CloudBees SDA CD-RO Release Strategy update

We are excited to announce an update to the CloudBees SDA CD-RO release strategy. We are increasing the velocity at which we put out Long Term Support (LTS) releases to enable our customers to deploy new SDA CD-RO capabilities into production environments at a faster pace. In addition, for critical security vulnerabilities we will aim to put out patches as soon as possible. We realize that some of our customers like to take advantage of newer features at an accelerated pace, so we will continue to deliver Preview Releases (PRs)  between LTS releases. These preview releases allow us to deliver additional capabilities to our customers at a faster pace. Customers get early access to upcoming product innovations enabling them to test functionality and to provide feedback which can be incorporated in a subsequent release. Customers are urged to install the preview release into test environments and to try out the new features and provide feedback. Upgrading to new preview releases from previous LTS releases as well as from previous preview releases will not be supported. Customers will need to be nimble and install the next PR in order to pick up defect fixes. Unlike traditional releases, PRs don’t have maintenance releases. Defect fixes will be available in the subsequent PR.

With the addition of this new release type, we will now have 4 distinct types of release outlined below.

1. Long Term Support (LTS) Release

The traditional “big” release that we have been doing is now called LTS Release. New LTS Releases are Major or Major.Minor (e.g. 11.0 LTS, 11.1 LTS) versions, typically released every 3-4 months. An LTS Release is identified by the LTS suffix. An LTS release is supported for a maximum of 12 months. This timeframe will be extended as necessary to ensure that customers always have access to four actively supported LTS Releases.

2. Maintenance Release (MR)

New MR versions are Major.Minor.Maintenance (e.g. 11.0.1, 11.0.2) versions, released approximately every month or sooner if needed. MR releases are supported as long as their parent LTS Major.Minor version is actively supported (e.g. 11.0). An MR release typically contains defect fixes, patches for high and medium security vulnerabilities and does not contain DB schema changes. For high and medium security vulnerabilities, they will be included in the next maintenance release as appropriate.

3. Hotfix Releases (HR)

Hotfix Releases are released on an as-needed basis to address specific customer situations. Hotfix versions follow the Major.Minor.Hotfix (e.g. 10.2.3, 11.0.2) version number convention. Hotfixes are typically issued to address critical defects, which can cause production outages, critical security issues or have a severe negative impact on customers.  For critical security vulnerabilities we will aim to release a hotfix patch as soon as possible. They can be made available on any supported LTS or MR as needed.  Typically, the next MR or LTS release will absorb these changes so a customer can move past the hotfix release by upgrading to a later version.

4. Technical Preview Releases (PR)

New PR versions are date based (e.g. 2019.08 PR, 2019.09 PR) versions, released roughly every 1-2 months. This rapid schedule allows us to deliver new features at a faster pace. PR will not receive MR releases (maintenance releases) or hotfixes. Instead, defect fixes and features will be made available in a subsequent PR. New features introduced in PRs are subject to change. For customers with typical upgrade cycles of once or twice a year, it is recommended to use LTS in their production environment and PR in a test environment to provide feedback on new features.