Oracle Database Consulting for Reporting, Integration and a Planned Move to the Microsoft Stack
The business runs on an Oracle database, the reporting team lives in Microsoft, and the two meet in an export someone runs every Monday. Getting reliable reports out of Oracle should not depend on that export, or on the one person who knows the query.
Oracle database consulting at Lightray Solutions is focused on one job: getting dependable reports and integrations out of the Oracle database your business already runs, and planning a move to SQL Server or Azure SQL where that makes sense. Lightray's core is the Microsoft data stack and Power BI, and Edward Pinela, MBA, does the work himself.
To be plain about scope: this is not an Oracle DBA service. There is no 24/7 monitoring, no Oracle licensing advice and no production performance tuning; those stay with your DBA or a specialist DBA firm. The scope table below sets out what is and is not offered.
The first step is a free 30-minute strategy call with Edward, requested on the form or by phone. The work is quoted at a fixed price after a short review of your Oracle environment and reporting needs.
What does Oracle database consulting cover here?
Three things: Power BI reporting on Oracle data, moving Oracle data into Microsoft systems such as a SQL Server or Fabric warehouse, and assessing whether a database or its reporting workload should move to SQL Server or Azure SQL. Each starts from your existing Oracle database and leaves its day-to-day administration where it is.
That boundary is deliberate. Oracle's own administration, patching, backup and tuning are specialist work with on-call obligations, and a firm built around Power BI should not pretend otherwise. What it can do well is the layer above: reporting views, data movement and the reports people actually read.
The table shows each kind of request and whether it is in scope, so you can tell before the call whether this page fits what you need.
| Request | In scope? | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
| Power BI reports on Oracle data | Yes | Built on reviewed reporting views, with scheduled refresh through a gateway or cloud connection |
| Gateway and Oracle driver setup for Power BI | Yes | Configured with your IT team, including regional settings and the reporting account |
| Read-only reporting views | Yes, with your DBA | Designed together; your DBA reviews and deploys them in Oracle |
| Copying Oracle data into a Microsoft warehouse | Yes | Scheduled loads into SQL Server, Azure SQL or Fabric, reconciled to Oracle totals |
| Assessment and plan for a move to SQL Server or Azure SQL | Yes | Migration assessment report, rewrite estimate and a phased plan |
| 24/7 DBA monitoring and on-call support | No | Stays with your DBA or a dedicated DBA service |
| Oracle licensing review or audit support | No | Not offered; Lightray sells and advises on no Oracle licenses |
| Production performance tuning and patching | No | Stays with your DBA; report queries are designed to add as little load as possible |
How does Power BI connect to an Oracle database?
Through Microsoft's Oracle database connector, which supports Oracle Database 12c (12.1.0.2) and later and every version of Oracle Autonomous Database, in either Import or DirectQuery mode. For an on-premises database, scheduled refresh in the Power BI service runs through an on-premises data gateway installed on a server that can reach Oracle.
The connector changed in 2026. According to Microsoft's connector documentation, Power BI Desktop and the gateway now use a built-in Oracle driver by default for Import mode, so the separate Oracle client install is often no longer needed; its use with DirectQuery is still in preview. Cloud connections to Autonomous Database can now be made without a gateway. Personal gateways are not supported by the updated connector.
Two details from the same page prevent surprises. The built-in driver ignores the Oracle NLS_LANG setting and follows the machine's regional settings, so dates and decimals can parse differently on a machine set to another region. And Power BI sessions can stay open on the database for about 30 minutes after a refresh, which your DBA should expect.
Should reports read Oracle directly or from a copy?
It depends on load and freshness. Reading Oracle directly through scheduled Import refresh suits most reporting, provided the queries hit reporting views your DBA has reviewed. When reports would add load to a busy transactional system, or must combine Oracle with other sources, copying the data on a schedule into a Microsoft warehouse is usually safer.
