ICYMI - Oracle Database Releases and Support Coverage

In case you missed it, My Oracle Support (MOS) recently introduced some significant changes to support policies for Oracle Database Long Term Releases and Innovation Releases.

As of June 10, 2020 Support coverage for the current Long Term Release - Oracle Database 19c - has been further extended as follows:

• Premier Support through to April 30, 2024
• Extended Support through to April 30, 2027

As a Long Term Release, Oracle Database 19c offers customers the highest levels of stability and the longest window for error correction. This extension aligns with Oracle's Lifetime Support Policy of providing Oracle Database Long Term Releases with 5 years of Premier Support, and 3 years of Extended Support. For more information, please refer to MOS Note #742060.1.

In between Long Term Releases, Oracle delivers Innovation Releases that introduce new features and enhancements which will then be included in the next Long Term Release of Oracle Database. Innovation Releases are designed for customers to continuously use leading-edge technologies to develop and deploy new applications or augment existing applications. Support for Innovation Releases includes two years of Premier Support, but there is no Extended Support. Innovation Releases (prior to Oracle Database 19c) are currently covered under Premier Support as follows:

• Oracle Database 12c Release 12.2.0.1 until November 30, 2020
• Oracle Database 18c until June 8, 2021

However, Limited Error Correction support (for Severity One Issues and Security Updates only) will be available for Oracle Database Release 12.2.0.1 Premier Support customers from December 1, 2020 until March 31, 2022. There is no Limited Error Correction support available for 18c. For more information, please refer to MOS Note #161818.1.

Prior Long Term Releases past their Premier Support windows, but currently covered under Extended Support are as follows:

• Oracle Database 12c Release 1 until July 31, 2022
• Oracle Database 11g Release 2 until December 31, 2020

Customers also have the option to extend support coverage of Oracle Database 11g Release 2 through Oracle Advanced Customer Services Market Driven Support offering. For more information, please refer to Oracle Market Driven Support Data Sheet.

Finally, customers are advised to regularly check MOS Note #742060.1 for current status of Oracle Database releases and support coverage.