Long silence doesn’t mean that I am hiding. It just means that it’s very busy right now. And hopefully with less travel I will have more time to blog and reply also to your comments. Still, let me tell you about a very Important Update to Oracle Database 19c Support Timelines.
Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash
What has been updated?
As of November 19, 2024, the Support timelines for Oracle Database 19c have been adjusted. When you look at MOS Note: 742060.1 – Release Schedule of Current Database Releases you will see the new dates:
- Premier Support until December 31, 2029
- Extended Support from January 1, 2030 until December 31, 2032
This is very important to know.
Any updates to other releases?
In the change log at the end of MOS Note: 742060.1 – Release Schedule of Current Database Releases you will find a recent updates for Oracle Database 21c as well. The Premier Support period for this release has been extended until July 31, 2027.
Besides that, the patching end date for Oracle Database 23ai has been set to December 31, 2032.
Lifetime Support Policy
You can find the update as well in the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy for Oracle Technology Products at page 6.
From: Oracle Lifetime Support Policy for Oracle Technology Products – page 6 – Feb 11, 2025
Please note especially this restriction below the table:
3 Oracle Database 19c: Please note that for customers running Oracle Database 19c, during the Premier Support period of May 1, 2027 through December 31, 2029, and the Extended Support period from January 1, 2030 through December 31, 2032, support will be excluded for Java 8 related third-party software – primarily impacts the Oracle Database 19c ports (i.e., on AIX, zLinux, HPUX, Solaris, Windows). Java 8 Extended support ends December 2030 and Oracle Database 19c will no longer receive updates for Java after that date.
Since some of you did ask regarding the above Java restrictions, there will be a clarification coming. It should be in the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy for Oracle Technology Products with the coming update, maybe mid-December 2024 time frame. From what I know I can tell you that it is not related to OJVM. But please watch out for some clarification coming soon.
Annotation (Feb 11, 2025)
I updated the above screenshot and the restriction under (3) from the original version of the blog post from Nov 18, 2024 to reflect the changes in the Lifetime Support Policy document.
–Mike
Its still old dates in rus metalink mirror, waiting for updates)
Actually, I just checked it and the dates are visible on support.oracle.com as well.
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike,
now the Premier Support of 19c and 23ai both end on december 31, 2029.
It seems to me that it doesn’t really make a lot of sense anymore to upgrade to 23ai if you are happy with 19c and don’t need any new features.
What are your thoughts on this?
Regards
Sven
Hi Sven,
please watch out for further announcements … coming soon!
Cheers,
Mike
so “Java or any Java-related products” means the JDKs in GRID_HOME/DB_HOME as well as the OJVM in the database?
Hi Manfred,
no, only external Java related libs.
I did ask the owners of the policy to add a clarification. Many got puzzled by this phrase but really no worries at all.
OJVM is clearly not affected and will be fully supported and receive patches.
Cheers,
Mike
That was to be expected, since they keep pushing back the release date for 23ai on-premise.
Well …
Thanks
Mike
So 23ai and 19c share same premier support end of dates? A bit strange
This may change – watch out for announcements …
Cheers,
Mike
Thank you, Mike, for the update on 19c support dates changes.
One of the requirements to upgrade to the next version is moving 19c databases to multitenant, but for very large standby’s, it could take a long time. I am testing using MOS 2273304.1 but the procedure requires that the standby datafiles are all located in one diskgroup as set in DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST; but often very large standbys expand multiple diskgroups so this solution will not work. Please let me know if there is a workaround.
Hi Pedro,
as far as I am aware of it, the conversion parameters allow “couples” separated by comma. I haven’t tried with DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST but I know that this works for the “FILE_NAME_CONVERT” and “LOG_FILE_NAME_CONVERT” parameters.
Could you try please?
Or otherwise open an SR and check with Support? It is their MOS note after all.
CHeers,
Mike
Hi guys,
we’re in the same situation. Unfortunately 2273304.1 doesn’t helps since it states clearly:
“The Source non-CDB standby database and the destination CDB standby database must use the same diskgroup, ASM aliases cannot span multiple diskgroups”
And it says as well:
“The db_file_name_convert parameter in the CDB standby database should be RESET to null for OMF environments. DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST will determine the location of the files from this point.”
We’ve opened a SR looking for an equivalent note to do that with several diskgroups, but it didn’t help either.
Our problem is our customer has DBs using 2 diskgroups for data with several TB in size (biggest is 60 TB) and they don’t want to lose standby db for so long.
Any idea of how to do that? (without duplicating storage needed, I mean)
Thx in advance
Hi Alfredo,
since you are an Oracle employee, would you mind to use the internal options?
Did you get in touch with the right people asking them?
And I am not sure about the relation of your comment with this blog post.
Thanks,
Mike
Honestly this not sound as a change of the dates, this sound as a change of strategy. Maybe i am stupid but it is hard to understand why same end of support for 19c and 23ai. I think Oracle are making a mistake in term of comunication. I hope we will have soon a webinar of some vice president for to explain this decision and the filosofy behind that.
Hi Davide,
I can only comment with MOS Note 742060.1.
And there may be changes to the 23ai support timeline as well soon.
Thanks,
Mike
I wondered about this exclusion “Java or any Java-related products” and whether that would include ORDS (Oracle RESTful Data Services) as we use this extensively. ORDS being a Java-based product requiring a container such as Jetty or Tomcat. I logged an SR and was quickly assured ORDS would continue to be supported with Oracle Database 19c for the full duration of Premier Support. Here is the response I received:
“I checked with ORDS Development/Product Management, their answer is that “ORDS will remain supported and the wordings has to be changed.”
Hi Tim,
it is only about external libraries, and I did ask about adding more clarification to the MOS note since you were not the only one asking.
Cheers,
Mike
I’m really wondering what the strategy of Oracle is behind holding back the 23ai release for onPrem beyond engineered systems. The further extension of 19c and 21c support somehow lets me expect that we wont see it before end of 2025 or even later. Projected release date has recently been pushed to CY2025. without specifying which half. If we can install 23ai on onPrem Exadata than why not on our other machines? previously the GI and RDBMS software was the same.
Hi Daniel,
I can only refer to MOS Note:742060.1.
I don’t have more information than specified in this MOS note, but I am fully aware of your constraints.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike, 23ai has same EOS as 19c now.
I’m sure this will changed, but for now I see no reason for upgrading to 23ai, of course as long I won’t need new features.
Cheers Peter
Hi Peter,
it will, and it should be on MOS later today or tonight.
Cheers,
Mike