View source for Oracle Database

{{for|the database developed by DEC|Oracle Rdb}}

{{short description|Proprietary database management system}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Oracle Database
| logo = Oracle logo.svg
| screenshot =
| caption =
| developer = [[Oracle Corporation]]
| released = {{Start date and age|1979}}
| latest_release_version = {{Oracle Database version}}
| latest_release_date = {{Oracle Database version|releasedate}}
| genre = [[Multi-model database]]
| programming language = [[Assembly language]], [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |title= The Programming Languages Beacon, v16 |last= Lextrait |first= Vincent |date= March 2016 |access-date= 15 December 2016 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120530/http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |archive-date= 30 May 2012 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]<ref>{{Citation | publisher = Oracle | work = Technical network | url = https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/licenses/standard-license-152015.html | title = OTN Standard License}}</ref>
| website = {{URL |https://www.oracle.com/database/}}
}}

'''Oracle Database''' (commonly referred to as '''Oracle DBMS''', '''Oracle Autonomous Database''', or simply as '''Oracle''') is a proprietary [[multi-model database|multi-model]]<ref>{{cite web |publisher= Oracle |url= http://download.oracle.com/otndocs/products/spatial/pdf/12c/Multimodel_Database_with_Oracle_Database_12c_Release_2.pdf |title= Multimodel Database with Oracle Database 12c Release 2 |access-date= 1 March 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170414083210/http://download.oracle.com/otndocs/products/spatial/pdf/12c/Multimodel_Database_with_Oracle_Database_12c_Release_2.pdf |archive-date= 14 April 2017 |url-status= live }}</ref> [[database management system]] produced and marketed by [[Oracle Corporation]].

It is a database commonly used for running [[online transaction processing]] (OLTP), [[data warehouse|data warehousing]] (DW) and mixed (OLTP & DW) database workloads. Oracle Database is available by several service providers [[On-premises software|on-premises]], [[cloud computing|on-cloud]], or as a hybrid cloud installation.  It may be run on third party servers as well as on Oracle hardware ([[Oracle Exadata|Exadata]] on-premises, on [[Oracle Cloud]] or at Cloud at Customer).<ref>{{Citation |title=Exadata |url=http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/exadata/exacm-ds-3409774.pdf |work=Technical network |publisher=Oracle}}</ref>

Oracle Database uses [[SQL]] for database updating and retrieval.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Roeser |first1=Mary Beth |last2=Adams |first2=Drew |last3=Ashdown |first3=Lance |last4=Baby |first4=Thomas |last5=Baer |first5=Hermann |last6=Baskan |first6=Yasin |last7=Bayliss |first7=Nigel |last8=Chen |first8=Shuo |last9=Belden |first9=Eric |title=Oracle and Standard SQL |url=https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/21/sqlrf/Oracle-and-Standard-SQL.html |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=Oracle Help Center |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History ==

[[Larry Ellison]] and his two friends and former co-workers, [[Bob Miner]] and [[Ed Oates]], started a consultancy called Software Development Laboratories (SDL) in 1977, later [[Oracle Corporation]]. SDL developed the original version of the Oracle software. The name ''Oracle'' comes from the code-name of a [[Central Intelligence Agency]]-funded project Ellison had worked on while formerly employed by [[Ampex]];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,3604,215072,00.html|title=Welcome to Larryland|work=The Guardian|access-date=2009-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825232818/https://www.theguardian.com/g2/story/0,3604,215072,00.html|archive-date=25 August 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> the CIA was Oracle's first customer, and allowed the company to use the code name for the new product.<ref name="rdbmsoracle20070612">{{Cite interview |interviewer=Luanne Johnson |title=RDBMS Workshop: Oracle |type=PDF |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102746581 |access-date=2025-06-01 |publisher=Computer History Museum |date=2007-06-12}}</ref>

Ellison wanted his database to be compatible with [[IBM System R]], but that company's [[Don Chamberlin]] declined to release its error codes.{{r|rdbmsearlyyearsoh20070612}} By 1985 Oracle advertised, however, that "Programs written for [[SQL/DS]] or [[DB2]] will run unmodified" on the many non-IBM mainframes, minicomputers, and microcomputers its database supported "Because all versions of ORACLE ''are'' identical".<ref name="oracle19850520">{{Cite magazine |date=1985-05-20 |title=Oracle announces portable version of IBM SQL/DS and DB2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygHfUXZWXlcC&pg=PA47#v=onepage&q&f=true |access-date=2025-06-07 |magazine=Computerworld |page=47 |type=Advertisement |volume=XIX |issue=20}}</ref>

