Oracle extends Oracle 19c Support for version 19c until December 31, 2029 (Premier Support) and until December 31, 2032 (Extended Support). See the “Oracle Lifetime Support Policy” here.
Always Good for a Surprise
It’s 2023. As promised, Oracle releases version 23 of its flagship database. However, initially (in April 2023), it’s only available as a Development Release. Yes, the so-called “FREE” edition is a fully functional database with many features of the Enterprise Edition, but limited to 12 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM. So, version 23.2 is really only useful for testing purposes.
In the fall, just in time for Oracle Cloud World, Oracle officially announces that version 23c is now available in its updated 23.3 version— but only in the Cloud.
In the fall, just in time for Oracle Cloud World, Oracle officially announces that version 23c is now available in its updated 23.3 version— but only in the Cloud. What about the “on-premises” version? According to Oracle documentation, this is expected to be released in the first half of 2024. However, the release date is then pushed to the second half of 2024. On October 30, another delay is announced: now it’s slated for 2025.
But why is version 23ai so important?
The answer is quite simple: On April 30, 2026, Premier Support for version 19c, the legitimate predecessor for production use, will end. The version 21c released in the meantime is an “Innovation” release, which, according to Oracle, is not intended for productive environments. There was neither a version 20 nor a version 22, although Oracle had announced them as early as 2019.
So, if version 23ai doesn’t arrive until summer or even fall 2025, an upgrade by the deadline of April 30, 2026, will no longer be possible. As a result, Oracle has extended the Extended Support for version 19 until December 31, 2029.
.. and now the Sensation
On November 19, 2024, Oracle announces that Premier Support for version 19c will be extended until December 31, 2029, and that Extended Support will be available until December 31, 2032.
However, in the “Oracle Lifetime Support Policy” document mentioned above, footnote 3 states:
“Oracle Database 19c: Please note that for customers running Oracle Database 19c, during the Premier Support period from May 1, 2027, through December 31, 2029, Premier Support will exclude support for the following: BSAFE crypto libraries, Java or any Java-related products, and FIPS compliance. The noted exclusions will also be in effect for the Extended Support period from January 1, 2030, through December 31, 2032.”
The consequences of having unsupported products— and likely no security patches— in the database will need to be clarified.
This should certainly be a relief for many companies:
- No need for extensive testing for an upgrade to 23ai
- No migration to the multitenant architecture
- Plenty of time for migrating databases to the cloud or to alternative vendors, like PostgreSQL The Only Downside: There is no artificial intelligence in the database— but maybe the natural intelligence of developers and DBAs will be enough for the next 5 years.
The Only Downside: There is no artificial intelligence in the database— but maybe the natural intelligence of developers and DBAs will be enough for the next 5 years.