How to prepare for an Oracle License Audit

The words ‘license audit’ will most probably cause you stress and fear if you are not prepared and you don’t have everything under control. This article will elaborate on some best practices through which you can feel ready and reduce the anxiety of an upcoming audit. If you are lucky, it will all just cause some extra effort and attention. If you are not lucky, and you get stuck with the worst possible because you are not compliant with Oracle’s rules, you will have to pay a large fine en will experience much hassle.    

An Oracle audit is one of those things in life that cannot be escaped. When it comes to Oracle, you can expect an audit around every three to four years. Although it is common for organizations to think they are ready, most often they are not, and they are also not aware of all the licensing pitfalls. Not being ready for this audit can cause money meant for important business projects to move to paying fees and fines to Oracle. To avoid this, follow the next steps to be in control of your Oracle licenses and reduce risk:  

• Make it regular in your organization to do internal audits. Go through all Oracle products and compare findings to the Oracle Server Worksheet. Being aware of the allocation of license usage is super important.
• Start using a Software Asset Management (SAM) program. Make someone specifically responsible for overseeing this. Make sure internal staff is aware and  will think in the organizations best interest and cooperate when needed. Start using specific SAM tools to manage license inventories and quantify license usage.  
• Use an Oracle Server Worksheet to correctly write down which Oracle licenses are in use, where, and by who. Make sure to check the used licenses in every department, not just the IT department. Keep the documents in a logical place, where you will not forget and can easily access if needed.

If you can make sure everyone in the company if aware of these things, keeping order will get a lot easier. It is key to be well educated on the audit process, keep calm, and get through the audit as smooth as possible. Don’t wait until the audit letter falls on your desk. Get started today! And if you are not sure how to handle things, or would like to call in the help of an expert, don’t be afraid to do so!