LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
I've dropped off this topic for a while but I want to pick it back up before 2009 gets here. ;-) I'm changing my approach a bit. In an effort to be as fair and accurate as possible, I will be discussing the database and company (where that applies) with the company that produces the database. I'll revisit my earlier posts when I have a chance to talk
Benchmark testing - although this may be something that seems like it should be done for your own benefit it’s important to know that Microsoft requires that you get their written approval before disclosing the results to a third party.
This does NOT apply to the following applications:
.NET Framework, Class Server, Live Communications Server, Systems Center Operations Manager, SharePoint Portal Server, System Center Data Protection Manager, System Center Essentials, Systems Management Server, Virtual Server, Windows Server, Microsoft Services for Netware, Windows Services for UNIX, Windows Small Business Server
However if your software contains one or more components of the .NET Framework you may conduct internal benchmark testing of those components. You may also disclose those results. You can find the complete terms here.
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
Do you know what a tag line is? It's those nifty phrases that come after a product or brand to get your attention. Like "Quality is job 1" or "Have it your way". Some of those tag lines really become part of the universal meme. Here are a few tag lines I'd like to see.
Oracle - Expensive. Because we can be.
Oracle - If it's not part of
When you buy a Microsoft product of any kind, it will come with a summary of technical limitations which will enable the software to work in specific ways - even though these limitations are no longer included in the Product Use Right documentation - they cannot be ignored.
Each product has its own set of capabilities as well as licensing guidelines for its use. There is a great table available here that should answer many of your questions as to what you can do with each product.
Details such as how many processors are being run on your Microsoft product will affect its licensing requirement and must be taken into account should the need arise to make any changes.
One more thing to be on the lookout for when preparing your software asset management plan.
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
Larry Ellison is a technology leader. I think that's generally accepted. Some people might not like him, but you can't really deny what he has done with Oracle. Larry apparently has one giant weakness though. He's way ahead of his time. I ran across this <a href="http://sunsite.uakom.sk/sunworldonline/swol-
I'm a productive, tax paying citizen again!
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
As you might know, last week I published an entry saying that I was looking for a job. I have to say I got a great response, both here on the blog and direct emails. I got great
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
I will be presenting at the Virginia Oracle User Group (VOUG) user conference on Oct 9 & 10. The conference is being held at the Omni Richmond Hotel in Richmond, VA. It looks like it will be a good conference with plenty of good speakers. Steven Feuerstein is the keynote speaker. I'm not sure how many separate tr
Ever since the Oracle-BEA deal was given the green light by the federal government in February, we’ve all been asking the same questions:
How will Oracle combine the two company’s middleware offerings? Will BEA customers be forced to migrate to the new products? How will this change Oracle’s SOA and application server strategies?
This month, we’ve finally gotten some answers, along with some positive feedback. The Wall Street Journal summed it up by saying that after Oracle’s July 1 webcast, which revealed the company’s BEA plans, one thing is certainly clear: “Oracle is getting a knack for handling acquisitions.”
So, how is Oracle handling this one? Here are some recent highlights:
It all looks great on paper. But is everyone (including BEA customers) really satisfied?
According to a recent survey conducted by SearchSOA.com (before the July 1 webcast), many BEA users are uneasy about the BEA acquisition and the future of BEA products. Out of those polled, 52% reported a somewhat or very negative view of the acquisition, and 32% voted neutral. The survey also indicated a lack of confidence in Oracle, current satisfaction with BEA products and an unwillingness to migrate over to the new offerings.
A follow-up with poll respondents reiterated these opinions. One senior software developer had this to say:
“It’s very difficult for BEA users to migrate their existing applications running on BEA products, but they can be convinced.”
What do you think of the recent developments from the acquisition? Is it just a matter of time before everyone feels comfortable with the new products? What other extra steps can Oracle take to make sure BEA customers are kept informed and involved? What can Oracle’s other acquisitions teach us about what will happen with BEA?
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
I know I promised to write about my ideal job but I decided to continue the thought stream I started the other day in ACID vs BASE, I decided to do a little bit of research on the subject of eventual consistency (since I have some time on my hands. heh).
I think my ideas
For Microsoft online services such as Live Meeting or Exchange Online, there are three kinds of licenses for these products dependant on the offering in which you choose to use and its requirements - meaning, you may or may have to license each of your programs differently should Microsoft ask for it. The first is a User or Device Subscription License which is required for each user or device that will access the online service.
