Liferay PaaS Service Stack End of Life (EOL) Policy
Introduction
Liferay, through its PaaS offer, is dedicated to providing robust, secure, and innovative cloud solutions. The End of Life (EOL) policy for the Liferay PaaS service stack outlines the lifecycle of applicable services and assists customers in planning and executing an effective migration strategy.
Release Strategy
Liferay PaaS services follow a structured release strategy to deliver the latest features, enhancements, and security updates efficiently:
Major Releases:
Occur approximately once every twelve months, introducing significant new features, architectural changes, and major enhancements. Major Releases are denoted by the first digit in the version number (e.g., 5.x.x to 6.x.x).
Minor Releases:
Released roughly every three months, these releases focus on incremental improvements and additional features. Minor Releases are denoted by the second digit in the version number (e.g., 5.4.x to 5.5.x).
Patches:
Issued as needed, focusing on bug fixes, security updates, and minor enhancements critical for maintaining operational stability and security. Patches are denoted by the third digit in the version number (e.g., 5.5.0 to 5.5.1).
Lifecycle Phases
Active Support Phase (ASP):
Major Releases:
Supported for one year after the release of the subsequent Major Release.
Minor Releases:
They are supported for six months after the release of the next Minor Release or Major Release, whichever comes first.
Support Services provided during ASP:
Comprehensive technical support and incident management.
Access to all updated documentation and the Liferay Help Center.
Regular security updates and patches for all severity levels.
Continuous enhancements and new features through subsequent minor releases.
Limited Support Phase (LSP):
For Major Releases:
Begins immediately upon the conclusion of the applicable ASP and terminates six (6) months after.
For Minor Releases:
Begins immediately upon the conclusion of the applicable ASP and terminates six (6) months after.
Support Services provided during LSP:
Continued access to the Liferay Help Center.
Security updates for Severity 1 and 2 vulnerabilities only.
Technical support is available but may be limited; no new features or enhancements will be added.
End of Life:
A Major Release or Minor Release reaches end-of-life upon the conclusion of the applicable Limited Support Phase.
Upon end-of-life, Liferay is not obligated to provide updates, patches, or direct support for the applicable Major Release or Minor Release.
Communication
Liferay will communicate information about upcoming major and minor releases, essential patches, and lifecycle phase transitions.
Notifications about versions transitioning to the Limited Support Phase or reaching EOL will be issued at least 2 months in advance.
Migration Assistance
Resources:
Liferay provides detailed migration guides documenting changes and offering step-by-step procedures.
Support:
Technical support is available to assist customers through the migration process.
Recommendations for Customers
Monitoring:
Stay informed through the Help Center about the lifecycle status of your applicable Release.
Planning:
Begin planning for migrations during the Active Support Phase to ensure smooth transitions.
Backups:
Regularly backup all data and configurations to prevent data loss.
Retention of Older Version Artifacts
Liferay retains artifacts (such as Docker images, configurations, etc.) of older versions for a minimum of six months after their EOL date. After this period, they may be archived or deleted.