What is the difference between hard and soft partitioning?
Hard partitioning is a method of binding a workload to a fixed, limited set of processors in a way Oracle accepts as reducing the licensable footprint, while soft partitioning is any method Oracle treats as not limiting it. The distinction decides how much of a server, or a cluster, you must license. With accepted hard partitioning, you license only the cores assigned to Oracle. With soft partitioning, Oracle's policy position is that you must license all the processors where the software could run, which on a connected cluster can mean every host, not just the one running the database.
This is the mechanism behind the largest virtualization findings. The technology you use to carve up a server determines whether Oracle's policy lets you license a slice or insists on the whole. Knowing exactly which technologies Oracle accepts, and on what conditions, is therefore the starting point for both designing an estate and defending a finding.
Which technologies does Oracle accept as hard partitioning?
Oracle's partitioning policy recognises a short list of hard partitioning technologies, including Oracle VM with CPUs pinned and capped to its rules, Oracle Linux KVM configured to the policy, and certain physical partitioning such as some Solaris and IBM technologies. The list is defined by Oracle policy rather than by general industry usage, so a technology being technically capable of isolating a workload does not by itself make it accepted. The conditions matter as much as the technology: Oracle VM, for example, is accepted only when CPUs are pinned and capped in the specific way the policy describes, and a misconfiguration can take an otherwise accepted setup outside the allowance.
| Technology | Typical policy treatment |
|---|---|
| Oracle VM, CPUs pinned and capped | Generally accepted as hard partitioning |
| Oracle Linux KVM, configured to policy | Generally accepted when set to the rules |
| Certain Solaris and IBM physical partitions | Often accepted, conditions apply |
| VMware, Hyper V, general KVM | Not recognised as hard partitioning |
Why does Oracle not recognise VMware as hard partitioning?
Oracle does not recognise VMware, Hyper V, or general KVM as hard partitioning, which is why a VMware estate can attract a cluster wide claim that every host capable of running the workload must be licensed. Oracle's position is that these hypervisors allow a virtual machine to move across hosts, so the software could in principle run anywhere in the cluster or even across linked clusters. On that reasoning a preliminary finding extends the license requirement to all those hosts, producing a number far larger than the cores the database actually uses. This is the single most expensive pattern in virtualization findings, and findings arrive inflated at list price on exactly this basis. For the detail, read Oracle's partitioning policy explained.
Why does the contract beat the policy paper?
The contract beats the policy paper because the cluster wide claim rests on Oracle's partitioning policy document, and that document is not the signed agreement, so where the contract is silent or stronger the policy does not automatically bind you. The partitioning policy is a published statement of how Oracle would like virtualization to be licensed. It is not, in itself, a term you necessarily agreed to, and many agreements do not incorporate it. When a cluster wide finding lands, the first question is what your contract actually says about where the software is licensed, because contract language beats policy. This is why such findings are so often reduced: the policy that justifies the inflated number may not be enforceable against your specific agreement.
Cluster wide virtualization claims rest on a policy paper, not your contract. Read the agreement first. Where the contract does not adopt the partitioning policy, the basis for licensing every host weakens, and the claim narrows to what you actually run.
Our VMware licensing survival guide shows how to read a cluster wide claim against your contract and design an estate that limits exposure. We reduce your Oracle exposure or we reimburse our service fee, on a Fixed Fee or Gainshare basis with no risk to you.
What is the buyer move?
The buyer move is to design Oracle estates on accepted hard partitioning where you can, document the configuration precisely, and meet any cluster wide claim by reading your contract before conceding a single host. If you run VMware or another unrecognised hypervisor, isolate the Oracle workload, control where it can move, and keep the evidence of those controls. When a finding extends to every host, test it against your agreement, because the policy that drives it may not bind you. For the surrounding method, read disputing cluster wide virtualization claims and partitioning detection and defense, then work up to the Oracle virtualization licensing guide.
FAQ
Which technologies does Oracle accept as hard partitioning? A short list including Oracle VM with pinned and capped CPUs, Oracle Linux KVM set to policy, and certain Solaris and IBM physical partitions. The accepted list is defined by Oracle policy and changes over time.
Does Oracle recognise VMware? No. The partitioning policy does not recognise VMware, Hyper V, or general KVM as hard partitioning, which is the basis for cluster wide claims. That policy is not the contract.
Can you challenge a cluster wide claim? Yes. Such claims rest on a policy document, not the signed agreement, and contract language beats policy. Line by line review typically cuts claims 60 to 80 percent.