Author: biju.thomas

  • ExaDB-XS vs ExaDB-D – When to choose ExaDB-XS

    Let’s compare Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure (ExaDB-XS) and Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure (ExaDB-D) and review how to choose between these services. Both Oracle Database services run on powerful Exadata hardware within the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) public cloud, but they differ in their underlying infrastructure model and characteristics.

    • Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure (ExaDB-D):
      • Runs your Oracle databases on dedicated Exadata database servers and storage servers physically allocated solely to you within an OCI region. Think of it as single-tenant at the hardware infrastructure level, providing maximum isolation in the public cloud. You start with two database nodes and three storage servers.
    • Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure (ExaDB-XS):
      • Runs your Oracle databases on the shared infrastructure of Exadata compute and storage resources within OCI. Exascale architecture decouples compute and storage for greater flexibility and elasticity. Consider it multi-tenant at the hardware infrastructure level, though your VMs provide logical isolation. Instead of dedicated database servers and storage, you get a dedicated Exadata cluster with dedicated CPU and Storage.

    2. Key Differences and Decision Points:

    FeatureExaDB-XSExaDB-DDecision Driver
    InfrastructureShared, multi-tenant pools of Exadata compute & Exascale storageDedicated, physically isolated Exadata compute & storage serversIsolation: Choose D for maximum physical isolation. XS offers VM-level isolation on shared hardware.
    IsolationLogical isolation via VM clusters on shared hardwarePhysical isolation with dedicated serversCompliance/Security: D meets stricter requirements for physical separation.
    ScalabilityHyper-elastic; fine-grained scaling of ECPUs & Exascale Vault storageScales ECPUs/OCPUs dynamically; infrastructure scales by adding dedicated serversElasticity: XS offers more granular scaling, especially for storage, and potentially faster VM provisioning.
    Minimum SizeLow entry point (starts with 8 ECPUs, 300 GB storage)Higher entry point (requires minimum server configuration, 2 DB Servers + 3 Storage Servers)Cost/Starting Small: XS is more cost-effective for smaller workloads or starting new projects.
    Cost ModelGenerally lower entry cost; pay-per-use compute & storageHigher entry cost for infrastructure; pay-per-use computeBudget: XS provides Exadata power at a potentially lower cost, especially initially.
    PerformanceHigh Exadata performance on shared infra; benefits from Exascale arch.Predictable high Exadata performance on dedicated resourcesPredictability: D offers the most predictable performance baseline, free from potential “noisy neighbors”.
    Storage ManagementAbstracted via Exascale Vault; simplified scalingManaged via ASM across dedicated storage serversSimplicity: XS simplifies storage management (no need to manage ASM allocation across servers).
    MaintenanceUnderlying host maintenance may require scheduled VM restart/migrationMaintenance scheduled for the dedicated systemControl: D may offer more perceived control over infrastructure maintenance windows (though both managed by Oracle).
    Key FeaturesExascale architecture (direct I/O, RDMA), efficient thin cloning. Supports DB 23ai.Established platform, supports DB versions 19c and 23ai.Specific Needs: XS is ideal for leveraging efficient clones. Check DB version support for XS if not using 23ai.
    VM PortabilityHigh; VM filesystems on shared storage enable easier migrationLower; VM filesystems traditionally tied more closely to local compute resourcesFlexibility: XS architecture facilitates easier movement of VMs across underlying physical hardware.

    3. When to Choose ExaDB-XS (Exascale Infrastructure):

    • Cost Sensitivity: You need the power of Exadata but require a lower entry cost than dedicated hardware. Consolidate various smaller databases that demand high performance.
    • Elasticity is Key: Your workload is variable or unpredictable, and you need the ability to scale computing resources up or down quickly and granularly.
    • Starting Small: You are deploying a new application or migrating smaller workloads and want to start with a minimal footprint and grow later.
    • Development & Testing: You need to rapidly provision/de-provision environments and leverage efficient database cloning (thin clones) for multiple developers or test cycles.  
    • Simplified Storage Management: You prefer an abstracted storage layer (Exascale Vault) that does not require managing ASM allocations across specific storage servers.
    • Physical Isolation Not Mandatory: Logical isolation provided by VMs on shared infrastructure meets your security and compliance needs.

    4. When to Choose ExaDB-D (Dedicated Infrastructure):

    • Maximum Isolation Required: Your security policies, compliance regulations (e.g., certain financial or government standards), or internal governance demand physically isolated hardware.
    • Utmost Performance Predictability: You need guaranteed performance levels based entirely on your workloads running on dedicated, non-shared resources.
    • Large-Scale Consolidation: You consolidate numerous or very large databases onto a powerful, isolated platform. If the database storage exceeds 90TB, ExaDB-D would be more cost-effective, irrespective of the ECPUs required.
    • Migrating Existing Exadata: Moving a significant on-premises Exadata workload to the cloud requires equivalent dedicated resources.
    • Specific Compliance: Regulations explicitly mandate single-tenant hardware, even within the cloud.

