Java SE End of Life and Oracle Fusion Middleware Policy (Doc ID 952075.1)

Last updated on JANUARY 17, 2023

Applies to:

Oracle Containers for J2EE - Version 10.1.2.0.0 to 10.1.3.5.0 [Release AS10gR2 to AS10gR3]
Oracle WebLogic Server - Version 7.0 and later
Oracle Fusion Middleware - Version 10.1.2.0.0 and later
Information in this document applies to any platform.
***
This document is not limited by the above product list. This document applies to all products within the
Oracle Fusion Middleware Lifetime Support Policy document which requires integration the Java SE product.
***

Details

Java SE End of Life and Oracle Fusion Middleware Policy

Oracle Fusion Middleware and Java SE (formerly Sun JDK) may follow different life cycle schedules and have different end of life dates, depending on versions and license types. Java SE includes both JDK and JRE, which may be used by a different customer base - client users, developers, production applications, and use and/or bundled with with FMW/WLS products. This document outlines the Java SE lifetime support and error correction policies when licensed and used in conjunction with Oracle Fusion Middleware products.

The Policy:

When Java SE is installed or used with an Oracle Fusion Middleware (FMW) product, it is treated as an integrated component in the FMW product and follows the Support life cycle of the FMW product as per the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy (LSP). It is recommended that you maintain the Java SE installation according to Java SE update schedules. Certification of FMW products on multiple Java SE versions may influence a requirement to upgrade to a newer Java SE version as described below:

If a FMW product is certified on a single Java SE version, that Java SE version will be supported for use of the FMW product for the full life cycle of the FMW product. No Java SE version upgrade is required.
If a FMW product is certified on multiple Java SE versions, the newer Java SE version will be supported for use of the FMW product for the full remaining life cycle of the FMW product. When Extended Support ends for the older Java SE version, customers must upgrade to the newer Java SE version in order to continue to receive Support, for Java SE and for the FMW product that uses Java SE. We will no longer issue new bug fixes, including fixes for security vulnerabilities, for the older Java SE version, or the FMW product running on the older Java SE version.

For example:

- FMW 11g Premier Support ends December 2018, and Extended Support ends December 2021.
- FMW 11g uses Java SE and is certified on two Java SE versions - Java SE 6 and Java SE 7.
- Java SE 6 Extended Support ends December 2018 and Java SE 7 Extended Support ends July 2022.
- When Extended Support ends for Java SE 6 in December 2018, FMW 11g customers must upgrade to Java SE 7 in order to continue to receive support for Java SE and FMW 11g. After December 2018, we will no longer issue new fixes, including fixes for security vulnerabilities, for Java SE 6, or for FMW 11g running on Java SE 6. This applies even for FMW 11g customers purchasing Extended Support after December 2018.

Actions

Expectation

Oracle Fusion Middleware customers should reference the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy Premier and Extended Support dates for Fusion Middleware products. These dates are subject to the Error Correction Policy for specific versions. It is important to maintain Oracle Fusion Middleware products within an error correction grace period date to ensure full support benefits.

References and Other Resources

For most up-to-date information on The Oracle Fusion Middleware Lifetime Support policy, see the Oracle Lifetime Support and Error Correction Policies at the following locations:

Oracle Lifetime Support Policy
[ https://www.oracle.com/us/support/library/lifetime-support-middleware-069163.pdf ]

<Note 209768.1> Database, FMW, and OCS Software Error Correction Support Policy

<Note 944866.1> Error Correction Support Dates for Oracle Fusion Middleware (10g/11g/12c/WLS)
<Note 1585582.1> Extended Fusion Middleware 11g Lifetime Support Policy Dates

It is recommended and expected that you update a currently installed Java SE release, using the following may be used as a guideline:

<Note 1492980.1> How to Maintain the Java SE Installed or Used with FMW 11g Products

If you are on an Oracle Fusion Middleware version with error correction support, and also requiring a fix for a Java SE (JDK or JRE), see the following for Java SE expectations from the Java SE product:

<Note 1557737.1> Support Entitlement for Java SE When Used as Part of Another Oracle Product
<Note 1640397.1> Support Note: the Java SE Deployment Technology Support Lifetime

When Java SE is used as a standalone or with a 3rd party product, see the following document from the Java product team:

Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap
[ https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/eol-135779.html ]

Extended Support

May 15, 2014 Lifetime Support Policy updates:

Java SE 6 Extended Support end date now coincides with the WLS/FMW 11g Premier Support end date. (See LSP and <Note 1585582.1>, "Extended Fusion Middleware 11g Lifetime Support Policy Dates" ). WLS/FMW 11g Extended Support continues for a longer period than Java SE. The implication is that a FMW 11g customer running on a JDK from Oracle (JRockit or Hotspot), who wants to run on a supported JDK from Oracle after the Premier Support date, will need to be running on Oracle JDK 7 (Hotspot). This means an upgrade from 11g on JDK 6 to 11g on JDK 7 should be performed if planning to use Extended Support.

Security

If you are required to update the installed Oracle Java SE because of potential security reasons, see the following documents from Oracle Security:

<Note 360870.1> Impact of Java SE Security Vulnerabilities on Oracle Database and Fusion Middleware Products
<Note 1074055.1> Security Vulnerability FAQ for Oracle Database and Fusion Middleware Products
--See: "Java Vulnerabilities"

Downloads/ Maintenance

See the following to obtain the download locations to obtain a certified and supported Oracle Java SE for your Oracle Fusion Middleware environment:

<Note 1506916.1> Obtaining Java SE (JDK/JRE) for Oracle Fusion Middleware Products

<Note 1492980.1> How to Maintain the Java SE Installed or Used with FMW 11g/12c Products

Frequently Asked Questions

If I am using an Oracle product that requires Oracle Java SE, and that includes Oracle Java SE in the license entitlement for that Oracle product, am I entitled to Oracle Java SE Support for the Oracle Java SE instances that I am using with that Oracle product?
Answer: Yes, if you have a valid Support contract for the Oracle product.

