[Tfug] Clarification: database licensing theory to practice

[Paul Steinbach]

We use this application under an Oracle application specific full use 
license.  It allows us to use Oracle 9i Enterprise Edition only with 
this application.  We have named user access licenses for both the 
application and Oracle Enterprise Edition.  The company that sells the 
licenses has created the database structure, triggers, functions, etc.  
If I want to migrate it to Oracle or EnterpriseDB or something else, I 
am assuming I can recreate the tables and migrate the data but that all 
the functions etc are "source code" and therefore belong to the 
application.  The licensing company has stopped development at Oracle 9i 
and does not support RAC (clustering).  The application supposedly needs 
the Enterprise Edition features and supposedly includes some 
SPARC-specific coding.  We use a 4-way Sun V480 talking to an EMC 
FC-5700 fiber array with 2X7+1 drives (RAID 10) over 1G FC HBAs.

This is an issue because the array has been problematic and management 
that does not want to update.  Our database has become more and more 
critical as we have added more functions and time-critical services (ie 
Same-day delivery).  I am trying to find a way to have a majority of my 
data and services online without paying for a whole 'nother set of 
Oracle and application licenses.  Though I have made recommendations for 
upgrades, we are subject to the same economy as everyone else. 

The license allows for emergency copies of the software. I am thinking 
that maybe I can keep a second database alive on another array (iSCSI?) 
attached to the original server using either OS copies or Oracle 
utilities.  If the array went down I could bring the database up on the 
second array and the original server.  If the original server was down, 
I could link the second array to my backup 2-way V480 and be back in 
action.  I don't want to replicate the Fiber stuff because I don't think 
I could support it without another contract.  I do have a backup FC-5700 
for parts.

Thoughts?

-- 
Paul Steinbach
MIS Manager
Sam Levitz Furniture

E-mail: MIS at samlevitz.com
Phone:  520.624.7443 X2571
Cell:   520.247.5730