By Sahar Youssef, Senior Manager – Database
AWS has announced that support for Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle will end on March 31, 2027. After that date, organizations will no longer be able to access the Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle service, including RDS Custom for Oracle database instances, snapshots, and custom engine versions (CEVs).
AWS recommends migrating workloads before that date. If your organization runs Oracle workloads on Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle, you have less than 11 months to build and execute a migration plan for those workloads.
CBTS has identified four migration paths — and may be able to help you secure funding to assess your options and build your plan.
AWS has historically offered Oracle clients several flavors of database hosting, each with its own tradeoffs. Amazon RDS for Oracle is a fully managed service where AWS handles managing, patching, monitoring, backups, and tuning. Amazon EC2 is essentially a blank virtual machine. Since the client’s team does everything, EC2 provides both maximum flexibility and maximum operational burden.
A multi-cloud offering, OracleDatabase@AWS, became generally available in July 2025. It gives organizations another option for Oracle workloads that need Exadata capabilities or Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC). With OracleDatabase@AWS, Oracle Database runs on Exadata infrastructure inside AWS data centers, while applications remain in AWS and connect over a private, low-latency network. The service is designed to enable organizations to keep AWS as their primary application platform while gaining access to Oracle features that previously required Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Such features include RAC, Exadata performance benefits, Oracle Database 26ai capabilities, and tighter integration with AWS services for analytics, AI, backups, observability, and provisioning through familiar AWS tools.
Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle sits between Amazon RDS for Oracle and EC2. AWS handled the routine, repetitive work that consumes a senior DBA’s day. But clients retained access to the operating system and the ability to install agents, run custom scripts, tune parameters, apply patches, and manage their own backup strategies.
For shops running legacy or packaged Oracle applications with specific configuration requirements, Amazon RDS Custom hit a sweet spot with a hybrid approach that combines the operational simplicity of a managed database service with the flexibility and control traditionally associated with self-managed Oracle environments. So, if you’re running it today, the end of support probably falls somewhere between “inconvenient” and “disruptive.”
It’s a real change and requires real planning. However, most organizations on Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle would eventually need to re-evaluate their database strategy, anyway, due to cost, modernization goals, multi-cloud ambitions, and/or the natural evolution of their architecture.
With a clear timeline and the right partner by your side, this is an opportunity to make a deliberate, strategic choice about your database environment over the next several years.
CBTS has identified four migration paths worth considering.
Option 1: Move to Amazon RDS for Oracle. If you can live without the customization layer, Amazon RDS for Oracle handles most database administration for you. The trade-off is flexibility. You’ll lose OS-level access, SYSDBA, and the ability to fine-tune the database environment, along with some other restrictions. For many workloads, that trade-off is manageable and can simplify your DBA staffing model.
Option 2: Migrate to EC2. On this path — the official AWS recommendation — you retain full control, but your team assumes full operational responsibility. That includes provisioning, patching, monitoring, tuning, and backup management, which may significantly impact your talent requirements. While Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle allows you to operate with a smaller team of mid-level DBAs, EC2 typically requires more senior DBA capacity.
Option 3: Consider OracleDatabase@AWS. Oracle workloads using RAC or other Exadata features (such as Smart Scan, Storage Indexes, and Hybrid Columnar Compression) can now run on Oracle’s Exadata infrastructure while keeping your applications on AWS. Latency stays minimal because the database lives in the same physical data center as your AWS workloads. If you have RAC for high availability or stringent uptime requirements, this is often the strongest option.
Option 4: Replatform to a different database engine. Amazon RDS Custom for SQL Server remains fully supported by AWS. If your applications can tolerate a change in the database engine, replatforming from Oracle to SQL Server is on the table. There are other replatforming options, including Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL/RDS PostgreSQL and Amazon Aurora MySQL. Although it requires a bigger shift, for some organizations, long-term licensing and operational economics make it worth a look.
This is the kind of decision that benefits from a partner who’s done it before and, as an AWS partner, may be able to secure AWS funding for a meaningful portion of the work.
Here’s how CBTS can help:
We start with an assessment. Before recommending any path, our team conducts a discovery and assessment of your current environment, application dependencies, and business requirements. The output is an objective recommendation on which option fits.
We bring AWS Migration and Modernization Competency credentials. In addition to being an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, CBTS has earned AWS Migration and Modernization Competency. This credential is awarded to partners who have demonstrated ROI and evidence of execution in line with AWS best practices. Earning it required an eight-hour third-party audit and eight months of documented migration work, demonstrating that CBTS delivers migrations as AWS recommends.
We can secure MAP funding on your behalf. Because of our Migration and Modernization Competency, we can access the AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) for eligible clients. MAP provides AWS-funded credits across the migration journey — including assessment, mobilization and planning, and migration itself. For some clients, the assessment phase costs nothing out of pocket.
We support you through the full lifecycle. Beyond the migration itself, we provide professional services for planning and execution, modernization services, and ongoing managed services for the resulting environment.
The clock is ticking — start exploring your options today
Want to find out if you qualify for MAP funding? Curious which option fits your environment? Contact CBTS to schedule a no-cost migration assessment. We’ll help you understand your options, identify the funding you’re eligible for, and build a plan that keeps your Oracle workloads running smoothly well beyond the transition.