Oracle Version Information

Version release history and major Improvements made by Oracle Release

End of life information:

Check metalink note 161818.1
Oracle Database (RDBMS) Releases Support Status Summary [ID 161818.1]

But shortly:
First date is premier support ends and the second one date is extended support ends.
11.2.0.x yr 2018
11.1.0.X Aug-2012 Aug-2015
10.2.0.X Jul-2011 Jul-2013
10.1.0.X Jan-2009 Jan-2012
9.2.0.X Jul-2007

http://www.oracle.com/lang/de/collateral/downloads/ORACLE_Lifetime_Support_Policy.pdf
http://www.oracle.com/support/lifetime-support-policy.html

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Patchset Patch Numbers Metalink document 753736.1: this links all major releases to their
exact patch numbers.  Fantastic!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Oracle 12c (c == Cloud) in beta testing Dec 2012
o 12.1.0.1: June 2013 GA (6/25/13 release date)
o 12.1.0.2: July 2014



Major Features
- Pluggable Databases; emulates O/S partitioning/Virtulaization within the database; 
conceptually a "container" (The Container Database or CDB) with one or more databases fully contained 
within the container.  User metadata/data is kept in the Pluggable Database (PDB).  One CDB
can have multiple PDBs.  Public Synonyms/tablespace names at the PDB level; no clashes.
Multitenant databases.
o Cloning is fast as only user metadata/data needs to be cloned
o Upgrades can just unplug from old version and plug into new version
o reduces total db usage by not having to repeat all the CDB resources.


Major Features removed
- Advanced Replication: gone; replaced with Golden Gate
- Streams; gone; replaced with Golden Gate

Application Development
- Varchar2() expansion to 32767 bytes (from 4000 in previous versions starting in v10)
- Similar expansions of Raw and nvarchar2() data types
- Functions/Procs can be defined in the "With" clause
- Top-N queries now use row limiting clause
- Row pattern matching improvements; lots of new analytic syntax


Performance & Tuning
- Adaptive Execution Plans: Optimizer plans can change once a certain threshold in the plan
is reached or exceeded.  Provides on the fly plan improvements.  First step at making an adaptive
or self-learning optimizer.
- Dynamic sampling; increase # of sampling levels, makes the dynamic stats persistent.
This prevents the samplings from being lost when the SQL is aged out of the 
- Histogram bucket increase from 254
- Statistics automatically gathered during CTAS, Insert into select commands.
- GTTs have session private statistics
- (12.1.0.2) In-Memory cache; fantastic columnar inmemory cache for analytics.
- Multiple indexes on one column (though only one can be active)


Database Administration
- Heat Maps/Data Optimization; DB monitors block I/O usage to determine if blocks are hot, 
medium or dormant to assist DBA in finding I/O bottlenecks.
- ILM clause on create/alter table: this instructs Oracle to compress or archive data after
a given period of time; automatic data compression and/or archiving.
- Default vaule of a column can now be sequence.nextval.
- Identity columns; enhanced control syntax
- Partitioning improvements: 
o async global index maintenance for drop/truncate: command returns immediately but
index cleanup happens in background
o Cascade for truncate/exchange partitions
o multiple partition operations in a single DDL
o online move of partitions
o Interval Partitioning
o Reference partitioning
- Temporary Undo
- Invisible columns


RAC/Clustering Improvements
- TAF: Transparent Application Failover; allows certain types of transactions/queries to be
failed over to a running RAC node transparently.