The second - a services subscription license - applies to the entire company use of the service. Separate user licenses may also be required on top of the company license. The last type is called an Add-On Subscription license. These are not always required but occasionally are used to cover a measurement of some kind - storage used, consumed units, etc. These don’t apply to individual users.
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
Yesterday, I wrote Recruiters: How to work with techies. A few hours later, I got laid off. Irony? You betcha!
Yep, fired. Given the old heave ho. Downsized. Placed into a career transition. Restructured. Pinched while dangling. My services are no
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
I was contacted by a recruiter a few days ago. I wasn't interested in the job but I noticed this recruiter had a blog in her signature. That's the first time I've seen that from a recruiter so I went to check it out. The blog had at least one entry that was written by someone else and that is the entry I am addressing here. That entry is <a href="http
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
I'm just thinking out loud here. If you don't like technical ramblings, don't continue reading.
Ok, we all know what ACID is right? In databases I mean, not at woodstock. ;-) Don't take the brown ACID!
Cold Backup for Disaster Recovery will expire if you let your Software Assurance expire on your servers. This means that you’re required to purchase server licenses to replace the ones you initially received through your software assurance rights if you want to continue to use you Microsoft Server and Server CAL products.
The information can be found in Microsoft’s Product Use Rights Document within the Volume Licensing section.’
That screaming you heard today? That was the sound of hundreds of IT professionals reacting to the Apple App Store created today for the new iPhone. A 3G version of the phone is being released this week and enterprise software vendors are beginning to take notice, giving credibility to the iPhone in the enterprise, yet another mobile device IT will have to support.
That certainly holds true Oracle shops. Oracle today began offering a free download on the App Store, Apple’s directory of applications for the new iPhone and iPod touch. Oracle will offer “business indicators” from Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition Plus and Business Intelligence Applications, Fusion Edition.
Anyone with access to the application can be granted access on the iPhone; the authentication and security work the same, according to Lenley Hensarling, group vice president of application development.
Oracle will be creating more CRM-focused applications in the future by is not releasing a road map.
While the Blackberry still rules the enterprise, and Salesforce.com and Oracle appear to be among just a handful of enterprise application vendors offering products on the App Store, the iPhone does appear to be gaining ground — if only within Oracle itself.
Hensarling himself is an iPhone user and plans to get the latest device.
“I was a reluctant believer,” he said. “For four months after the first one came out I didn’t buy one. I just watched people on my staff, my peers to start to show up with them and the feedback was it was a lot easier and it works great with standards based email.”
If users are snapping up the popular phone and Oracle is creating its own applications for it, chances are your IT department is going to need to start supporting it, if it doesn’t already.
Are you ready? Maybe you can keep the iPhone out of your company but for how long?
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
Update: Justin Kestelyn just tweeted a link on Oracle to the DBA 2.0 event.
My friends at the Suncoast Oracle User Group sent an email last night about an Oracle Developer Day event coming to town in a couple of weeks. The last Developer Day I a
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
IBM Developerworks has posted a new article, Evaluating XPaths from the Java platform. This is a really detailed article for those of you doing XML from java. The little title blurb says:
No data format is harder to sea
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
If you started in IT in the last 10 years, the odds are good you've never programmed in COBOL. If you started between 10 and 20 years ago, it's possible that you missed that particular language. Over 20 years, you've probably had to at least do a little COBOL. I did about 3 years of it in my early days. Ma
In the wonderful and confusing world of software licensing there seems to be some confusion between software assurance (SA) rights and software licensing rights, which comes to light when SA benefits expire and users aren’t sure what they are entitled to do at that time. The difference: the software license right is valid for as long as you own the license with or without SA; an SA benefit is only active for as long as you have coverage on your license.
A Microsoft Small Business blog came up with a great list of examples so when the question comes up about what happens when SA benefits expire, use this as a quick reference:
License rights:
• Downgrade Rights
• Transfer Rights
• Re-imaging (network storage and use) rights
Software Assurance benefits:
• New Version Rights
• Home Use Program
• Windows Vista Enterprise
• Training Vouchers
• Microsoft E-Learning
• Employee Purchase Program
• 24×7 Problem Resolution Support
• “Cold” Backups for Disaster Recovery
• TechNet Subscription
• Desktop Deployment Planning Services
• SharePoint Deployment Planning Services
You can, of course, use this also as a blueprint for understanding Oracle licensing and assurance as well as many other software vendors.