=== Releases and versions ===

Oracle products follow a custom release-numbering and -naming convention. The "ai" in the current release, Oracle Database 23ai, stands for "Artificial Intelligence". Previous releases (e.g. Oracle Database 19c, 10g, and Oracle9i Database) have used suffixes of "c", "g", and "i" which stand for "Cloud", "Grid", and "Internet" respectively. Prior to the release of Oracle8i Database, no suffixes featured in Oracle Database naming conventions. There was no v1 of Oracle Database, as Ellison "knew no one would want to buy version 1".<ref>{{cite web
| title= Larry Ellison Is A Billionaire Today Thanks to the CIA
| author= Julie Bort
| website= [[Business Insider]]
| date= 29 September 2014
| url= http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cia-made-larry-ellison-a-billionaire-2014-9?international=true&r=US&IR=T
| access-date= 13 January 2017
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170116143330/http://www.businessinsider.com/the-cia-made-larry-ellison-a-billionaire-2014-9?international=true&r=US&IR=T
| archive-date= 16 January 2017
| url-status= live
}}</ref><ref name="rdbmsearlyyearsoh20070612">{{Cite interview |interviewer=Burton Grad |title=RDBMS Plenary 1: Early Years |url=https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2013/05/102702562-05-01-acc.pdf |pages=33,35 |access-date=2025-05-30 |publisher=Computer History Museum |date=2007-06-12}}</ref> For some database releases, Oracle also provides an Express Edition (XE) that is free to use.<ref>{{cite web |title=Free Oracle Database for Everyone |url=https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/appdev/xe.html |website=[[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]] |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref>{{r|rdbmslateryears20070612}}

Oracle Database release numbering has used the following codes:

<!-- Template:Version - for version & release history. Documentation and examples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Version -->
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| colspan="6" | <small>{{Version |l |show=111100}} '''LTR''' = ''Long-Term Release'', '''IR''' = ''Innovation Release''</small>
|-
! Oracle <br /> Database <br /> Version
! Initial <br /> Release <br /> Version
! Initial <br /> Release <br /> Date
! Terminal <br />Version
! Marquee <br /> Features
|-
|{{Version |c |Oracle AI Database 26ai (LTR)}}
|23.26.0
|Starting with Release Update 23.26.0, released in October 2025, Oracle Database 23ai is replaced by Oracle AI Database 26ai. 
Applying Release Update 23.26.0 to an existing Oracle Database 23ai deployment converts it to Oracle AI Database 26ai without requiring a separate database upgrade or application re-certification<ref>{{Cite web |title=Release Schedule of Current Database Releases |url=https://support.oracle.com/knowledge/Oracle%20Database%20Products/742060_1.html |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=support.oracle.com}}</ref>
|
|
|-
|{{Version |co |Oracle Database 23ai (LTR)}}
|23.4.0
|From Release Update 23.26.0 onward, 23ai is replaced by Oracle AI Database 26ai<ref>{{Cite web |title=Release Schedule of Current Database Releases |url=https://support.oracle.com/knowledge/Oracle%20Database%20Products/742060_1.html |access-date=2025-11-14 |website=support.oracle.com}}</ref>
On May 2, 2024, Oracle Database 23ai<ref>{{cite web|title=Announcing Oracle Database 23ai: General Availability|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/database/post/oracle-23ai-now-generally-available|access-date=2024-05-02|website=Oracle Corporation|language=en}}</ref> was released on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) as cloud services, including OCI Exadata Database Service, OCI Exadata Database Cloud@Customer, and OCI Base Database Service. It is also available in Always Free Autonomous Database. Oracle Database 23c (previously released in 2023) was renamed to Oracle Database 23ai (23.4) due to the significant additional engineering effort to add features that bring AI capabilities to the data in Oracle Database.

