When does support end for my Fusion Middleware version? Such a simple question and frequently asked. But there is more to the answer than you might expect. Furthermore, finding the full detail can be challenging.
In this blog entry, I will describe the navigation path through the relevant documents - all of which need to be read not only to obtain the "end of support" dates, but to also gain an understanding of Oracle Lifetime Support and Error Correction (bug fixing) policies.
The starting point is the Oracle Lifetime Support page
http://www.oracle.com/us/support/lifetime-support/index.html
This page lays out the Oracle Lifetime Support terms, definitions and benefits. Once these are understood, go to the product specific Lifetime Support documents listed on the page. The direct link to the Fusion Middleware document is:
http://www.oracle.com/us/support/library/lifetime-support-middleware-069163.pdf
This is a weighty tome (60 + pages) which contains the actual "end of support" dates. The challenge is to pick out the dates for the different Middleware products which form your chosen technology stack / solution. On page 8, there is a table labelled - "Fusion Middleware Releases". While some dates are listed in this table, for 10.1.3, 11g and 12c you are referred to the footnotes e.g.
Screenshot of rows in Fusion Middleware Release Table on Page 8
To quote the footnote
"... For specific dates refer to the respective sections in this document. To find a section, refer to the Table of Contents."
Therefore, be prepared to jump to different sections to find the dates which are specific to the products you have chosen for your Middleware solution.
There is one other very important footnote on this page, to quote:
"For more-detailed information on bug fix and patch release policies, please refer to the “Error Correction Support Policy” on My Oracle Support ."
This statement leads you down the path to find "Error Correction Support" dates for given patch set version numbers. Establishing the "Error Correction Support" dates for your solution is key because it will inform your plans for patching / maintenance.
For Fusion Middleware, you can cut to the chase and go straight to:
Error Correction Support Dates for Oracle Fusion Middleware 11g (11.1.1/11.1.2) [ID 1290894.1]