[SE2 vs EE / CDB Support / RAC Limitations]
Oracle Database offers multiple editions tailored for different use cases, from small departmental systems to large-scale mission-critical enterprise systems.
This article focuses specifically on:
- The key differences between Standard Edition 2 (SE2) and Enterprise Edition (EE)
- Whether CDB architecture is supported in SE2
- RAC availability per version
- Guidelines for selecting the right edition and version
🧩 Overview of Oracle Database Editions
Oracle provides two primary commercial editions for enterprise deployments:
[Standard Edition 2 (SE2)] → [Enterprise Edition (EE)]
│ │
For SMBs & cost-conscious For full-featured enterprise-grade systems
🆚 Key Differences: SE2 vs EE
| Feature | SE2 | EE |
|---|---|---|
| Max CPU threads | Max 16 threads (8 cores × 2 sockets) | No limit |
| RAC support | Up to 18c only (2-node max) | Fully supported |
| CDB (Multitenant architecture) | Yes (limited to 1 PDB) | Yes (multi-PDB via extra license) |
| Data Guard | ✖ | ✔ (optional license) |
| Table Partitioning | ✖ | ✔ (optional license) |
| OLAP / Advanced Analytics | ✖ | ✔ (optional license) |
| Flashback Database | Limited | Full support |
| Online DDL / Redefinition | ✖ | ✔ |
| Licensing Cost | Lower | Higher (depends on usage) |
✅ SE2 Supports CDB Architecture (with 1 PDB Limit)
Starting from Oracle 12c, databases use a Multitenant Architecture, where:
- A CDB (Container Database) hosts one or more PDBs (Pluggable Databases).
SE2 supports this architecture but is limited to a single PDB.
[Diagram] CDB Structure in SE2
+-------------------+
| CDB$ROOT |
+-------------------+
│
▼
+-------------------+
| PDB1 Only | ← SE2 allows only one PDB
+-------------------+
✅ This is valid even in Oracle 19c and 23c.
🚫 You cannot create a second PDB in SE2. For that, EE with multitenant licensing is required.
🛑 SE2 No Longer Supports RAC in 19c and Later
While Oracle 12c to 18c allowed SE2 to run RAC (up to 2 nodes), this support was removed in Oracle 19c.
[Diagram] RAC Support Matrix
Version | RAC on SE2
--------------|----------------------------
11g | ✔ (via SE1/SE)
12c / 18c | ✔ (2-node limit)
19c and later | ❌ Not Supported
Want RAC in 19c+? You must use Enterprise Edition.
🔢 Feature Support by Version
| Feature / Version | 12c | 18c | 19c | 21c / 23c |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multitenant Architecture | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| RAC on SE2 | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
| PDBs in SE2 | ✔ (1 PDB) | ✔ (1 PDB) | ✔ (1 PDB) | ✔ (1 PDB) |
| Multi-PDB in EE | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Long Term Support (LTS) | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
💡 As of now, Oracle 19c is the LTS version, supported until at least 2028.
🧭 Which Edition & Version Should You Choose?
| Use Case | Recommended Edition / Version |
|---|---|
| SMB systems with limited budget | SE2 + 19c (CDB with 1 PDB) |
| Require multiple PDBs | EE + Multitenant Option |
| Require RAC configuration | EE + RAC Option |
| Test or develop CDB environment | SE2 + CDB setup (1 PDB) |
| Need stable LTS support | 19c |
🧩 Common Scenarios and Advice
🔹 Q1. Can I use RAC in SE2?
- Only up to 18c.
- From 19c onward, RAC is not supported in SE2. Use EE instead.
🔹 Q2. Can SE2 use multitenant (CDB) architecture?
- Yes, with one PDB only.
- Ideal for development or simplified production systems.
🔹 Q3. I want a future-proof, stable environment
- Choose Oracle Database 19c.
- Long-term support, modern features, and well-documented behavior.
✅ Summary
| Requirement | Use SE2 | Use EE |
|---|---|---|
| One simple PDB | ✔ | ✔ |
| Multiple PDBs | ✖ | ✔ (with license) |
| RAC | ✖ (19c〜) | ✔ |
| Partitioning, Data Guard | ✖ | ✔ (with options) |
| Long Term Support (LTS) | ✔ (19c) | ✔ (19c) |
[reference]
Database Reference
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