2016-07-20

The latest Java Runtime Environment 1.6.0_121 (a.k.a. JRE 6u121-b9) and later updates on the JRE 6 codeline
are now certified with Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12.x for Windows-based desktop clients.

All JRE 6, 7, and 8 releases are certified with EBS upon release

Our standard policy is that all E-Business Suite customers can
apply all
JRE updates to end-user desktops:

From JRE 1.6.0_03 and later updates on
the JRE 6 codeline

From JRE 1.7.0_10 and later updates on the JRE 7
codeline

From JRE 1.8.0_25 and later updates on the JRE 8 codeline

We test
all new JRE releases in parallel with the JRE development
process, so
all new JRE releases are considered certified with the
E-Business Suite on
the same day that they're released by our Java team.

You do not need to wait for a certification announcement before
applying new JRE 6, 7, or 8 releases to your EBS users' desktops.

Effects of new support dates on Java upgrades for EBS environments

Support dates for the E-Business Suite and Java have changed.  Please review the sections below for more details:

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JRE 7 for Windows desktop clients?

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

New EBS installation scripts

This JRE release is the first with a 3-digit Java version.
Installing this in your EBS 11i and 12.x environments will require new
installation scripts.  See the documentation listed in the 'References'
section for more detail.

32-bit and 64-bit versions certified

This certification includes both the 32-bit and 64-bit JRE
versions for various Windows operating systems. See the respective Deploying JRE documentation for your EBS release for details.

Implications of Java 6 End of Public Updates for EBS Users

The Support Roadmap for Oracle Java is published here:

Oracle Java SE Support Roadmap

The latest updates to that page (as of Sept. 19, 2012) state:

Java SE 6 End of Public Updates Notice

After February 2013, Oracle will no longer post updates of Java SE 6 to
its public download sites. Existing Java SE 6 downloads already posted
as of February 2013 will remain accessible in the Java Archive
on Oracle Technology Network. Developers and end-users are encouraged
to update to more recent Java SE versions that remain available for
public download. For enterprise customers, who need continued access to
critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general maintenance for
Java SE 6 or older versions, long term support is available through Oracle Java SE Support .

What does this mean for Oracle E-Business Suite users?

EBS users fall under the category of "enterprise users" above.
Java is an integral part of the Oracle E-Business Suite technology
stack, so EBS users will continue to receive Java SE 6 updates from
February 2013 to the end of Java SE 6 Extended Support in June 2017.

In other words, nothing changes for EBS users after February 2013.

EBS users will continue to receive critical bug fixes and security
fixes as well as general maintenance for Java SE 6 until the end of Java SE 6 Extended Support in June 2017.

How can EBS customers obtain Java 6 updates after the public end-of-life?

Java 6 is now available
only via My Oracle Support for E-Business Suite users.  You can find
links to this release, including Release Notes, documentation, and the
actual Java downloads here:

All Java SE Downloads on MOS (Note 1439822.1)

Both
JDK and JRE packages are contained in a single combined download after
6u45.  Download the "JDK" package for both the desktop client JRE and
the server-side JDK package.

Coexistence of multiple JRE releases Windows desktops

The upgrade to JRE 8 is recommended for EBS users, but
some users may need to run older versions of JRE 6 or 7 on their Windows desktops
for reasons unrelated to the E-Business Suite.

Most EBS configurations
with IE and Firefox use non-static versioning by default. JRE 8 will
be invoked instead of earlier JRE releases if both are installed on a Windows desktop.
For more details, see "Appendix B: Static vs. Non-static Versioning and
Set Up Options" in Notes 290807.1 and 393931.1.

What do Mac users need?

Mac users running Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) can run JRE 7 or 8 plug-ins.  See:

Oracle E-Business Suite Release Notes Release 12 for Apple Macintosh OS X (Note 1533334.1)

Will EBS users be forced to upgrade to JDK 7 for EBS application tier servers?

JRE is used for desktop clients.  JDK is used for application tier servers

JDK upgrades for E-Business Suite application tier servers are highly recommended but currently remain
optional while Java 6 is covered by Extended Support. Updates
will be delivered via My Oracle Support, where you can continue to
receive critical bug fixes and security fixes as well as general
maintenance for JDK 6 for application tier servers.

Java SE 6 is covered by Extended Support until June 2017.  All EBS
customers with application tier servers on Windows, Solaris, and Linux
must upgrade to JDK 7 by June 2017. EBS customers running their
application tier servers on other operating systems should check with
their respective vendors for the support dates for those platforms.

JDK 7 is certified with E-Business Suite 12.  See:

Java (JDK) 7 Certified for E-Business Suite 12.0 and 12.1 Servers

Java (JDK) 7 Certified with E-Business Suite 12.2 Servers

References

Recommended Browsers for Oracle Applications 12 (MetaLink Note 389422.1)

Deploying Sun JRE (Native Plug-in) for Windows Clients in Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 (Note 393931.1)

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