The Sept. 21 kickoff of Oracle OpenWorld 2008 is rapidly approaching, and many bloggers are asking the same question:
To go or not to go?
Some people are not too happy, claiming Oracle is suggesting- -or at least making it easier- -to do the latter.
Last year, Oracle opened up its conference to bloggers for the first time- -it was a move that may have been well-intentioned, but the end result was steeped in controversy.
People were upset that Oracle sent out invitations to bloggers but would not pick up their travel expenses. What may have been more upsetting, however, was Oracle’s reasoning: “This will keep [the bloggers] impartial.”
Can bloggers be so easily be “bought?” Does Oracle favor bloggers with a pro-Oracle bias?
The decision caused an outcry in the blogosphere. ZDNet’s Dennis Howlett, for example, accused Oracle of having double standards, and also disapproved of what he said was an unwillingness to give bloggers access to Oracle executives. Others compared Oracle to SAP, a company that reportedly often pays for bloggers- -even the most critical ones- - to attend its events.
There is nothing, however, indicating that Oracle pays the OpenWorld travel expenses for any other members of the media, other than accredited press from overseas (this may explain some of Howlett’s frustration- -he is located in Spain). So, maybe the real questions here aren’t about Oracle’s expense-paying policies, but rather how they view the role of bloggers.
So… how do bloggers differ from the rest of the accredited press?
When the OpenWorld blogger program was recently renewed for this year’s conference, only a couple of differences were announced. The first difference is that there is now a blogger credential; bloggers no longer register as Press. No, this isn’t a very significant change - - but, if Oracle is going to officially lump bloggers into their own category, how should “bloggers” be defined? How do you think Oracle envisions these differences? What if you’re a member of the press but have a blog as well? (think SearchOracle.com, for example).
The second difference in this year’s program is that “there will be a more cohesive program assembled for bloggers.” This, in my opinion, is what matters the most - - that Oracle (especially as they begin to outline their Web 2.0 plans) is willing to continue to invest in bloggers and give them new opportunities. As Jake from Oracle AppsLab, one of the pioneers of the blogger program, said last year: “This is new territory for a lot of us, and personally, I’d like to hear a lot more opinions and suggestions before I support one path or another.”
I’ve asked many tough questions, and it seems like people have yet to agree on solutions. So, if we are yet to have all the answers to this relatively new blogging phenomenon, why should Oracle be expected to? Despite the controversy (Howlett thinks there are a lot of negatives this year as well), does Oracle at least have the right idea with the OpenWorld blogger program? What do you think?
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
September is just around the corner. If you're going to OOW this year, I would suggest you get registered now and get a hotel. Last year there were more than 45000 attendees. I wonder what the estimate is for this year? With BEA in the mix, I would guess well over 5
According to Microsoft, each user that you permit access to your software requires a license. Ok…you’r probably saying “duh, I knew that,” but read on, my friend.
You can install any number of copies of your software on any devices, for example and employee’s desk computer, laptop and perhaps a conference room PC, BUT, here is the clincher, only licensed users can access the software.
So let me put it this way, if a random person enters your office and decides to use the copy of Office 2007 you have in the conference room that will put you out of compliance. Software audits don’t necessarily just following where the software is being installed, but WHO is using it. Don’t be surprised if someone walks around “counting” the stations and taking names down as they do an audit.
Password protection isn’t a bad idea when you think about the hot water you could get yourself into.
LewisC's An Expert's Guide To Oracle Technology
I mentioned a while back, during ODTUG Kaleidoscope 2008, that SQL Developer would add support for data modeling.
Sue Harper me
Just like Oracle software licensing, Microsoft has its complexities as well.
When using a Microsoft application, you must license each device in which you will access the software (locally and remotely). You can install any version of the application you prefer, for example many users currently will use Office 2003 instead of the newer 2007 version, but if both are installed, 2007 must be licensed. The same goes for a server installation - if computers in your office are using 2007, the server in which may house a remote connection must also be licensed for 2007.
