Oracle and Azure Unleash Power: Benefits of Oracle Database@Azure

The inaugural Oracle Database@Azure service has officially launched in the Microsoft Azure East US region. Representing the first of a series of planned Oracle database services on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) within Azure datacenters, Oracle will oversee the management of the Oracle Exadata Database Service. This innovative service streamlines the migration of mission-critical workloads to the cloud. With all the performance, scalability, and workload availability benefits inherent to the Oracle Database, including Real Application Clusters and robust security features, the new Oracle Database@Azure seamlessly integrates with Azure’s top-tier services, such as the Azure OpenAI Service for cutting-edge generative AI applications.

According to Carl Olofson, Research Vice President of Data Management Software at IDC, Exadata stands out as the most effective platform for running the Oracle Database. He emphasized that the Oracle Database@Azure service offers Microsoft Azure users a combination of the best features, describing it as an optimal solution. Olofson noted that the collaboration between Oracle and Azure reflects a multi-cloud strategy, showcasing a commitment to delivering ultimate benefits to their shared customers.

Oracle Database@Azure Benefits

Here are the best benefits offered by Oracle Database@Azure:

• Global Availability Expansion: Oracle Database@Azure will be generally available in additional regions in 2025, including Germany Central, Australia East, France Central, Canada Central, Brazil South, Japan East, UK South, Central US, and South Central US.
• High Availability Configuration: Each deployment is strategically planned to cover two Azure availability zones, enabling customers to configure robust high availability across zones.
• Flexible Migration Options: Customers have flexible options to move their Oracle databases to the cloud, streamlining migration processes and facilitating IT environment modernization.
• Unparalleled Performance: The offering ensures the highest level of Oracle database performance, scale, and availability, maintaining feature and pricing parity with OCI public list prices.
• Unified Environment: Customers benefit from the simplicity, security, and low latency of a single operating environment (datacenter) within Azure.
• Streamlined Cloud Migration: The architecture facilitates streamlined migration to the cloud, allowing organizations to take advantage of Azure’s infrastructure, tooling, and services.
• Compatibility and Consistency: Compatibility with proven migration tools like Oracle Zero Downtime Migration and consistency with on-premises deployments of Oracle Database and Oracle Exadata, reducing the need for rearchitecture.
• Cloud-Native Application Development: The ability to build new cloud-native applications using OCI and Azure technologies, including the Azure OpenAI Service.
• Unified Customer Support: Customers benefit from unified customer support provided by both Oracle and Microsoft.
• Simplified Purchasing: Purchasing is simplified via the Azure Marketplace, with the ability to leverage Oracle and Microsoft licenses and commitments/discount programs.
• Trusted Architecture: The offering is backed by an architecture tested and supported by two of the most trusted names in the cloud, ensuring reliability and support for cloud-native applications.

Karan Batta, Senior Vice President at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, highlighted that 98% of the Fortune 100 and leading organizations in various industries rely on Oracle Database and Exadata/RAC technology for on-premises mission-critical applications. However, many of these workloads have yet to transition to the cloud. Batta emphasized that the collaboration between Oracle and Microsoft aims to simplify customers’ data center exits and facilitate the migration of on-premises Oracle estates to the cloud. Erin Chapple, Corporate Vice President at Azure Core Product and Design, Microsoft, expressed the significant interest in Oracle Database@Azure, emphasizing its role in streamlining the migration of Oracle workloads to Azure. Chapple noted that this collaboration enables customers to leverage both Oracle’s strengths and Microsoft’s broad range of cloud services for enhanced business innovation.

Closing Thoughts

The launch of Oracle Database@Azure in the Microsoft Azure East US region signifies a groundbreaking collaboration. Managed by Oracle, the Exadata Database Service streamlines mission-critical workload migration to the cloud, integrating seamlessly with Azure services. Global availability expansion in 2025, high availability configuration, flexible migration options, unparalleled performance, and unified support highlight customer-centric benefits. The collaboration reflects a multi-cloud strategy, emphasizing a commitment to delivering ultimate advantages to shared customers, fostering innovation in the evolving landscape of cloud computing.