-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Oracle 11gR2: announced 9/23/09

11gR2: 11.2.0.1: first release 9/23/2009. Base release.
11.2.0.2: 9/13/10 11.2.0.2 	Patch 10098816 released 13-SEP-2010
(Important Changes to Oracle Database Patch Sets Starting With 11.2.0.2 [ID 1189783.1])
11.2.0.3: 9/23/11 release date
11.2.0.4: ? release date

R2 improvements over R1:  these are summarized by the very good articles here:
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/oracle/article.php/3844221/Oracle-Database-11g-Release-2-New-Features-Summary-Part-1.htm
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/oracle/article.php/3852746/The-Second-5-top-new-features-in-Oracle-Database-11gR2.htm


Clustering issues
- Single-Instance RAC (Oracle Restart)
- SRVCTL Upgrades
- Cluster Time Synchronization Service
- Grid Plug+Play.
- Clean Deinstallation of RAC Components

ASM improvements
- Clusterware now in its own ORACLE_HOME (away from ASM).
- Automatic Storage Management Configuration Assistant (ASMCA) instead of DBCA to install ASM
- Intelligent Data Placement. 
- EM Support Workbench Extensions.
- ASMCMD Enhancements. (start/stop ASM instance, backup/restore spfile, iostat, etc)

ACFS: A Robust Clustered File System, and extension of the OCFS/OCFS2

Improvements to Software Installation and Patching

DBMS_SCHEDULER Upgrades

Significant database performance improvements, especially for parallelized operations and DW operations
- automatic paralellism
- faster MV refreshes

Improvements to Data Guard features like Real Time Query

Upgrades to Recovery Manager, including automatic repair of corrupted blocks

Large Object improvements, e.g., the ability to "watermark" LOBs

Database object sizing enhancements, including on-demand segment creation

Edition-Based Redefinition; Tom Kyte's favorite new feature; allows for multiple versions of the
same object available at the same time.  Allows patching without bringing database down.

Security
- introduction of Data Redaction in 11.2.0.4
- Data Masking in 11gR2

- OLTP compression


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Oracle 11gR1: announced 7/11/07,http://www.oracle.com/corporate/press/2007_jul/database-11g.html

Available for Linux platforms late summer 07, No word for Windows or other OS

see metalink note 742060.1 for patch release dates.
Release Schedule of Current Database Releases [ID 742060.1]

11gR1: 11.1.0.6: released for linux 8/9/07
11.1.0.7: terminal 11gr1 patch.


Major Feature Improvements (per white paper, press releases,blogs, etc)

Application Development
- Oracle Total Recall: select * from table "as of earlier time"
- Oracle Fast Files: improved LOB/binary storage performance (comperable
to a file system)
- Faster XML DB, Binary XML and XML improvements
- Client Side Caching
- Java just-in-time compiler
- Native integration w/ MS visual Studio 2005 for .net app development within Oracle
- MS Access migration tools into Oracle Application Express
- SQL Developer query building tool
- New datatypes: RFID data, medical images
- Database Replay: allows testing, code mods, etc to be tested w/o affecting production


Administration
- Real Application Testing: related to patching
- Data Guard improvements: simaltaneous read and disaster recovery, redo compression
- Active Data Guard: physical failover instances in read-only but full access mode
- Improved data compression within the database
- Flashback Transaction: backing out of erroneous transactions
- Parallel Backup and Restore
- Hot Patching: no more db downtime for major patches
- Data Recovery advisor: wizard to help w/ restore/recover operations
- Support Workbench: dashboard of DB health issues w/ resolution recommendations
- Modifications to OFA directory locations and directory structure
- ASM Fast Mirror Resync: fixes a known issue in 10g ASM when disks fill
- alter tablespace shrink space and shrink tempfile; nice feaure
- Streams improvements: Synchronous capture, additional datatypes, 
- Advanced Compression (eventually renamed to OLTP compression)


Performance & Tuning
- Automated data partitioning, more advanced partitioning methods 
(interval, reference and virtual column) 
- tiered/archived partitions.
- Partitioning Advisor: recommendations for how to partition tables/indexes
- SQL Access Advisor: analyzes indexes, partitions, MVs for usefullness
- DW Olap cubes: Cognos-style cubes of data behave like MVs 
- Continuous Query Notification: informs applications that key data
has changed w/o constantly polling for changes
- Query Result Caches: cache frequenly run query results; /*+ result_cache */ hint; works great!
- Database Resident Connection Pooling: connection pools all non-multi
threaded applications (good for large web applications)
- Automatic SQL and memory tuning
- Invisible Indexes: indexes that are useful to some querys but harmful
to others can be made "invisible" to the CBO as needed.
- Incremental Statistics on partitioned tables; 


