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QuinnSight Research TIPS

Exploring the Data Economy June 25, 2013

Technology Innovator Product Snapshot Oracle Database 12c

TIPS Rating: 92

Oracle Revolutionizes its Flagship Database for Multitenant Clouds The long-anticipated release of Oracle Database 12c (“12c”) will send DBAs, consultants, developers and Oracle’s partners scurrying to grasp and then apply the considerable innovation from the single largest thrust of R&D to date for Oracle’s flagship database. It will also send competitors, old and new, back to the drawing board to find alternative angles to try to unseat Oracle, because Oracle Database 12c places Oracle firmly into the enterprise “database-as-a-service” market. It also offers customers flexible cloud-era OPEX licensing options that many have been waiting for from Oracle. When years ago Oracle undertook the project of making Oracle Database truly multitenant cloud-capable, as opposed to merely hosted, Oracle did so with the design goal that it would not force customers to change their existing database implementations in order to take advantage of multitenancy. That meant not asking customers to change schemas or code. Oracle Database 12c thus had to separate the parts of the database that developers, applications and users work with from the background and overhead processes of the database such as memory management. Oracle Database 12c required a significant re-architecture to split the Oracle Database, with the result producing (1) a multitenant container database that houses (2) from zero to 252 individual holistic databases, each complete with their metadata, actual data, database triggers, etc. Oracle refers to the actual databases that drop quite easily into a container as “pluggable.” And yes, you can allocate a container without a database as a hot standby. Rather than provide a laundry list of the innumerable new features of Oracle Database 12c which Oracle undoubtedly has on its web sites, let us consider Oracle Database 12c in some scenarios where it might benefit IT and the business: Development, Test, ERP Upgrades: 12c’s rapid and simple provisioning and cloning of databases, and even containers, will considerably reduce the length of development and test projects. This should result in faster time-to-market for external facing applications, and reduction in project-length associated pain for internal application upgrades like ERP. Private Cloud: The prioritization and configuration flexibility of 12c allows for the tiering of database instances plugged into a container. That means the DBA may develop database templates for different private cloud application classes for fast provisioning, and the DBA may ensure appropriate performance for “always on,” mission-critical private cloud apps. SaaS: 12c directly addresses the scary notion of commingling customers’ data in a single database, a key hurdle to SaaS adoption. With 12c a single container may plug in individual customers’ databases. For the more concerned SaaS customer, 12c also makes it far easier to replicate, backup and restore a customer’s individual database. For enterprise-class SaaS, 12c is a potential game changer due to the customer-specific flexibility SaaS providers may now offer. Consolidation: Last, but not least, 12c will help DBAs simplify their databases consolidation initiatives, while increasing hardware-related cost savings. In the old days of consolidation, each database on a rack was its own standalone instance, and all the individual databases competed for resources. The 12c approach largely mitigates that contention, and extends the life of the hardware. 12c is a perfect fit for those DBAs looking to consolidate their Oracle databases. Oracle claims its “Engineered Systems” will yield optimal performance for Oracle Database 12c. While QuinnSight is not in a position support that claim, it is in the position to support that Oracle Database 12c puts Oracle immediately at the forefront of databases for multitenant clouds.

Oracle Database 12c Fact Sheet General Availability June 25, 2013 Website http://www.oracle.com/us/products/database/enterprise-edition/overview/index.html Oracle Database 12c will appeal to : Oracle customers focused on database consolidation and extending hardware life-spans. Prospects interested in private cloud. ISVs interested in a database for SaaS. For more info, pricing: 1-800-633-0738 Oracle Database 12c Enterprise Edition pricing Copyright 2013, QuinnSight Research LLC

TIPS Scorecard for Oracle Database 12c Differentiation

Oracle Database 12c represents the most R&D Oracle has poured into its flagship database in decades, and it is difficult to find a database other than 12c that (a) directly addresses enterprise needs for private cloud and database consolidation without (b) forcing changes in application code or database schema. 12c is differentiated because it gives customers a chance to evolve towards multitenancy without making wholesale changes.

10

Refresh

Oracle recognizes that its first multitenant, cloud database will require on-going R&D based on direct customer experience and feedback, as well as to keep pace with the evolving landscape of cloud infrastructure hardware, software, and applications. QuinnSight expects Oracle to keep the R&D accelerator fully pressed for 12c and beyond.

10

Defensible

Until 12c, Oracle was exposed to true multitenant database competitors without a legitimate response. Not only does 12c reverse the pressure back onto the competition, but it significantly reduces the likelihood of customers switching from Oracle because “we are going cloud.”

10

Tactical

Customers interested in database consolidation have an entirely new engine to consider with 12c that might actually push them over the line to commence consolidation. Those in process of performing database consolidation have an entirely new, and enhanced, approach to consider. And DBAs lives just got easier.

9

Strategic

For Oracle shops, 12c delivers long-term flexibility to port the database portion of applications, whether on-premise, private cloud, or even hybrid cloud, with minimal impact Though DBAs and application portfolio managers will need to sit down and rethink their roadmaps, the roadmaps should shorten, and more quickly lead to business benefit. Similarly SaaS providers may provide new options to their customers.

9

ROI

Anytime you move a database you introduce risk. Despite the simplicity and speed of 12c’s administrative capabilities, and the extreme care with which Oracle has tested 12c, IT shops and consultants still need to go through an educational process. QuinnSight expects ROI to be palpable near term, and to improve as learning curves are scaled.

8

Implementation

Oracle has made a huge bet on 12c, and will likely leave no stone unturned, particularly initially, to help customers with implementations. Making a huge multi-year R&D investment as Oracle has with 12c only to watch it fizzle because of bad reports on initial implementations would be a critical error, which QuinnSight believes Oracle will avoid.

9

Integration

The incredible thing about 12c’s design is that integration is almost assured. Customers do not need to change schema or code. Allocating an Oracle Database 12c container, and plugging in an existing database, should be a smooth exercise. A little extra attention must be paid to ensure that the application connections are updated as appropriate for 12c, but once that hurdle has been cleared, integration should be a non-issue.

10

Maintainability, Serviceability

Though Oracle has well-established support and service squads, QuinnSight is concerned that the demand for 12c may run beyond what Oracle has anticipated. Oracle is not in an expansive frame of mind right now, it is managing its margins tightly, so while generally customers should be happy with maintenance and support services, it may behoove customers to be more rigid defining, tracking and enforcing SLAs more so than normal.

8

Future Deployment Options

To date Oracle has been shy about extending its data services to other cloud service and SaaS providers. Perhaps that was due to a fear of letting Oracle’s close customers drift into others’ sphere of influence, or trepidation about the ability to support a rush of new customers from a distance, or even a lack of true product readiness for cloud. 12c, however, will enable Oracle to break new ground with a whole new range of cloud service and SaaS providers, both near-term and long-term.

9

Innovation

Customer Value

Lifecycle

X-Factor

Exploring the Data Economy June 25, 2013

TIPS Total Score for Oracle 12c QuinnSight Research 119 Dexter Ave. #1, Watertown, MA 02472 +1-617-862-7335 Evan Quinn, Founder and Principal Analyst, [email protected], @evanquinn Copyright 2013, QuinnSight Research LLC

92