oracle-database-on-azure

Oracle Database on Azure - Overview

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Cloud2BR OSS - Learning Hub

Last updated: 2025-07-17

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Oracle Database on Azure enables customers to run Oracle workloads directly on Azure infrastructure. This service leverages existing Oracle licenses and provides seamless integration with various Azure services.

List of References

• Migrate Oracle workloads to Azure VMs
• Oracle workloads on Azure IaaS – Well-Architected Framework
• Performance best practices for Oracle on Azure VMs
• Overview of Oracle disaster recovery in Azure
• Implement Oracle Database Autonomous Recovery Service with Oracle Database@Azure
• Architectures for Oracle Database Enterprise Edition on Azure
• Tune fetch size to optimize large query performance in Oracle Database Service for Azure

Table of Content

• Benefits
• Use Cases
• Sample Code Snippet
• Implications of Running Oracle Workloads on Azure vs. On-Premises
• Integration with Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery
• Performance Tuning Options for Oracle Database on Azure

Benefits

• Flexibility: Offers full control over the database environment, allowing for customization based on specific application needs.
• High Availability: Ensures that Oracle applications remain available with built-in redundancy and failover capabilities.
• Cost Efficiency: Allows organizations to utilize existing Oracle licenses, reducing overall costs.

Use Cases

• Running core enterprise Oracle applications that require high availability and performance.
• Migrating legacy Oracle applications to the cloud for improved scalability and management.

Sample Code Snippet

This code snippet demonstrates how to create a simple employees table in Oracle Database on Azure.

-- Sample SQL query to create a table in Oracle Database on Azure
CREATE TABLE employees (
    employee_id NUMBER GENERATED BY DEFAULT AS IDENTITY,
    first_name VARCHAR2(50),
    last_name VARCHAR2(50),
    hire_date DATE,
    salary NUMBER,
    PRIMARY KEY (employee_id)
);

Implications of Running Oracle Workloads on Azure vs. On-Premises

Migrating Oracle workloads to Azure introduces both opportunities and architectural shifts:

• Licensing & Support: Azure supports Oracle BYOL (Bring Your Own License) and offers certified images for Oracle Linux and Oracle DB, but Oracle RAC is not supported on Azure VMs.
• Infrastructure Flexibility: Azure provides VM series (Ebdsv5, M-series) optimized for memory and IOPS, ideal for Oracle workloads. On-premises environments may offer more control, but Azure enables elastic scaling and global availability.
• Operational Overhead: Azure automates patching, backup, and monitoring, reducing the need for manual intervention.
• Resiliency Model: Azure emphasizes MTTR (Mean Time to Recovery) over MTBF, shifting the focus from preventing failure to recovering quickly from it.
• Architecture Considerations: Oracle workloads often rely on features like AWR, Exadata, or RAC. Azure requires re-architecting or replacing some of these with cloud-native equivalents.

Integration with Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery

For Oracle SE workloads, third-party tools like Dbvisit Standby can be used to create resilient architectures on Azure VMs. Oracle workloads on Azure can be integrated with native Azure services for business continuity:

• Azure Backup: While Oracle RMAN remains the primary backup tool, Azure Backup can be used to protect VM-level snapshots and OS disks.
• Oracle Autonomous Recovery Service: For Oracle Database@Azure, this service offers zero data loss, automated backup, and centralized control—ideal for mission-critical workloads.
• Azure Site Recovery (ASR):
  • Supports VM replication across regions for DR scenarios.
  • Can be used in hybrid setups (on-prem to Azure or Azure-to-Azure).
  • Oracle Data Guard is often used in tandem with ASR for database-level replication.

Performance Tuning Options for Oracle Database on Azure

Optimizing Oracle performance in Azure requires tuning across compute, storage, and network layers:

• VM Sizing:
  • Use Ebdsv5 for high I/O throughput and memory-to-core ratio.
  • M-series for large databases (up to 12 TB RAM).
• Storage Optimization:
  • Choose Premium SSD v2 or Ultra Disks for low-latency, high-throughput workloads.
  • Distribute Oracle datafiles, redo logs, and TempDB across multiple disks for parallel I/O.
• AWR & Statspack: Use Oracle AWR reports to assess CPU, IOPS, and wait events before and after migration.
• Fetch Size Tuning: In hybrid or multicloud setups (e.g., Oracle DB in OCI, app in Azure), increase fetch size to reduce network round trips and latency.
• Networking: Use Accelerated Networking and Proximity Placement Groups to reduce latency between app and DB tiers.

Refresh Date: 2025-07-17