Oracle SuperCluster M8 - End Of Life (EOL) & End Of Support (EOS)

I want to remind you something important regarding the Engineered systems. That is, as you may already know, the Oracle Supercluster M8 reached its End of Life (EOL) on June 30th, 2019. End of Life (EOL) signifies that Oracle no longer sells the hardware for the Supercluster M8.

In addition to that, end of Support (EOS) status is also important.. EOS indicates that Oracle no longer provides guaranteed support for the system, including hardware replacement, bug fixes, and security patches. Well, last ship day of Supercluster M8 is Jun 2019. So, the premier support will end in June 2024.

After June 2024, you may go with the extended support. But! It won't be like premier support and may have cons. (delays, lack of premier support-like concentration on the Oracle side and stuff like that..)

For example, when you need to replace a faulty disk in an environment with extended support, you may wait longer than in an environment with premier support. (That disk type you need may not be present in your region, and getting it from another region may take time.).

Delays, guarantees... You may have disadvantages in these.

Ref: List of Oracle Supported Hardware with Last Ship Dates Announced (Doc ID 1450710.1)

Note that, after five years from last ship date, replacement parts may not be available and/or the response times for sending replacement parts may be delayed.”

Ref: https://www.oracle.com/us/hardware-systems-support-policies-069182.pdf

Anyways.. While you can technically continue using the Supercluster M8 after June 2024, the effective end of support falls on that date. Here are some potential risks of using an Oracle Supercluster M8 after EOS:

• Increased security vulnerabilities: Without security patches, your system becomes more susceptible to attacks.
• Limited hardware support: If a hardware component fails, you might have difficulty finding replacements or repairs.
• Compatibility issues: Newer software versions may not be compatible with the EOS system, hindering future upgrades.
• No guaranteed bug fixes: You'll be on your own for troubleshooting any software bugs encountered.

Considering these risks, it's recommended to migrate from Oracle Supercluster M8 to a supported system (Like EXADATA or PCA or EXADATA + PCA, or ODA + EXADATA or Oracle/Sun Traditional Servers + ZFS.. and KVM virtualization.. Choice depends on the context actually.. These are some on-prem options... ) before June 2024.