    5. Price Comparison

    With ExaDB-D, you get dedicated usable storage of 240 TB. This allows you to allocate up to 192 TB for databases (without local backup) or up to 96 TB with local backup. Taking just the storage vault cost for 90TB in ExaDB-XS almost matches the infrastructure cost for 2 database servers (up to 1520 ECPUs) and 3 storage servers (up to 240 TB usable space). So you cannot determine if ExaDB-D or ExaDB-XS will be price-performant just by looking at the ECPU requirement.

    Let me show this with two sample Bill of Materials (BoM).  Since the blog template width is limited, here are the SKU descriptions used in the cost estimate.

    SKUExadata Database Service – ExaDB-XS
    B109355Oracle Exadata Exascale RDMA Compute Infrastructure (ECPU Per Hour)
    B107951Oracle Exadata Exascale VM Filesystem Storage (Gigabyte (GB) Storage Capacity Per Month)
    B107952Oracle Exadata Exascale Smart Database Storage (Gigabyte (GB) Storage Capacity Per Month)
    B109375Oracle Exadata Exascale Additional Flash Cache (Gigabyte Per Hour)
    B109357Oracle Exadata Exascale Database ECPU – BYOL (ECPU Per Hour)
     SKUExadata Database Service – ExaDB-D
    B110629Exadata Cloud Infrastructure – Storage Server – X11M (Hosted Environment Per Hour)
    B110627Exadata Cloud Infrastructure – Database Server – X11M (Hosted Environment Per Hour)
    B110632Exadata Database ECPU – Dedicated Infrastructure – BYOL (ECPU Per Hour)

    Table 1: Large database storage footprint (90TB). ECPU allocation is very small, but ExaDB-XS is still expensive, and going with ExaDB-D makes it cheaper to scale.

    Part SKUPart QtyInstance QtyUsage QtyUnit PriceMonthly Cost
     ExaDB-XS     $ 11,650.48
    B109355161730 $0.025000 $292.00
    B10795128011 $0.042500 $11.90
    B1079529000011 $0.115600 $10,404.00
    B10937501730 $0.000500 $          –  
    B109357161730 $0.080700 $ 942.58
     ExaDB-D        $ 11,539.26
    B11062931730 $2.903200 $6,358.01
    B11062721730 $2.903200 $4,238.67
    B110632161730 $0.080700 $942.58
    Difference-1%

    Table 2: Smaller storage footprint (30TB). Plenty of ECPUs allocated on ExaDB-XS, still, it is cheaper than ExaDB-D.

    Part SKUPart QtyInstance QtyUsage QtyUnit PriceMonthly Cost
     ExaDB-XS     $23,233.12
    B1093552561730 $0.025000 $4,672.00
    B10795128011 $0.042500 $11.90
    B1079523000011 $0.115600 $3,468.00
    B10937501730 $0.000500 $          –  
    B1093572561730 $0.080700 $15,081.22
     ExaDB-D        $25,677.90
    B11062931730 $2.903200 $6,358.01
    B11062721730 $2.903200 $4,238.67
    B1106322561730 $0.080700 $15,081.22
    Difference10%

    In Summary, both ExaDB-XS and ExaDB-D offer the core performance and availability benefits of Exadata within OCI.

    • Choose ExaDB-XS for elasticity, lower entry cost, smaller storage requirement and simplified management on shared infrastructure when physical isolation isn’t the top priority.
    • Choose ExaDB-D for maximum isolation, larger database storage, performance predictability, and control on dedicated hardware, typically for mission-critical, large-scale, or highly regulated workloads.
  • Oracle Database Service options for Azure Customers

    Oracle Database Service options for Azure Customers

    We saw Larry Ellison visit Redmond for the first time to make an important partnership announcement with Satya Nadella. Yesterday’s announcement shows we have two similar-sounding Oracle database services on Azure. Oracle Database Service “FORAzure (ODSA) and Oracle Database “ATAzure (OracleDatabase@Azure).

    Here is a quick note to understand the differences between these services – this blog is based on the limited information available for Oracle Database@Azure – my understanding may be incorrect. The good news is that I am headed to Oracle Cloud World, and we have everyone from Oracle there to answer any questions.

