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Home -> Community -> Mailing Lists -> Oracle-L -> (Fwd) Re: Upgrading from Forms 5, Oracle 7
> Going back to the original question because now I'm really
> confused.
I know the feeling.
>
> Everything is looking good in test with Forms 6i, Oracle 8i.
sounds good.
>
> Would like to go to Oracle 9 on the database if possible.
According to OWS, you can run Forms6i (etc.) against database 9.0.x *IN CLIENT SERVER MODE*. What I found out is that Forms6i (etc.) does *not* run against database 9.2.x (in *any* mode).
If you get the secret instructions (see my "TAR from hell" posts), you can actually find the certification info for all the "developer" 6i components (Forms6i, plus others) in the dark maze of Metlink's certification matrix thingy.
I'll try to get all that together in one place and post it (since my repeated requests to OWS to do so were apparently futile).
The key is that the "server" versions mentioned under "Application Tier Certifications" are actually the *database* "server" versions, not the *iAS* "server" versions.
(what the hell, I'll cut and paste the "secret instructions":
| Go to Metalink ---> Certify & Availability | ---> View Certification by product | ---> Development Tools | ---> Oracle Forms 6i | (or others) | ---> Microsoft Windows 2000, | | check the combinations for 9.0.x certifications.)
>
> OAS is not an option at today's prices, so we know Developer 9i
> is out.
certainly.
fyi: we get almost all Oracle software "free" (huge 25 campus site license), but the cost of setting up an additional server for 9iAS is by itself (hardware/OS/maintenance/etc.) a major disincentive (given the current context of things here).
>
> Apparently Forms 6 latest patch is certified against some Oracle
> 9s but not the most recent. True?
Yes, as stated above, according to OWS you can run client-server against database 9.0.x
fyi, according to Metalink lifecycle (or whatever they call it now) the lifecycle of database 9.0.1, which btw started almost the same day as database 8.1.7, would extend from FEB-2002 for either 21 or 27 months.
So, the death of databases 9.0.1 and 8.1.7 would be somewhere around DEC-2003, possibly as late as MAY-2004 if they are considered "terminal releases".
---excerpt from metalink---
(Enterprise database server)
| Desupport Information: | | The lifecycle policy for all Oracle Server releases, where | lifecycle is defined as the length of support by development, | is 21 months for all non-terminal releases and 27 months for | all terminal releases. All desupport dates adhere to this policy. | These dates [***]may move out[***], however, based on business | need, product interdependencies, etc.
---end---
Note that the above dates are well short of the announced death of Forms6i (and presumably other "developer" 6i stuff) which was 2006 (2008 with "extended assistance support", or whatever they call it now).
That obviously makes one wonder how one could continue using Forms 6i in client-server mode until 2006 or 2008 unless some database version other than 8.1.7 or 9.0.1 will have client-server support, or unless the desupport dates of either DEC-2003 or MAY-2004 are "moved out".
Here is the latest word from OWS:
| Q) How long will I be able to run "developer" | (forms/reports/etc) 6i products (or their | replacement products) in client-server mode | against database 9.0.x, or database 9.x ? | | A) Developer 6i products supports Client-Server | mode. Developer 6i is supported until 2006 and | extended support is until 2008. Till 2008 all | developer 6i products which are certified against | database 9.0.x is supported.
That's it! No *specific* mention of how long the database 9.0.1 will be "supported"!
(stay tuned for the final exciting conclusion coming in the next episode of our show.)
note, just found on metalink:
| Upcoming Oracle Product Desupports | | PLEASE NOTE: This file contains details for upcoming Oracle Product | desupports, with an end of Error Correction Support (ECS) date > (13) months | ONLY. ((13) months is the minimum notification period for customers, which | includes the required (12) months notification period plus (1) month of | Obsolescence processing.) NOTE: The information in this file is subject to | change without notice and is not considered a formal desupport announcement | until the required process and approval is received and a formal desupport | notice is generated. Customers may also view this file via MetaLink under | "Product Lifecycle" ==> "Certifications" ==> "1. View Certifications by | Product" ==> "Desupport Advisories and Notices" ==> | | "Upcoming Oracle Product Desupports" or by searching for Doc ID: 190435.1. | | Product & Product Version(s) Platform(s): *Oracle Server 9.2.0.1 | & Platform Version(s): ALL Platforms | End of ECS Date : 30-SEP-2005 | End of EAS Date : 30-SEP-2008 | End of EMS Date : 30-SEP-2007 | | Migration Path Notes : TBD | | *NOTE: Oracle Server includes Client, Enterprise Edition, Parallel Server, | Personal Edition, RAC & Standard Edition Server. | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | For further assistance with Obsolescence &/or this file, please contact | OBSSUPP_US_at_oracle.com. | Last modified: Wednesday, 19-Jun-2002 15:21:22 PDT.
---end---
The below is from Document #148054.1
...
| 8.1.7 (8i) | Platform(s): Platform Version(s): ALL Platforms ALL | | Desupport End Dates: Error Correction Support (ECS): 31-DEC-2003 | Extended Assistance Support (EAS): 31-DEC-2006 | Extended Maintenance Support (EMS): 31-DEC-2005
...
---Received on Fri Jun 21 2002 - 05:08:29 CDT
>
> Do we have a decision from Oracle on whether Developer 6i will
> be supported against 9.2?
haaa haaaaaaa haaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (insert insane cackling sounds)
>
> I would love to get a stable platform upgrade in this next year
> so that I would not have to touch these sites for another 5-10
> years.
(insert more insane cackling sounds)
>
> [Political comment]
> I would love it even more to get a stable and affordable 9iAS
> forms and reports server in place for these 10-50 user
> customers.
(insert even more insane cackling sounds) According to one investment guy on the ORACLE-L dba list recently, Oracle's business model is getting pretty precarious, incursions by MS SQL Server and IBM/DB2 into Oracle's market share are really causing problems. I guess Oracle's business strategy is to batten the hatches, cut costs wherever possible (including outsourcing tech support?), and hope to weather the storm without losing too many investors. As such, it may be wishful thinking to hope that Oracle will be motivated to continue any sort of robust support for client-server for very much longer. (Unless the customers get really p*ssed off and start nagging like h*ll?). :):):) side note: On the ODTUG Java list a while ago, there was a major discussion between some old time Oracle customers about the pros/cons of using Oracle's up and coming JAVA mid-tier stuff vs. using MS .net (ASP?), which apparently has the capability of running in something like client-server mode. The Oracle employees did their best to try to make a case for spending all the extra money on 3-tier JAVA/Oracle (basically saying that there were benefits to "standards" that may not be apparent in the short run, and implying that .net is going to just be another funky, inflexible, transitory MS thing that people will have to abandon before the assumed/implied/expected end-of-lifecycle is actually over. (more crazed cackling) It may be that Oracle has seen the "handwriting on the wall", and basically conceded defeat on the low end of the LAN market. You may remember how much of giant flop Oracle's last, great marketing project with Novell was. regards, ep ------- End of forwarded message ------- -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: Eric D. Pierce INET: eric_d_pierce_at_pacbell.net Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).
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