Contributed by RUPINDER CHANIANA
Licensing complexity, rising costs, and audit risk are motivating Oracle customers to jump start their migration efforts to alternative database platforms. Even the largest of enterprises and the most restrictive of government agencies are actively evaluating open source database alternatives. Reduced expense and greater agility are significant factors behind this Oracle exodus. The reason is no mystery; The math is compelling!
Gartner has recommended that chief data officers and CTOs, “add open-source RDBMSs...for new uses, and to replace commercial RDBMSs where these are not specifically required”, and two of the factors driving that recommendation are low TCO and fast ROI.[1] The simple fact is that using an enterprise-class open source product like EDB Postgres™ Advanced Server saves money, while making environments scalable and flexible as well. In fact, IDC research indicates that organizations using EDB Postgres Advanced Server “will spend a total of 65% less on database-related costs, including completely avoiding up-front licensing costs and lowering ongoing maintenance fees by 32%”.[2] Savings like that could propel you to IT hero status! And, you’d be able to redirect your recovered savings into building new applications focused on innovation and increased customer engagement. Are you motivated yet to make the move?
Well...even in light of all this financial upside, there are still some organizations that are hesitant to migrate off their Oracle databases, and maybe you’re one of them. While the benefits of redirecting saved money into innovation is crystal clear, the perceived risks associated with changing databases prevents some organizations from attempting it. 
However, if you could reduce your technical, integration, and knowledge risks, and confidently increase your savings with strategies that cap, reduce, or eliminate expensive Oracle licenses, would you be tempted to hit the open source road?
If you’ve been kicking around this idea, it is time to give this strategy some serious consideration. EDB Postgres Advanced Server is based on PostgreSQL, and includes compatibility with Oracle, designed to mitigate technical and integration risks and diminish potential skill gaps, as explained in the graphic below. Gartner has even specifically recognized EDB Postgres Advanced Server for having an “Oracle compatibility feature that is about 95% compatible with the Oracle Database and further reduces or eliminates the conversion costs.”[3] This compatibility enables organizations with Oracle skills to get to a delivered solution built on EDB Postgres more quickly than other DBMS alternatives.
Training: The On-ramp Toward Migration
With these technical, integration and knowledge risks mitigated, there is only one thing left to consider, and that is how to get started. If you’re a DBA considering migrating your Oracle database objects to Postgres, our EnterpriseDB Training team has developed a new training course that you should definitely sign up for. It is tailor-made for Oracle DBAs considering this journey.
Our enhanced course Postgres for Oracle DBAs offers a deep dive on all of EDB Postgres Advanced Server’s compatibility features for Oracle and covers important concepts related to Oracle migration. We instruct you on how to use the EDB Migration Toolkit to successfully migrate Oracle database objects into EDB Postgres Advanced Server. Through a series of live demonstrations, we cover common migration situations, from A to Z. We leave no questions unanswered. This is a unique opportunity to compare and contrast the differences between Oracle and EDB Postgres capabilities, with the option to test drive the specifics of EDB's Database Migration Assessment program, where we evaluate your Oracle databases for migration success and help you understand your best path forward on your migration journey.
Our EnterpriseDB Training team will be offering this program as a live, online course. If you are interested in pre-registering, please complete this form. The class is coming soon, and we will announce dates and times for the course shortly. We pride ourselves on optimized trainer/student ratios, so we’ll be capping enrollment at 12 students per course.
So, why wait any longer? Sign up for our Postgres for Oracle DBAs training, and get ready for your test drive. Soon, it will be time to hit the open road and start your migration journey!
To learn more about migrating from Oracle, please visit our Migration Portal.
Rupinder (Singh) Chaniana is a Technical Trainer and Consultant at EnterpriseDB.
[1] Gartner, Emerging Technology Trends Create Opportunities for DBMS Cost Optimization, by Donald Feinberg and Adam Ronthal, published April 21, 2016.
[2] IDC, The Economic and Business Advantages of EDB Postgres Database Solutions, by Matthew Marden and Carl Olofson, published July 2016.
[3] Gartner, Emerging Technology Trends Create Opportunities for DBMS Cost Optimization, by Donald Feinberg and Adam Ronthal, published April 21, 2016.
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