Oracle removes Solaris 12 from its roadmap

Oracle has updated its roadmap for Solaris and Sparc and it appears that Solaris 12 is no longer appearing. Instead, ‘Solaris 11.next’ will have a continuous delivery model and will remain the last version until at least 2021.

On the 2014 roadmap, Solaris 12 was still scheduled for release in 2016, and new versions of the software should appear until 2019. The roadmap has now been adjusted and Solaris 12 is no longer present on it. Oracle does speak of a Solaris 11.next, with the announcement that the software will receive Cloud Deployment & Integration Enhancements.

As noted by a reader of The Register, Oracle clarifies in its support document that Solaris 11 gets updates through a continuous delivery model. The existing release will receive new functionality through updates. Oracle would also inform customers that there will be no more major releases, but that minor updates should bring new functions.

The roadmap has also been adjusted for the Sparc processors. Oracle talks about the arrival of Sparc next and Sparc.next+. The reported throughput is slightly higher than for the new Sparc generation as promised by Oracle in 2014. The company also mentions the presence of ‘software in silicon’.

The revised roadmap follows early December rumors that Solaris 11.4 would be the last Solaris version, that there would be no successor to the Sparc S7, and that the number of Solaris development teams would be drastically reduced.