Pluggable databases will allow multiple databases to run under one copy, or instance, of the Oracle database software, a feature he called "multitenancy."

Unlike open-source MySQL databases, work on which is largely conducted in public view, Oracle's work on its flagship database is largely conducted behind closed doors. So, the company did not reveal many details about how pluggable databases would work and the software is not due to be released for another year.

However, some basic details emerged in the days after Ellison's announcement Sunday.

Two of Oracle 12c's principal architects -- Oracle distinguished product manager Bryn Llewellyn and Oracle architect Kumar Rajamani -- talked at one conference session about how Oracle 12C differs from the current Oracle 11g database. Oracle Vice President Tom Kyte, who authors the popular Ask Tom Oracle technical blog, also spoke more about how pluggable databases will help users.

In a nutshell, the new design splits today's database into two separate entities, an act Llewellyn called "architectural separation." One portion, often referred to as the Root or the container database, will hold all the functionality and metadata required to run the database itself. The second portion will be the user's database and it will be independent from the container database.