We are using it for different applications. We are using it for our data warehousing, ERP, and EBS systems.
Data Solution Architect at Econet Wireless Zimbabwe
Great performance, very scalable, very stable, and easy backups
Pros and Cons
- "I found the ease of backup, partitioning, and robust indexing most valuable. The main feature of Oracle is the structure of the database. The way your backups are taken on the online backup system and the way it restores and handles partitioning of your data are also valuable. Its performance is great, and it is also very flexible."
- "Its performance is great, and it is also very flexible."
- "It should have flexible licensing across different platforms. It has got different licensing models for Intel Power and SPARC servers."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I found the ease of backup, partitioning, and robust indexing most valuable. The main feature of Oracle is the structure of the database. The way your backups are taken on the online backup system and the way it restores and handles partitioning of your data are also valuable. Its performance is great, and it is also very flexible.
What needs improvement?
It should have flexible licensing across different platforms. It has got different licensing models for Intel Power and SPARC servers.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for more than 15 years.
Buyer's Guide
Oracle Database
July 2026
Learn what your peers think about Oracle Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2026.
908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable. You can start with a small server, and you can scale it up by just increasing your licenses.
In terms of the number of users, for our data warehouse, there is only one application user. Other users interact with the database through the application. After you log onto the application, the application logs in to the database with a single user ID.
How are customer service and support?
Oracle technical support is a bit tricky. They want you to first use all the available resources, such as the online knowledge base and so on. After you have exhausted those, you can approach your technical person by logging in to the system.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used other database systems, such as MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server.
How was the initial setup?
Its installation requires someone who actually knows the database setup, such as an Oracle DBA. For a production system, you would need an experienced person.
You first need to set up the environment such as servers, storage, etc. It might take you two days to set up the environment. The installation of the database might take you a day or two depending on the features that you want to add. If it is just a straightforward database, it would normally take a day. If you want to do partitioning and replication, it would take another two or three days.
What about the implementation team?
I handle the installations. Its deployment and maintenance are minimal. You need three people: one specialist in hardware, one specialist in operating systems, and one specialist in database software.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You buy it initially, and then you pay for yearly support if you need support. If you don't need support, you can also use it without the support.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution. We plan to keep using this solution.
I would rate Oracle Database a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Manager at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Exceptional features with good availability, and reasonably priced
Pros and Cons
- "All of the features offered by Oracle, more than meet the expectations."
- "Now when our application has become mission-critical, even with the SE version we are able to deal with a complete load very efficiently and effectively."
- "As of now, Oracle is branded to Oracle only, the option of migrating to other databases is not available."
- "In terms of stability, we know that Oracles releases quarterly batches but we have still been faced with many bugs over the last year. I cannot say that it is stable."
What is our primary use case?
We have 5 Oracle servers having 3 RAC and 2 Stand Alone servers.All using Oracle 12c R2 SE.
1 DR standalone server is also there .
How has it helped my organization?
Oracle was the first choice at the time of creating our application because of our very low load.
Now when our application has become mission-critical, Even with the SE version we are able to deal with a complete load very efficiently and effectively.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of this solution are the performance and its inbuilt services.
In Oracle we can find out most services are inbuilt. scalability, high availability, split brain handling , Null handling ,it working of execution plan . All these features have helped us many times .
What needs improvement?
As of Now Oracle has gained an image of Customer binding database.
Once some one opted for Oracle database , it becomes very difficult in many ways to move on other database.
As of now oracle can be considered as Top of the list and many of the database are not enough close to oracle concepts and it's standards so it's kind of responsibility to Oracle to bring a fair competition in market.
In return ,it will help Oracle itself. Take an Example of Football. Consider Oracle a high level Club who have it's own Practice and playing Area but only his own rules are implemented. Any player who is a beginner and cannot afford such a high clubs will start practice in small arenas which have some what similar rules .Once Player's practice gave him confidence to go for a big club ,he will feel comfortable in choosing a club whose rules are known to him , Not someone for whom he has to change his playing technique.