For Operating Systems, you will need a license for each device that accesses the software but can only install one copy on each device (versus however many copies of Microsoft applications you want you may install). When we look at Volume licensing however, these are considered by Microsoft as an upgrade license. More information on that can be found here, along with a list of qualifying operating systems, which you must already have licensed in order to acquire an upgrade license.
It’s no secret that Larry Ellison is in his business for the money. Therefore, his reason for laying low in the on-demand software industry — he says software-as-a service (SaaS) isn’t profitable enough — should come as no surprise.
It may also be easy to question Ellison’s reasoning given the way it’s been embraced by so many in the IT business,, including Oracle rival SAP.
SAP, which had a change of heart about SaaS last year (CEO Henning Kagermann called it “game changing” and “the better model”), hopes to have 1,000 subscribers to Business ByDesign, its SaaS-based ERP suite for SMBs by the end of 2008.
Ellison, on the other hand, seems to have dismissed SaaS, at least for the time being. In this recent Information Age article, he points to the low profits of on-demand CRM provider Salesforce.com.
“The entire on-demand industry has to get better at making money in selling on-demand software,” he says.
This isn’t the first time Ellison’s rejected the idea of SaaS, a model that requires less licensing and consulting fees than traditional software. In September, Ellison compared Oracle’s SaaS strategy (focusing on adding value to the large companies it already serves) with SAP’s (going after smaller companies with new products like Business ByDesign).
As ZDNet blogger Larry Dignan puts it:
“Here’s Ellison’s strategy: Let SAP figure SaaS out and crow if the rival fails. If SAP is successful–it probably will be over time–Ellison buys NetSuite [the SaaS ERP provider that Ellison owns a majority stake in] from himself.”
But does Ellison have the right idea?
Some people seem to think so. In his recent blog post, “Does Larry Ellison have the best SaaS strategy?”, Dingan credits Ellison for taking a step back in such a difficult, slow-growing market.
Others, however, have higher hopes for SaaS. Blogger Phil Wainewright has criticized what he calls “Oracle’s misconceived SaaS strategy,” and at the start of this year, Wainewright gave his “Eight reasons SaaS will surge in 2008.” Among these include a wider move to Internet-based services, the emergence of virtualization technology and a slowing economy that will make lower-cost options more appealing for customers.
So, maybe signs are pointing to this being a big year for SaaS. But if it is, how soon will Ellison pounce? Do you think it would be worth it for Ellison to take his customers–rather than his profits–into consideration sooner rather than later? And what does it all mean for NetSuite and Oracle’s existing SaaS-based application Oracle CRM OnDemand, a vestige of Siebel’s foray into the business? Could you benefit from a wider Oracle SaaS offering, or is Ellison right in his strategy?
Here are some quick and helpful tips for software asset management (SAM).
• Set Goals for your company’s SAM
• Take an inventory
• Match Software with Licenses
• Organize licensing documentation (create a repository)
• Plan for the Long-Term
• Develop a set of rules and procedures to promote good SAM practices
• Create a SAM plan to keep licensing in line moving forward
Software licensing and compliance are extremely complex. We specialize in Oracle licensing and software asset management (Microsoft, too). Having a good software asset management program has prevented millions of dollars during surprise audits and during licensing re-negotiations.
Okay, remember how we have been warning about the BSA and how they are after companies that have pirated software? Well…here is a prime example. They have just filed to court orders again RedPR Services and Overclockers in the UK, which could cost them thousands of dollars - all because they failed to complete an audit required by the BSA.
You’ll see a lot of these court orders in the coming year - and there will be many unheard of as well, those who have settled out of court and spent a pretty penny!
Keep your Oracle licensing, Microsoft, Adobe, etc in check people!
Partitioned servers are commonly found in the corporate IT environment today due to cost savings and simplified management of running multiple operating systems — such as UNIX or Windows NT — on the same server. Partitioned servers also improve the work load balancing and distribution.
In the case of partitioning servers, Oracle licensing recognizes hardware partitioning for licensing purposes. Meaning ….Oracle customers can license “only those processors that have been purchased from the hardware vendors.” As more processor rights are bought, additional Oracle licenses must be purchased.
Note: Oracle Database Standard Edition can only be licensed under server with four sockets. Customers cannot partition a larger server into four sockets and then license the database Standard Edition for that partition.