Monday morning, another way-too-hot July day. Summer is crazy this year in Europe. We all enjoy nice sunny weather but nobody does enjoy a serious drought. Nowhere. While going through my inbox I spot this statement: ““Why should we go to 18.x with support till 2020?“. And this is not an unusual question. But I think I should write a Clarification: Support Periods for Oracle 12.2.0.1 and 18c. I receive plenty of such questions in the past weeks. And actually many from my colleagues.
Clarification: Support Periods for Oracle 12.2.0.1 and 18c
First of all, your Single Source of Truth is MOS Note: 742060.1.: Release Schedule of Current Database Releases. This is the note you have to look at when you ask yourself: How long will this or that database release be supported?
The note contains this wonderful graphs (which I won’t replicate here) but also this table:
Please be aware: This screenshot is outdated – 12.2.0.1 has been set to Nov 2020
Check MOS Note:742060.1 for current dates!
- Dec 15, 2019:
Please note that Extended Support for Oracle 12.1.0.2 has been extended by one year until 31-JUL-2022:
https://mikedietrichde.com/2019/12/16/extended-support-for-oracle-database-12-1-0-2-extended/ - April 15, 2020:
And another important change: Oracle 12.2.0.1 got Limited Error Correction Support added until 31-Mar-2022.
See here: Oracle 12.2.0.1 Support extended with Limited Error Correction Support
You may spot immediately:
Oracle Database 18c is not mentioned in it yet.
Where’s Oracle 18c in this table?
True fact. And there is a reason why we didn’t mention Oracle Database 18c (or 12.2.0.2) in it yet. As you can see from Video: The New Release and Patching Model on slide 6 and 7 (about 4:15 min into the video) the Support Time Frame for Oracle 18c will be determined once Oracle 19c will become available on premises. Hence, actually as of now, there has been no communication yet about any patching end dates for Oracle 18c. And I can’t give any prediction. But we guarantee at least two years patching for the release 18c once the next release – 19c – will be available on premises. You can do the math now by yourself. But for sure patching for Oracle 18c won’t end in 2020 as Oracle 19c would have to be available already now.
I know, this sounds weird – and I’m confused sometimes as well to be honest.
But the graph in our slide deck may explain it better:
Please be aware: This screenshot is outdated.
Oracle 12.2.0.1 and Oracle 19c time frames got adjusted after this blog post was published
On July 23, 2018 we released Oracle Database 18c 18.3.0 on premises. From this date on the Support for Oracle Database 12.2.0.1, the previous release, has been determined. You can see the date in the table above. It says: Oracle 12.2.0.1 will have its patching end date set for July 23, 2020 Nov 20, 2020 (please be aware that the Premier Support period for 12.2.0.1 has been extended based on when the last on-prem platform was available – this has been adjusted later to accommodate current dates). Two years after we released the following release.
The same thing will happen for Oracle 18c. Once Oracle 19c becomes available on premises, the patching end date for Oracle 18c will be determined and announced. And it will be at least span two years from this particular date on – NOT from the date on when Oracle 18c has been released.
You can see the approx time frame in the graph above.
More Complaints
Of course the next complaint I have heard roughly 10x in the past two weeks:
“We can’t keep up with such a tight schedule.”
And I agree in most cases. Mean [irony!] people mention that not even Oracle’s own core product such as EBS or Siebel get certified on time on these releases.
But to be honest, have a look at the 11.2 time frames and support periods first:
On Linux, Oracle 11.2 got released:
- Oracle 11.2.0.1 on Sept 1, 2009
- Oracle 11.2.0.2 on Sept 13, 2010
- Oracle 11.2.0.3 on Sept 23, 2011
- Oracle 11.2.0.4 on Aug 28, 2013
The Support time frames were:
- Oracle 11.2.0.1 until Sept 13, 2011 – only one year from the date on 11.2.0.2 got released
- Oracle 11.2.0.2 until Oct 31, 2013 – two years a an extra month after 11.2.0.3 got released
- Oracle 11.2.0.3 until Aug 27, 2015 – two years after 11.2.0.4 had been released
You see what I mean? There is no change to previous releases. Let me map this to Oracle 12.2/18c/19c
- Oracle 12.2.0.1 got released on Mar 1, 2017
- Oracle 18c / 12.2.0.2 got released on Jul 23, 2018
- Oracle 19c / 12.2.0.3 has not been released yet but the release number indicates that it may be released sometime in 2019 most likely
And the Support time frames for Oracle 12.2/18c/19c are:
- Oracle 12.2.0.1 until July 23 Nov 20, 2020 – exactly two years from the date on Oracle 18c has been released
.
April 15, 2020:
And another important change: Oracle 12.2.0.1 got Limited Error Correction Support added until 31-Mar-2022.
See here: Oracle 12.2.0.1 Support extended with Limited Error Correction Support
. - Oracle 18c – no date communicated yet as Oracle 19c has not been released yet
I just wanted to point this out. There’s no change in the Support time frame pattern.
