With Oracle Solaris 10 Premier Support ending on January 31, 2018, we've been getting questions about the different support options for Oracle Solaris 10 going forward. I'm going to attempt to answer all your questions here.

Types of Oracle Solaris 10 Support

After January 31, there will be two types of support available for Oracle Solaris 10. These are Extended Support and Sustaining Support.

Here is what each of those gives you or doesn't give you according to our Oracle Lifetime Support Policy: Oracle and Sun System Software Document (edited to remove references to Oracle Linux for clarity):

Extended Support

For selected Oracle Solaris operating system software releases, Oracle may extend the technical support period by offering Extended Support for a three year period. With Extended Support, you receive access to technical experts, backed by industry leading online tools and knowledgebase resources. You benefit from:

Major product and technology releases for Oracle Solaris operating system software

Program updates, fixes, security patches, security alerts, and critical patch updates for Oracle Solaris operating system software

Upgrade tools/scripts (when offered)

General maintenance releases, selected functionality releases and documentation updates (when offered)

Access to My Oracle Support (24x7 web-based customer support systems), including the ability to log service request online Assistance with service requests 24 hours per day, 7 days a week

Right to use Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center

Non-technical customer service during normal business hours

Extended Support does not include:

Certification with most new third-party products

Hardware certification

Sustaining Support

For selected products, Oracle may offer Sustaining Support for an indefinite period. Sustaining Support applies after Extended Support expires or should you not purchase Extended Support, immediately after Premier expires. With Sustaining Support, you receive continued access to technical experts, backed by industry leading online tools and knowledgebase resources. You benefit from:

Program updates, patches, fixes, security patches and security alerts created during the Oracle Premier Support period

General maintenance releases, selected functionality releases and documentation updates created during the Oracle Premier Support period

Upgrade tools/scripts created during the Oracle Premier Support period

Assistance with service requests, on a commercially reasonable basis, 24 hours per day, 7 days a week

Access to My Oracle Support (24x7 web-based customer support systems) , including the ability to log service request online

Non-technical customer service during normal business hours

Sustaining Support does not include:

New program updates, patches, fixes, security patches, security alerts, critical patch updates, general maintenance releases, selected functionality releases, documentation updates or upgrade tools

New critical patch updates for Oracle Solaris operating system software

New upgrade tools

Certification with most new third-party products

24 hour commitment and response guidelines for Severity 1 service requests

Previously released fixes or updates that Oracle no longer supports

Hardware certification

What does that all mean?

Well, let's start with Extended Support. Oracle Solaris 10 Extended Support will continue to supply you with fixes, security patches, security alerts for Oracle Solaris 10 similar to Oracle Solaris 10 Premier Support for 3 years. It doesn't, however, include new hardware support.

After 3 years, Extended Support ends, and your only option is Sustaining Support. Sustaining Support includes all fixes up to the point you entered Sustaining Support (more on this in a minute). It doesn't include any new fixes beyond the date you entered Sustaining Support nor does it include new hardware tools.

Oracle Solaris Licensing

Now, an important part of support is how it interacts with Oracle Solaris licensing. When you purchase Oracle x86 or Oracle SPARC servers, you are granted a non-exlusive, royalty free, non-assignable limited license for Oracle Solaris for the exact version of Oracle Solaris that shipped on that machine, or, in the case of Oracle SPARC M7 and Oracle SPARC M8 systems, that was available at the time of delivery. You can read the license here, if you'd like.

It is Oracle Solaris Support that gives you access to additional patches and updates. Your Oracle Solaris Support contract also has a license that is associated with it. That license is only valid as long as the support contract is maintained. When support lapses, the license becomes invalid, and you are no longer entitled to any new fixes, patches, updates, etc.

If you purchase Oracle Solaris Premier Support for Non-Oracle x86 Hardware, that support contract grants you a license for Oracle Solaris. That license is valid while Oracle Solaris Premier Support for Non-Oracle x86 Hardware is maintained. If you stop support, you are no longer entitled to any new fixes, patches, updates, etc.

What does it mean February 1?

Oracle Solaris 10 Premier Support ends on January 31st, 2018. You will have to choose 1 of 4 options before then:

Continue your Oracle Premier Support for Systems or Oracle Premier Support for Software subscription and migrate to Oracle Solaris 11 free of charge. Transition to Oracle Solaris 10 Extended Support and be entitled to continue to receive updates as you already have been. Transition to Oracle Solaris 10 Sustaining Support. You will be entitled to patches that were available as of January 31, 2018. So, even if your systems aren't quite up to date, you will be able to update them to those fixes in the future. Discontinue Oracle Solaris 10 Support.

I hope this helped explain what your options are beginning on February 1, 2018. Please ask any other questions you may have, and reach out to your Oracle Sales Team so they can work with you on the next steps.