So Oracle should consider working in this direction so that he can keep the control over the wind of Market.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for two years.
We are currently using Oracle 12c SE Release 2.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In terms of stability, we know that Oracles releases quarterly batches but we have still been faced with many bugs over the last year.
I cannot say that it is stable.
This is an area that needs improvement.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable solution.
As known to everyone, One of the best.
How are customer service and technical support?
This is one of the portion where Oracle have to be little bit loose .I have raised only around 7-8 tickets including 2 P1 , but it always looks like I am talking to a bot with pre recorded statements when the person is not able to answer. Most of the times information is attached , but they still insist very hardly to send it in there format so that there machine can read it .
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Nope , Oracle was used from Starting.
How was the initial setup?
All is easy, given that you must know what are you using it for.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Depending on the services included, it seems little bit expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
In starting we didn't evaluate much, but giving the condition of ending support , we do not have any choice so we are looking for other options including upgradation as well.
What other advice do I have?
Oracle is good for large scale environments.
New startups MUST always think of other options before going to Oracle.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Oracle Database
July 2026
Learn what your peers think about Oracle Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2026.
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Oracle DBA at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Reliable with good performance and very good stability
Pros and Cons
- "Especially with VMs, the solution can scale well."
- "The solution's most valuable aspect is its reliability."
- "The initial setup is a bit complex."
- "I'm not crazy about their new version plan that they've just started."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is the main database storage for the application that we have. We offer an online purchasing system to our major customer, which is a government. They deal with their purchasing through the solution.
How has it helped my organization?
The organization can't function without it working properly as there would be a lot of upset people complaining. It's fairly integral to the overall functionality of the company.
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable aspect is its reliability. In about 17 years, I believe I may have lost about 15 minutes worth of data.
Overall, the solution works very well. It has excellent performance.
The solution is very stable.
Especially with VMs, the solution can scale well.
What needs improvement?
I'm not crazy about their new version plan that they've just started. It seems like it turns over too quickly. We may have to upgrade within the year, and I really am not crazy about that. I don't want to upgrade so soon. We may not have a choice.
The initial setup is a bit complex.
Technical support could be more consistent.
They used to have something called a database console in version 11. That was very good. It seems like they reduced its functionality over the past couple of versions. I'd like to see that back to the way in which it used to be.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for 17 years. It's been over a decade - in fact, it's almost been two.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's quite reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution is quite good. If a company needs to expand, it can do so relatively easily.
When you were just with bare metal, it wouldn't be as good as it is now with virtual machines as it does not take a lot to spin up another virtual machine and put Oracle on it and have it working. In the old days, when you had a piece of metal, you had to find another piece of metal, get it installed, and then start scaling up from there. With the VM, it's a lot better.
How are customer service and technical support?
I'd rate technical support seven out of ten. They could improve it a bit.
There've been times in which it's been absolutely tremendous. Then there've been other times where it just seemed to take too long. Either the person didn't know enough and had to go to other people and such, and it just took way too long. It's been mixed in terms of results. It's not exactly consistent.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
It's my understanding that the company has always used Oracle. The company I've been with has been with Oracle for pretty much all of its life. I haven't seen any other solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't straightforward. It's a bit complex.
With the setup of it, you need operating system people, whether it be Linux or Windows or whatever operating system, and they need to be coordinating with you. Usually, we're just putting the software on top of an operating system. However, with this, it's just not something that you can just throw out there. You need to have some preparation done, whether it be a VM or a piece of metal.
In implementing the product, the product has gotten simpler to implement over time. Whether you choose to use the cloud or whether you choose to have it on-premises, it has gotten simpler to install. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't preparation that you need to do in regards to the operating system and having everything ready for it.
We have two DBAs, myself and another person. As far as mainline support, we have a couple of units admins that manage the VMs and the hardware that we still have at the moment. And we have some Windows admins, which help with the web interface to the database with the application.
