Introduction
Learn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner
Numerous clients are utilizing Oracle databases within AWS and have sought guidance for managing their Oracle licenses effectively. In response, AWS has introduced new features in AWS License Manager aimed at assisting customers in managing their Oracle licenses on AWS. AWS License Manager is designed to help users oversee software licenses from vendors like Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, and IBM across both AWS and on-premises environments. This article will specifically address the new capabilities of AWS License Manager that facilitate the management of Oracle licenses in Amazon RDS for Oracle.
Amazon RDS for Oracle offers Oracle databases as a managed service, allowing you to concentrate on application development while AWS handles various administrative tasks, such as provisioning, backups, software updates, monitoring, and hardware scaling. You can operate Amazon RDS for Oracle under two licensing models: “License Included” or “Bring Your Own License (BYOL).” The “License Included” model means you do not need to acquire separate Oracle licenses, as AWS has already licensed the software. Conversely, if you possess Oracle licenses, you can opt for the BYOL model, which is tailored for those who wish to use their existing licenses or buy new ones directly from Oracle. For additional information, see licensing Amazon RDS for Oracle.
In this article, we’ll explore how to configure AWS License Manager to track Oracle licenses associated with various database engine editions, options, and management packs used within Amazon RDS. Moreover, with some extra configuration, AWS License Manager can also monitor Oracle licenses utilized on-premises and on EC2 instances.
Walkthrough
Metadata
- Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
- Estimated Completion Time: 60 minutes
- Cost:
- AWS License Manager incurs no charges
- Amazon RDS for Oracle has costs based on the instance size and type. When you create Amazon RDS for Oracle, the user interface will display an estimated charge.
Learning Level: 200
Services Used:
- AWS License Manager
- Amazon RDS for Oracle
Prerequisites
- AWS Account
- Oracle Licenses (optional): Bring any Oracle licenses you wish to track.
In this article, we will examine the following scenarios:
- Scenario 1: Monitoring Oracle licenses for databases running in Amazon RDS for Oracle using a BYOL licensing model.
- Scenario 2: Tracking Oracle options and packs licenses operating within Amazon RDS.
- Scenario 3: Monitoring the number of licenses utilized when Oracle servers are decommissioned. AWS License Manager can track Oracle license consumption when new servers are added and adjust the count when servers are removed.
Scenario 1: Monitoring Oracle Licenses for Databases on Amazon RDS
In this scenario, we will look at how to utilize AWS License Manager to monitor Oracle database licenses used within Amazon RDS for Oracle.
Having already established Amazon RDS for Oracle, if you wish to follow along but haven’t set it up yet, refer to the Oracle database documentation for guidance. I have configured an Oracle Enterprise Edition running on Amazon RDS with a t3.2xlarge instance, which features 8 vCPUs and 32 GiB RAM. Note that this instance exceeds the free tier, so be aware of potential charges.
To set up AWS License Manager, open the AWS Management Console and navigate to License Manager.
If it’s your first time using License Manager, you may be prompted to configure some initial settings. For more information, refer to the getting started with AWS License Manager documentation.
Next, you’ll create a license configuration to track the number of Oracle licenses you own. Click on “Create license configuration.”
On the Create License Configuration screen, input the following details:
- License Configuration Name: Choose a name that describes the software covered by the license configuration (for instance, Oracle Enterprise licenses).
- Description: Provide a description of the rule.
- License Type: For this scenario, select vCPUs. Review your Oracle licensing agreement to select the appropriate type.
- Number of vCPUs: Enter the total number of licenses you own.
AWS License Manager will automatically discover Oracle licenses, options, and packs utilized in Amazon RDS. For License Manager to track Oracle database licenses automatically, provide the following under product information:
- Product Name: Select Oracle Database.
- Product Type: Review the available product types. For this scenario, I will choose Enterprise Edition.
- Resource Type: Select Amazon RDS.
Click the “Submit” button when finished.
AWS License Manager will continually discover the resources used in your environment. After resource usage updates, License Manager will report the licenses used on the dashboard. For this blog, I set up an Amazon RDS for Oracle on a t3.2xlarge instance, resulting in License Manager updating my dashboard from 0 to 8 licenses consumed. For further details on how License Manager updates its resource inventory, please see the resource inventory documentation.
To check an overview of your license configuration rules and the licenses consumed by each product, click on “Dashboard” in the console.
On the dashboard, if you click the hyperlink for Oracle Enterprise licenses, you can view resource details that License Manager detected as consuming the licenses, along with the AWS account ID and the association date.
Scenario 2: Monitoring Oracle Options and Packs Licenses in Amazon RDS
AWS License Manager can also track Oracle options and management packs. In this scenario, I will add a read replica to my Oracle database on Amazon RDS. The read replica will utilize Oracle Active Data Guard. This scenario demonstrates the tracking of the Oracle option, Active Data Guard.
For more insights on managing your workload, consider checking out this out-of-office message blog post. Additionally, if you’re interested in understanding employment practices, SHRM provides useful information. Finally, if you are seeking job opportunities, you can explore Amazon’s fulfillment center job postings, an excellent resource for potential employment.
Leave a Reply