Last week, I received an email from a customer asking whether the use of the DBMS_CLOUD package is subject to licensing restrictions. They were considering using DBMS_CLOUD on an on-premises database to write to an S3 bucket in the cloud.
At first, I thought this would be a straightforward question. However, I quickly realized it was more complex than I initially assumed.
My research began with a tech note on My Oracle Support: “How To Setup And Use DBMS_CLOUD Package (Doc ID 2748362.1).” The note explains the installation process for on-premises databases, since DBMS_CLOUD comes pre-installed only on Autonomous Databases. This meant that, from a technical perspective, using DBMS_CLOUD on-premises is supported: an answer partially found. But the licensing aspect remained unclear.
Neither online sources nor the official documentation provided a definitive licensing answer. I began to understand why the customer reached out for clarification.
Eventually, I found the answers and was able to share them with the customer. I believe walking through my steps could be useful for others in a similar scenario:
1. Reference the official documentation:
The Oracle Database Licensing Information User Manual ( https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/26/dblic/database-licensing-information-user-manual.pdf ) is the definitive source. If a feature requires a special license, it will be listed here. Since the DBMS_CLOUD package is not specifically mentioned, it’s a good indication that no additional license is required (this was also confirmed by our product manager).
2. Consult the Oracle Database Features site: Oracle Database Features
The Oracle Database Features tool, an APEX application created by Oracle product managers, lets you search for packages and options to determine their licensing requirements. According to this tool, DBMS_CLOUD, DBMS_CLOUD Package – Oracle Database, is available with all editions of Oracle Database and doesn’t require any extra pack or option if you already have a valid database license. You can also see that it was introduced in 21c and even backported to 19c.
3. The only way to get a definitive answer:
While referencing documentation and feature tools can help you build a strong understanding, licensing is complex and sometimes subject to specific contract terms or changes. The only way to obtain an official, authoritative answer for your particular situation is to contact your Oracle sales representative or pre-sales contact. They have access to the latest information, internal resources, and can provide clarification tailored to your specific use case. It’s always better to ask before implementing a feature, rather than risk compliance issues later.
Hope this helps!