What about the implementation team?
It's best to have some professionals assist with the setup.
What other advice do I have?
We're just a customer and end-user.
I've used various versions of the solution, starting with 10 and moving to 18. We're still a few versions back, and therefore aren't using the latest. The latest is 20 and they are about to release 21.
I'd advise those considering implementing the solution to do some preparation beforehand. This will help ensure a successful setup.
I would rate the solution nine out of ten. There are some improvements that can be made here and there. However, it's largely stable and works well.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Chief Engineer at ministry of electricity
Reliable and stable with excellent features
Pros and Cons
- "It is reliable. It's very stable."
- "Oracle has always been a wonderful database; it is reliable, very stable, and has everything you are looking for in terms of features on offer, making it a very complete solution."
- "The solution can be quite expensive."
What is our primary use case?
I use Oracle in two systems. The first one is called the Complaint Management System, and the second one was for Human Resources for the Ministry of Electricity in Iraq.
The Complaint Management System is related to a call center. There is a call center responsible for writing down the complaints from the customers about their network electricity. If there is an error they reach out to us. There is an operator there writing down this complaint using his terminal. There are many different call centers in the country and all of them write up these complaints using the Oracle Database.
What is most valuable?
Oracle has always been a wonderful database.
It is reliable. It's very stable.
The solution has everything you are looking for in terms of features on offer. It's very complete.
What needs improvement?
The solution can be quite expensive. It would be ideal if they could work on the pricing model in order to figure out how to lower the licensing.
It takes time to learn Oracle. There's a bit of a learning curve. It's not easy to use at first, however, slowly, day by day, you can get and develop your skills.
There are a lot of YouTube videos and tons of material on Google that you can access. You can also easily find so many training institutes all over the world if you really want to understand aspects of the product. It would be ideal if Oracle could initiate some sort of learning center in Iraq. Even if it's just on Youtube, if it can be catered towards Iraqis to showcase the technology in the form of online Youtube videos or webinars, it would be extremely useful for expanding the solution within the Iraqi market. Right now, competitors like Microsoft can easily come in and just say "here's what we do, and at less cost than Oracle".
The initial setup is a little complex.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about ten years at this point. It's been around a decade, and therefore I've used it for quite a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable most of the time. Unfortunately, I faced a few different issues. I was luckily able to solve them.
It's very important, if you choose Oracle as a solution, to also get the support as well. You can technically live without it, however, if you run into issues, Oracle can help you when you have the support that they offer.
In my case, I didn't have support so I had to kind-of feel around for a solution. I made the mistake, after the first year, of not renewing my support and I really should have.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. If a company needs to expand it outward, it can do so.
How are customer service and technical support?
While it's my understanding that technical support is good, frankly, for the first year, I didn't ask them for any help. Therefore, I don't have any experience with Oracle support.
That said, I have full faith that they will respond very well to any issues.
In my case, I had support for the first year of service and then did not renew it. You really should renew though.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not really so straightforward. It's actually rather complex.
There are two ways to start with Oracle. You can go in by yourself and try to learn as you go or you can study a bit at an institute or school so that you can get pretty comfortable with the product. If you have some knowledge, there's less of a learning curve during installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The support does cost extra, however, it is worth the extra money. It really comes in handy if you run into problems.
What other advice do I have?
We're just customers and end-users. We don't have a partnership or special business relationship with Oracle.
I really enjoy using the solution. It is stable and reliable.
It's more expensive than Microsoft's options, however, I personally prefer working with it. It's worth the extra money.
Aside from stability issues and a certain level of complexity, it's quite a good solution. I would rate it eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Delivery Head IT & IS at a non-tech company with 10,001+ employees
It provides scalability, stability, reliability, performance, and security
Pros and Cons
- "Scalability, reliability, and performance are what we are getting with this solution. It is highly scalable and has very good performance. It also has in-built monitoring and optimized optimizer. It is quite stable and secure. When it comes to integration, you can integrate it with other tools as well. However, we have been using Oracle Database within our own premises. So, it is kind of difficult for us to basically do a kind of integration with the outside software. We prefer to do things within our own premises."
