Oracle AI Database@Azure FAQ

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General product information

What is Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Oracle and Microsoft have expanded their partnership to deliver Oracle database services running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), collocated in Microsoft data centers. Azure customers can now procure, deploy, and use Oracle database services running on OCI within the native Azure portal and APIs, giving them an OCI-in-Azure-like experience. Here are some of the key benefits of Oracle AI Database@Azure.

  • Run your workloads where you choose with fully managed Oracle database services running on OCI but inside Azure. Experience the highest level of Oracle AI Database performance, scale, and availability, as well as feature and pricing parity, with Oracle Exadata Database Service.
  • Migrate, modernize, and innovate with Oracle and Azure services using Oracle database services and Azure resources such as Azure Compute and Azure Kubernetes, with familiar application development tools and frameworks supported by Azure.
  • Simplify purchasing and operations. Purchase through the Azure Marketplace and use your Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC). Monitor and troubleshoot with Oracle AI Database service logs, metrics, and events available directly in Azure.

Which Oracle products are available?

Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure and Exascale Infrastructure, Oracle Autonomous AI Database Serverless, Oracle Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure, Oracle Base Database Service, Oracle GoldenGate, and Oracle Database Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service are currently available. We will announce additions to this set as they become available.

What part numbers are available from Oracle with Oracle AI Database@Azure

Please refer to the Service Descriptions document (PDF) for the latest.

What are the commercial benefits for customers when they use Oracle AI Database@Azure?

  • Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC): The purchase of Oracle AI Database@Azure will contribute toward a customer’s MACC.
  • Oracle Support Rewards: Existing Oracle customers with on-premises licenses will be eligible for Oracle Support Rewards.
  • Custom contract terms: Azure and Oracle customers can work with Oracle Sales to negotiate commercial terms.
  • Leverage existing Oracle licenses: Existing Oracle customers can use unlimited license agreements (ULAs) or Oracle Bring Your Own License (BYOL) to purchase Oracle AI Database@Azure, just like they can with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

How do I migrate to Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Migrating to this offering is like migrating to OCI as the database service runs on OCI. Oracle provides proven database migration strategies, including automated migration solutions such as Oracle Zero Downtime Migration and powerful tools such as Oracle Data Guard and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure GoldenGate..

Where can I use the service?

Please refer to the section covering Oracle AI Database@Azure regions for regional availability and the roadmap. We encourage customers to share any requirements for additional regions with their Oracle or Microsoft account team.

Can I work with my trusted partner service provider for Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Yes, for consulting services. Please note that Oracle AI Database@Azure is sold to customers directly via the Azure Marketplace and isn’t available for purchase through any other company or channel.

As an Oracle services partner, where can I learn more about Oracle AI Database@Azure?

If you're interested in becoming an Oracle consulting services partner as well as qualifying for a Service Expertise designation, you can find the latest information on the Oracle PartnerNetwork website. Service providers can purchase the offering directly, but not on behalf of customers.

What generation of Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure is supported?

Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure now supports the next-generation Exadata X11M platform.

What versions of Oracle AI Database will be available?

The provisioning of Oracle AI Database on Oracle AI Database@Azure is the same as on OCI, using the same UI flow, API calls, and so on; therefore, any database version currently supported and available on OCI is visible and available on Oracle AI Database@Azure infrastructure.

What cloning functions will be available on day zero of the service?

As the database is provisioned and managed in OCI, existing database tooling, such as backups and cloning, will be available.

What backup options are available for Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Oracle Database Autonomous Recovery Service is the recommended backup solution for database backup and will draw down on a customer’s MACC when the backup is enabled. Customers can choose to have Oracle Database Autonomous Recovery Service in the Azure region or in the OCI region. Another backup option is Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage.

Can I import data from Azure Blob Storage to the database?

Oracle AI Database@Azure is a standard deployment, available within the Azure VNet. Oracle AI Database management tools, such as Data Pump, can be used to import data into the database from Azure database clients.

Can I update or request an update to the DRG?

The dynamic routing gateway (DRG) used to provide the link between OCI and Azure network resources is housed within a tightly controlled service virtual cloud network (VCN) and can’t be updated. When provisioned, the Exadata VM cluster resources are attached to this DRG. If you have specific routing requirements, you can use local peering groups to connect to another VCN. This locally peered VCN can then be attached to a DRG you control. This DRG can be used for cross-region replication (see the question about data replication for disaster recovery (DR)).

What is the latency between Oracle AI Database@Azure and other OCI services?

