Oracle Database is available in four editions, each suitable for different development and deployment scenarios.
| VLDB, Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Data compression |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature provides the ability to compress tables and partitions. |
| Bitmapped index and bitmapped join index |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature provides an index type commonly used in data warehouses for columns with low cardinality, such as ‘Y’ or ‘N’, to dramatically improve performance gains in a data warehouse application. |
| Export transportable tablespace |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Quickly moves or creates a copy of tablespace data. A transportable tablespace can be "plugged in" to all editions of the database. (10g allows cross platform transport of a tablespace) |
| Import transportable tablespaces |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Quickly "plugs in" a transportable tablespace |
| Asynchronous change data capture |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature provides a framework for capturing change data, publishing it, and enabling applications to subscribe to the change data in a controlled fashion. Change capture occurs asynchronously based on the information in the Oracle redo logs. |
| Summary management |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Summary management consists of mechanisms to define materialized views and dimensions, refresh and query rewrite mechanisms, which automatically redirects queries to stored materialized views, improving query performance dramatically. Also includes a collection of materialized view analysis and advisory functions and procedures in the DBMS_OLAP package or via the SQL Access Advisor. |
| Analytic functions |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Built-in SQL functions to provide a variety of sophisticated analytical computations. These include rank, moving average, and ratio-to-report, and many others. |
| Automated parallel query degree |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Automated parallel query optimization based on system utilization. |
| Descending indexes |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides better performance when indexed data needs to sorted in descending order.
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| Direct Path Load API |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows complete access to all load functionality via OCI API for creation of high performance load programs.
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| External tables |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Enables accessibility within the database to external data sources (such as flat files) as read-only tables.
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| Function-based indexes |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows indexes to be created on expressions or functions.
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| Long operations monitor |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Progress of long running database and application operations can be monitored and information can be displayed, such as percent complete. |
| Materialized views |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Create materialized views and maintain using complete and fast refresh mechanisms.
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| MERGE |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
An incremental refresh of a table requires two tasks: New records are inserted and existing records are updated. MERGE allows both tasks to be performed simultaneously in a single SQL statement. |
| Optimizer statistics management |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Schema object statistics, used by the cost based optimizer can be copied and moved to another database. |
| Pipelined table functions |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows result sets to be pipelined back to calling statement, dramatically improving performance. |
| Sample scan |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Scans of a sampling of data to determine approximate averages or other data analysis quickly even in extremely large tables. |
| Star query optimization |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
This algorithm utilizes B-tree indexes (not bitmap indexes) |
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| Manageability: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Database Resource Manager |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Database Resource Manager gives Oracle Database more control over resource management decisions, circumventing problems arising from inefficient operating system management. |
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| Parallel Operations: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Parallel query |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Oracle Database transparently distributes query execution across multiple processes, resulting in excellent performance. |
| Parallel DML |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature no longer requires the Oracle Partitioning option. DML operations are transparently divided across multiple processes. |
| Parallel index build |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Indexes can be created using parallel processes, significantly improving performance of the operation. |
| Parallel statistics gathering |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
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| Parallel Data Pump and import |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
The new Data Pump Export and export Import utilities can each be run in parallel, resulting in better performance in loading and unloading data and metadata. |
| Parallel text index creation |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Enables parallel Text index creation on non-partitioned as well as partitioned tables. |
| Parallel backup and recovery |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Allows both backup and recovery to be run using parallel processing. |
| Parallel analyze |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
The ANALYZE statement, used to gather statistics on tables, can be run using parallel processing. This feature requires the Partitioning Option |
| Parallel bitmap star query optimization |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This algorithm utilizes single-table bitmap indexes and an advanced star query join method, resulting in excellent performance while efficiently utilizing space |
| Parallel index scans |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Queries that use an index can scan the index in parallel with multiple processes. This requires the Partitioning Option.
