
The Oracle support landscape is complex, and selecting the right support model for your Oracle Database and E-Business Suite (EBS) is a critical decision that can impact your business performance, security, compliance and operational stability. With Oracle’s Market Driven Support (MDS) rebranded as Restricted Upgrade Support (RUS), you’re likely wondering what changes were made and what value you’ll get if you transition to Oracle’s RUS model.
Many organizations are wondering if RUS is a valuable stopgap solution to maintain a higher level of support without committing to costly upgrades. To help you make more informed decisions, we’ve addressed some of the most common questions IT and finance leaders are asking about Oracle’s RUS model, including smarter alternatives that go beyond gap support.
Question 1: What is the difference between Sustaining Support and RUS?
Sustaining Support is essentially Oracle’s “you’re on your own” plan — you have access to existing fixes but no new patches, updates or bug fixes. RUS, on the other hand, is a limited and reactive add-on option, kicking in only for critical issues: Severity 1 for Oracle Database (ODB) and Severity 1 & 2 for E-Business Suite (EBS). RUS is a support option available to purchase in addition to Sustaining Support, often viewed as an additional “insurance policy” for customers seeking enhanced coverage for potentially critical issues.
RUS uses “commercially reasonable efforts” and is not handled by Oracle’s traditional support team. Instead, it’s managed through Oracle’s Customer Success Services — a strategic move that some see as a way to push customers toward upgrades.
Question 2: What products are supported under RUS?
RUS applies to specific, older versions of Oracle products that are no longer eligible for Premier or Extended Support. The key products eligible for RUS include:
Unlike Premier or Extended Support, RUS is intended to provide limited, temporary support that fills the gap for companies delaying upgrades, and who need more than what’s offered with Sustaining Support. However, it’s important to recognize that the support provided under RUS isn’t comprehensive.
Question 3: What support will I get with RUS?
RUS does not provide support in the way you might expect. It’s a scaled-back, limited option with critical gaps that could leave your business exposed. If your company relies on a highly customized Oracle environment or expects proactive issue resolution, RUS might not be the right option for you. Here’s why:
Limited severity coverage.
RUS only addresses Severity 1[3] issues for databases and Severity 1 and 2 issues for EBS[4]. If you experience non-critical issues, such as slow performance, usability problems or minor feature issues, you’re on your own.
No support for customizations.
If you’ve built custom workflows, processes or enhancements specific to your business, RUS won’t support them. The custom workflows are typically excluded so you’ll need to rely on your internal teams or consultants to resolve issues stemming from customizations.
Unpredictable security patches.
Under RUS, Oracle provides periodic security patches, but there’s no set schedule.[5] With cybersecurity threats at an all-time high, waiting on Oracle to decide when to patch your systems may pose a major risk while your business’s data and systems could remain vulnerable for weeks or months.
While Oracle’s RUS may seem like one option for companies delaying upgrades, it’s essential to recognize its limitations.
Question 4: How will this impact my costs and upgrade timeline?
One of the most common reasons businesses explore RUS is to avoid the cost and disruption of an upgrade. At first glance, RUS may seem like a cost-saving alternative to a full upgrade. But the cost of using this path for savings today may lead to higher costs in the long term.
No long-term cost reduction:
While RUS might seem like an option for avoiding financial and operational risks, it comes with a hefty price tag and unproven long-term value. You have options and don’t need to pay for costly upgrades or “insurance policies” to keep your Oracle Database or EBS running under Sustaining Support. There are smarter, more cost-effective solutions that provide excellent support without the hidden fees or pressure to upgrade.
Upgrade pressure:
RUS is only available for select Oracle systems and for a limited period of time. Once the RUS period expires, your option with Oracle will be to upgrade or stay on Sustaining Support — where you’ll receive no new patches or fixes but still pay 22% for maintenance fees.
Hidden costs of limited support:
If you run into issues that Oracle won’t fix due to customization exclusions or lower-severity bugs, you’ll have to rely on in-house teams or consultants to resolve them — adding unplanned costs to your IT budget.
RUS delays upgrades, but does not eliminate the need to remain fully supported. The ongoing cost of support and risk of unresolved issues often outweigh any short-term savings.
Question 5: What’s the alternative to RUS?
For companies looking for a smarter way to resolve support issues for products under Sustaining Support — without relying on Oracle’s RUS model, Rimini Street offers a powerful alternative. With Rimini Street clients gain access to:
Full support for both Oracle-built code and custom code, ensuring your workflows remain fully operational and maintained without disruption.
Instead of periodic updates, Rimini Street delivers proactive security support, providing you with 24/7 access to security advisory teams, quarterly threat intelligence reports and additional security solutions to safeguard your systems.
While RUS is limited to Severity 1 issues for Oracle Database and Severity 1 & 2 for Oracle EBS issues, Rimini Street provides resolution for issues of all severities. Whether it’s a minor defect or a critical outage, you’ll get the support you need. With industry-leading SLAs, including a 10-minute response time for Priority 1 issues and an average response time of under 2 minutes, Rimini Street is a reliable alternative.
Companies switching to Rimini Street for replacement of RUS or full Oracle support see significant cost savings. Those that fully transition experience up to an average cost savings of 50% or more on support fees while avoiding Oracle’s forced upgrade cycle. But it’s not just about savings or gap support — with Rimini Street, companies break free from the constraints of vendor support, freeing up valuable internal resources, reducing operational strain and extending the life of their existing systems for years to come.
Oracle’s RUS may seem like a good enough option to delay an upgrade, but it’s essential to understand the trade-offs. Reduced coverage, unpredictable patching and no customization support could leave your business vulnerable, especially if you’re running mission-critical workflows.
Companies that switch to third-party support for Oracle with Rimini Street maintain more control over their Oracle environment.
[1] https://support.oracle.com/knowledge/Oracle%20Database%20Products/742060_1.html
[2] https://support.oracle.com/knowledge/Oracle%20E-Business%20Suite/2829137_1.html
[3] https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/support/upgrade-support-for-oracle-database12c.pdf
[4] https://www.itconvergence.com/blog/oracle-market-driven-support-cost/#:~:text=Market%20Driven%20Support%2C%20or%20MDS,to%20move%20to%20release%2012.2.
[5] https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/support/upgrade-support-for-oracle-database12c.pdf