Oracle has released a new version of Oracle Audit Vault which now allows you to collect audit data from Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and 2005 in addition to Oracle databases. Both the Oracle and Microsoft database audit data can be consolidated into a centralized repository and unauthorized activities can be detected.
In addition to the Microsoft capabilities, the reporting in the new version if much more customizable, allowing you to address specific compliance guidelines such as SOX or regulations specific to the industry your business serves.
While these new features are nice and are certainly a step forward in automating licensing compliance and software asset management (SAM) no software program is going to do the job 100%. We always recommend having at the very least, one dedicated person to be the licensing expert on your staff and monitor for changes. The rules are so complex and change so frequently, they would need to be sending out updates to the Vault software weekly or even daily, which is not the case.
Another point to make is that not every instance of a license use is the same and what may be acceptable in one scenario, may not be in another. The Vault software cannot detect these subtle changes in environment that will put your licensing out of compliance.
The Oracle Audit Vault is definitely a partial solution, but can’t be relied on as your only means of SAM.