Continuous Delivery Support

HCL Software provides continuous delivery (defect and non-defect) product technical support for a minimum of two years from the date the product release is made generally available. For products released under this policy, extended support is also offered for at least one additional year following the product’s End of Support (EOS) date, for an additional cost.

Under the HCL Software Continuous Delivery policy, HCL extends the following support to all clients who have active contracts:

• HCL Software will release new features, fixes and security updates as a series of Update Packs. This series of cumulatively compatible Update Packs form a “Release Stream”. Each Update Pack is backward compatible.
• HCL Software will declare end of support of a specific release stream at least 12 months before the effective EOS date.
• Long-term Support (LTS): HCL Software may identify specific Update Packs of the release stream as a Long-Term Support Release to facilitate customers who do not intend to upgrade to new Update Packs rapidly:
  • LTS - Update Pack: Each LTS pack is released with a predefined minimum support duration. Clients should refer to the Product Lifecycle Portal or contact their HCL Software representative to learn about an LTS Update Pack for a given product.
  • LTS – Version: An Update Pack can be identified as LTS Update Pack by the suffix “LTS” appended to its version number, for example, 9.5.x.LTS
• Defect fixes and security updates will only be made available on the most recent Update Pack and also on all active LTS Update Packs of a given Release Stream.
• Acquired software products are not subject to HCL Software support policy until a stable major product release is made generally available by HCL Software.
• HCL Software uses commercially reasonable efforts to inform customers changes/modifications done to the policy along with EOS and EOL dates of all active product offerings.
• Products adhering to CD support policy use Semantic Versioning VRX (V- Version, R-Release, X- Update Pack#)
  • Change in V and R will create a new release stream and resets the support clock.
  • V represents Version and can take values between 0-99
  • R represents Release and can take values between 0-99.
  • X represents Update Pack and can take values between 0-99.
  • An Update Pack(x) of a release stream doesn’t have to be consecutive and can skip values therefore 10.0.1 can be followed by 10.0.4.

Visual representation of CD Support Delivery Model:

• In this example, a product release 1.1 is followed by incremental Update Packs. Update Packs 1.1.0 & 1.1.5 are declared as LTS, which means they will be supported for a longer duration.
• When a new product release/version is GAed, incremental Update Packs will be made available on this new release streams. Optional Update Packs with defect fixes and security updates will be made available on the older release streams.
• Older Release Stream will continue to be supported till it reaches its effective EOS date as per the EOS announcement.
• Incase customers opt for extend support durations Optional Update Packs containing defect-fixes and security updates will be provided, the same is applicable for all the LTS packs on the Release Stream and are supported till its EOS date as per the EOS announcement.

Disclaimer: HCL Software reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify this policy from time to time. HCL Software will provide prior notice, whether through its news site or otherwise.