SAM Jargon Buster Vol.2 – Oracle mini-guide

As if the general world of Software Asset Management (SAM) and Software Licensing Optimization & Entitlement (SLOE) didn’t already have enough acronyms and buzzwords (check out our initial SAM Jargon Buster from earlier this year  for some of the usual suspects), certain software publishers seem to speak a language all of their own.

Oracle is no exception. 

So if you don’t know your DDL from your DML (and let’s face it, not many of us do!), have a quick read of our Oracle acronym mini-guide below.

• ASFU – Applications Specific Full Use: An ASFU license is sold by a Solution Provider in conjunction with its proprietary software (example: installation of SAP that run on Oracle ASFU databases). ASFU licenses may not be used with more than one application. The Partner’s application program may be modified or customized by the partner or end user provided it remains within the defined application scope. Partners provide all front line support to their end users, while Oracle provides second line support to the Partners.
• DDL – Data Definition Language. A language used by the database management system which allows users to define the database, specifying data types, structures and constraints on the data. Examples are the CREATE TABLE, CREATE INDEX, ALTER, and DROP statements (Use of DDL requires a full use license for the database).
• DML – Data Manipulation Language. The data manipulation language for Oracle is SQL. These commands manipulate data within existing database objects. Examples are the SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, DELETE statements. (these commands are permitted under a restricted use license for the database).
• NUP – Named User Plus: This is Oracle’s licensing metric used to license individuals (and also non-human operated devices) that are authorized to make use of the software. The exact number of required NUP licenses depends on the actual number of individuals/non-human operated devices and must be compared to the minimum required number of NUP licenses for a system (typically calculated as 10 or 25 NUP per Processor).
• ESL – Embedded Software License: This is the most restrictive license type distributed by Partners who must totally embed Oracle into their application package. As such, the end user often has little or no knowledge about the embedded Oracle programs. ESL cannot be sold by one partner to support another partner’s application.  ESL may not be used with more than one application. Oracle programs cannot be modified or customized by the partner or end user. The application scope must be defined upfront with Oracle. Partners provide all front line support to their end users, while Oracle provides second line support to the Partners.

With all these acronyms and license restrictions for just one software publisher, it’s no wonder many organizations struggle to gain full visibility and control of their Oracle estate. 

To help you manage your Oracle licensing more effectively, Snow offers both the Snow Oracle Management Pack solution together with Oracle review services.

Check back for more jargon busting soon!