Lifecycle Phases

Phase	Shipping	Maintenance	Supported	Discontinued
Event	General Availability (GA)	Product is no longer available for purchase	Defect support is discontinued	Retirement date established
Length of Phase	Market Demand	Minimum of 6 months	Minimum of 3 months	Indefinite
Defect Support	Yes	Category 1 only	Not available	Not available

 

1. Shipping Phase

The Shipping Phase begins when a product is first made available for purchase. During this phase annual Maintenance & Support (M&S) is available. Current M&S customers are entitled to unlimited phone and web support. Defects will be fixed and tested in subsequent maintenance releases and updates.

 

2. Maintenance Phase

The Maintenance Phase begins when a product is no longer available for purchase because it has been replaced by a subsequent release. The Maintenance Phase lasts a minimum of six months. Defect support is limited to Category 1 only. Category 1 is defined as "a problem that has resulted in a down situation in which a support customer is unable to use a product or significant functions thereof with critical impact on the customer's operations."

 

3. Supported Phase

The Supported Phase begins when the Maintenance Phase ends. The Supported Phase is for mature products that are not being maintained. Technical support is available for these products in the way of a work-around or suggestion. Defects will not be fixed.

 

4. Discontinued Phase

The Discontinued Phase begins when a retirement date has been announced for a product. M&S contracts are not available for purchase for products in the Discontinued Phase and existing contracts will not be renewed.

 

Current M&S customers are entitled to unlimited phone and web support until their contract expires or until the retirement, whichever comes first. Support will only be in the form of a work-around or suggestion. Defects will not be fixed.