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| Parallel load |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Loads of data quickly with multiple, parallel processes. |
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| High Availability: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Oracle Data Guard |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Data Guard provides a comprehensive set of services that create, maintain, manage, and monitor one or more standby databases to enable a production Oracle Database to survive disasters and data corruption |
| Fast-start fault recovery |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature provides fast and predictable recovery from system failures. |
| Online operations |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Online index maintenance, Online table organization, Online table redefinition |
| Backup and recovery |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Block-level media recovery Parallel backup and recovery Change-aware incremental backups. Duplexed backup sets Point-in-time tablespace recovery Trial recovery |
| Oracle Flashback features |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Oracle Flashback Table, Oracle Flashback Database, Oracle Flashback Transaction Query |
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| Content Management: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Dynamic Services |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides Web Service Aggregation Transformation, Administration, Definition and Registration, and Delivery. ICE 1.0 support. |
| Oracle Database Workspace Manager |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Creates heretical workspaces and uses metadata and views to version enabled tables in a long transaction framework.
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| Ultra Search |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides unified searching across the Oracle database, the Web (HTML), and external data sources.
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| Information Integration: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Oracle Streams |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Message queuing and apply features of Oracle Streams are available in Standard Edition and Standard Edition One, but change capture is available only in Enterprise Edition. |
| Oracle Messaging Gateway |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Oracle Messaging Gateway consists of an administration package for gateway configuration and management and a gateway agent that processes propagation. |
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| Database Features: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Advanced Queuing |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides direct support in the database for high performance queuing and messaging operations, integrated with LDAP. |
| Database event triggers |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Fires off database triggers, such as database startup or shutdown triggers, DDL statement triggers, and logon/logoff triggers, when the event occurs. |
| DBMS_REPAIR package |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Detects and corrects software and hardware corruption early.
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| Drop column |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Removes an unwanted column from a table. |
| Flashback Query |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows data to be queried from a point in the past. |
| Globalization Support |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides native language support with enhanced unicode capabilities. |
| Index coalesce |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Defragments free space in index leaf blocks while a table is online.
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| Index-organized tables |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Stores data in a table in a B*-tree index structure for better performance and reduced storage.
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| Instead-of triggers |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Executes triggers instead of the DML that caused the trigger to fire.
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| LOB (large object) support |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides datatypes and functionality for storing and manipulating large objects, such as images or other unstructured data.
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| Locally-managed tablespaces |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides efficient storage management functionality that improves reliability and reduces fragmentation.
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| LogMiner |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Analyzes transaction log information online to enable auditing of transactions and to "back out" of individual transactions.
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| Plan Stability |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows execution plans for SQL to be stored so that the plan remains consistent throughout schema changes, database reorganizations, and data volume changes.
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| Quiesce database |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Allows for database maintenance without it forcing a shutdown.
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| Reverse key indexes |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows Indexed columns to be indexed on reversed column values for better index performance.
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| Temporary tables |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows users to manipulate data for the duration of a transaction or session.
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| Development: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| AppWizard for Visual Studio (NT only) |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Simplifies development of Oracle based applications using Visual Studio.
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| Autonomous transactions |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Eases complex transaction programming by enabling Blocks of PL/SQL to commit independently of each other.
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| COM cartridge (NT only) |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows PL/SQL developers to manipulate programmatically COM objects through the OLE Automation interface. Entry points are exposed for access to the methods defined by the OLE Automation interface for easy application integration.
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| iSQL*Plus |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides three-tier implementation of SQL*Plus running in a web browser.
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| Java |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Includes Java stored procedures, methods, and triggers: EJB, CORBA, IIOP, HTTP, and native Java compilation.
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| JDBC drivers |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides JDBC access to Oracle (JDBC is a Java call-level interface to SQL that is standards compliant and supports Oracle-specific features.)
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| Microsoft Transaction Server Integration (NT only) |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides full native integration with Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) to allow developers to deploy COM-based applications using MTS against Oracle.
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| Objects and extensibility |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides object relational functionality, including object types and methods and enables database extensibility via APIs to database services and functionality.
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| PL/SQL native compilation |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows PL/SQL byte code to be converted to C and dynamically linked into the database server.
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| PL/SQL stored procedures, triggers |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides mechanism to deploy logic directly in the database. |
| PL/SQL Server Pages |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Server-side Web pages (in HTML or XML) with embedded PL/SQL scripts, enabling rapid development of dynamic Web pages.
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| User-defined aggregates |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows for user defined aggregation functionality such as group-by on object types and collections to allow efficient aggregation for data cartridges.
