SAP Basis Tech Supports

Symptom
You want to use an Oracle feature that is not used in the standard SAP system.

Reason and Prerequisites
This note provides answers to questions concerning the possible use of certain Oracle products and options that are not used in the standard R/3 system.
Solution
This note provides information about Oracle features and tools that are not used at all in the SAP standard system or whose use is restricted in the SAP standard system. If you want to use a feature that does not appear in this list, log a customer message with SAP and refer to this note.
If a feature is tolerated by SAP, but is not officially supported by SAP Support, you can obtain support if problems occur as follows:
If you a have a support contract directly with Oracle, then contact Oracle about the problem. If SAP does not provide support for the Oracle functions listed below, Oracle will support you directly if you have obtained your Oracle database license directly from Oracle, that is, if it is not an embedded license or an application-specific full-use (ASFU) license.If you bought the Oracle database from SAP, open a customer message to SAP. This is forwarded internally to Oracle Development Support if necessary, who will support you in solving the problem.
In addition to ensuring that SAP supports or allows the use of features, you must also make sure that the feature or procedure is covered by the license. For more information, see Notes 740897 and 581312.
Note 598678 describes new Oracle 9i features and the support for Oracle 9i features in the SAP environment. Note 828268 describes the support for Oracle 10g features.
As of Oracle Release 10g, you can use the following queries to determine which database features were already being used:
SELECT
NAME,
DETECTED_USAGES,
CURRENTLY_USED,
FIRST_USAGE_DATE
FROM
DBA_FEATURE_USAGE_STATISTICS
WHERE
VERSION = (SELECT VERSION FROM V$INSTANCE) AND
(DETECTED_USAGES > 0 OR CURRENTLY_USED != ‘FALSE’);
If you specify features that, according to the information below, are only restricted or are no longer supported at all, you should determine in which context the feature is used and to what extent you actually require this usage.
Caution: Due to Oracle bug 5475037, the advanced security option is therefore, partially by mistake, displayed as ‘used’ (if there is an OPS$ user with EXTERNAL password).
When you start SQLPLUS, it may also display certain installed
options, such as
SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.4.0 – Production on Thu Mar 5 09:22:56 2009
Copyright (c) 1982, 2007, Oracle. All Rights Reserved.
Connected to:
Oracle Database 10g Enterprise Edition Release 10.2.0.4.0 – 64bit
With the Partitioning, Data Mining and Real Application Testing options
This display does not have any direct effects on licensing. As long as you do not actually use an option, it does not have to be licensed. As standard, SAP installs many options even if you never use these in concrete situations.
1. Advanced Security Option (ASO)Can be used (Note 973450).2. AuditingYou can use normal auditing.You cannot use Audit Vault.3. Automatic Shared Memory Management (ASMM)Can be used.You must note the restrictions from Note 789011 (define lower limits for DB_CACHE_SIZE and SHARED_POOL_SIZE that are high enough).4. Automatic Storage Management (ASM)Usage with Oracle 10g is not allowed.The usage of ASM in the SAP environment for Oracle 11 is planned.5. BIGFILE TablespaceCannot be used.6. Block Change Tracking (10g or higher)Can be used (Note 964619).7. Change Data Capture (CDC)Cannot be used.8. Configuration Support Manager (CSM)Its use is not supported (Note 1032636).9. Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA)Not permitted to use DBCA to create a database.10. Database VaultThis is still in the pilot phase (see Note 828268)Open an SAP customer message for more information.11. DB_BLOCK_SIZE different from 8 KBBlock sizes smaller than 8 KB are not permitted.An Oracle block size greater than 8 KB can only be used if approved by SAP; the disadvantages of using larger block sizes include an increased demand for buffer pool memory and an increased volume of I/O data.You can replace multiple block sizes after an explicit approval by SAP Support (however: BR*TOOLS <= 6.40 may return errors such as BR286W/BR0286W; there is no explicit support by SAP monitoring transactions and remote services.You can request approval by logging a customer message with SAP.12. Data GuardYou can use “Physical Standby”, but Oracle provides support (not SAP).You cannot use “Logical Standby”You can use Maximum Performance Mode, Maximum Availability Mode and Maximum Protection Mode.In the case of Maximum Availability and Maximum Protection, you must pay particular attention to a fast network connection in order to avoid performance problems.Maximum Protection causes the primary database to terminate if problems occur in the standby database.13. Data MiningAs of BW 3.5, the use of Data Mining is supported within the Data Mining Engine (for more information, see Note 990955).14. Data Pump (expdp, impdp)This is supported as of BRSPACE 7.00 (17) (Note 976435)You can use EXPDP/IMPDP directly, but there is no SAP support.15. DBMS_OBFUSCATION_TOOLKITCannot be used.16. DBMS_SPACE_ADMIN.TABLESPACE_MIGRATE_TO_LOCALCannot be used.17. DBMS_STATSYou cannot use DBMS_STATS to create statistics directly on a regular basis.You can use DBMS_STATS to create statistics via BRCONNECT (Note 408532).18. Diagnostics PackThe activation is mandatory in the SAP environment so that the relevant ST04 functions can be used (Note 1028068).19. Disk Manager (ODM)The use is allowed in connection with the VERITAS implementation of ODM (for example, in connection with “VERITAS Storage Foundation for Oracle”, “VERITAS Storage Foundation for Oracle RAC” (previously DBE/AC), or “HP Serviceguard Storage Management Suite for Oracle”).Otherwise, it cannot be used20. Distributed TransactionsCan be used, but no SAP support is provided.21. Enterprise Manager (OEM) and other Oracle administration tools such as DBControlCan be used, but no SAP support is provided.You can also use optional OEM packages, but no SAP support is provided.You