Azure proximity placement group (PPG) integration is now generally available for Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure in Oracle AI Database@Azure. New PPG-enabled deployments can place supported Azure application virtual machines (VMs) close to Oracle-managed Exadata infrastructure through an integrated Azure portal flow.
Bringing Azure compute and Oracle databases into close proximity gives interactive transaction processing, real-time analytics, and batch and extract, transform and load (ETL) pipelines processing millions of transactions a stronger performance foundation. Repeated or response-dependent application-to-database exchanges can make network latency important: even microsecond-scale improvements can help shorten completion times, depending on the workload’s communication patterns and other bottlenecks.
Design for closer connections
Azure Compute placement, Azure Advanced Networking and Oracle Exadata placement work as one connected flow. Oracle infrastructure anchors placement first; application VMs follow. This database-first design anchors application VMs to the Exadata infrastructure. That places them physically closer than sharing a region or availability zone would, instead of relocating Exadata to VMs you’ve already deployed.
Promising network results
Oracle internal testing across multiple regional configurations recorded median regional reductions of 54% in average network round-trip time (RTT) and 52% in p50 RTT compared with non-PPG-aligned deployments.[1] These measurements cover the VM-to-Exadata network path, not application response times, throughput or job runtimes. They support evaluating proximity, not predicting the same improvement for every workload.
Build proximity in from the start
Start by confirming Azure and Oracle onboarding, Oracle service limits, Azure Advanced Networking and permissions, with an active Resource Anchor and a new virtual network and delegated subnet ready. Create a new, empty Azure PPG, then associate it with a new Network Anchor. Select the same PPG for the new Exadata infrastructure and create its Exadata VM cluster with the matching Network Anchor. Deploy supported Azure application VMs into that PPG and a compatible availability zone, enabling Accelerated Networking where supported. Verify the resource associations before testing.
Keep capacity and resilience in view
PPGs constrain placement; they do not reserve Azure VM capacity. A preferred VM size may be unavailable at the anchored location, even when it is offered elsewhere in the zone, so plan supported sizing alternatives. Oracle service limits and Azure capacity are distinct checks.
A PPG cannot be added retroactively to an existing Network Anchor. For existing Exadata infrastructure, contact Oracle Support about available options. A single PPG is not a multi-zone resilience strategy: retain your application and database high-availability and disaster-recovery designs.
Evaluate a representative workload and measure what matters: application response time or end-to-end job completion, alongside network latency. Use the documentation below to plan a new deployment and assess the benefit for your environment.
[1] Internal measurements across a few Azure regional configurations. Actual performance may vary with physical placement, topology, configuration, workload, and network conditions. These observations are not an SLA or guarantee.