Oracle customers using an Oracle product that requires Oracle Java SE, and that includes Oracle Java SE in the license entitlement for that Oracle product, are entitled to Oracle Java SE Support for the Oracle Java SE instances they are using with that Oracle product, provided they have a valid Oracle Support contract for the Oracle product in question. For example, Oracle WebLogic Server licenses include entitlements for Oracle Java SE. Oracle WebLogic Server customers are entitled to Oracle Java SE Support for the Oracle Java SE instances they are using with Oracle WebLogic Server, provided they have a valid Oracle WebLogic Server Support contract. The Oracle Java SE Support entitlement includes the entitlement to download and use Oracle Java SE updates for the Oracle Java SE instances they are using with Oracle WebLogic Server. For more details on this topic see <Note 1557737.1>, "Support Entitlement for Java SE When Used As Part of Another Oracle Product".
If I am using an Oracle product that requires Oracle Java SE, and that includes Oracle Java SE in the license entitlement for that Oracle product, and that Oracle product is in Extended Support, am I expected to purchase an Extended Support contract to be entitled to Oracle Java SE Support, including rights to download and use Oracle Java SE updates, for the Oracle Java SE instances that I am using with that Oracle product?

Answer: Yes. Only customers who have contracted for Extended Support are entitled to download and use patches and updates intended for Oracle products in Extended Support.

Oracle customers using an Oracle product that is in Extended Support, and that requires Oracle Java SE, and that includes Oracle Java SE in the license entitlement for that Oracle product, are entitled to Oracle Java SE Support, including the entitlement to download and use Oracle Java SE updates, for the Oracle Java SE instances they are using with that Oracle product, only if they have an Extended Support contract for the Oracle product in question. For example, if you are using a version of Oracle WebLogic Server that is in Extended Support, you must have a valid Oracle WebLogic Server Extended Support contract to be entitled to download and use Oracle Java SE updates for the Oracle Java SE instances you are using with that Oracle WebLogic Server version.
If an Oracle Product in Premier Support requires a version of Java in Extended Support, will I have to get a extended support for Java to continue getting JRE/JDK updates?

Answer:
No. If an Oracle Product to which you are entitled for updates requires a particular version of the JRE/JDK you have the right to continue downloading updates to the required JRE/JDK version regardless of whether Java SE Support for those versions is available for premier or extended support. Note that you can only use the JRE/JDK versions downloaded under this entitlement for the purpose of running the supported Oracle Product. If you would like to get JRE/JDK updates for running other applications you must get Java SE Extended Support.
Are there limitations on which certified Java SE will be supported?

Answer:
Yes. Customers will be asked to move to the latest update for the Java SE certified with the Fusion Middleware release on which they are reporting the issue. By "latest update" the following is meant: Updates to Java SE versions are normally represented by the fourth digit and higher in the Java SE version number. For example, at the time of creation of this note the latest updates Java SE 1.4.2 and Java SE 1.5.0 were Java SE 1.4.2_19 and Java SE 1.5.0_22 respectively and, as such, customers using Java SE 1.4.2_xx where xx is less than 19 would be asked to move to 1.4.2_19 and customers using 1.5.0_yy where yy is less than 22 would be asked to move to 1.5.0_22.
How does an Oracle Fusion Middleware customer get support for Java SE?

Answer:
Customers should log service requests like they normally would against the Fusion Middleware product they are using, unless the problem is specific to a custom or third-party application. An Oracle Support Engineer will determine the best path to resolution which may include engaging the Java SE team.
How can I get extended support for Java SE for a non-Oracle product?

Answer:
Oracle offers extended support for Java SE for standalone use and 3rd party products through Java SE support and Java SE Advanced or Suite support programs:

https://www.oracle.com/us/technologies/java/standard-edition/advanced-suite/overview/index.html
Does this policy apply to client side JRE for Fusion Middleware products that include applet components?

Answer:
Yes, customers may update the client side JRE to a certified version and use as a client to Oracle Fusion Middleware, noting this may differ from the server side certification.
Oracle Fusion Middleware includes many products. How can I confirm which Oracle Fusion Middleware products adhere to this policy?

Answer:
All Oracle Fusion Middleware customers should reference the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy, which includes all products this Java SE policy is applicable to.
Java SE has an auto-update feature, how can I ensure I use Java SE recommendations and still maintain a supported Java for my other Oracle products?

Answer:
See <Note 1469230.1>, "FAQ - Java SE Auto-Update"
For an FMW version that has entered Sustaining Support, does FMW Sustaining Support entitle FMW customers to download Java SE updates for Java SE versions that are certified with the FMW version in question, and that are still under Premier or Extended Support per the Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap at https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/java-se-support-roadmap.html?
Answer:
Yes. For example, FMW 11g entered Sustaining Support in December 2021. FMW 11g is certified on Java SE 7. Java SE 7 Extended Support will be available beyond December 2021, per the Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap at https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/java-se-support-roadmap.html. FMW 11g customers with valid Support contracts are entitled to download new Java SE 7 updates after December 2021 and until Java SE 7 Extended Support ends.