(Updated November 29, 2023)
There are currently several different releases of Oracle Database available from long term releases to innovation releases (temporary releases which contain new enhancements and features which will be present in the next long term release). As time goes by, many releases fall out of not only premier support but also extended support. When releases come out of premier support, patches and bug fixes only become available when you purchase extended support. However, when extended support ends for a release, new updates, patches, and bug fixes generally are no longer available. In addition, extended support is only available for long term releases. With releases coming into and out of support, you may be pressured to upgrade your database to a newer release. However, there are some important things to know before upgrading your Oracle Database.
Recent Oracle Database Releases and Support Dates
| Oracle Database Release | Type of Release | Premier Support End Date | Extended Support End Date |
| 11.2.0.4.x | Long Term Release | 1/1/2015 | 12/31/2020 |
| 12.1.0.2.x | Long Term Release | 7/31/2018 | 7/31/2022 |
| 12.2.0.1.x | Innovation Release | 11/30/2020 | Not available |
| 18.0.0.0.x | Innovation Release | 6/30/2021 | Not available |
| 19.0.0.0.x | Long Term Release | 4/30/2024 | 4/30/2027* |
| 21.0.0.0.x | Innovation Release | 4/30/2024 | Not available |
| 23.0.0.0.x | Long Term Release | April 2032 | TBD |
*=Extended support fees waived through April 30, 2024
NOTE: If you are on a database version older than or including 18.0.0.0.x, you need to seriously consider upgrading your database as soon as possible as all database releases older than 19c are no longer covered under any support.
Before You Upgrade
Operating Systems
When you see your current Oracle Database release is close to the end date for premier support or especially extended support, you may feel pressured to upgrade your database to a new release such as 19c (19.0.0.0.x). While it is important to be on the latest release with the latest features, security patches, bug fixes, and support, you also need to consider the other Oracle products installed in your databases along with the operating systems hosting your databases. There are many different ways to upgrade an Oracle Database. In-place upgrades and database migrations are common ways to upgrade a database from one version to another. In-place upgrades are an easy way to upgrade your database because you can use the Database Upgrade Assistant (DBUA), a graphical interface allowing you to easily upgrade your database in the same host. However, an in-place upgrade will only work if the operating system supports the source database version and the destination database version. If you are upgrading from one database release to another which is not supported on the operating system you have, you will either need to upgrade your operating system or consider migrating your database to a new server using services such as Data Pump, Transportable Tablespaces, or Oracle Data Guard. The following table lists all supported operating system versions for each Oracle Database release (only the long term releases are shown below for the operating systems):
| Oracle Database Release | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| IBM AIX on POWER Systems | 5.3, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2 | 6.1, 7.1, 7.2 | 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 | TBA |
| Linux | RHEL/Oracle Linux 4, 5, 6, 7, SLES 10, 11, 12 | RHEL/Oracle Linux 5, 6, 7, 8, SLES 11, 12 | RHEL/Oracle Linux 7, 8, 9, SLES 12, 15 | TBA |
| Solaris | 10, 11 | 10, 11 | 11 | TBA |
| Windows | XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 2003, 2003 R2, 2088, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2 | 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2 | 8.1, 10, 11, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022 | TBA |
NOTE: Bolded database versions in the above table are versions which are supported across all database releases above. For example, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and Oracle Linux 7 are supported with Oracle Database 11.2.0.4.x and 19.0.0.0.x. This means that there will be no certification issues if you plan an in-place upgrade of your Oracle Database from 11.1.2.4.x to 19.0.0.0.x if it is hosted in RHEL 7 or Oracle Linux 7.
NOTE 2: Oracle Database 23c is not yet available and has no certification listed yet. This table will be updated once Oracle has certified a list of operating systems compatible with 23c.
Using the above table, if you are on an operating system release in bold, you should have no problems with regards to operating system support when performing an in-place upgrade. If you are on a release which the release you are upgrading to does not support your current operating system, you will need to take an extra step to determine if you would like to upgrading your operating system first (if performing an in-place upgrade) or if you would prefer to do a database migration instead. It is possible to perform an in-place upgrade from all versions listed above to 19c including 11.1.2.4.0. However, once Oracle Database 23c is available and you plan to upgrade to 23c, you will need to upgrade first to 19c before the database can be upgraded to 23c (in the case of an in-place upgrade).
Oracle Products
In addition to operating system support, it is important to make sure that your current releases of various Oracle products such as Forms, ADF, APEX, and Oracle Access Management will remain certified with the new release. We will take each Oracle product below and list the Oracle Database versions certified with each release and assess the upgrade paths you may consider taking. It is highly advised that you upgrade your Oracle Database to the 19c release. In our examples below, we will highlight some guidelines when considering an upgrade to Oracle Database 19c.
