed while users are working;
  • Data can be selected from targeted partitioned without having to scan all partitions for rows (partition pruning).

Spatial Option

The Spatial option store geographical information (GPS coordinates for instance) with records.

Real Application Clusters Option

Real Application Clusters (RAC) - formerly called Oracle Parallel Server (OPS) - allows more than one instance to mount and open an Oracle database. RAC can only be used on special clustered systems.

Advanced Security Option

Oracle Advanced Security (ASO), formerly called the Advanced Networking Option, provides a suite of security features to protect a company's network by providing network encryption, authentication solutions, single sign-on services, and support for other security protocols. ASO is only available with Oracle Enterprise Edition.

Oracle Label Security

Row level security based on stringent government and commercial requirements; sensitivity labels (i.e. confidential, doctor-patient only, top secret) provide better intellectual property protection and privacy.

Oracle OLAP

Oracle OLAP is a powerful multidimensional calculation engine with a complete set of analytical functions fully integrated within the Oracle Database. Oracle Database OLAP Option adds multidimensional data storage to Oracle Database, of the type previously only available in the best of the separate standalone multidimensional databases. Often generically described as "cubes", Analytic Workspaces inside Oracle Database provide fast scalable query performance and ease of use, especially for calculation intensive BI (or operational) applications - and offer a sophisticated alternative to traditional summary management in modern BI/Data Warehousing architectures.

Unlike previous generation separate engines (like Oracle Express Server) however, Oracle Database cubes (their data and calculations) are available to virtually any client tool or application, via simple SQL. Because Oracle Database OLAP Option cubes are a feature of the Oracle Database, they inherit other features from the Oracle Database including Security, Performance and Scalability, High Availability and Manageability capabilities.

Oracle Data Mining

Oracle Data Mining offers embedded data mining for classifications, predictions, and associations to build advanced business intelligence applications.

Database Vault

A new option to Oracle Database 10g Release 2 Enterprise Edition that lets you control who, when, and where data and applications can be accessed, protecting against the most common security threat like malicious internal users.

Total Recall

Total Recall is based on Oracle's Flashback feature and will allow users to query data "AS OF" an earlier time in the past. This will allow companies to "archive" data for auditing and regulatory compliance. For more info, see Oracle Total Recall.

Advanced Compression

Option used to compress data. For more info, see Oracle Advanced Compression.

Real Application Testing (RAT)

RAT can be used to capture, analyze and replay database transactions. For more info, see Real Application Testing.

Database features

A database feature, in contrast with an option, is provided free with the database software.

Most DBA's and developers work with multiple versions of Oracle at any particular time. To see what features were introduced in each version, refer to the version pages: Oracle 2, Oracle 3, Oracle 4, Oracle 5, Oracle 6, Oracle 7, Oracle 8, Oracle 8i, Oracle 9i, Oracle 10g, Oracle 11g.

Database version history

The major Oracle versions, with their latest patch-sets are:

If running on one of the above releases, it is recommended to always install the latest patch-set.

Desupport dates

Oracle 9iR2 was desupported on 31 July 2007. However, customers on Oracle 9.2.0.8 received free Extended Support until July 31, 2008. For details about this, see http://www.oracle.com/features/hp/database-9i-support.html

Oracle 10g Release 1 was desupported on 31 January 2009 and extended support ended on 31 January 2012.

Oracle 10g Release 2 was desupported on 31 July 2010 and extended support ended on 31 July 2013.

Oracle 11g Release 1 was desupported on 31 August 2012 and extended support will end on 31 August 2015.

Oracle 11g Release 2 was desupported on 31 January 2015 and extended support will end on December 2020 - 11.2.04 Dec 31, 2023 (with a Custom Market Driven Support Contract).

Oracle 12c - Error Correction / Patching has ended for this release March 2022

Oracle 18c (innovation release) - Error Correction / Patching has ended for this release June 2021

Oracle 19c - Currently in support - Scheduled until April 2025 with no Extended or Premier Support contract, April 2027 with contract (as of April 2023)

Oracle 21c (innovation release) - Patching end date April 2024

Also see

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