- "Scalability, reliability, and performance are what we are getting with this solution; it is highly scalable and has very good performance, with in-built monitoring and an optimized optimizer."
- "There are SQL plan flips that are happening with version 12c. We would basically like to have the next version wherein we don't see such plan flips because they create performance issues. There are quite a lot of features that I would like to see, but this is the main one for now."
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using it for software. We have a lot of software applications that are connected to this database.
What is most valuable?
Scalability, reliability, and performance are what we are getting with this solution. It is highly scalable and has very good performance. It also has in-built monitoring and optimized optimizer.
It is quite stable and secure. When it comes to integration, you can integrate it with other tools as well. However, we have been using Oracle Database within our own premises. So, it is kind of difficult for us to basically do a kind of integration with the outside software. We prefer to do things within our own premises.
What needs improvement?
There are SQL plan flips that are happening with version 12c. We would basically like to have the next version wherein we don't see such plan flips because they create performance issues. There are quite a lot of features that I would like to see, but this is the main one for now.
For how long have I used the solution?
It has been over 20 years since we have been using Oracle Database.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is absolutely stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is highly scalable. It is scalable to the best of our needs. We have around 10,000 to 12,000 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have three levels of technical support. The L1 level support is in-house. For L2 level support, we have an infrastructure team. For L3 level support, we have a contract with Oracle, and whenever we need it, we get their input.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have been using Oracle since the time I have been working in this organization. I am not sure what was used previously. I am aware of 20 years, which is quite a long time.
How was the initial setup?
It was very easy to install. It takes around two hours. This is a production database, so there have been a lot of validations. We do a lot of pre validations and post validations.
What about the implementation team?
For these kinds of installations, we have an infrastructure team. We have people here who do the installation. We have four trained Oracle Database administrators.
What other advice do I have?
I would definitely recommend this solution. Oracle is already an established product. It doesn't depend on my recommendation.
We will keep using this solution because we need to keep our data within our premises for our business model. As of now, we have no plans to go to the cloud and use any of the cloud services.
I would rate Oracle Database a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Product manager at Metrodata Electronics Tbk PT
Competitive pricing, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The pricing is very competitive; Oracle is still the number one database company, and from the technical aspects, Oracle Database is the best solution for small, medium, and big industries."
- "I'm in Indonesia. From what I know, Ali Cloud has already built a center in Indonesia, and Google also has a data center in Indonesia. I have heard that Amazon will also build a data center in Indonesia, and the same will be with Azure if they deal with the Indonesian government. I'm quite appreciative of what Amazon has done by deciding to have a local data center. I expect Oracle to do the same, but Oracle doesn't seem to have plans to build a data center in Indonesia. This is something that needs to be improved. Oracle should follow all the other cloud providers who see a potential market in Indonesia. It would be better for Oracle to be equal to other cloud providers and have a data center in Indonesia so they can compete. Having a local data center means that they can avoid performance issues, the latency of the network, and all the things that are related to the network for internet-based solutions. Customers in Indonesia expect a local data center."
- "Oracle already has cheaper pricing than others, but cheaper pricing is not enough for a cloud solution at this point."
What is our primary use case?
I have been using as well as selling Oracle Database from version 8 till version 19C. We have on-premises and cloud deployments.
I am working on cloud-based solutions. We are introducing Oracle Cloud infrastructure to our internal sales teams to show that Oracle has an Oracle Cloud as well, and it is called Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
The pricing is very competitive. Oracle is still the number one database company. From the technical aspects, Oracle Database is the best solution for small, medium, and big industries.
What needs improvement?
