Migrating Legacy Oracle Database 11g to Oracle Database 23ai on OCI

Executive Summary

A global manufacturing enterprise migrated its on-prem Oracle Database 11g environment to Oracle Database 23ai on OCI, preserving over two decades of historical data and enabling a future-ready modernization roadmap.

The Challenge

A large manufacturing organization operated its core business systems on an on-prem Oracle Database 11g environment that had evolved over many years. The database contained more than two decades of historical transactional and operational data and was central to day-to-day business operations across multiple geographies.

As part of a broader modernization initiative, the organization planned to adopt Oracle APEX to modernize and extend applications. However, Oracle APEX required a minimum database version of Oracle Database 12c, creating an immediate roadblock. At the same time, the database had strong dependencies on Oracle Forms and Reports, and the organization lacked the internal capacity to undertake a full Forms upgrade alongside a database upgrade.

This combination of technical dependency, resource constraints, and business criticality placed the customer in a difficult position—unable to move forward with cloud and APEX adoption without first addressing database version limitations, while also needing to protect business continuity and historical data integrity.

Our Solution

Maathra designed a phased migration strategy that prioritized database modernization while carefully isolating application dependencies.

To decouple database upgrade risks from application constraints, Maathra implemented a proxy database approach, enabling Forms-related modernization activities to proceed independently. This allowed the core database migration to move forward without forcing immediate changes to tightly coupled legacy applications.

Once the dependency risks were addressed, Maathra migrated the complete on-prem Oracle Database 11g environment to Oracle Database 23ai on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The migration included all historical data spanning more than two decades, ensuring continuity, accuracy, and compliance.

The engagement focused on careful planning, validation, and controlled execution to ensure data integrity and operational stability throughout the migration process.

Key Results

The organization successfully transitioned from a legacy on-prem Oracle 11g database to Oracle Database 23ai on OCI, establishing a modern, cloud-based database foundation.

All historical business data was preserved and made available in the new environment, eliminating database version constraints that had previously blocked modernization initiatives. The migration enabled the organization to move forward with Oracle APEX adoption as part of its next phase of digital transformation.

By separating database migration from application modernization, Maathra delivered a low-risk, scalable cloud transition that safeguarded mission-critical operations while enabling long-term modernization goals.

Product List

• Oracle Database 23ai
• Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
• Oracle APEX (Modernization Enablement)