Oracle Database 23c (23.2 and 23.3) was released in 2023: 
April 2023 (Linux) Oracle Database Free - Developer Release<ref>{{cite web|title=Oracle Database 23c Free - Developer Release|url=https://www.oracle.com/database/free|access-date=2023-04-03|website=Oracle Corporation|language=en}}</ref>
September 2023 Oracle Database on Base Database Service<ref>{{cite web|title=Oracle Database 23c on OCI Base Database Service|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/database/post/oracle-database-23c-the-next-long-term-support-release|access-date=2023-09-19|website=Oracle Corporation|language=en}}</ref>
|
|AI Vector Search<ref>{{cite web|title=Oracle Announces General Availability of AI Vector Search in Oracle Database 23ai|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/database/post/oracle-announces-general-availability-of-ai-vector-search-in-oracle-database-23ai|access-date=2024-05-02|website=Oracle Corporation|language=en}}</ref> (includes new Vector data type, Vector indexes, and Vector SQL operators/functions), JSON Relational Duality,<ref>{{cite web|title=Oracle Announces General Availability of JSON Relational Duality in Oracle Database 23ai|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/database/post/oracle-announces-general-availability-of-json-relational-duality-in-oracle-database-23ai|access-date=2024-05-02|website=Oracle Corporation|language=en}}</ref> JSON Schema Validation, Transactional Microservices Support, OKafka, Operational Property Graphs, Support for [[SQL/PGQ]], Schema Privileges, Developer Role, In-database SQL Firewall, TLS 1.3 Support, Integration with Azure Active Directory OAuth2, True Cache for mid-tier caching, Readable Per-PDB Standby, Globally Distributed Database with active-active RAFT-based replication, Real-time SQL Plan Management, Priority Transactions, SQL Syntax Simplification, Schema Annotations, Data Use Case Domains, Column Value Lock-free Reservations
|-
|{{Version |co |Oracle Database 21c (IR)}}
|21.1.0
|December 2020 (cloud)<ref>{{cite web|title=Oracle Database 21c|url=https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/21/index.html|access-date=2020-12-09|website=Oracle Help Center|language=en}}</ref>
August 2021 (Linux)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hardie |first=William |date=23 September 2021 |title=Oracle Database 21c Now Available On Linux |url=https://blogs.oracle.com/database/post/oracle-database-21c-available-now-on-linux |access-date=17 December 2023 |website=Oracle Database Insider}}</ref>
|
|Blockchain Tables, Multilingual Engine - JavaScript Execution in the Database, Binary JSON Data Type, Per-PDB Data Guard Physical Standby (aka Multitenant Data Guard), Per-PDB GoldenGate Change Capture, Self-Managing In-Memory, In-Memory Hybrid Columnar Scan, In-Memory Vector Joins with SIMD, Sharding Advisor Tool, Property Graph Visualization Studio, Automatic Materialized Views, Automatic Zone Maps, SQL Macros, Gradual Password Rollover
|
|-
| {{Version |co |Oracle Database 19c (LTR)}}
| 19.1.0 // 12.2.0.3
| February 2019 (Exadata)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/database/oracle-database-19c-now-available-on-oracle-exadata |access-date=2021-04-27 |title=Oracle Database 19c Now Available on Oracle Exadata|date=2019-02-13|first1=Dominic|last1=Giles|website=Oracle Database Insider }}</ref>
April 2019 (Linux)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/database/oracle-database-19c-now-available-on-linux |access-date=2021-04-27|date=2019-04-25|title=Oracle Database 19c Now Available on Linux|first1=William|last1=Hardie|website=Oracle Database Insider |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240405033115/https://blogs.oracle.com/database/post/oracle-database-19c-now-available-on-linux |archive-date= 5 Apr 2024 }}</ref>
<br />June 2019 (cloud)
|
| Active Data Guard DML Redirection, Automatic Index Creation, Real-Time Statistics Maintenance, SQL Queries on Object Stores, In-Memory for IoT Data Streams, Hybrid Partitioned Tables, Automatic SQL Plan Management, SQL Quarantine, Zero-Downtime Grid Infrastructure Patching, Finer-Granularity Supplemental Logging, Automated PDB Relocation
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle Database 18c (IR)}}
| 18.1.0 // 12.2.0.2
| February 2018 (cloud, Exadata)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.oracle.com/database/oracle-database-18c-:-now-available-on-the-oracle-cloud-and-oracle-engineered-systems |access-date=2021-04-28 |date=2018-02-16 |title=Oracle Database 18c : Now available on the Oracle Cloud and Oracle Engineered Systems |website=Oracle Database Insider }}</ref>
