Migrating On-Premises Oracle Exadata Databases to Amazon RDS
Oracle Exadata is a popular on-premises database solution that offers high performance, reliability, and security. However, as businesses increasingly move towards cloud-based solutions, there is a growing need to migrate on-premises Oracle Exadata instances to the cloud as running Oracle Databases on these oversubscribed Exadata Database Machines impacts business ability to gain agility and reduce cost. Amazon RDS for Oracle is a fully managed commercial database that makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale Oracle deployments in the cloud. Additionally, AWS provides the option to modernize your Oracle database workloads running on Exadata to cloud native databases like Amazon Aurora, Redshift, DynamoDB, etc. In this blog, we will discuss how to migrate on-premises Oracle Exadata instances to Amazon RDS, including the options available, licensing considerations and how DBCSI can be used to right-size the environment.
Benefits of Migrating Oracle Exadata Workloads to AWS
Oracle Exadata is a high-performance database machine that provides a range of features and capabilities for running Oracle databases, while Amazon RDS is a fully managed database service that provides a range of options for running relational databases in the cloud. Here is a comparison of the features of Oracle Exadata and Amazon RDS.
Performance
Oracle Exadata provides high-performance computing and storage capabilities through its unique hardware and software architecture, including hardware-accelerated SQL processing and optimized data storage.
Amazon RDS provides a range of instance types optimized for different workloads, including compute-optimized, memory-optimized, and storage-optimized instances. Both Oracle Exadata and Amazon RDS provide high performance for database workloads, but the specific performance characteristics may vary depending on the workload and configuration.
Scalability
Oracle Exadata provides linear scalability for both compute and storage, which allows businesses to easily scale up or down their database resources based on their workload demands.
Amazon RDS provides a range of scalability options, including the ability to scale compute and storage independently, and the ability to easily resize instances.
Availability
Oracle Exadata provides high availability through its redundant hardware and software architecture, including redundant networking, power, and cooling, and automatic failover.
Amazon RDS provides high availability through its multi-AZ deployment option, which replicates data to a standby database in a different availability zone to provide automatic failover in case of an outage.
Security
Oracle Exadata provides a range of security features, including encryption, auditing, and access controls, and is compliant with a range of industry regulations and standards.
Amazon RDS provides a range of security features, including encryption at rest and in transit, automated backups, and automatic software patching, and is also compliant with a range of industry regulations and standards.
Management
Oracle Exadata provides a range of management tools, including the Oracle Enterprise Manager, which provides centralized management and monitoring for databases, servers, and storage.
Amazon RDS provides a range of management tools, including the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI (Command Line Interface), and AWS SDKs, which provide automated provisioning, backups, monitoring, and patching. Additionally, Amazon RDS being a fully managed database service helps reduce the time and effort spent on standard database administration tasks.
Options for Migrating Oracle Exadata to Amazon RDS
There are several options available for migrating Oracle Exadata to Amazon RDS, including:
Database Migration Service (DMS)
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is a fully managed service that helps migrate databases to AWS quickly and securely. DMS supports both homogeneous and heterogeneous database migrations and can be used to migrate on-premises Oracle databases to Amazon RDS.
Export/Import
Export/Import is an Oracle tool that can be used to migrate data from on-premises Oracle databases to Amazon RDS. Export/Import creates a binary file that contains the database schema and data, which can be imported into Amazon RDS.
GoldenGate
GoldenGate is an Oracle tool that can be used to replicate data in real-time from on-premises Oracle databases to Amazon RDS. GoldenGate can be used to minimize the downtime during migration and can also be used for ongoing replication.
Migration Approach
Assessment and Planning
The first step in any migration process is assessing your current environment and establishing a clear plan. Consider factors like database size, schema and object dependencies, and network infrastructure. Identify critical applications and create a comprehensive migration plan, including milestones and timelines.
Selecting the Right Amazon RDS Instance
Select the appropriate Amazon RDS instance for your needs based on factors such as storage capacity, memory, and network performance. Consider using Amazon’s Database Migration Service (DMS) to simplify the migration process, especially if you have large volumes of data or complex schemas.
