Current Support Status for Oracle Database Releases

Yesterday a former colleague from the UK pointed me to a very old blog post about the fact that no patches will be produced for Oracle 11.2.0.3 anymore. Which is a true fact. But it reminded me that it may be time for an overview on the current support status for Oracle database releases as of October 2018.

Current Support Status for Oracle Database Releases

First of all, the single source of truth in case you’d like to look up support dates and patching periods is MOS Note:742060.1. Please always check this note first. Our Support Lifetime Policy brochure does not differ between patch releases or patch sets. Hence, it does not tell you when Oracle 11.2.0.3 went out of bug fixing support.

Let me give you a quick overview.

No patching is done for the following releases anymore:

• Oracle 10.2.0.5: Patching ended Jul 31, 2015
• Oracle 11.1.0.6: Patching ended Sep 18, 2009
• Oracle 11.1.0.7: Patching ended Jul 31, 2015
• Oracle 11.2.0.1: Patching ended Sep 13, 2011
• Oracle 11.2.0.2: Patching ended Oct 31, 2013
• Oracle 11.2.0.3: Patching ended Aug, 27, 2015
• Oracle 12.1.0.1: Patching ended Aug 31, 2016

But honestly I doubt that many people use any of these releases anymore with one exception: Unfortunately I see Oracle 11.2.0.3 databases still here and there at customers. But the number decreased significantly over the past 24 months.

You should also be aware that “No patching” means also “No security fixes“. This should alert everybody still using older releases. “My database is not facing the internet” is a very weak and dangerous excuse for not upgrading and patching your databases.

And another important information for you: We don’t offer Extended Support for non-terminal patch releases (we only did for 11.2.0.3 for 2 months due to an overlap with the late arrival of 11.2.0.4 but this was an exception).

Looking forward to Oracle 12.2.0.1 and Oracle 18c, this means: You won’t be able to get Extended Support for any of these releases either as it has been the case for 11.2.0.1 and 11.2.0.2 before as well.

Which releases get bug fixing support in October 2018?

As of now, October 2018, the following releases get bug fixing support. You’ll have to differ between Premier Support and Extended Support. Extended Support has the restriction to deliver fixes for critical and security issues only whereas in Premier Support period we may fix a typo in the SQL Plus banner screen as well.

• Oracle 11.2.0.4: Waived Extended Support until Dec 31, 2018
• Oracle 12.1.0.2: Waived Extended Support until Jun 30, 2019
• Oracle 12.2.0.1: Premier Support until Jul 23, 2020 [this got extended to Nov 20, 2020 later – and Limited Extended Support until Mar 31, 2022]
• Oracle 18c: tbd once we release Oracle 19c on-prem

This adds now a few interesting facts and things I need to explain a bit more in detail.

First of all, Waived Extended Support means: It is Extended Support but nobody with a valid support contract does have to pay anything extra. Everybody with such a contract and a valid CSI can access all the patches being delivered for a particular release.

In the non-waived Extended Support period, you’ll have to pay 10% uplift on your support fee in the first year, and 20% for each following year. But please pay attention to this detail: If we waived already one or more years, than this means: As soon as the paid Extended Support period starts, you need to pay 20% on top as the 10% year (and maybe more) got waived by us.

But what happens after the Waived Extended Support period ends?

You’ll face this date pretty soon for Oracle 11.2.0.4 (in a bit more than 2 months from now on) and just shortly after for Oracle 12.1.0.2 (in a bit more than 8 months). At first, this means that you can still work with this release as long as you’d like to. We call this Sustaining Support.

But in order to request a newly built patch or security fix you will need to have either a contract for Extended Support (which requires a 20% support fee uplift for 11.2.0.4 and 12.1.0.2 soon) or an ULA or PULA (Unlimited License Agreement). Otherwise you won’t get access to new bug fixes, and even worse, to patch bundles and security fixes.

If you have a ULA/PULA contract or signed up for Extended Support this changes the above picture for you:

• Oracle 11.2.0.4: Extended Support until Dec 31, 2020
• Oracle 12.1.0.2: Extended Support until Jun 20, 2021 [this got extended until Jul 31, 2022 later]

You won’t see any change to Oracle 12.2.0.1 and Oracle 18c as both releases won’t offer you any form of Extended Support.

Oracle 19c is the release which will offer longer support periods and its extension.

For more details on Oracle 19c support periods, please read also:

• Premier Support Extension for Oracle 19c (Dec 14, 2018)
• To which release should you upgrade to? Revisited (Feb 26, 2020)

–Mike

Helpful links

• Oracle Support Lifetime Support Policy brochure
• MOS Note: 742060.1 –  Release schedule of current databases releases
• https://mikedietrichde.com/2019/12/16/extended-support-for-oracle-database-12-1-0-2-extended/
• Oracle 12.2.0.1 Support extended with Limited Error Correction Support