How to Use Java 7 with Oracle Forms 11g in an Oracle-Supported Environment

In recent weeks, Oracle continues to find new security vulnerabilities with each version of Java (JDK, JRE, etc.). Each new JDK/JRE release contains new patches which patch any possible vulnerabilities which have been discovered.

When Oracle Forms and Reports 11g first came out, only JDK/JRE 6 was supported as Java 7 was not released at the time. Due to this, many older versions of Oracle Forms 11g do not have support with JDK/JRE 7 according to Oracle’s certification matrix. At the same time, there are more recommendations which advise of applying the latest Java patches which would upgrade the JDK and/or JRE to version 7 even if the Forms environment is not supported with it

For anybody who might be considering the use of the latest version of Java 7 to be protected from newly-discovered security vulnerabilities, this leads to some common questions:

✓ Will my environment be supported?

✓ How do I start using Java 7 with Forms if I am using a version which does not support it?

✓ If I upgrade to a supported environment, do I need to make any configuration changes?

✓ What is new to the latest Java update?