I'm in Indonesia. From what I know, Ali Cloud has already built a center in Indonesia, and Google also has a data center in Indonesia. I have heard that Amazon will also build a data center in Indonesia, and the same will be with Azure if they deal with the Indonesian government. I'm quite appreciative of what Amazon has done by deciding to have a local data center. I expect Oracle to do the same, but Oracle doesn't seem to have plans to build a data center in Indonesia. This is something that needs to be improved.
Oracle should follow all the other cloud providers who see a potential market in Indonesia. It would be better for Oracle to be equal to other cloud providers and have a data center in Indonesia so they can compete. Having a local data center means that they can avoid performance issues, the latency of the network, and all the things that are related to the network for internet-based solutions. Customers in Indonesia expect a local data center.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Oracle Database for almost ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable and scalable. Stability and scalability are our prerequisites for all cloud solutions. A solution must be stable and scalable to be used. Oracle has already covered that part.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. Many customers of ours are using Oracle Database as their database infrastructure. Our customers are from all industries, such as communication, manufacturing, distribution, retail, etc. We plan to keep selling this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have our own technical support to help customers to implement or maintain Oracle solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment and activation process is similar to other cloud providers. The cloud deployment takes around 45 hours because you need to activate the services after Oracle provisions the services. After a customer orders for the cloud, Oracle provisions the services. The service is ready maybe in a week. Oracle sends us an email to activate the services.
What about the implementation team?
We have consultants to deploy Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Oracle solutions in our company. We have around 20 engineers who are Oracle Certified or Oracle Database Professionals.
We provide services for implementation as well as for after-sales and maintenance if customers take our technical support. We have enough technical support to help customers to implement or maintain Oracle solutions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Its price is already low. Oracle has a competitive and cheaper price as compared to others. Oracle Cloud is cheaper than other clouds. The pricing is very competitive for Oracle Cloud to be in the market. Their pricing makes customers interested in using this product even though Oracle doesn't have a local data center at this moment.
What other advice do I have?
It is the cloud era, so everyone is talking about cloud solutions. Oracle must improve its solution to be equal to other cloud providers. Oracle Cloud still has a data center out of Indonesia as compared to other competitors who already have a local data center in Indonesia. A provider with a local data center will be the best if you are using an internet-based product or a cloud-based solution.
Customers will prefer a solution that has a local data center because it eliminates the problems related to the network and performance. If Oracle has a local data center, the only thing that a customer will have to consider is the pricing. Oracle already has cheaper pricing than others, but cheaper pricing is not enough for a cloud solution at this point. Customers also expect good performance when they are accessing the cloud.
I would rate Oracle Database a nine out of ten. I cannot give it a ten because there is no perfect product.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
Senior Database Administrator Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Straightforward to install, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "Oracle is a stable product and we plan to continue implementing it."
- "This is certainly a product that I recommend for large enterprises."
- "The cost needs to be reduced because right now, all of our customers are asking us about how they can migrate to any open-source database."
What is our primary use case?
I support the backend and administration tasks for the databases in my organization, and for our clients, and Oracle is one of the products that I work with. The tasks I perform are things like creating the database and then maintaining it. I do not work with specific use cases but rather, provide support for them.
All of our databases are accessed remotely and are hosted on Linux servers. It is not always easy to manage, considering things like the firewalls that are in place, so we have our own scripts for this.
What needs improvement?
The cost needs to be reduced because right now, all of our customers are asking us about how they can migrate to any open-source database. This is a very common question and I have been checking our ability to migrate, as well as the tools that we have for doing so, to a product like PostgreSQL.
Oracle is an RDBMS, although most of our customers are now moving towards Big Data. There are open-source databases and you don't need a schema. You can store whatever you want. I would like Oracle to do more for Big Data in the future.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Oracle Database for more than 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Oracle is a stable product and we plan to continue implementing it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We deal with many database products including Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and others.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward. We have both on-premises and cloud-based deployments.
The amount of time required for deployment depends on whether it is a single instance. This time of installation may take 30 minutes. Our installation scripts make it easy to do.
