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Oracle Component

Hello,

I just ran a report in FNMS for Oracle installations (License compliance > Applications > Installed Applications. Under the Column Classification, i got 192 line items tagged as "Components". 

My question is, how will i know which of these needs license and which do not require one?

Is it safe to assume that as long as an item does not appear in the Oracle's Global Price List, it is free?

Thanks in advance!

Zed

(1) Solution

In general, an application classified as a "Component" is installed as a component of another application, and is seldom installed as a stand-alone application.  The other application that it is associated with may be commercial software.

If you go into the Properties of a "component" application and scroll down to see the Information section, you will normally see some comments or a URL link with information about the application which can provide insight into the main application that this is a component of.

View solution in original post

(4) Replies
ChrisG
By Community Manager Community Manager
Community Manager

I think the core of your question is which software can be used for free (that is, using the software does not directly cause a license that costs money to be consumed). To be precise, you can generally assume that all this software is almost certainly only ever able to be used according to some license (unless you are Oracle and actually own the IP of the software), but often that license will not directly cost money.

It is likely that you will find most applications that are classified in the ARL as a "component" do not on their own consume a license that costs money. That isn't to say there won't be exceptions to that rule, but they will be exceptions rather than the rule.

An underlying question behind this may be how to work out where your biggest compliance risks are. Some pragmatic considerations that might be helpful for that are:

  • Focus on your biggest vendors (Oracle could well be in that list)
  • Focus on software that is expensive
  • Focus on software that is widely used
  • Focus on where your knowledge of your organization tells you there may be risk and exposure - what does the organizational scuttlebut tell you?
  • Use concrete data from the ARL to drive focus areas - look for large installation counts, and applications that are classified as "Commercial"
(Did my reply solve the question? Click "ACCEPT AS SOLUTION" to help others find answers faster. Liked something? Click "KUDO". Anything expressed here is my own view and not necessarily that of my employer, Flexera.)

Hi, Chris.

I understand what you mean. It's just that my client seemed to be getting to an audit by Oracle so we need to take a look at everything. If we provide a list of installed to Oracle, they will see a great part of the estate are components/freeware. I need to come up with what to say to the client to ease their worries.

 

Thanks for the reply nonetheless!

In general, an application classified as a "Component" is installed as a component of another application, and is seldom installed as a stand-alone application.  The other application that it is associated with may be commercial software.

If you go into the Properties of a "component" application and scroll down to see the Information section, you will normally see some comments or a URL link with information about the application which can provide insight into the main application that this is a component of.

Thanks for the reply @kclausen 

 

I guess that's what we are gonna hold on to then.