When does patching end for Oracle Database 12.2.0.1?

This question is coming up on a regular basis for obvious reasons whenever we speak to customers about Oracle Database 12.2 and 18c: When does patching end for Oracle Database 12.2.0.1?

When does patching end for Oracle Database 12.2.0.1?

Actually Roy and I are explaining this topic in our The New Release and Patching Model presentation:

Annual releases, such as Oracle 12.2.0.1, Oracle 18c, Oracle 19c and so on, get a minimum of 2 years patching after the succeeding release is available. This means, as soon as Oracle 18c is available, the previous release – Oracle Database 12.2.0.1 – will be under patching support for at least two years.

But what means “released”?

The big question is now: Does “released” mean “released in the Oracle Cloud” and/or “released on Exadata” – or does the clock tick when the on-premises releases are available?

And the answer is in MOS Note: 742060.1 – Release Schedule of Current Database Releases:

Patching for 12.2.0.1 will end two years after Release 18 is available for on-prem platforms (non-Engineered Systems).

I think this is a really important clarification.

–Mike