What about the implementation team?
We handle all of the administration tasks including implementation, installation, daily operation, as well as backup and recovery procedures.
In some cases, we have to provide high availability for our customers. Some of them may already have a cluster, so we would implement it. We also provide technical support to them.
We are a team of 10 database administrators.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is an expensive product.
What other advice do I have?
This is certainly a product that I recommend for large enterprises. However, for smaller companies, we can use an open-source database. That said, if you need something that is highly available and scalable then you have to choose Oracle Database.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
Head, Database Administrators at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated
Very robust, ideal for companies that need mission-critical databases, and extremely mature
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has very robust integrity due to how it is designed and implemented."
- "Oracle is a perfect solution, as it will never go down."
- "The solution can be quite expensive for small and medium-sized enterprises. Not too many companies can actually afford the pricing."
What is our primary use case?
We work with a bank and our core banking application sits on Oracle Database. Most of the applications in our ecosystem are all developed on Oracle RDBMS, so Oracle Database. They are all running mostly on Oracle Database. I'd estimate that 75-80% of our applications all run on Oracle Database in our environment.
What is most valuable?
The solution has been around for a long time, so it's very mature. We've used various versions, from 8 to 12 c. The RDBM has a strong reputation.
The solution is able to run on different types of machines, from IBM AIX to UNIX.
The solution has very robust integrity due to how it is designed and implemented.
The security is very tight. Users can be very sure of Oracle's safety. It has a variety of different security layers that make it very, very safe.
Oracle offers a great disaster recovery tool called Oracle Data Guard, which is fantastic.
The solution has very good failover capabilities. You can do it manually or automate the process if you like. It's all very transparent.
You can query around the rack as well you call it the rack cluster. There's great availability. It helps to handle high availability within the nodes. Even if you have a problem with one server, the others are still available and will continue the job without going down.
We work in a back-end environment that is mission-critical, and we cannot afford downtime. Oracle is a perfect solution, as it will never go down. Customers will always be served at any point without experiencing a delay, which is of vital importance to banking.
Oracle is constantly working to improve its products. It now offers AI and machine learning capabilities to run queries.
There's lots of research and development being done constantly. This ensures they are always one step ahead of other databases.
What needs improvement?
The solution can be quite expensive for small and medium-sized enterprises. Not too many companies can actually afford the pricing.
The way it is designed, there are a lot of constraints on the solution. Everything doesn't just happen at once.
Oracle doesn't handle SQL. You can use other products for that instead, including another Oracle product. If you need SQL, you can use MongoDB, MariaDB, or the Cassandras.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for fifteen years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Oracle Database is 200% stable. Most of the time when you have issues, it's not with Oracle but with the applications that are running on it that are not properly tuned. Oracle, however, if absolutely reliable.
The causes on the application end need to be properly looked at and tuned up properly, to reduce the overhead costs that are there. The loads are something we can have effect if we need to, and that's where we usually see problems.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We do a lot of scaling. When we need to scale, we need to go through the Change Application Board at the company to make sure everything is properly documented, and everyone is made aware of the changes. When you scale or make changes on the system, it doesn't lead to downtime. that's extremely important to note. We use a rank model where you do changes one node at a time.
Ultimately, the solution is very easy to scale.
How are customer service and technical support?
We are satisfied with technical support.
However, people need to know how to manage Oracle support. Around here, we added what we call Advanced Customer Support, Oracle ACS. This is white-glove service for items that are of critical importance.
With Advanced Customer Support, if they need to fly down, they will fly down and come directly to you to help you look at further into very critical issues. With their premier support, which is still quite good, I would rate them 90%, however, with ACS, I would rate them 100% satisfactory.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've worked with other databases in the past.
In terms of the ruggedness of the database, especially in relational databases, I find Oracle design very strong. I want to believe that so many of the other databases that started coming up were trying to imitate what Oracle had. However, when you talk about databases holding data, they are managing very large databases, Oracle is still what you would want to go for.