Security
- Oracle Transparent Data Encryption: tablespace-level encryption or
object level encryption: added in 10gR2
- Securefiles: Completely re-engineered LOB structure.
- Oracle Audit Vault/Database Vault: highly secure storage locations not
even accessible by database administrators



Misc
- Pricing will be on par w/ 10g pricing plans.


tom Kyte's favorite 11 things about v11.
http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/eye-on-oracle/the-best-11-things-about-oracle-database-11g-r2/?track=NL-786&ad=732051&asrc=EM_NLN_9624955&uid=9025037

1. Do it yourself Parallelism/dbms_parallel_execute
2. listagg function
3. execute on a directory
4. Recursive subquery/replacement for connect by
5. Improved flashback data archive
6. File watchers that monitor for new files
7. Deferred segment creation (won't allocate first extent until first row insert)
8. Flash Cache using solid state disks
9. Improved Parallel server; you can set server-limit for parallel jobs requests
10/11: Edition based redefinition; you can force 11g database to act like a 10g while you upgrade.







-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Oracle 10g: 2003 (10.7 NCA, 10.7 SC)

10g Premier support is ending July 2010.  One year of free extended support ends july 11, and then the
extended support for the product ends July 2013.

10gR1: Release 1:
10.1.0.3:
10.1.0.4: latest as of 8/30/05

10gR2: Release 2: 
10.2.0.1: released 8/26/05
10.2.0.2: May-Jun 2006
10.2.0.3: 12/5/06
10.2.0.4: 2/24/08: 
10.2.0.5: 5/2/10: terminal release.  

see metalink note 742060.1 for patch release dates.

Major Features:
- (the "g" stands for "Grid"): Grid servers are intended to allow computing
power to be done in a similar fashion to utility "grids."  
- ASM: Automated Storage Management: a new feature to turn all disk management
tasks into "black box" operations.
- AWR/ADDM/ASH: Automatic Workload Repository keeps historic statspack reports
online, and Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor reads these reports and
provides high-level analysis and recommendations.
- Data Pump: server based replacement for export/import.
- Automatic Shared Memory Management (ASMM): Oracle now tunes all major memory
parameters automatically.



Development:
- Regular expressions added to sql
- copy command eliminated in sql*plus
- SQL Model clause: allows result sets to be treated as multidemsional arrays
- guaranteed undo retention
- sql profiling
- pl/sql compile time warnings
- Additional datatypes: timestamp with time zone, interval day to second, etc


P&T:
- RBO is still there, but any "bug reports" found will be answered with
"Use the CBO."  
- default optimizer mode will be "all_rows," not "choose"
- Automated System Memory Management of sga/pga.  No more fiddling with
_area_size variables; all automatically done.
- Stats are automatically gathered when you create an index?
- v$sqlstats view: keeps better view of previously run sql.
- AWR replaces manually done statspack
- ADDM: 
- Materialized Views complete refresh becomes delete and insert instead
of 9i's truncate and insert /*+append */ (use atomic_refresh to fix).


