Oracle Database 12.2 and extension support for 11.2

In early February, Oracle published some important data on its Support site. If you have access to My Oracle Support, details can be viewed under Document Id 742060.1 (“Release Schedule of Current Database Releases”). In this letter we would like to point out the most important points.

Support Period Extension Database 11.2 and 12.1

First of all, there is good news for everyone who still uses Oracle Database release 11.2.0.4. The extended support of this will be extended by no less than one and a half years until December 2018 at no additional cost. In addition, extended support for release 12.1.0.2 will continue at no additional cost until July 2019. This is probably related to the timing of the new release 12.2, which has taken some time.

The drawing below shows the current support periods:

This extension should not be seen as an encouragement to continue running on 11.2.0.4 longer than necessary. It is, however, an acknowledgment of the reality that preparing for an upgrade of business-critical environments to version 12 simply takes time and that this certainly also applies to application suppliers. Extending the support gives a good amount of extra “air” to these stretches so that they can be performed without undue “rush”.

The extension for 12.1.0.2 is also welcome. A large number of our customers have already implemented this version and it is nice to know that this database version will still be well supported in the coming years. Please note: this concerns 12.1.0.2 and NOT 12.1.0.1. For example, if you use Oracle Standard Edition One (version 12.1.0.1), this extension does not apply and an upgrade to Standard Edition Two (version 12.1.0.2) is still necessary for support.

Introduction Database 12.2

The second big news is Oracle’s confirmation of the imminent availability of Oracle Database version 12.2 for local use. As a cloud service, this database has been available for some time, but the vast majority of users prefer to install and use it in their own IT environment. Oracle has now made version 12.2 available for the Oracle Exadata system and the introduction for regular Linux servers will follow in mid-March. The variants for the Oracle Database Appliance and Microsoft Windows should then follow before the summer.

For customers who are still using version 11.2, we recommend that they focus on an upgrade to version 12.2 in their migration plans, unless the migration must have taken place within a few months. Thanks to the fact that version 12.2 has been in use for some time in cloud environments, it is likely that any teething problems have already been largely recognized and solved by the time of the upcoming release.

If you have further questions about this matter or if you would like advice about an upgrade, please do not hesitate to contact us.