DBCSI for Right Sizing the Environment
Database Current State Investigation (DBCSI) is a robust tool that can be used to right-size the environment for Amazon RDS. DBCSI provides recommendations for the optimal configuration of the database based on the workload, which can help optimize performance and reduce costs. It analyzes database workloads and provides recommendations for optimizing database performance and reducing costs. The tool also analyzes database usage patterns, performance metrics, and configuration settings to identify areas where database resources can be optimized.
Some of the key features of DBCSI include:
- Workload Analysis: DBCSI analyzes database workloads to identify usage patterns, performance metrics, and configuration settings. This helps customers understand how their databases are being used and where resources can be optimized.
- Resource Recommendations: DBCSI provides recommendations for optimizing database performance and reducing costs by right-sizing database resources. This includes recommendations for instance type, storage size, and database configuration settings.
- Cost Savings Analysis: DBCSI provides an analysis of cost savings that can be achieved by implementing the recommended changes. This helps customers understand the potential cost savings and return on investment of optimizing their database resources.
- Customization: DBCSI allows customers to customize the analysis and recommendations to their specific needs and requirements. This includes the ability to exclude certain databases or instances from the analysis, and to adjust the analysis based on specific business requirements.
Schema and Application Conversion
For complex schemas, use the AWS Schema Conversion Tool (SCT) to convert your Oracle Exadata schema to the Amazon RDS schema. Adjust application code, SQL queries, and database links to ensure compatibility with Amazon RDS.
Licensing Considerations
Before migrating on-premises Oracle Exadata instances to Amazon RDS, it is important to consider licensing requirements. Oracle databases require a license to run, and Amazon RDS provides two options for licensing:
• Bring Your Own License (BYOL): With BYOL, customers can use their existing Oracle licenses to run their databases on Amazon RDS. Customers are responsible for managing their own licenses and ensuring compliance with Oracle’s licensing policies.
• License Included: With License Included, AWS provides the necessary licenses to run Oracle databases on Amazon RDS. Customers pay an hourly rate for the database’s use, which includes the cost of the license.
Oracle License Optimization Assessment (OLA)
When migrating Oracle Exadata instances to Amazon RDS, licensing considerations are a key factor to keep in mind. To comply with Oracle licensing agreements and optimize licensing costs for their databases running on Amazon RDS, businesses can use the Oracle License Optimization Assessment (OLA) process. OLA assesses the licensing requirements for Oracle databases running on AWS, and provides recommendations for cost optimization. By leveraging OLA during the migration process, businesses can ensure compliance with licensing agreements and optimize licensing costs for their databases running on Amazon RDS.
Alternatives to Amazon RDS
AWS provides the following additional options that customers may consider as a candidate for moving their on-prem Oracle Exadata workloads.
Oracle on EC2
Oracle on EC2 provides businesses with the flexibility to run Oracle databases on Amazon EC2 instances. With Oracle on EC2, businesses have full control over the infrastructure and can customize the operating system, install custom software, and use specialized hardware.
Pros
• Greater control over the infrastructure
• Ability to customize the operating system and software
• Flexibility to use specialized hardware
Cons
• Requires additional expertise and resources to manage the infrastructure
• Higher management and maintenance costs compared to managed database services
• Limited automation for database management tasks
Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle
AWS announced the availability of Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle, which allows customers to run Oracle databases in Amazon RDS with custom configurations. With this new offering, users can install and manage their own Oracle software, providing greater flexibility and control over their database environment. RDS Custom for Oracle supports Bring Your Own License (BYOL) and makes it easy to lift and shift existing Oracle workloads to the cloud, while also benefiting from the managed database service capabilities of Amazon RDS, such as automated backups, monitoring, and scaling.
Amazon Redshift
Amazon Redshift is a fully managed, petabyte-scale data warehouse service designed for high-performance analytics and large-scale data processing. It is an excellent alternative to Amazon RDS when the primary focus is on analyzing large datasets and optimizing query performance.
Amazon DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed, highly available, and scalable NoSQL database service that provides low-latency performance for both small and large workloads. If the application requires a non-relational database that can handle high write and read throughput with ease, DynamoDB might be a better fit than Amazon RDS.
Migrating on-premises Oracle Exadata instances to Amazon RDS can be a complex process that requires careful planning and execution. Businesses must carefully consider their migration options, licensing requirements, and technical details to ensure a successful migration. By taking advantage of Amazon RDS’s scalability, cost savings, security, and availability features, businesses can benefit from a fully managed database solution that can help them achieve their business objectives.
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