Toad for Oracle provides optional functionality in the DB Admin Module (Toad 8.5 and higher) which accesses Oracle Enterprise Manager-licensed functionality including its Management Packs.
By default, Oracle installs and enables some features in the database which may not be covered by your existing license, such as Partitioning, RAC, Advanced Workload Repository (AWR) and Oracle Tuning Advisor to name a few.
Specifically, the following Toad features access the OEM Diagnostics Pack:
ADDM/AWR Report Generator enables snapshot management and shows both AWR and ASH reports
AWR Browser graphical representation of data collected from AWR
Segment Advisor determines space that can be reclaimed
UNDO Advisor - provides advice and helps to automate the establishment of the database undo environment.
How to disable Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) functionality?
The following techniques are mitigation methods only. Oracle licensing can change at any moment., so it is important to know exactly what your license allows and what you are not licensed to use. All of these methods within Toad are easily reversed, and, in some cases, can be ignored by any user invested in using the features regardless of license issues.
RESOLUTION #1: Customizing Your Toolbar
You can remove items from the toolbar by opening the customize window and removing the buttons that open the Toad features in question.
To remove items from the toolbar
1. Right-click over the toolbar and select Customize.
2. Drag the buttons and menu items you want to remove off the toolbar and drop them.
RESOLUTION #2: Using Toad Options to Hide Windows
You can hide Toad functionality from the Options window. For more details about the Toad Options | Window screen, see the Toad help file.
To hide Toad windows
1. From the View | Toad Options window, select Windows in the left hand pane.
2. In the Windows grid, clear the checkbox in the Available? column for the windows you want to hide.
RESOLUTION #3: Using Toad Group Policy Manager
You can also push these settings onto a group by using the Toad Group Policy Manager. For full information on how to do this, see the Toad Group Policy Editor Help File (GrpPlcyEdtr.chm). General steps for this follow:
To restrict usage from the Group Policy Editor
1. Install Toad Group Policy Editor and the Toad Group Policy Server as described in appropriate documentation.
2. Create groups, and the add users to groups.
3. Create restrictions to be associated with each group.
4. Publish the policy file and other associated files to that policy server.
5. Make sure your windows startup is designed to push the Toad.pdl file out to users on login
Toad does offer alternate ways to determine performance bottlenecks without the use of ADDM/AWR. These include, but are not limited to: the StatsPack Browser, TK Prof interface, Database Monitor, Session Browser and the Quest SQL Optimizers SQL Inspector. However, if you are already licensed to use the OEM Diagnostics Pack and you wish to get additional value from it, you can use the functionality we offer in Toad.
If you are using Oracle database 10g and above, you can use the Oracle Tuning Advisor feature in all Toad editions (8.6 and higher), which accesses both the Oracle OEM Tuning Pack and Diagnostics Pack.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure you have the appropriate OEM license.
Alternatively, you could use Toad Xpert, Development Suite or DBA Suite Editions and use the Quest SQL Optimizer, which does not access any of the Oracle OEM Packs at all. In addition, Quest SQL Optimizer offers a unique way to rewrite your SQL code for maximum performance.
Toad for Oracle takes advantage of these features installed in your database, and use of these features (including) use by Toad for Oracle may increase your Oracle licensing fees.
Being properly licensed by Oracle is your (organizations) responsibility. However, there are some steps you can take to mitigate possible risks of using functionality you are not licensed to use.