Reporting views are the single most useful step. A small set of read-only views, agreed with your DBA, gives Power BI clean tables with business names instead of raw application tables, keeps heavy joins inside Oracle where they are efficient, and limits the reporting account to exactly what it needs.
DirectQuery, which sends every report interaction to Oracle as a live query, is used only where data must be current to the minute and the database can absorb the extra queries. Most teams find a refresh every hour or few hours is enough. Warehouse design itself is covered on data warehouse consulting.
When does moving from Oracle to SQL Server or Azure SQL make sense?
When the database supports applications you control, the team already runs Microsoft systems, and the Oracle features in use have clear SQL Server equivalents. It makes less sense when a vendor application is supported only on Oracle, or when the database depends heavily on PL/SQL packages that would need rewriting and retesting.
Microsoft's SQL Server Migration Assistant for Oracle is the usual tool for the assessment. It assesses and converts Oracle schemas and code and migrates the data to SQL Server 2019 or later on Windows or Linux, Azure SQL Database or Azure SQL Managed Instance, which shows early how much converts automatically and what needs manual work.
Lightray's part is the assessment and the plan: what moves, in which order, what it costs to rewrite, and how reports switch over. Moving only the reporting workload first, with Oracle still running the application, is often the lowest-risk start. Where Azure is the destination, see Azure cloud migration services.
What does the work cost, and how does it run?
It is quoted at a fixed price after a short review, because a set of Power BI reports on existing views and a migration assessment are very different projects. You receive a written scope and price before work starts, and each step is reviewed with your DBA so nothing changes in Oracle without their agreement.
Integration and migration work is quoted at a fixed price per phase, so you can stop after the assessment. Later Power BI report changes can run on Power BI Flex Support, from $2,500 for 20 hours.
Lightray's Google rating is 4.9, and Edward brings 20+ years and 200+ delivered projects. For general database work across platforms, see database consulting.
Further reading: Microsoft Learn — Power Query Oracle database connector.
Want reliable reports from your Oracle data?
Book a free 30-minute call with Edward Pinela, MBA. You get an honest read on what to fix first — and if we are not the right fit, you will hear that on the call.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Oracle database consulting cost?
It is quoted at a fixed price after a free strategy call and a short review of your environment. A Power BI build on existing reporting views is the smallest project; a migration assessment with a rewrite estimate is larger. Report changes later can use Power BI Flex Support at $100 to $125 an hour.
How long does it take?
A first set of Power BI reports on Oracle often takes a few weeks once the gateway and reporting views are in place. A migration assessment depends on the number of schemas and the amount of PL/SQL code, and the initial review gives you that estimate before any commitment.
How does the work run remotely?
Over video calls and screen share with your DBA and IT team, using an account and network access they control. Nothing is installed or changed in Oracle without their review, and the Power BI reports are built inside your own Microsoft tenant.
What do we need to provide?
A DBA or IT contact, a read-only Oracle account for reporting, a server for the gateway if the database is on-premises, and the reports or questions that matter most. For a migration assessment, access to run the assessment against a copy or a quiet period on the database.
Can you be our Oracle DBA?
No. Lightray does not offer Oracle administration, 24/7 monitoring, patching or licensing advice, and would rather say so than take on work it is not built for. If you need those, keep them with a dedicated DBA service, and use Lightray for the reporting and Microsoft integration around the database.
You Won’t Get Handed Off to Junior Staff.
At most consulting firms, the senior person who sold you shows up for the kickoff — then you get handed to a team of juniors learning on your dime. That’s not how we work.
When you hire Lightray Solutions, you work directly with Edward Pinela, MBA — a principal consultant with 20+ years of experience across Power BI, web development, SEO, and CRM systems. Edward architects every engagement personally, stays involved through delivery, and answers his own phone.
Read Edward’s Full Bio“Mid-market companies deserve senior-level expertise without paying enterprise-agency prices. That’s the gap Lightray fills.”
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