For smaller data, there are other relational databases that are good. However, if the customer must have a response that will be like the speed of light, then you still have to go for Oracle.
How was the initial setup?
The difficulty of the initial setup varies. It depends on the company and who is setting it up. The truth of the matter is that you need a little bit of experience to be able to manage Oracle. That is why not every Database Administrator that does it for Oracle is a specialist in running it on a Unix level environment. Once you are able to get to that level, there is a pretty good graphical user interface that brings you through the selection process. You need SPS to do some form of tuning.
Were paid to set up the solution appropriately. We try to mitigate any performance issues and to lay out the parameters. You really need to look at memory and to look at your LGA to have a successful implementation. It all requires quite a bit of knowledge. You can't just be experienced in databases; you need to be experienced specifically in Oracle. In that sense, overall, it's not too straightforward.
To deploy the solution, the amount of time also depends on a lot of factors, including the person's experience with Oracle, and the company's overall requirements. With my experience, I can do it within a few hours.
For deployment, you would need a small team to assist in the process. You must always ensure the continuity of the business, so it's smart to not just rely on one person. If your database has two terabytes of data, you'll need a solid team with a minimum of five people on it. That way, everything is managed competently and everything is proactively monitored. For the bank, we have a team of 15 people managing the entire database for the group.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This solution is definitely geared towards larger enterprises. It's quite expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Currently, we're using the 12c version fo the solution and we're migrating over to the 18c version soon. We're mostly using the on-premises versions, however, we're likely to migrate over to the cloud in the future.
Having used other products, I can say that hands down Oracle DB is a fantastic product.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Infrastructure Manager at Lactanet
Reliable and robust with good support
Pros and Cons
- "The reliability is the solution's most valuable feature. We've had great success with the solution."
- "At the end of the day, you get what you pay for, and we don't mind paying more for the peace of mind we get from this solution."
- "The main thing we find could use improvement is the licensing costs. It is quite expensive relative to other database vendors. Cost always comes up as an issue for us as we consider upgrade paths. It's not as easy as we would like it to be."
- "The main thing we find could use improvement is the licensing costs."
What is our primary use case?
We work in agriculture, and where we're located we have two sites in two separate cities in Canada. These are all transactional databases and they have information in them about the dairy industry in our country. We use it for storing data related to dairy cows, dairy farmers, or farmers in general, and we have all the information in the transactional database that holds everything from billing to individual animal data. We probably have about 12 terabytes of data on the Oracle databases.
How has it helped my organization?
The reliability and the ability to store all the information we need is how it helps us the most. I don't know the metrics of the top of my head, I just know it works.
We decided to use Oracle from the start because of its reputation of robustness. It provided us with everything that we needed.
What is most valuable?
The reliability is the solution's most valuable feature. We've had great success with the solution.
The ability to do all the programming we need in one solution is great.
The support has been very good over the years.
What needs improvement?
The main thing we find could use improvement is the licensing costs. It is quite expensive relative to other database vendors. Cost always comes up as an issue for us as we consider upgrade paths. It's not as easy as we would like it to be.
While we really like Oracle, it's difficult sometimes to upgrade from version to version.
I'd like to see the high availability option become available in the standard edition. We have a couple of databases that are still in the standard edition, and we'd like to be able to back those up and have higher availability.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using Oracle for a long time. We originally started using it in 1999 just before the Y2K crisis.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is very good. I'd rate it ten out of ten. We have some databases that run for a year without rebooting or anything, so I would describe it as very stable.
We do have a couple of international projects for our users that will be accessed from other countries, but it's currently stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There's no problem with scalability. It's quite easy for an organization to expand if they need to.
