With Oracle Solaris 10 Premier Support ending on January 31, 2018, we've been getting questions about the different support options for Oracle Solaris 10 going forward. I'm going to attempt to answer all your questions here.
After January 31, there will be two types of support available for Oracle Solaris 10. These are Extended Support and Sustaining Support.
Here is what each of those gives you or doesn't give you according to our Oracle Lifetime Support Policy: Oracle and Sun System Software Document (edited to remove references to Oracle Linux for clarity):
For selected Oracle Solaris operating system software releases, Oracle may extend the technical support period by offering Extended Support for a three year period. With Extended Support, you receive access to technical experts, backed by industry leading online tools and knowledgebase resources. You benefit from:
For selected products, Oracle may offer Sustaining Support for an indefinite period. Sustaining Support applies after Extended Support expires or should you not purchase Extended Support, immediately after Premier expires. With Sustaining Support, you receive continued access to technical experts, backed by industry leading online tools and knowledgebase resources. You benefit from:
Well, let's start with Extended Support. Oracle Solaris 10 Extended Support will continue to supply you with fixes, security patches, security alerts for Oracle Solaris 10 similar to Oracle Solaris 10 Premier Support for 3 years. It doesn't, however, include new hardware support.
After 3 years, Extended Support ends, and your only option is Sustaining Support. Sustaining Support includes all fixes up to the point you entered Sustaining Support (more on this in a minute). It doesn't include any new fixes beyond the date you entered Sustaining Support nor does it include new hardware tools.
Now, an important part of support is how it interacts with Oracle Solaris licensing. When you purchase Oracle x86 or Oracle SPARC servers, you are granted a non-exlusive, royalty free, non-assignable limited license for Oracle Solaris for the exact version of Oracle Solaris that shipped on that machine, or, in the case of Oracle SPARC M7 and Oracle SPARC M8 systems, that was available at the time of delivery. You can read the license here, if you'd like.
It is Oracle Solaris Support that gives you access to additional patches and updates. Your Oracle Solaris Support contract also has a license that is associated with it. That license is only valid as long as the support contract is maintained. When support lapses, the license becomes invalid, and you are no longer entitled to any new fixes, patches, updates, etc.
If you purchase Oracle Solaris Premier Support for Non-Oracle x86 Hardware, that support contract grants you a license for Oracle Solaris. That license is valid while Oracle Solaris Premier Support for Non-Oracle x86 Hardware is maintained. If you stop support, you are no longer entitled to any new fixes, patches, updates, etc.
Oracle Solaris 10 Premier Support ends on January 31st, 2018. You will have to choose 1 of 4 options before then:
I hope this helped explain what your options are beginning on February 1, 2018. Please ask any other questions you may have, and reach out to your Oracle Sales Team so they can work with you on the next steps.
Thanks
Jorge Chiang
If they want any additional patches for the Oracle Solaris 10 Zones, then, yes they need to pay for Extended Support. If not, then no.
We currently have a number of T4, T5 and T7 servers running Solaris 11 and Solaris 10 Logical Domains. These all have Oracle Premier Support at the moment. Will we need to uplift all of these contracts to include Solaris 10 Extended Support from 1st February 2018, in order to continue to be able to patch the Solaris 10 Logical Domains?
Thanks very much
Thanks for the question. Yes, you'll need to pay the uplift if you want to continue to patch the OVM for SPARC Logical Domains.
Thanks!
Tim
Thanks for your question.
Yes, you can purchase Extended Support or Sustaining Support for Operating Systems. It doesn't include hardware support.
For Oracle Systems, Sustaining Support is 8% of the original cost of the hardware and Extended Support is 8.8% (10% uplift) of the original cost of the hardware (for the first year).
Scott
Does it need to be taken offline?
Good question!
At this time, you'll need to contact an Oracle Sales Representative to purchase Oracle Extended Support (if you have Oracle Premier Support for Systems) or Oracle Extended Support for Operating Systems.
Question regarding the number of license to buy.
Lets say we have 2 T5-4 machines with a couple of ldoms running solaris 11.3 and running in those ldoms a couple of branded 10 zones.
Now from what i can read is that we need extended support for getting patches for solaris 10.
So now the question is for license .
the extended support is that per branded 10 zone or is that one extended license per machine for branded 10 zones regardles of how many brandd 10zones you are running?
REgards
Filip
We are running a couple of SPARC M10-1 servers on Solaris 10 and we are already paying for Oracle Premier Support for System.
Do we still need to pay for Solaris 10 extended support ?
Thank you for your question.
Oracle Extended Support is an up-charge on your current Premier Support. So, it is 1x per machine.
For year 1, it is 10% additional of whatever you are paying for Premier Support for that machine, and isn't tied to the number of Branded Zones you are running.
Thanks,
Scott
Thank you for your question.
Your Premier Support automatically became Sustaining Support on Feb 1, 2018. Premier Support and Sustaining Support have the same part number. This makes it easy to go from Premier Support to Sustaining Support without having to concern yourself for when the transition happens.
Oracle Extended Support is an up-charge on your current Premier/Sustaining Support.
For year 1, it is 10% additional of whatever you are paying for Premier/Sustaining Support.
Thanks,
Scott
I want to confirm if I am reading the above correctly. For Oracle Solaris Support for Non-Oracle x86 Hardware, is there no option for Extended Support? What are the options available for Non-Oracle x86 Hardware?
Thank You
Thanks for the question. Extended support for Non-Oracle x86 hardware. Like all of our Extended Support offerings, it needs to be ordered through a support sales representative.
Thank you.
In order to get the latest security patches for Oracle Solaris 10 (those released after January 2018), you need to purchase an Extended Support contract. Extended Support is 10% of what you paid for your current Premier Support contract (Sustaining Support is Premier Support but the software being supported is now in the Sustaining Support timeframe, as Oracle Solaris 10 currently is). It's an addition to Premier Support.
There is no cost to upgrade to Oracle Solaris 11. If you have a current Premier Support/Sustaining Support contract, that covers support for either version of Oracle Solaris.
Our company has purchased extended support for Solaris 10 for the three years from 1 Feb 2018 onwards. Can I confirm that at the end of this three year period, upon moving to sustaining support, that there would be no NEW security patches issued/available to address any vulnerabilities discovered after 1 Feb 2021?
Thanks
Thanks for asking.
Yes. That is the case. After January 2021, there will be no new security fixes for Oracle Solaris 10.
However, Oracle Solaris has the industries strongest compatibility guarantee (http://www.oracle.com/us/products/servers-storage/solaris/solaris-guarantee-program-1426902.pdf). So, the vast majority of applications can move directly to Oracle Solaris 11.
Scott