Banner and Oracle Upgrades

The regular Banner and Oracle maintenance window is scheduled for every Saturday evening starting at sundown until midnight.  During this time any systems that rely on Banner data and the underlying Oracle database may be unavailable.  These services include Banner Admin, Banner Self-service servers (like Registration and Student Profile), Redwood, Vault, CAS authentication or Andrews Secured Websites, TouchNet credit card payment processing.

Sunset calendar for Berrien Springs: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@z-us-49103


Upgrade Key words:

  • Oracle/Oracle Patches:  This implies the Banner Oracle database server critical patch upgrades which take about 3-5 hours to complete and come out quarterly.  During these upgrades all database instances will be shutdown and any services requiring banner data will be unavailable.  This includes Banner Admin, Banner Self-service servers (like Student Registration, Student Profile, Employee Self-service, etc…), Vault, iVue, prevue, TouchNet credit card backend services, Redwood, CAS authentication for Andrews University secured webpages.
  • Oracle Version Upgrade:  This implies the Banner Oracle database version upgrades which can take 6 - 10 hours to complete and will often be scheduled for multiple days including Saturday nights and part of Sunday for the core upgrade and additional Saturday nights for different Database instance upgrades.  This will typically happen every 1 - 3 years depending on the version of Oracle that Banner supports.  This affects the same resources as the Oracle Patches.
  • Banner Upgrades:  This implies the Banner Admin and Banner Self-Service web servers are being upgraded.  During this time the following services may be intermittently available. Making any updates in these resources is not advisable because servers may become unavailable at any time during an update process.  These services include: Banner Admin, Banner Self-service servers (like Student Registration, Student Profile, Employee Self-service, etc…), Vault, iVue, prevue, TouchNet credit card backend services.
  • Degree Works Upgrades:  This may include upgrades to the Degree Works Oracle database server as well as the different Degree Works application servers.  During this time the Degree Works servers will not be available.
  • Upgrade Restricted:  These are scheduled dates where no upgrades will happen due to events requiring banner services during this upgrade window. To request an Upgrade Restricted date please email dba@andrews.edu with the date and reason and we will evaluate whether we can alter the upgrade schedule. In general, you should plan to not need banner services on Saturday night.
  • Tentative:  This is an unconfirmed maintenance window that will be determined closer to the actual date.
  • PROD:  This is updates in the production environment which will cause outages in applications like Banner, Vault, Touchnet, etc....
  • TEST:  This is updates in the Test environment which should not impact access to production resources like Banner, Vault, Touchnet, etc....

Banner Upgrade Release Information

Upgrade calendar: This calendar may change as upgrades are approved for deployment into production.  To receive notifications on Thursday or Friday prior to the upgrades please subscribe to the bannerupgrades mailing list: (Subscribe Here)