    Oracle Database Service for Azure (ODSA)Oracle Database@Azure
    ODSA is an Oracle-managed service that automatically configures the network between your Azure and Oracle accounts. It provides an Azure-like portal to create and manage your Oracle databases running in OCI as if they were Azure resources.The hardware is collocated in Azure’s data center (similar to Exadata Cloud@Customer).
    Dependency:
    – Available only in regions with OCI-Azure Interconnect.
    Interconnect regions located around the world
    Dependency:
    – No dependency on OCI-Azure Interconnect.
    – According to FAQ, Oracle Database@Azure previews will be available in early 2024 in regions in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, with plans to expand globally.
    Benefits:
    – Split stack architecture – run applications and databases in different clouds.
    – Oracle License advantages of using OCI for Oracle products.
    – Easy configuration and setup.
    Benefits:
    – Azure customers can provision databases on Exadata in Azure without latency concerns.
    – Oracle License advantages of using Oracle Engineered system for Oracle products.
    – No infrastructure configuration is required.
    Tenancies required:
    – Azure tenancy and Subscription.
    – OCI Tenancy.
    Tenancies Required:
    – Azure tenancy and Subscription  

    Note: The control plane may be in OCI, and thus, a tenancy subscription might be needed, but I’m not sure.
    Provisioning:
    – Services are provisioned from an Azure-like portal managed by OCI.
    Provisioning:
    – Provision service directly from the Azure portal.
    Available Database Services:
    – Oracle Base Database (DBCS)
    – Oracle Autonomous on Shared Exadata Infrastructure (ADB-S)
    – Oracle Exadata Database (ExaCS) on dedicated infrastructure
    – MySQL Heatwave
    Available Database Services:
    – Oracle Exadata Database (ExaCS) on dedicated infrastructure (including autonomous database ADB-D cluster)

    Note: Just like ExaC@C.  
    Physical location:
    – Oracle databases are provisioned in the OCI tenancy (OCI Data Center).
    Physical location:
    – Exadata hardware is provisioned in an OCI-dedicated area in the Azure Data Center.
    Latency:
    – In single digits between OCI and Azure
    Latency:
    – No latency concerns as all services are in Azure DC and under one network.
    Provisioning Steps:
    – Link Azure tenancy and OCI tenancy (Account Linking) 
    – Azure subscription linking
    – Provision desired DB services from the multicloud portal.
    Provisioning Steps:
    – Purchase from Azure Marketplace.
    – Create Oracle Exadata Infrastructure from Azure Portal.
    Management:
    – Through an OCI-managed multi-cloud portal http://multicloud.oracle.com/azure
    Management:
    – Managed using Azure Portal along with other Azure services.
    Support:
    – Support portal in Oracle DB for Azure home page (Multi-cloud Portal).
    FAQ: You request help directly from within the Oracle Database Service for Azure portal; this allows you to create an OCI Service Request and get the help you need from OCI.
    Support:
    – Support through the Azure portal
    FAQ: Oracle and Microsoft have developed a joint support model to ensure rapid response and resolution for mission-critical workloads. Customers can reach out to either Microsoft or Oracle support teams.
    Billing:
    FAQ: Microsoft bills customers for the Azure resources they use. They are billed by Oracle for the Oracle Database services they deploy on OCI.
    – OCI Universal Credits managed through OCI tenancy subscription.
    – There are no charges for the Interconnect ports or ingress/egress network traffic over the Interconnect.
    – Eligible for support rewards (25% of OCI spend towards active Oracle technical support contract renewal – 33% for ULA)
    Billing for Microsoft Customers:
    – Purchase Oracle Database@Azure towards your Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC).
    – Receive one bill for consuming Oracle Database@Azure and other Azure services.
    – Eligible for support rewards.

    Billing for Oracle Customers:
    – (No mention of how to use OCI Universal Credits.)
    – Use unlimited license agreements (ULAs) or bring your own license (BYOL), just like you can with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
    – Eligible for support rewards
    Read more:

    https://www.oracle.com/cloud/azure/oracle-database-for-azure/
    Read more:

    https://www.oracle.com/cloud/azure/oracle-database-at-azure/
    Oracle Database Service for Azure (ODSA)Oracle Database@Azure

    These visualizations from the above reference URLs explain these services to us.

    Oracle Database Service for Azure

    How Oracle Database Service for Azure works

    How Oracle Database Service for Azure Works

    Multicloud deployment with applications on Azure and databases on OCI

    Migrating on-premises workloads to public cloud

    Oracle Database@Azure

    How Oracle Database@Azure works

    How Oracle Database for Azure works diagram, description below

    Modernize and innovate on-premises workloads with Oracle Database@Azure

    Migrating on-premises workloads to Oracle Database@Azure diagram, description below

    The Oracle and Microsoft partnership is moving in the right direction to help customers running Oracle databases. Though the OCI IaaS services are cheaper than Azure, there may be reasons for you to run the services in Azure (or use Azure front-end services that are not yet available in OCI). The Oracle Database@Azure helps such customers to manage only one Cloud (Azure) and reap the Oracle license and Exadata performance benefits available only in OCI.

    Footnote: You can install and run Oracle databases on Azure VM. The drawbacks are it will not give you Exadata-like performance, and licensing rules are different. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/workloads/oracle/oracle-reference-architecture