Oracle WebLogic Server
| Oracle WebLogic Releases | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 12.2.0.1.x | 18.0.0.0.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 21.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| 10.3.5.0.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 10.3.6.0.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.1.1.0.0 | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 12.1.2.0.0 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 12.1.3.0.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.0.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 14.1.1.0.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | TBA |
- If you are using Oracle WebLogic Server 10.3.4 or earlier, you need to upgrade to either 10.3.6, the latest 12c release, or the new release, 14.1.1. In case your WebLogic installation is running another Oracle Fusion Middleware product such as Oracle Forms, APEX, or ADF, please make sure that your version of that product is certified with the release of Oracle WebLogic Server you are planning to upgrade to.
- If you are on an older version of Oracle WebLogic Server 12c and you are planning to upgrade to Oracle Database 19c, you will need to at least migrate to the latest release of Oracle WebLogic Server 12c, 12.2.1.4.0. WebLogic upgrades from older 12c releases to newer releases usually require an installation of a new Oracle home followed by either re-provisioning your WebLogic domain or configuring a new domain.
Oracle Forms and Reports
| Oracle Forms & Reports Releases | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 12.2.0.1.x | 18.0.0.0.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 21.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| 11.1.1.4.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.6.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.7.0 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.2.0.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.2.1.0 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.2.2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.0.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 12.2.1.19.0 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | TBA |
- If you are using Oracle Forms and Reports 10g or older (4.5, 6i, 9i, etc.), you will need to upgrade to Oracle Forms 12c to be able to use Oracle Database 19c. If you are using Oracle Forms releases older than 6i, you will first need to upgrade to either 6i or 10g prior to upgrading to 12c. PITSS’ tool, PITSS.CON, can help you upgrade to the latest and greatest release of Oracle Forms and Reports.
- If you are using Oracle Forms and Reports 11g or 11gR2, you will need to upgrade to Oracle Forms 12c to be able to use Oracle Database 19c. Usually a recompile of your Forms and Reports application is all that is required to upgrade your application to 12c (with the exception of installing a new 12c WebLogic environment). Depending on the complexity of your Forms application, there are some cases where some re-engineering may be required especially if you use DADs or mod_plsql. PITSS’ tool, PITSS.CON, can help you analyze all which is required for upgrading from 11g to 12c.
- If you are on older releases of Oracle Forms and Reports 12c such as 12.2.1.0.0 or 12.2.1.1.0, you will need to upgrade to the latest release of Oracle Forms 12c to be able to use Oracle Database 19c. A recompile of your Oracle Forms and Reports application is all that is required, but you will need to install a new Oracle home for Oracle Forms and Reports 12.2.1.4.0 and then either re-provision your existing WebLogic domain for the new Oracle home or configure a new domain.
- For Forms 12c, the version number will match what WebLogic uses. The exception is Oracle Forms and Reports 12.2.1.19.0 which still uses Oracle WebLogic Server 12.2.1.4.0.
Oracle Application Express (APEX)
| Oracle APEX Releases | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 12.2.0.1.x | 18.0.0.0.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 21.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| 4.2.1 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 4.2.2 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 4.2.3 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 4.2.4 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 4.2.5 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 4.2.6 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 5.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 5.0.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 5.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 5.1.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 5.1.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 5.1.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 5.1.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 18.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 18.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| 19.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 19.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 20.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 21.1 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 21.2 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 22.1 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 22.2 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 23.1 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 23.2 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | TBA |
- If you are using an APEX version older than 19.1, you will need to first upgrade APEX in your database to either version 19 or 20 prior to upgrading your database to 19c.
- You will also need to consider the version of Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS) before upgrading your database to 19c. ORDS serves as a bridge between APEX and your application server such as WebLogic or Apache Tomcat. More information on ORDS is shown in the next section.
Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS)
| Oracle REST Data Service Releases | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 12.2.0.1.x | 18.0.0.0.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 21.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| 3.0.6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 3.0.7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 3.0.8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 3.0.9 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 3.0.10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 3.0.11 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 3.0.12 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 18.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 18.1.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 18.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 18.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 18.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 19.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 19.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 19.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 20.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 20.2.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 20.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 20.4.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 20.4.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 21.1.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 21.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 21.2.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 21.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 21.3.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 21.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 22.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 22.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 22.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 22.4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 23.1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 23.2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
| 23.3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
- If you are using an ORDS version older than 19.4, you will need to re-deploy ORDS into your application server using either version 19.4 or 20.2.
- You will also need to consider the version of Oracle Application Express (APEX) before upgrading your database to 19c.
Oracle Application Development Framework (ADF)
| Oracle ADF Releases | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 12.2.0.1.x | 18.0.0.0.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 21.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| 11.1.1.4.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.5.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.6.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.7.0 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.9.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.1.3.0.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.0.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
- If you are using ADF 11.1.1.7.0 or older 11g releases, you have the option to upgrade to ADF 11.1.1.9.0 to use Oracle Database 19c. This can be done using in-place upgrades of both Oracle WebLogic Server and ADF. You also have the option to upgrade to ADF 12c by installing a new Oracle WebLogic Server 12c environment.
