Is Oracle RAC supported in rental model?
In 2026, you can consume RAC through two primary rental paths:
This is the most common way to rent RAC. You pay one hourly price that covers both the infrastructure (the servers and storage) and the software licenses.
Base Database Service: You can provision a 2-node RAC cluster on Virtual Machine shapes with a few clicks. You simply select "Enterprise Edition Extreme Performance" during setup, which automatically includes RAC.
Exadata Cloud Service: For massive workloads, you can rent a fraction of an Exadata quarter-rack. This is the "Formula 1" platform for RAC, providing insane speeds and built-in automation for high-availability patching.
If your company already owns RAC licenses from an on-premises data center, you can "rent" just the infrastructure from Oracle at a much lower rate.
The Discount: You pay the same price as a basic Linux VM, but you get to run the world’s most powerful database cluster on it.
Compatibility: OCI supports the latest Oracle Database 23ai as well as older long-term releases like 19c, making it easy to move your existing RAC clusters into the cloud without changing your code.
| Feature | Renting on OCI (Managed) | Building on Other Clouds |
| Setup Time | ~30 Minutes (Automated) | Days (Manual OS/Grid install) |
| Patching | One-click / Rolling updates | Manual & High Risk |
| Storage | Integrated Shared Storage (ASM) | Requires complex 3rd party tools |
| Scalability | Scale OCPUs with a slider | Requires downtime or migrations |
The reason RAC is difficult to "rent" on other clouds is because it requires Shared Storage—multiple servers reading and writing to the same disk at the exact same time.
OCI’s network fabric and block storage are designed with Multi-attach capabilities, specifically to support RAC’s requirements.
In 2026, this storage is fully "Elastic," meaning you can increase your database disk space while the cluster is actively running.
By early 2026, the OCI Console has replaced complex command-line tools (like srvctl) for common tasks. You can now add a 3rd or 4th node to your RAC cluster, or perform a "Switchover" to a standby cluster in another country, directly from your mobile phone or web browser using the Database Management Dashboard.
If you are looking for RAC in the OCI price list, remember that it is technically an "Option" of the Enterprise Edition. To get the "Rental" version (License Included), you must select the Enterprise Edition Extreme Performance package. This package is the ultimate value because it includes all Oracle Database options (RAC, Partitioning, In-Memory, Active Data Guard, and Advanced Security) for one flat hourly rate.