Oracle Database 12c Release 2 is out – just only on the cloud

The next major release of the Oracle Database has always been a big thing. Last year at Oracle OpenWorld [2015], a lot of sessions were dedicated to Release 2 of Oracle Database 12c – with sharding as probably its most eye catching new feature. Talk of the release date started at once. June 2016 was a popular date in these talks. June came and went. And now, come Oracle OpenWorld 2016, R2 is out – according to the new Cloud First strategy:

The initial availability of Oracle Database 12c Release 2 is through the Exadata Express Cloud Service – starting at $175 per month (for 20 GB data), the full Oracle Database with all database options, fully managed by Oracle. And as Larry Ellison presented in his keynote session at Oracle OpenWorld, 12.2.0.1 will be rolled out across the cloud in steps – Enterprise [DBaaS] Cloud Service and Exadata Cloud Service [very large shape] in November and the Exadata Cloud Machine (cloud@customer?) in December. No details were given about when we can start downloading this release and install it on premises. Presumably not in 2016. Without specific indication, I would expect availability on Linux in the early months of 2017 – say January of February.

Note: a 30-day free trial is available for Exadata Express Cloud Service.

Documentation of the 12.2.0.1 is available to some extent – in the supporting resources for the Exadata Express Cloud Service: https://docs.oracle.com/cloud/latest/exadataexpress-cloud/index.html 

• Database 12.2 JSON Developer’s Guide – https://docs.oracle.com/cloud/latest/db122/ADJSN/toc.htm
• Using Oracle Database Exadata Express Cloud Service – https://docs.oracle.com/cloud/latest/exadataexpress-cloud/CSDBP/toc.htm
• Database 12.2 New Features Guide – https://docs.oracle.com/cloud/latest/exadataexpress-cloud/CSDBF/toc.htm

Some presentation at OOW 2016 discussed the new Oracle Database release:

• Sharding deep dive – https://oracle.rainfocus.com/scripts/catalog/oow16.jsp?search=CON6183&search.event=oracleopenworld
• Next generation In Memory, ASM, RMAN, Application Continuity and more – https://oracle.rainfocus.com/scripts/catalog/oow16.jsp?search=next-generation%20database&search.event=oracleopenworld 

Some features of the Exadata Express Cloud Service: