As Published In Special Edition for Windows

Oracle Offers Free Starter Database
By Rich Schwerin

Oracle Database 10g Express Edition is free to download, develop, deploy, and distribute.

Developers and database administrators (DBAs) who need a free starter database can turn to Oracle for the solution: Oracle Database 10g Express Edition (Oracle Database XE). This small-footprint database is free to download, develop, deploy, and distribute, enabling developers to build applications within a powerful, industry-leading infrastructure.

"As a free starter database, Oracle Database XE is ideal for developers, new DBAs, and educational institutions or students who need a database for their curriculum," says Mark Townsend, Oracle's senior director of database product management. "It is also ideal for independent software vendors [ISVs] and hardware vendors that need a small-footprint database to embed or distribute for free with their software or product."

Oracle Database XE, available for 32-bit Linux and Windows, was built from the same code base as Oracle Database 10g Release 2. "Because Oracle Database XE is part of Oracle's family of database products, developers can choose the edition that best fits their requirements," adds Townsend. "With Oracle Database XE, developers can upgrade their applications smoothly and easily without costly, complex migrations—no changes required."

On Windows, the initial release of Oracle Database XE server is a 157MB download. It installs with a native Windows installer and can be uninstalled with Windows' Add or Remove Programs option. The Oracle Database XE client is included with the server, but it is also available as a separate 30MB download with its own installation.

"With Oracle Database XE, developers can tap into Oracle's complete development stacks free of charge," says Townsend. ".NET developers have a number of tools at their disposal, including Oracle Data Provider for .NET [ODP.NET], which provides .NET data access to Oracle Database; Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio .NET, a tightly integrated add-in for the Visual Studio environment; and .NET stored procedures." Townsend adds that Oracle offers JDBC support and Oracle JDeveloper for Java developers, Zend Core for Oracle for PHP developers, and Oracle Application Express for Oracle Database development.

Free Online Community Forum

Registered Oracle Database XE users can access a free forum on Oracle Technology Network monitored by Oracle experts, including technology author and Oracle Vice President Tom Kyte.

"As host of the forum, I aim to make it the single-best resource for developers, DBAs, and anyone else using Oracle Database XE," explains Kyte. "I'll be participating in and keeping my eye on the forum to ensure that questions are answered, discussions are fostered, and topics are appropriately addressed."

Free to Embed and Distribute

Oracle Database XE provides an industry-standard silent installation method for embedding the database into third-party applications. And for ISVs and hardware vendors facing razor-thin margins, the opportunity to distribute the industry's leading database technology at zero cost is extremely compelling, explains Tom Herrmann, Oracle vice president for global ISV programs and technology.

"Oracle Database XE is aimed squarely at ISVs and hardware vendors who might not be familiar with Oracle and are looking for a free starter database to use in their applications and products," he says. "Because Oracle Database XE can be distributed standalone or as part of a third-party application or product at no cost, provided that the usage criteria are adhered to, including it is a fast, easy way to add significant customer value with zero risk and investment."

Herrmann adds that although Oracle Support Services doesn't offer paid support licenses for Oracle Database XE, ISVs and hardware vendors that need a fully supported Oracle deployment can license Oracle Database Standard Edition One, Standard Edition, or Enterprise Edition and join the Oracle PartnerNetwork. Simply embedding and distributing Oracle Database XE, however, requires no payments or memberships.