And yes, most customers I work with, will skip one release. Those, who are on 12.2.0.1 already won’t move to 18c but target 19c. And those with Oracle 11.2.0.4 databases won’t wait until Oracle 19c is available unless they pay Extended Support. And please no extra complaints here: Oracle Database 11.2.0.4 received an unusually extra-super-long support time frame.
One Final Thing
One final thing I’d like to point out. You can download the Oracle Lifetime Support brochure as well. It has this nice table on page 6 for the database.
In addition, the below graphic has been clarified and split into 3 rows for Oracle 12.2.0.1, Oracle 18c and Oracle 19c in November 2019. Please read this blog post for further details:
Please be aware that this screenshot is outdated – dates for 12.2 have been adjusted
And a nice link to a MOS note which has a link to MOS Note: 742060.1.: Release Schedule of Current Database Releases. Which is the single source of truth as a I said before already. But please recognize that the above table does never differ between patch sets – and not even between Oracle 12.2 and 18c or 19c. When you see “Premier Support” for Oracle Database 12.2 ends Mar 2022, this means “for Oracle 12.2.0.1, 18c and 19c”. Just wanted to mention this to avoid confusion.
–Mike
Hi Mike,
I think you have 2 date mixups:
…
Oracle 18c / 12.2.0.2 got released on Jul 23, 2017
…
But 18c was released 2018 and not 2017 š
And a followup mistake for the support time frame
…
Oracle 12.2.0.1 until July 23, 2019 ā exactly two years from the date on Oracle 18c has been released
…
2 years after 18c was released is July 23, 2020
br
Andreas
Corrected it – thanks for the hint.
And as I said, I’m confused sometimes as well – now you have the proof š
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike,
We’re on 12.1.0.2 and it takes one full year to upgrade all our databases.
According to your table, it makes sense for us only to upgrade to 19c. Going through 18c would be a waste of time, because we would start over upgrading databases to 19c as soon as we’re done with the upgrade to 18c.
The problem is the waived-fee ES period for 12.1: it’s way too short.
Do you agree? Is there any chance about Oracle extending it?
Rudolfo,
I’m the wrong one to answer this as this is a decision of the Exec Support management.
But I don’t think that there are plans at the moment to extend it.
Of course, I see your point. If we keep the pattern and release 19c on-prem in summer 2019, then waived extended support for 12.1.0.2 will be over by then.
There are then 3 (or 4) options:
1. Start upgrading to 18c now – then you’ll be done by end of Waived Extended Support for 12.1.0.2 – then relax and move to 19.7.0 a year later and stay there for quite a while
2. Wait for 19.3.0 to be released and take the risk that you may sail a while without extra treatments for 12.1.0.2 – this can be risky and I wouldn’t recommend it
3. Pay for an extra year of Extended Support for 12.1.0.2 (20% extra of your support fee for the 12.1.0.2 databases)
(4.) Talk to your sales contact in Oracle to see whether there can be an agreement settled – or let our Support management know about your challenges
Thanks!
Mike
There’s a discrepancy between the notes and diagram pertaining to 11.2.0.4 support. The table states “Extended support fees waved until Dec 31, 2018” but the diagram shows the waved fee through Dec 31, 2019. The diagram appears incorrect since the other sources of data (like page 6 of the lifetime brochure) states ES support end Dec 2020.
Hi Steve,
no, the diagram has the light gray bar running until end of 2018 or start of 2019 – not until end of 2019.
Then, from Jan 1, 2019, the paid Extended Support period for 11.2.0.4 starts.
The Lifetime Support Brochure – as I explained as well – is quite misleading as it:
/a/ does not differ between patch releases or even full releases (such as 18c, 19c) and
/b/ does not say anything about WAIVED periods.
It simply tells you that Extended Support for 11.2 runs until end of 2020 – which is correct but has a fine print.
This applies to 11.2.0.4 only.
And it’s paid extended support which is the usual term of this service. It’s a courtesy usually driven by a late release date when periods are waived.
Please have a second look at the graph – it clearly has the bar running until the marker “2019” which marks the beginning of 2019.
Cheers,
Mike
Oy vey, you are right. It’s amazing how I interpreted that so incorrectly š
Thanks,
Steve
No worries, Steve. I get confused often as well. Too many dates, too many releases.
Thanks!
Mike
Mike, according to the updated oracle document Release Schedule of Current Database Releases (Doc ID 742060.1), support for 12.2.0.1 now ends November 2020.
THANKS a lot, Ted!
I tried to correct this – I didn’t remove the screenshots but added an underline – and I adjusted the 12.2.0.1 dates to Nov 20, 2020 in the text.
THANKS SO MUCH!
Cheers,
Mike
When you check platforms like HPUX, AIX, zLinux, they are quite often released several moths after Linux/Windows/Solaris platforms. They should have end of patching (i.e. 18c) 2years starting from their own release date. Could you comment this somehow? š
Pavol,
the dates are set based on the latest availability. So this has been incorporated into the policy already.
For instance, when you take 12.2.0.1, the original “end of bug fixing was Nov 20, 2020”. Simple reason for this strange date: On Nov 20, 2018, the next release’s last port was released, Oracle 18c on (I think zLinux). Then the date from then on was set for exactly two years.
Thanks,
Mike