Release Schedule of Current Database Releases (Doc ID 742060.1)

Last updated on AUGUST 03, 2020

Applies to:

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What's New

The most recent changes will be highlighted with a "New" or "Updated" icon to help you quickly identify the modifications.  (For a history of modifications, see the Change Record Table at the bottom of the document.)

• June 2020: Definitions announced for Long Term and Innovation Releases; Oracle Database 19c Premier Support and Extended Support dates changed; Oracle Database 19c is the terminal release for Solaris x86-64 platform
• Apr 2020: Limited Error Correction announced for Oracle Database 12.2.0.1
• Mar 2020: Gen 1 ExaCC, OCC DBCS, and ODA will have 3 additional months of Error Correction (11.2.0.4) See Table 1 below.
• Dec 2019: 2 years of Market Driven Support has been announced for Oracle Database 11.2.0.4
  
• Dec 2019: One additional year announced for 12.1.0.2 Extended Support ( New end date July 31, 2022)
  

Oracle Database Release Roadmap

There are two types of Oracle Database releases: Long Term Release and Innovation Release.

• Long Term Release:

Oracle Database Long Term Releases are ideal for use cases that benefit from less frequent upgrades to newer releases. Long Term Releases offer the highest level of stability and the longest length of error correction support. These releases have 5 years of Premier Support followed by 3 years of Extended Support. When combined with Extended Support, customers typically have almost 4 years to upgrade from one Long Term Release to the next Long Term Release.

• Innovation Release:

In between Oracle Database Long Term Releases, Oracle delivers Oracle Database Innovation Releases that include many enhancements and new capabilities which will also be included in the next Long Term Release. Innovation Releases are designed to enable customers to continuously use leading-edge technologies to rapidly develop or deploy new applications or augment existing applications. Support for Innovation Releases includes 2 years of Premier Support, but there is no Extended Support. Production workloads can be deployed on Innovation Releases if upgrading within 2 years to a newer release is factored into the deployment plan.

To help you plan ahead, below is a visual roadmap that captures Oracle Database Releases from 11.2 onward, showing the lifetime support stages (Premier, Extended) and the Error Correction windows for each release.  Note, not all releases are eligible for Extended Support (i.e. 12.2.0.1, 18c).

Figure 1 - Database Release Roadmap 

• For details on the Database Suite Lifetime Support Policy (incl. Premier, Extended, Sustaining), see Lifetime Support Policy - Oracle Technology Products.
• For details on the Database Suite Error Correction Policy (incl. Patching end dates and grace periods), see Database, FMW, EM Grid Control, and OCS Software Error Correction Support Policy (Doc ID 209768.1).
• For details on Global Database Extended Support (ES) Fee Waivers, and Limited Error Correction, see Oracle Software Technical Support Policies Section 3 "Lifetime Support" subtitle "Exceptions".

Table 1 - Patching End Dates for Roadmap

Recommended Upgrade Path

Oracle recommends the following upgrade options:

• For product longevity and patching, Oracle strongly recommends upgrading to19c which is the Long Term Release with a support end date of April 30, 2027 (or April 30, 2024 if you choose not to pay Extended Support fees or purchase a ULA).
• If you are currently running 11.2.x/12.1.x you will need to upgrade to the terminal release (i.e. 11.2.0.4/12.1.0.2) for the DB Release you are running and then continue the upgrade process by upgrading to the 19c.
• If you are currently running 12.2.0.1 or 18c, you should upgrade to 19c before the error correction grace periods for 12.2.0.1 and 18c expire.

For questions related to certification combinations and Lifetime Support agreements with other Oracle products like Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle JD Edwards, Oracle PeopleSoft, and Oracle Siebel, please contact your Oracle Account Representative.

Oracle Database Release Schedule

These are server releases unless otherwise specified. Server releases always include the native word size client (e.g. 64-bit). Where the platform supports it, a 32-bit and 64-bit client is also part of the release.

Table 2 - Database Release Schedule

Legend:

• Qn CYyyyy: Date falls within the Calendar Year specified.
• 1H or 2H CYyyyy: Date falls within the 1st half (six months) or 2nd half of Calendar Year. For example 1H CY2009 means "some time within the first six months of 2009".
• TBA = Schedule To Be Announced

Actions

The dates published in this document are for planning and discussion purposes only.

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