Oracle AI Database@Azure is focused on high performance and low-latency workloads running in Azure. If the workload that requires low latency is in OCI, we recommend deploying Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure in OCI. Where available, we recommend using Oracle Interconnect for Microsoft Azure to connect the OCI service and Oracle AI Database@Azure to meet low-latency needs.

Can databases created on Oracle AI Database@Azure VM clusters connect to the vault in OCI, or can I manage keys in Azure Key Vault?

As the database is created via OCI, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Vault is used to house the system-generated or customer-generated key.

Does the service support both dedicated and serverless environments?

Yes, Oracle AI Database@Azure supports both dedicated and shared deployments. Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure and Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure running inside Azure provide customers with dedicated Exadata compute and storage nodes and give them full control of their database VMs, just as they do when running on OCI.

Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure provides a shared infrastructure service model where Oracle manages all of the physical infrastructure, eliminating the need to provision dedicated database and storage servers. Customer databases run on shared infrastructure with dedicated Exadata Exascale VMs with private storage, and customers retain control over database VMs.

Autonomous AI Database Serverless runs on shared Exadata infrastructure. With Autonomous AI Database Serverless, you don’t need to configure or manage any hardware or install any database software. It handles database provisioning, backups, patching, upgrades, and database scaling.

Does the service support both single-tenant and multitenant environments?

Yes, Oracle AI Database@Azure supports both single-tenant and multitenant environments. Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure and Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure running inside Azure provide customers with dedicated Exadata compute and storage nodes, just as they do when running on OCI.

Is Oracle AI Database@Azure available in FedRAMP High authorized environments?

No, Oracle AI Database@Azure is not available in FedRAMP High authorized environments.

Oracle Interconnect for Microsoft Azure now supports Oracle US Government Cloud. Oracle recently announced the general availability of the Oracle US Gov West (Phoenix) and Azure US Gov Arizona (Phoenix) regions for Oracle Interconnect for Microsoft Azure. Joint customers can use Oracle Interconnect for Microsoft Azure to easily migrate their workloads to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Azure FedRAMP High authorized environments.

What compliance certifications are applicable for Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Compliance is a shared responsibility between Oracle and Microsoft. Oracle AI Database@Azure has been certified for industry standard compliance certifications. For detailed information on the compliance certifications, please visit Oracle AI Database@Azure Compliance Information

Is Oracle AI Database@Azure certified by SAP?

We offer a comprehensive guide for deploying Oracle databases on the SAP NetWeaver Application Server (PDF) ABAP/Java platform using Oracle AI Database@Azure, based on Oracle Exadata Cloud Infrastructure X9M with Oracle Linux 8 on the VM cluster nodes. While official SAP certification is required for deployments, you can easily request this certification on demand. In the meantime, you can use the deployment guide provided. If your organization is interested in deploying SAP on Oracle AI Database@Azure, please reach out to Oracle Sales to complete the SAP certification request.

What are the basic differences between Autonomous AI Database Serverless and Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure?

Autonomous AI Database Serverless uses a multitenant-based architecture, such that all infrastructure components are hidden from the customer, simplifying the database experience.

Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure uses a single-tenant, dedicated infrastructure stack for a single customer. It has additional APIs to provision infrastructures and isolate Autonomous AI Database instances. Due to its single-tenant nature, there are added controls for change management governance of software updates.

How do you get started with Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure in Azure?

Follow the same Oracle AI Database@Azure onboarding process, request service limits for compute and storage servers, and provision an Exadata infrastructure using the compute and storage servers. Once you have an Exadata infrastructure, according to your desired isolation, add one or more Autonomous VM Clusters, Autonomous Container Databases, and Autonomous AI Database instances to the infrastructure.

Will Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure show up as a first-class resource in the Azure console?

Today, Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure uses multicloud flexible integration, but it does rely on Exadata infrastructures created via the Azure console. Flexible integration requires you to provision resources from the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure console, and the impact of resource allocations is reflected in infrastructure details on the Azure console. It is a roadmap item to move Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure resources as first-class entities within the Azure console. Note that this does not have any implications for billing or data residency, as the service will use Azure billing and data resides in Azure data centers.


Billing and economics

How do I purchase services running on Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure and Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure are both available for purchase via a private offer in the Azure Marketplace, with pricing based on a custom quote. First, you work with Oracle Sales to negotiate the commercial terms, which are formalized in an ordering document that’s shared with you for you to review and accept. Next, Oracle creates a private offer and uploads it to the Azure Marketplace. You must purchase the private offer in the Azure Marketplace to provision the service.

Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure is also available as a pay-as-you-go offer, giving organizations of any size a low-cost entry point to bring the power of Exadata to their workloads.

Oracle Autonomous AI Database is available as a pay-as-you-go offer, giving developers the flexibility to deploy a fully managed database in minutes directly from the Azure Marketplace. The service is also available for purchase via a private offer in the Azure Marketplace, with pricing based on a custom quote. To purchase, contact your Oracle sales representative. They’ll set terms, offer custom pricing, and create an Azure private offer in the Azure Marketplace. You must purchase the private offer in the Azure Marketplace to provision the service.

Oracle Base Database Service is available for purchase through a private offer in the Azure Marketplace, with pricing determined by a custom quote. Additionally, a pay-as-you-go option is available, providing organizations of all sizes with an affordable and flexible entry point to leverage the power of Exadata for their workloads.

With the Oracle services on Oracle AI Database@Azure, you can use your existing Oracle AI Database licenses, including unlimited license agreements (ULAs) and Oracle Bring Your Own License (BYOL), purchase additional licenses, or use License Included consumption.

Can I use my existing Oracle AI Database license(s) with Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Yes. You can use existing Oracle AI Database licenses, including unlimited license agreements (ULAs) and Oracle Bring Your Own License (BYOL).

Does Oracle AI Database@Azure support new and existing OCI tenancies?

Yes, tenancies can either be new or existing. You’ll be given the choice during the onboarding process. As the Oracle AI Database@Azure service is physically present in Azure, existing Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure environments will not be "moved," either physically or commercially. New Exadata infrastructures built within Azure will be seen in the existing OCI tenancy.

Can a pay-as-you-go customer link Oracle AI Database@Azure to an existing OCI subscription?

No, pay-as-you-go customers must create a new OCI Account for Oracle AI Database@Azure. Linking to an existing tenancy is only available through private offer. To learn more, please visit link an existing OCI account to Oracle AI Database@Azure.

Can Oracle AI Database@Azure customers make use of Oracle Support Rewards?

Yes. Using Oracle AI Database@Azure will accrue the same Oracle Support Rewards as using OCI directly.

Will the purchase of Oracle AI Database@Azure contribute toward my MACC?

Yes. You can use your Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) for Oracle AI Database@Azure. See Track your Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment for more information.

How is consumption metered in OCI?

For each Exadata Cloud Infrastructure instance you provision (subscribed compute and storage servers), you are billed for an initial 48 hours of consumption, then beyond the initial period, by the second. On Exadata Database Service, for each ECPU or OCPU you provision to run within VM clusters on the infrastructure, you are billed by the second, with a minimum usage period of one minute. If you terminate the cloud VM cluster and don’t terminate the cloud Exadata infrastructure resource, billing continues for the infrastructure resource. On Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure, you are not billed for OCPUs or ECPUs allocated to run on VM clusters. You are only billed for OCPUs or ECPUs that are allocated to actively running Autonomous AI Database, and you are billed by the second with a one-minute minimum. Stopping an Autonomous AI Database instance running on the infrastructure will also stop its billing. You are not billed for database storage when using Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure, as that cost is contained within the Exadata Cloud Infrastructure subscription cost.

For each Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure resource you provision, you are billed for the VM and storage infrastructure for a minimum of 48 hours, then by the second after that. You can expand the amount of available VM and storage infrastructure at any time. Each ECPU you provision to run on the system is billed by the second, with a minimum usage period of one minute.

Autonomous AI Database Serverless usage is billed according to the values of two parameters: compute and storage. You select values for these parameters when you provision or scale an Autonomous AI Database instance. See Autonomous AI Database Billing Summary for more details.

Oracle consumption maps 1:1 to your Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC).

Base Database Service usage is billed according to the number of ECPU hours consumed and gigabytes of total block volume storage consumed.

GoldenGate usage is billed according to the number of OCPU hours consumed.

What is the minimum unit of purchase for a customer in Azure?

The practical minimum for purchasing Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure or Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure is as follows:

  • Exadata Cloud Infrastructure
    • Includes two database servers and three storage servers.
  • For Exadata Database OCPUs or ECPUs (license included or BYOL, depending on circumstances)
    • Each VM should be provisioned with a minimum of two OCPUs per node.
  • For Autonomous AI Database OCPUs or ECPUs (license included or BYOL, depending on circumstances)
    • Each VM should be provisioned with a minimum of 10 OCPUs or 40 ECPUs per node, although these are not billed.
    • The minimum billed is either 1 OCPU or 2 ECPUs for a running Autonomous AI Database.
  • Can scale by single database and storage server increments

The smallest configuration for Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure on Oracle AI Database@Azure is two VMs with a total of 16 ECPUs, 560 GB of VM storage, and 300 GB of shared Exascale database storage.