can also use the Management Server, but no SAP support is provided.You can use Enterprise Manager Grid Control for monitoring purposes, but Oracle provides support (not SAP).You cannot use Enterprise Manager Grid Control for other purposes (Note 828268).The use of OEM to create CBO statistics is not supported.For more information, see Note 386413.22. EXP / IMPAutomatically supported if you use BRSPACE (Note 646681).You can use them but no SAP support is provided if problems and follow-on errors occur (Note 541538).23. External data in the SAP databaseMust be covered by an acquired database license (Note 581312).Permitted for administration tools and monitoring tools.In addition, we do not recommend to use an SAP database with non-SAP software, since this constellation has considerable disadvantages:A database upgrade required for the system can only be performed if all software components that use the database can handle the new release.Required changes to database parameters for a system result in a downtime of several systems.Required import of database patches for a system result in a downtime of several systems.Special SAP database parameter settings may be unsuitable for external software access.Conflicts with CPU resources, memory resources, I/O resources and Oracle internal resources.Conflicts with BR*TOOLSDependencies and unnecessary downtimes for restore scenarios and recovery scenariosThe code page must be the same for all systems.Critical Oracle bugs, such as the problem described in Note 1107700, are possible24. FlashbackYou can use the flashback table to restore data in urgent cases if the consistency of the application can be ensured (see Note 937492, if in doubt, contact SAP).The use of the flashback database (Oracle >= 10g) is permitted (Note 966117)25. Function-based indexesCan be used, but no SAP support is provided.No support is provided by SAP-DDIC or by monitoring transactions.26. Index Organized Tables (IOTs)Can be used.For more information and details on restrictions, see Note 641435.27. Installation mediaOnly SAP Oracle installation media is permittedCustomer-defined builds and Oracle standard installation media is not permitted28. IntermediaYou can use this feature in connection with BugsEye / Requisite.There is no further SAP support (see Note 740897).29. Cloning Oracle softwareCopying or cloning Oracle software (for example, as described in the metalink document 300062.1) is not permitted in the SAP environment.For more information, see Note 551542 (2).30. Compression (Note 1289494)You can only use table compression in the cases described in Note 701235.You can use table compression on PSA tables within piloting in accordance with Note 1231895.You can use index compression in accordance with Note 1109743.31. Materialized ViewsCan be used.For more information, see Note 741478.32. MOVEThis is supported by BRSPACE as of Release 7.00 (28) or 7.10 (4) (see Note 1080376).You can use ALTER TABLE MOVE, but no SAP support is provided if problems and follow-on errors occur (Note 541538).33. Objects OptionCannot be used (Note 740897).34. OLAPCannot be used (Note 740897).35. OCFS (Oracle Cluster File System)Can be used in the RAC environment as described in Note 527843.36. ORACLE_HOME sharingNot permitted (that is, each database must have its own set of Oracle executables).Reason: This avoids dependencies with patches and upgrades.37. Oracle Enterprise Linux (OEL)Cannot be used.38. Parallel ExecutionCan be used.For more information, see Note 651060.39. Parallel Server (OPS)Cannot be used.Alternatively: Real Application Cluster (see below)40. PartitioningThe use of partitioning is supported within the BR*TOOLS functions (Release 6.20 or higher) and the SAP Data Dictionary function (Release 4.6C or higher).Subpartitioning permitted, but no SAP support. This is lost during system copies and table conversions.For more information, see Notes 722188 and 742243.41. Read-only modeYou can use a read-only database for administrative purposes only (for example, consistency check on standby side).You cannot start an SAP instance on a read-only database.You cannot use read-only tablespacesFor more information, see Note 817253.42. Real Application Cluster (RAC)You can use this feature in accordance with Note 527843.43. Recovery Manager (RMAN)The use of RMAN is supported for Backup, Restore and Recovery within the BR*TOOLS functions (Release 4.5B or higher).Otherwise, you can use RMAN, but SAP Support is not provided.44. Recycle binCannot be used.45. Remote Diagnostic Agent (RDA)Can be used (Note 1005931).46. Resource ManagerCannot be used.47. RESUMABLECan be used (Note 1327890).48. Reverse key indexesCan be used.For more information, see Note 915242.49. SequencesCan be used for customer-defined tables, but no SAP support is provided.Cannot be used for SAP tables50. SpatialCannot be used.51. SQL Loader (SQLLDR)Cannot be used.52. Standard EditionSAP products always require the Oracle Enterprise edition, using Oracle Standard edition is not permitted.53. StatspackCan be used.For more information, see Note 717484.54. StreamsCannot be used.55. Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)The prerequisites that are mentioned in Note 974876 are permitted.56. Transparent Gateway (DB2)Can be used, but no SAP support is provided.57. Transportable TablespacesThe implicit use is supported in the BRSPACE function “-f dbcreate” (Note748434) and the “Tablespace Point in Time Recovery” function of BRRECOVER.Explicit use as part of system copying is tolerated (service.sap.com/systemcopy -> ‘Procedures’).58. TriggerCan be used as part of the SAP standard (for example, BW tigger /BI0/05* in accordance with Note 449891, incremental conversion ICNV)Logon Trigger can be used in accordance with Note 712777.Implicit use as part of Oracle features permitted (for example, online reorganisation, materialized views, GridControl/Enterprise Manager)Otherwise, it cannot be usedYou cannot use trigger-based real-time replication either.59. Tuning PackCan be used.60. Virtual environments (Oracle VM, XEN, VMWare)Cannot be used in production environments (see Note 1173954).
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