Administrative
- Sql*plus gui version for windows is gone? (sqlplusw); debated.
- Flashback logs: point-in-time recovery through sqlplus; this includes flashback
database, flashback drop table with a recycle bin concept
- Datapump: replaces exp/imp, load continuation, restartable load jobs, other enhancements.
- alter table shrink space: very cool.
- Partition internal numbering changed, making partition split/drop/etc
much faster (no need to reunumber)
- Recyclebin concept; dropped objects data dictionary information is put
into a personal trash can.
- Automatic statistics gathering: wow, this could get you in trouble.
- Largefile tablespaces; extends datafile size limit from ~128gb to 128tb.
- VPD: column level security in addition to existing row level
- expdp allows for selective table exclusions in dump files (very nice workaround
to what DBAs have to do in 9i)
- dbms_output fixed, expanded to 32k
- Some improved documentation
- OEM/Enterprise Manager improvements: more advisors, rman gui interface, 
sql*ldr interface.  Web based, Lots of advisors
- RMAN improvements; actual compression in rman backups.
- DBUA: post patching to replace catpatch.sql, provide gui interface
to all post patching. (except w/ opatches though)
- dbms_scheduler to replace dbms_jobs
- Sql*PlusPlus: an object oriented extension to Sql*plus.
- HTML db (project Marvel): a rapid-application development env.  Now pre-released
for 9i, apparently a great tool

Security/Auditing
- Audit logs can be written to the syslog, and thus monitored by OS tools.
- Oracle Transparent Data Encryption: tablespace-level encryption or
object level encryption: added in 10gR2

"Gotchas"
- MV refresh now delete then insert, whereas before truncate/insert append
- compiler now more strict and some (bad) code may not compile in 10g
- group by does not give a free "order by" any longer
- dbua changed default nls_date_format from "dd-mon-yyyy hh:mi:ss" to 
"dd-mon-yyyy","hh:mi:ss" (apparently fixed in later 10.2.0.x releases)





-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Oracle 9i: June 2001 
release 1 (9.0.1 initially, 9.0.4 last ... ) (was there ever a 9.1.0 version?)
release 2: 9.2.0.1 (Base release) (7/1/2002), 9.2.0.2 (12/1/2002) 9.2.0.3 (June 2003?)
9.2.0.4 available 8/15/03, 9.2.0.5 avail 3/19/04?)
9.2.0.6: released Mid December 2004 (introduced bug 4015165 in all versions), avail
Jan 2005, but people have complained about performance (i've seen no issues)
9.2.0.7: released aug 2005, later for some platforms
9.2.0.8: stable as of 8/24/06, the terminal patch for 9.

eol scheduled for 12-31-2005 (yeah right).  Pushed out to having premier support
ending July 2007 and extended support ending july 2010.


Features
- Oracle Managed Files: supposedly simplifies the "Create Database"  process.
- RAC: Real application clusters: multiple databases can share one set of
data files, allowing you to "plug in" additional cpus to add more computing power.
- Streams: table/object level replication
- isql*plus: a web interface to sqlplus.
- Last supported version of RBO: when 9i gets desupported, so does RBO
- Flashback queries: shows data as it stood at a point in time in the past.
automatic undo management turned on guarantees good performance
- Logminer introduced

Performance/Tuning
- OCFS: Oracle Cluster File System 1.0: as a replacement for raw disk usage.
v1.0.9 and above support async i/o.
- new hint "First_Rows_n"
- (starting 9.2.0.2): Large_pool and Java_pool buffer caches dynamically altered
- Multiple block sizes at the tablespace level.
- Upgrade gotcha: many query plans change from 8i to 9i: be aware and
be ready to fix.  Many sites have used "optimizer_features_enable=8.1.7"
- Can import statistics, instead of computing them.
- default optimizer mode = "choose" (as in, choose to use CBO methods)
- Change from a "Most Recently Used" scheme to "Most Frequently Used" algorithm.
- Change in MRU/LRU buffer pool chain concept?  Is there one?