The smallest configuration for Autonomous AI Database Serverless depends on which service configuration you’re using. For Oracle Autonomous AI Transaction Processing, it’s two ECPUs with 20 GB of storage, and for Oracle Autonomous AI Lakehouse, it’s two ECPUs with 1 TB of storage.

The minimum for purchasing Base Database Service on Oracle AI Database@Azure is four ECPUs and 256 GB of storage.

GoldenGate is billed based on the compute and storage you provision, with no minimum term—you only pay for what you use.

What is the minimum service period for services running on Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure and Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure (X11M) and Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure have a minimum service period of 48 hours. Exadata Database Service ECPU and OCPU consumption can be scaled to zero to stop billing. Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure instances can be stopped to suspend ECPU and OCPU billing. Autonomous AI Database services—Autonomous AI Database Serverless and Base Database Service—do not have a minimum service period.

Is there a Free Tier for Oracle AI Database@Azure?

At present, there is no Free Tier option. However, for Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure, although you must be subscribed to infrastructure, you can create and run an unlimited number of developer instance databases for free.

What is the standard practice for DR network traffic costs?

Any OCI cross-region traffic that normally incurs network bandwidth costs will draw down on a customer’s MACC (for example, a customer with cross-region disaster recovery using Oracle AI Database@Azure in region one and region two would incur network traffic costs).

Is there a charge for data egress or ingress between OCI and Azure?

There are no additional ingress/egress charges for any data movement between OCI and Azure over the multicloud link in the same region.

How is the pricing model for Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure different from Autonomous AI Database Serverless?

Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure requires an Exadata infrastructure subscription, which essentially reserves the single-tenant infrastructure allocation, including all the implied database storage held by that infrastructure. Autonomous AI Database Serverless requires you to incrementally buy storage in 1 TB increments. Both are priced the same at the ECPU compute unit. Service backup storage is additional for both services and depends on the type of destination chosen.

Operations, support, and security

Are Oracle Applications supported on Oracle AI Database@Azure?

The following Oracle Applications are now supported on Azure when run on Oracle AI Database@Azure:

  • Oracle E-Business Suite
  • PeopleSoft
  • JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • Oracle Enterprise Performance Management
  • Oracle Retail Applications

Please refer to the following support policies for details:

What is the support model for Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Oracle and Microsoft have developed a joint support model to ensure rapid response and resolution for mission-critical workloads. Customers will create all technical support requests directly with Oracle. Oracle will engage Microsoft support if needed.

How do I manage my Oracle AI Database(s) on Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Oracle and Microsoft have partnered to provide you with a well-integrated Azure experience for deploying, managing, and using Oracle AI Database instances in Azure. For most day-to-day operations, you’ll be able to use native Azure tooling.

How can I achieve disaster recovery (DR) for Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Oracle AI Database@Azure will be made available in multiple availability zones within an Azure region and multiple Azure regions within a geography. Customers can use Oracle Data Guard to deploy DR solutions. Refer to the reference architecture to deploy a DR solution using Data Guard across availability zones within a region that meets the Oracle Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA) Gold standard. To learn more, refer to Oracle Maximum Availability Architecture for Oracle AI Database@Azure.

Can I use Azure availability zones with Oracle AI Database@Azure?

Oracle AI Database@Azure will be made available in multiple availability zones within an Azure region to meet high availability (HA) and disaster recovery requirements.

Could the link from Azure to OCI be seen as backdoor (to OCI or Azure)?

No. Oracle owns the link, the management, and the traffic flowing between the Azure data center and the OCI parent data center. Azure and OCI management networks don’t intersect. Azure has no visibility past the termination point in the partner transfer equipment within the data center where Oracle connects. And vice versa, Oracle can’t see past this same point. The network link is treated as internal to Oracle.

Do we support Oracle Operator Access Control for Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer? How is this done and described?

Yes, Autonomous AI Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure on Azure supports Operator Access Control and each Autonomous VM Cluster can be independently registered with the service. Operator Access Control is not available for other services on Oracle AI Database@Azure.

Can the service be fully operated and managed from the Azure console or API?

Oracle AI Database@Azure resources that are provisioned and managed via the Oracle AI Database resource provider in Azure can be operated and managed from the Azure console, API, SDK, or CLI.