July 2018 (other)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://community.oracle.com/community/support/support-blogs/database-support-blog/blog/2018/07/23/oracle-database-18c-now-available-for-on-premises |title=Oracle Database 18c Now Available For On-Premises |website=Oracle Community |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=8 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808182223/https://community.oracle.com/community/support/support-blogs/database-support-blog/blog/2018/07/23/oracle-database-18c-now-available-for-on-premises |url-status=dead |date=2018-07-23|first1=Adriana |last1=Zagar}}</ref>
| 18.17.0<br />January 2022
| Polymorphic Table Functions, Active Directory Integration, Transparent Application Continuity, Approximate Top-N Query Processing, PDB Snapshot Carousel, Online Merging of Partitions and Subpartitions
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle Database 12''c'' Release 2}}
| 12.2.0.1<br />March 2017
| August 2016 (cloud)
March 2017 (on-premises)
| 12.2.0.1<br />March 2017
| Native Sharding, Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance, Exadata Cloud Service, Cloud at Customer
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle Database 12''c'' Release 1}}
| 12.1.0.1
| July 2013<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/1967380 |title=Oracle Announces General Availability of Oracle Database 12c, the First Database Designed for the Cloud |website=Oracle |access-date=9 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909145438/http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/1967380 |archive-date=9 September 2013 |url-status=dead| date=2013-07-01}}</ref>
| 12.1.0.2<br />July 2014
| Multitenant architecture, In-Memory [[Column-oriented DBMS|Column Store]], Native [[JSON]], SQL Pattern Matching, Database Cloud Service
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle Database 11''g'' Release 2}}
| 11.2.0.1
| September 2009<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/032365 |access-date=4 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405030158/http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/032365 |website=Oracle |archive-date=5 April 2018 |url-status=dead |title=Oracle® Database 11g Release 2 is Now Available|date=2009-09-01 }}</ref>
| 11.2.0.4<br />August 2013
| Edition-Based Redefinition, Data Redaction, Hybrid Columnar Compression, Cluster File System, Golden Gate Replication, [[Oracle Database Appliance|Database Appliance]]
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle Database 11''g'' Release 1}}
| 11.1.0.6
| September 2007
| 11.1.0.7<br />September 2008
| [[Active Data Guard]], Secure Files, [[Oracle Exadata|Exadata]]
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle Database 10''g'' Release 2}}
| 10.2.0.1
| July 2005<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/017324_EN |title=Oracle Announces General Availability of Oracle® Database 10g Release 2 |website=Oracle |access-date=4 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405025608/http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/017324_EN |archive-date=5 April 2018 |url-status=dead |date=2005-07-11}}</ref>
| 10.2.0.5<br />April 2010
| Real Application Testing, Database Vault, Online Indexing, Advanced Compression, Data Guard Fast-Start Failover, Transparent Data Encryption
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle Database 10''g'' Release 1}}
| 10.1.0.2
| 2003
| 10.1.0.5<br />February 2006
| Automated Database Management, Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor, Grid infrastructure, Oracle ASM, Flashback Database
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle9''i'' Database Release 2}}
| 9.2.0.1
| 2002
| 9.2.0.8<br />April 2007
| Advanced Queuing, [[Oracle Data Mining|Data Mining]], Streams, Logical Standby
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle9''i'' Database}}
| 9.0.1.0
| 2001
| 9.0.1.5<br />December 2003
| [[Oracle RAC|Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)]], Oracle XML DB
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle8''i'' Database}}
| 8.1.5.0
| 1998
| 8.1.7.4<br />August 2000
| Native internet protocols and Java, [[Virtual private database|Virtual Private Database]]
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle8 Database}}
| 8.0.3
| June 1997
| 8.0.6
| Recovery Manager, Partitioning. First version available for Linux.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Biggs |first=Maggie |date=1998-10-05 |title=Oracle8 on Linux shows promise |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sFEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA129 |magazine=[[InfoWorld]] |access-date=2019-09-07 }}</ref>
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle 7.3}}
| 7.3.0
| February 1996
| 7.3.4
| Object-relational database
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle 7.2}}
| 7.2.0
| May 1995
|
| Shared Server, XA Transactions, Transparent Application Failover
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle 7.1}}
| 7.1.0
| May 1994
|
| Parallel SQL Execution. First version available for [[Windows NT]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Nash |first=Kim |date=1994-10-03 |title=Oracle users ponder product overload |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IrCYpCv7YXsC&pg=PA7 |magazine=Infoworld |publisher=IDG Enterprise |access-date=2020-07-30 }}</ref>