Administrative
- Data Guard: reads from redo log files and "plays" transactions on remove server.
- SGA_MAX_SIZE option introduced: ?? impact
- bug in Shared pools: space becomes fragmented and won't release, causing
loss of memory and eventual instance restart.
- Bug in 9.2.0.4 using "order by X" where x is a constant: fixed w/ patch
Number 3110923 (if on Solaris).
- auto allocate extent sizes: some dbas reports flaws
- rename columns supported
- Automatic segment space management
- Automatic undo management
- connect internal no longer supported
- removed svrmgrl: sql*plus has all the old features.
- Note: buffer overflow exists in oracle and oracle0 if directly 
connected to the internet.  9.0.x, 9.2.x.  Oracle Alert #59 10/23/03 
metalink Note 251910.1
- Block level recovery
- Transportable tablespaces: allows easy transforming data from one
OS to another.
- svrmgrl changing to svrctl?  But, wasn't svrmgrl discontinued in 9i
- Table compression


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Oracle 8i: 1999 
Release 1: 8.1.5 initial.  Obsolete as of ?
Release 2: 8.1.6: obsolete as of 6/2001 (possibly earlier). 12/31/03 now. 
Release 3: 8.1.7 latest known: 
8.1.7.4: terminal patch release 2376472 (8.1.7.4.1?)
(versions of 8.1.7.5 and 8.1.7.6??  dont' believe so)
8.1.7.x.x eol now 12/31/2004 (was 12/31/03) per Metalink Note 148054.1
(see also 250629.1  the extension is for strategic platforms only)
8.1.6: eol 9/30/01?


Features
- (the "i" in 8i stood for internet)
- Java enabled.  "JVM" or Java Virtual Machine
- "Standard" and "Enterprise" versions
- "iFS:" a Java app that combines an integrated file system and database
to combine text searching into the database
- WebDB
- interMedia
- (as of 8.1.6): native XML support

Administration
- Materialized views: A data warehousing trick that is a cross between
a multi-table join and a pre-compiled view. 
- gui makeovers to Schema Manager, Oracle Installer, Net8 assistant
(now writtein in Java). 
- LMT: Locally Managed Tables; introduced admin feature that automatically
manages extent sizes, table fragmentation.  However, demonstrations show
it leads to fragmentation.
- Transportable tablespaces (to other servers, not other OSs)
- Alter table move tablespace 
- RMAN introduced

Performance
- Stored outlines (essentially reusing compiled optimizer plans)
- dbms_stats package: allows much easier, automated stats collection
- Function Based indexes
- Statspack: introduced in 8.1.6, obsoletes utlbstat/utlestat
- Made optimizer aware of IOTs.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Oracle 8: 1997 (8.0.x): 8.04, 8.0.5, 8.0.6 latest
Obsoleted as of at least July 2002

Features
- Split product into Oracle8, Oracle8 Enterprise Edition (which contains
high-end features for larger installations)
- Introduced Object-relational features

Performance
- CBO enhancements primary P&T concern in engine; still quite buggy but 
improving.
- RBO enhancing ceases.
- Introduced default, recycle and keep buffer pools
- Introdued Index Organized Tables (IOTs)
= Partitions


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Previous Versions


Oracle 7: 1992 initially: 7.3.2, 7.3.3, 7.3.4.0, 7.3.4.5 latest?
- First incarnation of Cost Based Optimizer (CBO)
- VLDB support: 5TB+ sized databases possible.
- Coalesce of tablespaces introduced in 7.3
- Referential integrity, procedures, triggers

Oracle 6: 1988: 6.0.26, v6.2 in 1989 w/ Symmetric cluster access using 
Parallel server. CASE toolsets.  6.0.38.4 last known stable release.
Online backup and recovery, row level locking, parallel server

Oracle 5: 1986: "SQL*Star:" True client/server, vax-cluster, distributed queries

Oracle 4: 1984: Read consistency (no dirty reads ... basically introducing
isolation level 1).

Oracle 3: 1982: ported to C, incorporated transaction processing,
multiple platforms

Oracle 2: 1980: ported from PDP-11 to Vax/VMS, first ever Relational database.
Changed corporate name to "Oracle Systems Corporation" (later just Oracle Corp).

Oracle 1: 1978: Written in PDP-11 assembley language, never released.
Company changed name to "Relational Software, Incorporated."

Pre-Oracle: 1977: Larry Ellison, Bob Miner and Ed Oats ffound "Software
Development Labratories (SDL)" and win project to develop database software
for the CIA.