SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer (DPA) is a database performance monitoring product that SolarWinds licenses per monitored database instance. When DPA is deployed on a self-managed server or from the Azure Marketplace, a licence is needed for each monitored instance; when it is deployed from the Amazon Web Services Marketplace, charges are calculated by the AWS Marketplace Metering Service instead.[1] DPA is currently sold with subscription licences, which carry an expiration date and include technical support and upgrades while current.[1] Since DPA 2024.4 the subscription licence types are Database Self-Hosted (DBSH) and Database Self-Hosted DBaaS (DBSHDS), which can also be used with SolarWinds’ second self-hosted database monitoring product, SQL Sentry.[1] The licences are governed by the SolarWinds EULA, whose per-Device default is overridden here by the documented floating model.[2]
Editions
DPA does not have editions in the usual sense; the licence type determines which databases an instance licence can monitor.
| Licence type | Sold as | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Database Self-Hosted (DBSH) | Subscription only (DPA 2024.4 and later) | Any edition of any supported database type, including VM and physical host metrics for instances on VMs |
| Database Self-Hosted DBaaS (DBSHDS) | Subscription only (DPA 2024.4 and later) | Supported targets running as DBaaS, such as Azure SQL Database |
| Category 1 | Perpetual (earlier versions); subscription up to DPA 2024.3 | All supported types, including those requiring Category 1 such as Oracle Enterprise Edition |
| Category 2 | Perpetual (earlier versions); subscription up to DPA 2024.3 | Database types that do not require Category 1 |
| Azure SQL Database | Perpetual (earlier versions); subscription up to DPA 2024.3 | Azure SQL Database |
| VM Option | Perpetual (earlier versions); subscription up to DPA 2024.3 | Add-on to Category 1 or 2 for VM and host metrics |
The table condenses the DPA licence types page.[1] The same page lists the supported targets, from SQL Server, Oracle, SAP ASE, IBM Db2, MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL to SAP HANA and their managed cloud variants on Amazon RDS, Aurora, Azure and Google Cloud SQL.[1] For Category 1 and 2 licences the category only decides which database editions can be monitored; neither adds functionality. An Oracle Enterprise Edition instance requires Category 1, while other Oracle instances can use either category.[1] Some features, such as AI query assist, are available only for instances with a DBSH or DBSHDS licence.[1]
Metrics
The metric is the Database instance (DPA). After the 14-day trial, during which instances can be monitored without allocating licences, a licence must be allocated to each database instance to be monitored.[1] Clustered SQL Server availability groups and Oracle RAC have their own registration and licensing options, described in a separate DPA topic.[1]
Counting / floors
Floating licences and allocation
All DPA licences are floating. More instances can be registered than there are licences, licences are assigned on the licence allocation page, and DPA does not collect data from registered instances without a licence, although their earlier data stays visible (rule).[1] When licences are activated, DPA allocates them automatically only if there are enough activated licences of the required type to cover all registered instances of that type; if not, it allocates none and the administrator must allocate them manually, or add licences or unregister instances until the counts match.[3] DPA does not automatically put a higher-level licence on an instance that can use a lower one: 15 MySQL instances with 10 Category 2 and 5 Category 1 licences stay unallocated until the Category 1 licences are assigned by hand.[3]
Commentary: because licences float and unlicensed instances remain registered, the registered-instance count in DPA is not the licence requirement. The allocation page, not the inventory of registered instances, shows what is actually licensed and monitored.
Subscription expiry and perpetual licences
If a subscription licence allocated to an instance is not renewed before it expires, historical data remains available but DPA stops collecting new data for that instance (rule).[1] Perpetual licences were available for earlier versions of DPA; they allowed monitoring indefinitely but required annual maintenance fees.[1] Conversion of such legacy perpetual licences to subscription is governed by the On-Premises Product Specific Terms, under which the prior licences are terminated and must be deactivated and uninstalled after the new keys are activated (rule).[4]
Migration to DBSH and DBSHDS
In DPA 2024.4 and later, when a customer with legacy subscription licences (Category 1, Category 2, VM and Azure SQL Database) renews, the licences are migrated to DBSH and DBSHDS licences. If there are enough new licences to replace every previously allocated legacy licence, they are allocated automatically; during a migration the test is the number of legacy licences allocated, not the number of instances registered.[3] In the vendor’s example, 5 Category 1, 5 Category 2 and 10 VM subscription licences are replaced on renewal by 10 DBSH licences, because a DBSH licence already includes VM and host metrics and no separate VM Option is required.[3][1]
Sharing between DPA and SQL Sentry
DBSH and DBSHDS licences can be used with either DPA or SQL Sentry, and licences from the same key can be split between the two products; a key with 10 licences can monitor 5 instances in DPA and 5 in SQL Sentry (rule).[1] Commentary: an effective licence position for a mixed estate therefore has to add the allocations in both products against the single key.
Virtualization & partitioning
DPA counts database instances, not the servers or virtual machines they run on. For instances on VMs, a DBSH licence also collects performance metrics from the VM and its physical host and shows them in the Virtualization view; under the legacy model the same data required a VM Option licence in addition to a Category 1 or 2 licence.[1]
Cloud / BYOL
DPA can be licensed in three ways in the cloud.[1]
- Azure Marketplace: handled like a self-managed server, with a licence per monitored instance.[1]
- AWS Marketplace: the AWS Marketplace Metering Service charges per database instance monitored each hour and bills through Amazon, with no licences to buy, activate or allocate; it can monitor any supported database type like a Category 1 licence but without the VM information a VM Option licence provides (program).[1][3]
- Own licences on EC2: DPA can be installed on an EC2 instance with the customer’s licences applied, but DPA licences and the AWS Marketplace Metering Service cannot both be used on a single DPA server (rule).[1]
DBSHDS licences cover DBaaS targets such as Azure SQL Database, and the DBSH coverage table includes managed services such as Amazon RDS, Azure SQL Managed Instance and Google Cloud SQL.[1]
Programs
- DPA AWS Marketplace Metering Service.[1]
- SolarWinds Support and Maintenance, included while a subscription is current and paid separately for legacy perpetual licences.[1][5]
Out of scope
This article does not describe SQL Sentry’s own licence management beyond the shared DBSH keys, database monitoring in SolarWinds Observability SaaS, or list and marketplace prices. The registration rules for SQL Server availability groups and Oracle RAC are in a separate DPA document not reviewed here.