Oracle Multitenant option use cases

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
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    Summary of Oracle Multitenant option use cases

    This document explains different scenarios regarding the usage and licensing requirements of the Oracle Multitenant option across various Oracle Database instances. It helps ServiceNow customers understand when additional licensing is necessary based on the number of user-created Pluggable Databases (PDBs) within each database instance.

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    Use Case Scenarios

    • Oracle Multitenant option not in use:

      If database instances contain fewer than the minimum number of user-created PDBs (for example, one PDB per instance in the examples), the Oracle Multitenant option is not considered in use. Therefore, no additional licensing is required on any hosts in the cluster.

    • Oracle Multitenant option in use:

      If one or more database instances exceed the minimum number of user-created PDBs (e.g., three or more PDBs on Oracle Database 12.1 or five on Oracle Database 18c), the Oracle Multitenant option is in use. This triggers the need for additional licensing for all hosts within the cluster.

    • Oracle Multitenant option in use but exceeding the maximum PDB amount:

      When a database instance exceeds the supported maximum number of user-created PDBs (252 for Oracle Database 18c), the instance is considered out of compliance. In this case, Software Asset Management identifies the excess PDBs as removal candidates, and these must be deleted to maintain licensing compliance.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    • Monitor the number of user-created PDBs in each Oracle Database instance to determine if the Oracle Multitenant option license is required.
    • Ensure that no database instance exceeds the maximum supported PDB count to avoid non-compliance and potential licensing risks.
    • Use Software Asset Management tools to detect and manage excess PDBs, helping maintain compliance and optimize licensing costs.

    You can view the following use cases to better understand licensing requirements for the Oracle Multitenant option.

    The Oracle Multitenant option is not in use

    Figure 1. Oracle Multitenant option not in use example
    Oracle Multitenant option not in use.

    In this scenario, Database Instance 1 and Database Instance 2 are running Oracle Database 12.1 Enterprise Edition and contain one user-created PDB each. Database Instance 3 is running Oracle Database 18c Enterprise Edition and also contains one user-created PDB. Since none of the database instances meet or exceed the minimum number of user-created PDBs for which the Oracle Multitenant option is required, the option is not in use on any of the database instances. Additional licensing for the Oracle Multitenant option is not required on any hosts within the cluster.

    The Oracle Multitenant option is in use

    Figure 2. Oracle Multitenant option in use example
    Oracle Multitenant option in use.

    In this scenario, Database Instance 1 and Database Instance 2 are running Oracle Database 12.1 Enterprise Edition. Database Instance 1 contains three user-created PDBs, while Database Instance 2 contains one user-created PDB. Database Instance 3 is running Oracle Database 18c Enterprise Edition and contains five user-created PDBs. Since both Database Instance 1 and Database Instance 3 exceed the minimum number of user-created PDBs for which the Oracle Multitenant option is required, the option is in use on both database instances. Additional licensing for the Oracle Multitenant option is required on all hosts within the cluster.

    The Oracle Multitenant option is in use but exceeds the maximum PDB amount

    Figure 3. Oracle Multitenant option in use but exceedx maximum PDB amount example
    Oracle Multitenant option in use but exceeds maximum PDB amount.

    In this scenario, Database Instance 1 and Database Instance 2 are running Oracle Database 12.1 Enterprise Edition. Database Instance 1 contains three user-created PDBs, while Database Instance 2 contains one user-created PDB. Database Instance 3 is running Oracle Database 18c Enterprise Edition and contains 255 user-created PDBs. Since both Database Instance 1 and Database Instance 3 exceed the minimum number of user-created PDBs for which the Oracle Multitenant option is required, the option is in use on both database instances. Additional licensing for the Oracle Multitenant option is required on all hosts within the cluster.

    However, Database Instance 3 is considered to be out of compliance. Based on licensing rules for the Oracle Multitenant option, the maximum number of user-created PDBs that are supported on database instances running Oracle Database 18c Enterprise Edition is 252. Since Database Instance 3 contains 255 user-created PDBs, Software Asset Management creates removal candidates for the three additional user-created PDBs. These additional PDBs must be removed to maintain compliance.