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| XML |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Stores XML documents in the databases via SQL and renders traditional database data as XML documents. |
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| Distributed: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Advanced Replication |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Includes basic replication plus multi-master replication functionality. Advanced Replication includes online DML during replication environment changes, Replication Manager, and parallel propagation to maximize throughput. |
| Basic Replication |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides bi-directional replication with automated conflict detection and resolution supports configurations that include a single updatable master site with multiple updatable or read-only snapshot sites. |
| Distributed queries |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows queries to include tables from multiple databases.
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| Distributed transactions |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows transactions to include tables from multiple databases and includes transparent two phase commit functionality and XA support.
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| Heterogeneous Services |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows queries and transactions to involve Oracle and non-Oracle databases transparently. This functionality is used by Oracle Transparent Gateways. |
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| Networking: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Connection Manager |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature provides multiplexing, multiprotocol connectivity, and network access control. |
| Multiprotocol connectivity |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature bridges Oracle Net Services communities of users that use different network protocols such as SPX/IPX, TCP/IP, or LU6.2. |
| High-speed Infiniband network support |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Oracle protocol support now includes support for the industry-standard Sockets Direct Protocol (SDP) for Infiniband high-speed networks. The SDP protocol is a high-speed communication protocol that speeds up performance of client/server and server/server connections. By using SDP, applications place most of the messaging burden upon the network interface card, freeing the CPU for other tasks. |
| Connection pooling |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Enables the server to time-out idle sessions and use that connection to service an active session, resulting in more efficient network usage.
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| Oracle Net Services |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Enables heterogeneous, distributed computing across machines regardless of vendor, operating system, or hardware architecture.
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| System Management: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Basic Standby Database |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows the DBA to manually clone a database, and to copy and to apply log files to the standby. Users can re-connect to standby should primary system fail.
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| Global index maintenance during DDL operations |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Automatically maintains global indexes when DDL operations are executed against partitioned tables.
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| Legato Storage Manager |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Is an integrated functionality from Legato that allows backups directly to tapes. |
| Multiple Block Size |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows a database to have more than one block size.
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| Online backup and recovery |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows backups and recovery operations to be run while the database is online. |
| Oracle Standard Management Pack |
N |
N |
Y |
N |
Oracle Standard Management Pack includes scaled down functionality from Change Management, Diagnostics, and Tuning Packs.
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| Oracle Enterprise Manager |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
A single, integrated console that allows easy management and monitoring of the Oracle and non-Oracle database environment.
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| Oracle Fail Safe for Oracle on NT |
N |
N |
N |
N |
Simplifies deployment of highly available single-instance Oracle database solutions on Microsoft Windows NT clusters, including those on Window 2000 Data Center 4+ nodes.
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| Oracle Managed Files |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Automates creation and deletion of physical database components. |
| Recovery Manager |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Simplifies setup and management processes of the entire backup and recovery process with easy to use, wizards based functionality.
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| Resumable Space Allocation |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows execution of large database operations to be suspended and resumed if there is a repairable failure.
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| Standby Database GUI |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
Supports easy installation and configuration of Standby and supports monitoring of critical Standby operations.
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| Transparent Application Failover |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows complete masking of many failures from end-users by preserving the state of their application and resuming any work that had been in progress at the time of failure.
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| Unused index identification |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows database server to track unused indexes. |
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| Security: |
| Option |
10g SE1 |
10g SE |
10g EE |
10g PE |
Notes |
| Virtual Private Database |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature provides functionality to create security policies that implement row-level security. |
| Fine-grained auditing |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This features allows the monitoring of database access based on the content of the data accessed. |
| Enterprise User Security |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This features allows the definition of enterprise users and roles. |
| N-tier authentication authorization |
N |
N |
Y |
Y |
This feature preserves client identity throughout all tiers. |
| Password management |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides password expiration, complexity and security policy management.
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| Encryption Toolkit |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Provides data value encryption. |
| Proxy Authentication |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Allows a user to manage proxy authentication data in order to authenticate to multiple other applications with a single sign on.
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With today’s economy in such dire straits, many companies are getting back to basics and reviewing the overlooked areas in order to save any money possible. In particular, Oracle licensing is expensive and complicated, and therefore becomes a viable discussion for many companies looking at potentially migrating their databases over to more economical Oracle, or non-Oracle releases. The key to this equation remains on what the database release can deliver, it’s overall encompassing support, and then lastly, how is it competitively priced.