Oracle is by far the leader in all key leading research reports for On-prem and Cloud Database Management Systems. Oracle is continuously building new features on Database on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Autonomous Database (including the Autonomous Transaction Processing and Autonomous Data Warehouse services) are available in OCI and on the Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer (ExaCC) private cloud.
Oracle also offers Autonomous JSON Database, Oracle MySQL Database Service, Oracle NoSQL Database and Oracle Big Data Service. Oracle Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer private cloud runs all Oracle cloud services in the customer’s data center.
Post 31-July-2022, Extended Support to DB 12c will expire because of which, clients will need to upgrade their database & the operating systems to upgrade to 19c or above.
Highlights of Latest Oracle Cloud Databases
- Augmented DBMS Technology: The Oracle Autonomous Database uses AI- and ML-assisted tuning and leverages Oracle’s cloud infrastructure, including zero-downtime patching and upgrading. This technology not only reduces the necessity for manual operation, but also reduces cost and increases performance of the DBMS service.
- Hybrid Cloud: Oracle has a complete hybrid environment for sharing data and enabling migrations to the cloud. It supports on-premises deployments and ExaCC with disaster recovery in the cloud via Exadata Cloud Service (ExaCS). ExaCC supports both Autonomous Data Warehouse and Autonomous Transaction Processing.
- Richness of Portfolio: Oracle Cloud is a good choice for enterprises that use Oracle as a standard provider, where they can apply skills developed over many years to use cases in the cloud. With Oracle Autonomous Database’s free tier being adopted by customers new to Oracle that value a self-driving enterprise DBMS, Oracle is gaining recognition as an enterprise cloud provider.
While Oracle cloud database ecosystem are not free from challenges. Oracle has a OCI-Centric DBMS Strategy, and still does carry the Premium price perception, which it tries to overcome
Oracle 12c vs 21c vs 19c
| Release | 19c (Long Term Release) – Oracle Database 19c is the current long term release, and it provides the highest level of release stability and longest time-frame for support and bug fixes. | 21c (Innovation Release) – Oracle Database 21c, also available for production use today as an innovation release, provides an early insight into the many enhancements and new capabilities. These include autonomous administration, improved multimodel support through in-database Javascript and native blockchain tables, and multiworkload improvements such as AutoML and sharding enhancements that will be incorporated into future long term releases. |
| GA Date | April 2019 | August 2021 |
| Extended Support Ends | April 2027 | Not Available |
| Sustaining Support Ends | Indefinite | Indefinite |
Comparing Top 10 Features in Oracle Database
| Feature | 12.x | 19c | 21c |
| ASM Database Cloning | No | ASM database cloning provides cloning of Multitenant databases (PDBs). This feature works by leveraging ASM redundancy. | ASM database cloning provides cloning of Multitenant databases (PDBs). This feature works by leveraging ASM redundancy. |
| Ability to Create Schema Only Accounts | No | You now can create schema only accounts, for object ownership without allowing clients to log in to the schema. | You now can create schema only accounts, for object ownership without allowing clients to log in to the schema. |
| Ability to Create a PDB by Cloning a Remote PDB Using DBCA in Silent Mode | No | You can now create a pluggable database (PDB) by cloning a remote PDB using the create From Remote PDB parameter of the create Pluggable Database | You can now create a pluggable database (PDB) by cloning a remote PDB using the create From Remote PDB parameter of the create Pluggable Database |
| Ability to Prevent Local Oracle Database Vault Policies from Blocking Common Operations | No | NO | Starting with this release, a DV_OWNER common user in the CDB root can prevent local users from creating Oracle Database Vault controls on Oracle Database Vault |
| Ability to Use Encrypted Passwords for Database Links with Oracle Data Pump | No | The behavior for handling database link passwords has changed in this release. Passwords in database links are now encrypted. | The behavior for handling database link passwords has changed in this release. Passwords in database links are now encrypted. |
| Active Data Guard – Standby Result Cache | No | NO | The result cache in an Active Data Guard standby database is utilized to cache results of queries that were run on the physical standby database |
| Analytic View Enhancements to SQL and PL/SQL | NO | NO | SQL and PL/SQL enhancements for analytic views are the following: (1) Star views can be created on fact and dimension tables (2) Analytic views are created automatically for queries of the tables and views |
| Application Backups | NO | NO | Oracle Application Express automatically backs up modified applications as a part of daily maintenance. |
| Auto Upgrade Automates Upgrade and Conversion of Non-CDB to PDB | NO | NO | In Oracle Database 21c, Auto Upgrade automates all the steps needed to upgrade an Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) database. |
| Auto Upgrade Automates Steps Required for Oracle RAC Database Upgrade | NO | NO | To simplify upgrades to Oracle Database 21c, Auto Upgrade automates steps to convert a database from a non-CDB to a PDB as part of a database |
Accelerate Upgrade to 19c with ITC’s One Click Upgrade
ITC’s One Click upgrade, leverages automation tools, and has devised methodologies internally pioneered by ITC to accelerate the process. This will also help with operational efficiencies and accelerated timelines for your project with reduced costs. IT Convergence has built these posts delivering several successful migration & upgrade projects, and have pioneered the most optimum methodology and process to get key tasks in the project done in One Click.