We have many users on the solution, including myself, and I have an administrator role. We have five database administrators that manage the day to day operations of the database. Then we have about 20 developers that develop different applications or make changes to the database for us. There are also internal users. We probably have, I'd say, 500 employees that have access at any given time. Our customers also have access. In total, we have about 15,000 people on the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support, on a scale of one to ten, I would give a seven. There are some things that take a little bit longer to resolve than others, however, overall, I would say it's good. It's not very good. It's not excellent. It's good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We haven't gone anywhere else and tried any other database software. We did previously use IBM's Mainframe 20 years ago.
The reason why we switched was because we were changing our data center. It's a little bit complicated, but there used to be four organizations that did the same thing we did. And due to the Y2K scare, we decided to merge all these organizations into one data center. It was more of consolidation from different technologies into one Oracle technology.
I was not really involved in that migration. I was there, however, I didn't have a role in it. Oracle was ultimately chosen based on the robustness and they had.
How was the initial setup?
It was a very big undertaking. We moved from an IBM mainframe. With regards to Oracle, the set up was, I would say, easy, however, when you're building a database, there's a lot of things to think of. That's not really the database's problem. You have to think of and plan out your table structure. You have to think of how you're going to set up your database.
The deployment happened 20 years ago. It was a very big project. The implementation took a year to migrate our existing data into an Oracle database. It went well, although it did take about a year to implement.
You need about five people to handle maintenance on the solution.
What about the implementation team?
We used a consulting firm to assist us in the implementation at the time. The experience was good at the time. Still, it was 20 years ago. They're actually out of business now. They may have gone out of business ten years ago, or merged with another company.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our licensing costs are between $40,000 and $50,000 per year. Those are the costs that cover maintenance and licensing.
We have an enterprise edition. We pay extra for features that are only available with this particular tier.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did evaluate different databases, including IBM's Db2. And that was it at the time. Microsoft didn't exist back then for databases.
What other advice do I have?
We started using version 7 of Oracle, and now, after so many years on the product, we are up to version 12.
We have six different main production databases that we use for various things. They're all on-premise. They either run in a Linux environment or IBM AIX Unix environment. And we also use a backup Oracle cloud for backing up some of those databases.
The main advice I would give other organizations would be to prepare for the costs. Oracle is kind of more expensive than in most other database software. It's also important to have a good understanding of how Oracle works and the programming. It's quite specialized. However, if you're implementing a big database environment, you need to know that anyway.
Oracle is, I would say, probably the top database provider in the world. Having a big name, for us, was good because we've got other contracts from outside firms that trust us because we house our data with Oracle.
At the end of the day, you get what you pay for, and we don't mind paying more for the peace of mind we get from this solution.
I would rate the solution nine out of ten mostly due to the fact that it's a very solid platform and it's robust and it's scalable. It's the Cadillac of the database world.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Principal Consultant at SandFil International
Enables us to support applications
Pros and Cons
- "We use Oracle Database to run applications. We use it for our clients' databases and applications."
- "The product is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use Oracle Database to run applications. We use it for our clients' databases and applications.
Whenever a client has problems or requires new implementations, they approach us. We provide training and coaching with application implementations. Currently, one such implementation is underway in the UK.
What is most valuable?
The product is very stable. We use it for supporting applications, including data warehousing.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be cheaper and adopt AI space.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Oracle Database for 25 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution’s scalability is good. It caters to small and medium enterprises with different products and ranges.
I rate the solution’s scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support could get better.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite simple. We mostly use the installation pack and code pack. Our setup includes a script center, shell scripts, and commercial Java courses.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
We use database clusters for different clients depending on the SLA. We use Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Advanced Compression. We use These specific options for various clients; however, the selection depends on the client's needs.
We have robust protection measures that are ensured using encryption technologies such as Transparent Database Encryption provided by Oracle. These features are available across all our database offerings, and we have implemented them for our clients accordingly.
We are heavily involved in AI development, and eventually, our products are tailored to fit into the AI space seamlessly.
Integrations are pretty transparent based on the type of solutions and the specific customer requirements. Customer relations between Oracle products are typically straightforward, whereas integrating with third-party products may present some challenges.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
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