GoldenGate 26ai has been here since early 2026, and it’s the best place to be for the years ahead with Premier Support through at least December 2031 and access to the latest GoldenGate capabilities. If you’re still running GoldenGate 19c or 21c, here’s a friendly guide to the timing, what to do now, and an additional support option for customers who need more time to complete their upgrades.
Why 26ai is worth the move
Completing your upgrade to GoldenGate 26ai gives your team a long support runway, plus a few things 19c and 21c simply can’t offer:
- New AI use cases. An inline AI microservice generates vector embeddings, identifies PII, and enriches data in the replication path, with your choice of models.
- Better performance and simpler operations. Automatic schema evolution across major databases, and direct Data Streams integration that bypasses Kafka for lower latency and cost.
- Stronger security. Plug-in integration with external credential stores, and air-gap replication for disconnected and highly regulated environments.
Key dates at a glance
| Milestone | Date |
| Extended Support ends for GoldenGate 19c and 21c | April 30, 2027 |
| GoldenGate Upgrade Support program (Oracle CSS) begins | May 2027 |
| GoldenGate 26ai Premier Support | Through at least December 2031 |
Extended Support for GoldenGate 19c and 21c ends on April 30, 2027. If you’re on either release, now is a great time to finish your upgrade preparations and wrap up your move to GoldenGate 26ai.
Need more time? The Upgrade Support program
We know that every customer’s upgrade schedule is different. Testing, application dependencies, and production maintenance windows all take planning. If your GoldenGate 19c or 21c environments won’t be ready to transition by April 2027, your Oracle account team can walk you through the GoldenGate Upgrade Support program provided by Oracle Customer Success Services (CSS). This program provides an additional path to help you maintain your existing environments while you complete your upgrade.
From May 2027, the Upgrade Support program becomes the path to ongoing bundle patches and Severity 1 fixes for GoldenGate 19c and 21c. A subscription provides access to download those patches and fixes for the covered releases.
What’s covered
The Upgrade Support program covers the 19c and 21c releases of the following GoldenGate packages:
- Oracle GoldenGate for Oracle databases
- Oracle GoldenGate for Non Oracle
- Oracle GoldenGate for Big Data
- Oracle GoldenGate for Distributed Applications and Analytics
- Oracle GoldenGate for Mainframe
Covered operating systems are Linux, zLinux, Windows, and Solaris. The Upgrade Support program does not include AIX or HP-UX; customers using those platforms should contact their Oracle account team to discuss their options. Note that for GoldenGate on Solaris, the Upgrade Support program will provide the continuing support services but customers should plan to move to a supported 26ai operating system, such as Linux or Windows.
What to do now
A few simple steps will keep your options open and make the road ahead easier:
- Plan your GoldenGate 26ai upgrade, with a goal of completing it before April 30, 2027.
- Bring your 19c or 21c environments up to the most recent patch sets now. Future Upgrade Support bundle patches will require those current patch levels; fixes will not be backported to older patch levels within these releases. Getting current today will make ongoing patching easier.
- If you’ll need more time, talk with your Oracle account team early about the Upgrade Support program so you can plan the path that works best for your organization.
Our goal is to help you move forward with confidence. Whether you’re finishing your GoldenGate 26ai upgrade or need additional time, we’re here to help you get there.
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