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle7}}
| 7.0.12
| June 1992
|
| Distributed 2-phase commit,{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}} PL/SQL stored procedures, triggers, shared cursors, cost-based optimizer
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle 6.2}}
| 6.2.0
|
|
| Oracle Parallel Server
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle v6}}
| 6.0.17
| 1988
| 6.0.37
| Row-level locking, [[symmetric multiprocessor|SMP]] scalability / performance, storing of undo in database,{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}} online backup and recovery, B*Tree indexes, [[PL/SQL]] executed from compiled programs (C etc.). First version available for [[NetWare#NetWare 3.x|Novell Netware 386]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=O'Brien |first=Timothy |date=1991-04-29 |title=Oracle unveils data base for Novell NetWare 386 LANs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gw0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2 |magazine=[[InfoWorld]] |access-date=2019-09-07 }}</ref>
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle v5}}
| 5.0.22 (5.1.17)
| 1985
| 5.1.22
| C2 security certification. Support for [[distributed database|distributed database systems]]{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}} and [[Client-server computing|client/server computing]]. First version available for [[OS/2]]. Correlated sub-queries.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Mace |first=Scott |date=1989-01-30 |title=DOS Version of Professional Oracle 5.1B Adds SQL Report Writer |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MzoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA6 |magazine=[[InfoWorld]] |access-date=2019-09-07 }}</ref> DOS version supports [[extended memory]].{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}}
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle v4}}
| 4.1.4.0
| 1984
| 4.1.4.4
| Multiversion read consistency. [[Halloween Problem]] solved. Improved concurrency.{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}} First version available for [[MS-DOS]]<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Webster |first=Robin |date=1984-11-13 |title=PC Relational Database? New Answer is Oracle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Ukz6hjZEA4C&pg=PA57 |magazine=[[PC Magazine]] |access-date=2019-07-01 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://technology.amis.nl/2006/04/04/back-to-the-future-oracle-41-vm-appliance/ |title=Back to the future (Oracle 4.1 VM appliance) |last=Gralike |first=Marco |date=2006-04-04 |website=amis.nl |access-date=2019-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701142355/https://technology.amis.nl/2006/04/04/back-to-the-future-oracle-41-vm-appliance/ |archive-date=1 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[IBM mainframe]].{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}}
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle v3}}
| 3.1.3
| 1983
|
| [[Concurrency control]], data distribution, and [[scalability]]. Re-written in C for portability to other operating systems, including [[UNIX]].<ref>{{cite book |date=1983 |title=Data Processing Digest Volumes 29-30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eygmAQAAIAAJ&q=oracle+unix |publisher=[[Roger Sisson|Data Processing Digest]] |page=2}}</ref>{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}}
|-
| {{Version |o |Oracle v2}}
| 2.3
| 1979
|
| First commercially available SQL [[Relational database|RDBMS]]. Basic SQL queries, simple joins<ref name="VEI-Kuni-OraR2">{{cite web|url=http://cs-exhibitions.uni-klu.ac.at/index.php?id=403|title=Oracle V2|website=Virtual Exhibitions in Informatics|publisher=University of Klagenfurt|author=Departments of Informatics|access-date=30 September 2019|url-status=live|archive-date=30 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930122821/http://cs-exhibitions.uni-klu.ac.at/index.php?id=403}}</ref> and <code>CONNECT BY</code> joins. Atomic role-level SQL statements. Rudimentary [[concurrency control]] and [[database integrity]]. No [[query optimizer]]. Written in [[assembly language]] for the [[PDP-11]]{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}} to run in 128KB of [[Random-access memory|RAM]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Maheshwari |first=Sharad |date=2007 |title=Introduction to SQL and PL/SQL |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V1eMhnTq2BYC&pg=PA12 |publisher=Firewall Media |page=12 |isbn=9788131800386}}</ref> Ran on PDP-11 and [[VAX]]/VMS in PDP-11 compatibility mode.{{r|rdbmsoracle20070612}}
|-
| colspan="6" | <small>{{Version |l |show=111100}} '''LTR''' = ''Long-Term Release'', '''IR''' = ''Innovation Release''</small>
|}