  • Exadata infrastructure is fully managed.
  • Exadata VM clusters are partially managed.
  • Base Database Service systems are partially managed.
  • Oracle container databases and pluggable databases aren’t managed by the Oracle resource provider.
  • Autonomous VM Clusters, Autonomous Container Databases, and Autonomous AI Database instances aren’t managed by the Oracle resource provider.

Expansion of the resources and features managed by the Oracle resource provider is on the roadmap.

What is the recommended DR size compared to the primary region?

The Oracle AI Database@Azure infrastructure is identical to that in OCI; therefore, standard Exadata and Oracle Database sizing tools, such as Oracle Cloud Capacity Analytics, can be used.

What is the relationship between the Azure region and the Oracle AI Database@Azure deployment?

The Oracle AI Database@Azure hardware is deployed in the availability zone of the Azure region equivalent to the availability domain (AD) in OCI. For Azure and OCI regions that have multiple AZs and ADs, the Oracle AI Database@Azure hardware will be deployed in AZs with a 1:1 mapping to the OCI AD.

What is the network between Azure and OCI?

The network between the Oracle AI Database@Azure deployment in Azure and its parent OCI site is dedicated, redundant, Oracle internally managed dark fiber, similar to OCI AD-to-AD network infrastructure. The connection between the Oracle AI Database@Azure onsite hardware and Azure is achieved via local connectivity through redundant network hardware direct to Azure network infrastructure.

What connectivity exists between the Azure data center and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure data center?

Each Oracle AI Database@Azure deployment is connected to an OCI parent site. This link is used for the following:

  • Control plane operations
    • Management of the infrastructure, including patching, monitoring, maintenance, and so on, by Oracle Cloud Operations
    • Oracle resource provider provisioning and control workflows
  • Data plane operations
    • Oracle Database backups to Oracle Database Zero Data Loss Autonomous Recovery Service and OCI Object Storage (as part of the optional automated backups from Oracle AI Database)
    • Transmission of the Oracle Data Guard redo log from primary to standby databases deployed in other locations

Are there throttling/capacity limits for the network (for example, if a customer replicates OCI Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure with terabytes of data to Oracle AI Database@Azure)?

The network between the OCI parent and Oracle AI Database@Azure infrastructure is considered an internal regional network; therefore, no traffic costs or throttling limits are in place. Any capacity and other limits imposed on Azure virtual networking are still in effect (for example, bandwidth between the delegated subnet and Azure Private Link is limited to 50 Gb/sec, affecting services such as Azure Blob Storage access).

Does the connection from Oracle AI Database@Azure to OCI traverse over Oracle Interconnect for Microsoft Azure? Does the service rely on the OCI-Azure interconnect?

No, Oracle Interconnect for Azure is a standalone Oracle service available for customers to consume when deploying Oracle and Azure cloud services that require interconnectivity. Oracle AI Database@Azure doesn’t use this network link.

Both the OCI-Azure interconnect and Oracle AI Database@Azure take advantage of the proximity between clouds; therefore, there may be significant overlap in future region rollouts.

If you wish to use other OCI services with Azure services, Oracle Interconnect for Azure will need to be configured.

Is the traffic between Azure and OCI data centers encrypted?

All traffic between sites, including Oracle AI Database@Azure infrastructure, is encrypted.

What is the path for data replication for disaster recovery between the primary and DR database?

Oracle Data Guard redo logs are shipped from the primary database to the standby database via the client subnet across customer-managed networks on OCI infrastructure.

  • If the standby database is hosted in the same Oracle AI Database@Azure AZ:
    • Redo log shipment is local to the Oracle AI Database@Azure network infrastructure hosted at Azure.
    • Routing uses local peering groups to the hub VCN (if using different OCI VCNs).
  • If the standby database is hosted in the same Azure region but different AZs:
    • Redo log shipment is via the parent OCI site (no cross-AZ traffic).
    • Routing uses local peering groups to the hub VCN (if using different OCI VCNs)
  • If the standby database is hosted in a different Oracle AI Database@Azure region:*
    • Redo log shipment is via the parent OCI site to the standby parent site to the standby Oracle AI Database@Azure infrastructure.
    • Routing uses local peering groups to the hub VCNs.

* Incurs outbound data transfer costs.

What happens if/when the connection to OCI fails? Will the data plane still be running and will data be accessible?

Existing Exadata deployments will still be operational; however, customers won't be able to create, update, or delete resources. Any process or procedure relying on OCI-based services (for example, OCI Vault key lookup, database backups, and so on) will fail.

Metrics and logging shipped from OCI to Azure Monitor will be delayed, even though the Exadata deployment is functional.

It is expected that all control plane functionality will become unavailable.