In today’s fast-evolving business landscape, digital transformation is not just a competitive edge but an essential part of growth and sustainability. According to recent studies from Flexera, 74% of organisations consider digital transformation a top priority. Whether driven by the need to scale operations, reduce infrastructure costs, or enhance agility, moving Oracle workloads to the cloud is a key step toward modernising IT strategies.
Organisations that rely on Oracle solutions face an important decision about which cloud environment to migrate to. As well as Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Oracle software can be hosted on authorised third party cloud environments: Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. Each platform offers different advantages. Selecting the best solution for your organisation can be complex. Especially when factoring in Oracle’s licensing agreements and the operational needs of your organisation.
Migrating Oracle to the cloud provides significant benefits, including:
Cost Efficiency: Cloud platforms remove the need for your own hardware and associated maintenance, allowing businesses to pay only for the resources they use.
Scalability: Cloud platforms enable organisations to scale up or down easily based on demand, ensuring flexibility for growth and workload changes.
Security and Compliance: Leading cloud providers invest heavily in security measures and maintain compliance with global industry regulations.
Innovation and Agility: Cloud-based environments allow businesses to adopt the latest technologies and quickly innovate without the limitations of on-premises hardware.
High Availability: Cloud solutions often guarantee greater uptime and redundancy, minimising the risk of downtime and the associated costs.
Although these benefits are clear, migrating Oracle workloads to the cloud involves challenges related to Oracle licensing, cost management, and ensuring optimal performance. A well-planned strategy is crucial for a successful transition.
Oracle’s native cloud platform, OCI, is designed to integrate seamlessly with Oracle’s databases and applications. It offers high-performance computing, optimised pricing for Oracle workloads, and advanced capabilities for mission-critical applications.
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) uses a pay-as-you-go or subscription-based licensing model, where customers are charged based on the consumption of compute, storage, and networking resources. Oracle licensing in OCI is measured primarily through OCPU (Oracle CPU) or vCPU (virtual CPU) usage. Charges are calculated per OCPU hour for services like databases and computing instances. Additionally, OCI offers flexible options to bring your own license (BYOL), allowing end-user organisations to use existing Oracle licenses in the cloud while optimising costs.
Microsoft Azure is a comprehensive cloud solution that excels in hybrid cloud scenarios and enterprise applications. Through a unique partnership between Oracle and Azure, organisations can run Oracle databases on Oracle Cloud while leveraging Azure’s services, creating a powerful multi-cloud environment. This integration makes Azure particularly appealing for end-user organisations that rely on both Oracle and Microsoft ecosystems.
AWS is a market leader in cloud infrastructure, offering vast global reach, scalability, and a rich set of cloud-native services. It supports Oracle databases and applications, making it a flexible choice for organisations looking to harness AWS’s scalability and performance. However, managing Oracle licensing in AWS environments can present challenges, and understanding these complexities is critical to ensuring compliance and cost efficiency.
Google Cloud stands out for its data analytics and machine learning capabilities, making it an attractive option for companies focused on transforming their data strategies. GCP offers a highly secure and scalable infrastructure for Oracle workloads, although its integration with Oracle products may require more specialised management than other platforms. Google Cloud’s innovative approach to AI and data-driven operations is especially beneficial for businesses seeking advanced analytics capabilities.
To determine the number of licenses required for Oracle on the 3rd party public clouds, organisations need to count the maximum number of virtual CPUs they will be utilising. The ratio is the same for all of the 3rd party cloud providers, whether Azure, GCP or AWS. Two vCPUs is equivalent to one Oracle Processor license if multi-threading of processor cores is enabled, and one vCPU is equivalent to one Oracle Processor license if multi-threading of processor cores is not enabled.
Successfully migrating Oracle workloads to the cloud requires a structured approach.
Assess Your Current Infrastructure: Perform an internal audit on your existing Oracle environment, including hardware, software, and licenses. Understanding your current setup helps you to identify risks, areas for optimisation, and compliance needs before migrating to the cloud.
Select Your Cloud Platform: Based on the specific needs of your organisation—whether it’s the high-performance computing offered by OCI, the hybrid capabilities of Azure, the scalability of AWS, or the innovation potential of GCP—you can determine which platform best aligns with your long-term goals.
Optimise Your Cost and Performance: After selecting a cloud platform, ensure that your workloads are optimised for both performance and cost. This includes rightsizing your cloud resources and leveraging cloud-native tools for monitoring and cost management.
Ensure License Compliance: Ensuring that your Oracle licenses are properly configured for your new cloud environment is essential. Understanding the licensing rules and definitions in detail or consulting experts in Oracle licensing can save significant time and costs.
Execute Migration: Once planning and preparation are complete, execute the migration with minimal disruption to your business operations. This may include using cloud migration tools, testing environments, and ensuring data integrity throughout the process.
Continuous Monitoring: After your workloads are migrated, continuous monitoring of performance, cost, and security is critical. Cloud environments offer tools that allow businesses to adjust resources in real time, ensuring you’re always getting the best value from your cloud setup.
Migrating Oracle workloads to the cloud is a critical step in modernising your IT infrastructure, driving innovation, and enhancing business flexibility. By choosing the right cloud platform—whether it’s Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud—and ensuring proper licensing and compliance, end-user organisations can realise the full potential of cloud computing. Whether your goal is to improve cost efficiency, scale operations, or embrace cutting-edge technologies, a well-executed Oracle cloud migration can provide the foundation for sustained business success.
Consult Oracle’s official licensing documentation to ensure compliance and optimise your migration strategy. If your organisation is ready to embark on this transformative journey or if you need help understanding your Oracle environment, contact your SoftwareOne representative to understand how we can support you in achieving your goals!
Would you like to learn more? Reach out to your SoftwareOne representative and schedule a meeting with one of our solution specialists.
Would you like to learn more? Reach out to your SoftwareOne representative and schedule a meeting with one of our solution specialists.