The [https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/19/cncpt/introduction-to-oracle-database.html#GUID-43F9DD5C-8D8C-4E61-A2B4-5C05907D3CEC Introduction to Oracle Database] includes a brief history on some of the key innovations introduced with each major release of Oracle Database.

See My Oracle Support (MOS) note ''[https://support.oracle.com/knowledge/Oracle%20Database%20Products/742060_1.html Release Schedule of Current Database Releases (Doc ID 742060.1)]'' for the current Oracle Database releases and their patching end dates.

=== Patch updates and security alerts ===

Prior to Oracle Database 18c, Oracle Corporation released Critical Patch Updates (CPUs) and Security Patch Updates (SPUs)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bnx9_MkBimcC|title=Oracle Data Guard 11gR2 Administration Beginner's Guide|last1=Baransel|first1=Emre|publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd|isbn=9781849687911|date=2013|quote=You should not get confused between Critical Patch Update (CPU) and Security Patch Update (SPU) as CPU terminology has been changed to SPU from October 2012.|access-date=2014-01-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123144706/https://books.google.com/books?id=bnx9_MkBimcC|archive-date=23 November 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> and Security Alerts to close security vulnerabilities. These releases are issued quarterly; some of these releases have updates issued prior to the next quarterly release.

Starting with Oracle Database 18c, Oracle Corporation releases Release Updates (RUs) and Release Update Revisions (RURs).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/12.2/dbptc/patch-delivery-methods-for-oracle-database-12c-release-2-12-2-0-1-and-later-versions-243888991.html |title=Patch Delivery Methods for Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2.0.1) and Later Versions |publisher=Docs.oracle.com |date= |accessdate=2022-03-16}}</ref> RUs usually contain security, regression (bug), optimizer, and functional fixes which may include feature extensions as well. RURs include all fixes from their corresponding RU but only add new security and regression fixes. However, no new optimizer or functional fixes are included.

=== Competition ===

In the market for relational databases, Oracle Database competes against commercial products such as [[IBM Db2]] and [[Microsoft SQL Server]].<ref name="rdbmslateryears20070612">{{Cite interview |interviewer=Burton Grad |title=RDBMS Plenary Session: The Later Years |url=https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2013/05/102701921-05-01-acc.pdf |access-date=2025-05-30 |publisher=Computer History Museum |date=2007-06-12}}</ref> Oracle and IBM tend to battle for the mid-range database market on Unix and Linux platforms, while Microsoft dominates the mid-range database market on [[Microsoft Windows]] platforms. However, since they share many of the same customers, Oracle and IBM tend to support each other's products in many middleware and application categories (for example: [[WebSphere]], [[PeopleSoft]], and [[Siebel Systems]] [[Customer relationship management|CRM]]), and IBM's hardware divisions work closely{{Citation needed|date= February 2010}} with Oracle on performance-optimizing server-technologies (for example, [[Linux on IBM Z]]). Niche commercial competitors include [[Teradata]] (in data warehousing and business intelligence), Software AG's [[ADABAS]], [[Sybase]], and IBM's [[Informix]], among many others.

In the cloud, Oracle Database competes against the database services of AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Increasingly, the Oracle database products compete against [[open-source software]] relational and non-relational database systems such as [[PostgreSQL]], [[MongoDB]], [[Couchbase]], [[Neo4j]], [[ArangoDB]] and others. Oracle acquired [[Innobase]], supplier of the [[InnoDB]] codebase to [[MySQL]], in part to compete better against open source alternatives, and acquired [[Sun Microsystems]], owner of MySQL, in 2010.  Database products licensed as open-source are, by the legal terms of the [[Open Source Definition]], free to distribute and free of royalty or other licensing fees.

==Reception==
The ''[[Rosen Electronics Letter]]'' in February 1983 stated that Oracle was "the most comprehensive offering we've seen" among databases, with good marketing and substantial installed base encouraging developers to write software for it. The newsletter especially approved of the user interface, noting the "simplicity of setting up 'programs'—queries, data manipulation, updates—without actually programming".<ref name="rosen19830222">{{Cite news |date=1983-02-22 |title=DBMS and the workstation: Oracle gets close |url=https://cdn.oreillystatic.com/radar/r1/02-83.pdf |access-date=2025-06-05 |work=[[The Rosen Electronics Letter]] |pages=3-5}}</ref> 

== See also ==

{{Portal|Companies}}
* [[Comparison of relational database management systems]]
* [[Comparison of object–relational database management systems]]
* [[Database management system]]
* [[List of relational database management systems]]
* [[List of databases using MVCC]]
* [[Oracle SQL Developer]]
* [[Oracle Real Application Testing]]

== References ==

{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==

{{Commons category|Oracle Database}}
{{wikibooks|Oracle database}}
{{Wikiversity|Oracle Database}}
* [https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/23/cncpt/introduction-to-oracle-database.html Overview provided by Oracle Corporation].

{{Databases}}
{{Oracle}}

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