Date: Upgrade Notes:
November 1,2025 Tentative
November 8,2025 Oracle Patch Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades October 16, Tier 2
November 15,2025 Tentative
November 22,2025 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades November 20, Tier 2
November 29,2025 NONE
December 6,2025 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades November 20, Tier 2
Tentative - Banner Upgrades December Releases
December 13,2025 Tentative - Banner Upgrades December Releases
December 20,2025 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
December 27,2025 NONE
January 3, 2026 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades December 11, Tier 1
January 10, 2026 Upgrade Restricted (REC) (SFS)
January 17, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC)
Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades January 15, Tier 2
January 24, 2026 Tentative - Oracle Patch, PROD Banner Upgrades January 15, Tier 2
January 31, 2026 Tentative
February 7, 2026 Tentative
February 14, 2026 Tentative
February 21, 2026 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades February 19, Tier 2
February 28, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC)
March 7, 2026 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades February 19, Tier 2
March 14, 2026 Tentative
March 21, 2026 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades March 19, Tier 1
March 28, 2026 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades March 19, Tier 1
April 4, 2026 Tentative
April 11, 2026 Tentative
April 18, 2026 Tentative
April 25, 2026 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
May 2, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC)
Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades April 16, Tier 2
May 9, 2026 Upgrade Restricted (REC) (SFS)
May 16, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC)
May 23, 2026 Oracle Patches
Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades April 16, Tier 2
Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades May 21, Tier 2
May 30, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (SFS)
Tentative - Alternate TEST Banner Upgrades May 21, Tier 2
June 6, 2026 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades May 21, Tier 2
June 13, 2026 Tentative
June 20, 2026 Tentative
June 27, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (SFS)
Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades June 18, Tier 1
July 4, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (SFS)
July 11, 2026 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades June 18, Tier 1
July 18, 2026 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades July 16, Tier 2
July 25, 2026 Tentative - Oracle Patch, PROD Banner Upgrades July 16, Tier 2
August 1, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC)
August 8, 2026 Tentative
August 15, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC), (SFS)
August 22, 2026 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades August 20, Tier 2
August 29, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC)
September 5, 2026 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades August 20, Tier 2
September 12, 2026 Tentative
September 19, 2026 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades September 17, Tier 1
September 26, 2026 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades September 17, Tier 1
October 3, 2026 Tentative
October 10, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC)
October 17, 2026 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades October 15, Tier 2
October 24, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (SFS)
October 31, 2026 Tentative - Oracle Patch, PROD Banner Upgrades October 15, Tier 2
November 7, 2026 Tentative
November 14, 2026 Tentative
November 21, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (SFS)
Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades November 19, Tier 2
November 28, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (SFS)
December 5, 2026 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades November 19, Tier 2
December 12, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (REC) (Possible HR/Payroll Regulatory Upgrade override)
December 19, 2026 Preferred No Upgrade (SFS) (Possible HR/Payroll Regulatory Upgrade override)
December 26, 2026 Tentative

Upgrade calendar Archive:

Date: Upgrade Notes:
January 4,2025 Tentative
January 11,2025 Banner Upgrades - Override Restricted (SFS)
January 18,2025 Tentative
January 25,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
February 1,2025 Oracle and PROD Banner Upgrades Jan 16, Tier 2
February 8,2025 TEST Banner Upgrades Feb 6, Tier 3
February 15,2025 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades Feb 6, Tier 3
February 22,2025 Upgrade Restricted (DBA)
March 1,2025 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades Feb 20, Tier 2
March 8,2025 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
March 15,2025 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades Feb 20, Tier 2
March 22,2025 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades Mar 20, Tier 1
March 29,2025 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades Mar 20, Tier 1
April 5,2025 Tentative
April 12,2025 Tentative
April 19,2025 TEST Banner Upgrades Apr 17, Tier 2
April 26,2025 Oracle and PROD Banner Upgrades Apr 17, Tier 2
May 3,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
May 10,2025 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
May 17,2025 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades May 15, Tier 2
May 24,2025 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades May 15, Tier 2
May 31,2025 Upgrade Restricted (DBA) - End of month processing
June 7,2025 Tentative
June 14,2025 Tentative
June 21,2025 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades June 20, Tier 1
June 28,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
TEST Banner Upgrades June 20, Tier 1 Alternate
July 5,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)
July 12,2025 NONE
July 19,2025 Oracle Patch
PROD Banner Upgrades June 20, Tier 1
TEST Banner Upgrades July 17, Tier 2
July 26,2025 PROD Banner Upgrades July 17, Tier 2
August 2,2025 Upgrade Restricted (REC)
August 9,2025 Tentative
August 16,2025 Tentative
August 23,2025 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
August 30,2025 Upgrade Restricted (SFS)
September 6,2025 Upgrade Restricted (SFS) - TEST Banner Upgrades August 21, Tier 2
September 13,2025 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades August 21, Tier 2
September 20,2025 NONE
September 27,2025 NONE
October 4,2025 Tentative - TEST Banner Upgrades September 18, Tier 1
October 11,2025 Tentative - PROD Banner Upgrades September 18, Tier 1
October 18,2025 Tentative
October 25,2025 Preferred No Upgrades (SFS)- TEST Banner Upgrades October 16, Tier 2