- If you are using ADF 12.1.3.0.0, 12.2.1.0.0, and 12.2.1.1.0, you will need to upgrade ADF to the latest release of 12c to use Oracle Database 19c. You will need to install a new Oracle home for ADF 12.2.1.4.0 and then either re-provision your existing WebLogic domain for the new Oracle home or configure a new domain.
- You will also need to consider the version of Oracle WebLogic Server before upgrading your database to 19c. For ADF 12c, the version number will match what WebLogic uses.
- Developers will also need to upgrade their JDeveloper to the same release as ADF and then upgrade the code from within JDeveloper.
Oracle BI Publisher/Oracle Analytics Publisher
| Oracle BI Publisher Releases | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 12.2.0.1.x | 18.0.0.0.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 21.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| 11.1.1.6.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.7.0 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.9.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.0.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.1.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| 12.2.1.2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | TBA |
| 7.0.0.0.0 (OAS) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
- If you are using BI Publisher 11.1.1.7.0 or older 11g releases, you have the option to upgrade to BI Publisher 11.1.1.9.0 to use Oracle Database 19c. This can be done using in-place upgrades of both Oracle WebLogic Server, Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, and BI Publisher. You also have the option to upgrade to BI Publisher 12c by installing a new Oracle WebLogic Server 12c environment with Oracle BI Enterprise Edition 12c.
- If you are using BI Publisher 12.2.1.0.0 and 12.2.1.1.0, you will need to upgrade BI Pulisher to the latest release of 12c to use Oracle Database 19c. You will need to install a new Oracle home for BI Enterprise Edition 12.2.1.4.0 and then either re-provision your existing WebLogic domain for the new Oracle home or configure a new domain.
- You will also need to consider the version of Oracle WebLogic Server and Oracle BI Enterprise Edition before upgrading your database to 19c. For BI Publisher 12c, the version number will match what WebLogic uses.
- If you are using the newer Oracle Analytics Server or Oracle Analytics Publisher (the successor to Oracle BI Publisher), you will need to be on Oracle Database 12c or higher.
Oracle Access Management (OAM)
| Oracle Access Management Releases | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 12.2.0.1.x | 18.0.0.0.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 21.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| 11.1.2.3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
- For Oracle Access Manager, no considerations need to be made for performing an in-place upgrade of your Oracle Database. All OAM releases 11.1.2.3.0 or greater will work with Oracle Database 11gR2, 12c, 18c, and 19c. However, it is highly recommended that you back up your database prior to performing any database upgrade.
Oracle Internet Directory (OID)
| Oracle Internet Directory Releases | 11.2.0.4.x | 12.1.0.2.x | 12.2.0.1.x | 18.0.0.0.x | 19.0.0.0.x | 21.0.0.0.x | 23.0.0.0.x |
| 11.1.1.4.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.5.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.6.0 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.7.0 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| 11.1.1.9.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.3.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 12.2.1.4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | TBA |
- If you are using OID 11.1.1.7.0 or older 11g releases, you have the option to upgrade to OID 11.1.1.9.0 to use Oracle Database 19c. This can be done using in-place upgrades of both Oracle WebLogic Server and OID. You also have the option to upgrade to OID 12c by installing a new Oracle WebLogic Server 12c environment.
- If you are doing a new installation of OID (e.g. when upgrading from 10g or 11g to 12c), you will need to migrate all your LDAP resources as well as any Resource Access Descriptors (RADs) to the new OID environment.
- You will also need to consider the version of Oracle WebLogic Server before upgrading your database to 19c. For ADF 12c, the version number will match what WebLogic uses.
PITSS.CON and Oracle Database Upgrades
The latest release of PITSS.CON is also compatible with Oracle Database 19.0.0.0.x. If you are planning to upgrade your database to 19c and the database also hosts your PITSS.CON repository, there are a few considerations you will need to make:
- Make sure your PITSS.CON installation is at the latest release. Please contact PITSS to see if you are at the latest release as well as to help you upgrade to the latest PITSS.CON release if you are not at the latest release.
- If you are doing an in-place upgrade of the PITSS.CON database, it is advised that you take an export of the MIG and PITSS.CON user schemas using Data Pump for backup purposes in case any problem occurs. Most likely the upgrade will not cause any problems with the existing installation, but having a backup will help.
- If you are doing a database migration of the PITSS.CON, do NOT use Data Pump to export the PITSS.CON schemas (including MIG) to the new database. Please contact PITSS for assistance with moving PITSS.CON from one database to another. Otherwise, problems will occur with your PITSS.CON license.
Please contact PITSS today if you would like assistance with helping you upgrade your Oracle environments to be compatible with Oracle Database 19.0.0.0.x.
Sources: Oracle Support Document ID 742060.1
