SSDS’s Competitors : Oracle 11g and Sun MySQL on Amazon EC2

Two more databases officially rose to the cloud with simultaneous Oracle, Sun, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announcements of 9/22/2008 that current Oracle and Sun relational databases are licensed to run on AWS EC2. Neither service is a beta; both relational databases are fully supported in the cloud.

Oracle Database 11g

Oracle Database 11g (Standard and Enterprise editions), Oracle Fusion Middleware, and Oracle Enterprise Manager can now be licensed to run under Oracle Enterprise Linux in the cloud on Amazon EC2. Customers can use their existing software licenses with no additional license fees, and Oracle will provide support for products deployed to EC2.

To simplify provisioning, Oracle offers free Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) to enable building applications with Oracle Application Express, Oracle JDeveloper, Oracle Enterprise Pack for Eclipse and Oracle Workshop for WebLogic.

Note: There is a shared AMI for Oracle Express 10g with Oracle Enterprise Linux available from Amazon (see below) but no mention of license requirements, if any.

Oracle also is introducing the Oracle Secure Backup Cloud Module for offsite storage of 11g backups with Recovery Manger (RMAN).

AWS Announcement: Oracle and AWS

Links to more information from the Oracle Web site:

• Datasheet: Oracle in the Cloud (PDF)
• Technical White Paper: Cloud Backup (PDF)
• Licensing (PDF)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Oracle on Amazon Web Services
• Oracle Middleware in the Cloud
• Podcast: Oracle in the Clouds (MP3)

Demos and tutorials:

• Deploying Oracle Database in the Cloud
• Backing up Database in the Cloud
• Oracle by Example: Using Transparent Data Encryption
• Oracle By Example: Building a Functional Application using Oracle Application Express
• Oracle By Example: Performing Backups and Recovering Your Database

Downloadable AMIs (from AWS):

• Oracle Database 10g Release 2 Express Edition - 32 Bit
• Oracle Database 11g Release 1 Standard Edition/Standard Edition One - 32 Bit
• Oracle Database 11g Release 1 Enterprise Edition - 32 Bit

Sun MySQL Enterprise

Sun Microsystems supports MySQL Enterprise Gold, Platinum, and Unlimited (only) subscriptions on AWS EC2. (MySQL Enterprise Monitor is not available for Amazon EC2.)

Note: The Sun Introduces MySQL Tech Support for Amazon EC2 press release of May 5, 2008 announced support for MySQL and Open Solaris on EC2, so the AWS announcement appears to be a follow-up.

AWS Announcement: MySQL Enterprise Support for Amazon EC2

MySQL Enterprise subscription pricing:

• Enterprise Gold: $2,999 per server/year
• Platinum: $4,999 per server/year
• Unlimited: ~$40,000 per year

AWS published a Running MySQL on Amazon EC2 with Elastic Block Store tutorial on 8/20/2008.

Further information: MySQL Forums: MySQL on Amazon EC2. There is surprisingly little activity in this forum: A total of 16 messages since 5/2/2008. Sun doesn’t appear to be actively promoting “MySQL in the Cloud.”

There’s no indication that Sun provides a shared AMI for MySQL.

Cloud Computing Quote of the Week

Redmond Developer News published a “Cloud Computing Leaving Relational Databases Behind” story by Joab Jackson on the day of the three companies’ announcement. Here’s the lede:

One thing you won't find underlying a cloud computing initiative is a relational database. And this is no accident: Relational databases are ill-suited for use within cloud computing environments, argued Geir Magnusson, vice president of engineering at 10Gen, an on-demand platform servicer provider. [Emphasis added.]

Update 10/24/2008: For more information about 10Gen’s cloud database and financing see:

• 10gen’s Babble application server and Mongo database
• Cloud Computing Firm Closes $1.5m Series A

Of course hype-fed technologies need their own magazine and conference; here they are for cloud computing:

• Cloud Computing Conference and Expo, November 19-21, 2008, San Jose
• Cloud Computing Journal (Sys-Con)

As of today, there were no conference speakers from Oracle, MySQL (or Microsoft) on the agenda.

Technorati tags: Oracle Database 11g, Oracle Database 10g XE, Oracle, MySQL, SQL Server Data Services, SSDS, Cloud Computing