mirror of https://github.com/status-im/consul.git
123 lines
6.0 KiB
Plaintext
123 lines
6.0 KiB
Plaintext
---
|
|
layout: docs
|
|
page_title: Long Term Support (LTS)
|
|
description: >-
|
|
Consul Enterprise offers a Long Term Support (LTS) release program. Learn about benefits and terms, including which versions receive extended support, for how long, and fix eligibility.
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Long Term Support (LTS)
|
|
|
|
<EnterpriseAlert>
|
|
This program requires Consul Enterprise.
|
|
</EnterpriseAlert>
|
|
|
|
Consul Enterprise offers annual Long Term Support (LTS) releases starting with version v1.15. LTS releases maintain longer fix eligibility and support larger upgrade jumps.
|
|
|
|
This page describes the LTS program, its benefits for Enterprise users, and the support the program includes.
|
|
|
|
## Overview
|
|
|
|
Many Enterprise organizations want to minimize their operational risk by operating a maintained Consul version that is eligible for critical fixes and does not require frequent upgrades.
|
|
|
|
Annual Consul Enterprise LTS releases enable organizations to receive critical fixes without upgrading their major version more than once per year.
|
|
|
|
The following table lists the lifecycle for each existing LTS release, including expected end of maintenance (EOM).
|
|
|
|
| LTS release | Release date | Estimated EOM date |
|
|
| ----------- | ------------- | --------------------------------- |
|
|
| v1.18 Ent | Feb 27, 2024 | Feb 28, 2026 (v1.24 Ent release) |
|
|
| v1.15 Ent | Feb 23, 2023 | Feb 28, 2025 (v1.21 Ent release) |
|
|
|
|
## Release lifecycle
|
|
|
|
Consul Enterprise LTS releases are maintained for longer than other Consul releases,
|
|
as described in the following sections.
|
|
|
|
### Standard Term Support lifecycle
|
|
|
|
All major releases of Consul Enterprise receive _Standard Term Support_ (STS)
|
|
for approximately one year, per HashiCorp's
|
|
[Support Period Policy](https://support.hashicorp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021185113-Support-Period-and-End-of-Life-EOL-Policy).
|
|
|
|
With STS, each major release branch is maintained until it is
|
|
three (3) releases from the latest major release.
|
|
For example, Consul v1.14.x is maintained until the release of Consul v1.17.0.
|
|
|
|
### Long Term Support lifecycle
|
|
|
|
Starting with Consul Enterprise v1.15, the first major release of the calendar year
|
|
receives _Long Term Support_ (LTS) for approximately 2 years.
|
|
The first major release of the calendar year typically occurs in late February.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
An LTS release is maintained until it is six (6) releases from the latest major release.
|
|
For example, Consul Enterprise v1.15.x is maintained until the release of Consul Enterprise v1.21.0.
|
|
|
|
During the LTS window, [eligible LTS fixes](#fix-eligibility) are provided through
|
|
a new minor release on the affected LTS release branch.
|
|
|
|
## Annual upgrade to next LTS release
|
|
|
|
We recommend upgrading your Consul LTS version once per year to the next LTS version
|
|
in order to receive the full benefit of LTS. This upgrade pattern ensures the
|
|
organization is always operating a maintained release with minimal upgrades.
|
|
|
|
Only Consul Enterprise LTS versions support direct upgrades to the next 3 major versions,
|
|
enabling direct upgrades from one LTS release to the subsequent LTS release.
|
|
For example, Consul Enterprise v1.15.x supports upgrading directly to Consul Enterprise v1.18.x.
|
|
|
|
Because Consul has 3 major version releases per year,
|
|
LTS enables you to catch up on a year's worth of Consul releases in a single upgrade.
|
|
|
|
STS releases of Consul support direct upgrades to the next 2 major versions,
|
|
as described in the [standard upgrade instructions](/consul/docs/upgrading/instructions).
|
|
Without LTS, catching up on a year's worth of releases requires two upgrades.
|
|
For example, upgrading from Consul Enterprise v1.14.x to Consul Enterprise v1.17.x
|
|
requires an intermediate upgrade to v1.15.x or v1.16.x.
|
|
|
|
## Fix eligibility
|
|
|
|
Eligibility for an LTS fix is subject to the following criteria:
|
|
- A non-security bug must be a Severity 1 (Urgent) or Severity 2 (High) issue
|
|
as defined in [HashiCorp Support's Severity Definitions](https://support.hashicorp.com/hc/en-us/articles/115011286028).
|
|
- A security bug (CVE) is considered eligible in accordance with
|
|
HashiCorp's standard practices for security bugs on supported products.
|
|
Refer to the standard
|
|
[Support Period Policy](https://support.hashicorp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021185113-Support-Period-and-End-of-Life-EOL-Policy)
|
|
for more information.
|
|
- The bug must be present in built artifacts intended for use in production
|
|
created from one of the following HashiCorp repositories:
|
|
- hashicorp/consul-enterprise
|
|
- hashicorp/consul-k8s
|
|
- hashicorp/consul-dataplane
|
|
- The bug must be applicable for at least one of the following
|
|
computer architecture and operating system combinations:
|
|
- linux_386
|
|
- linux_amd64
|
|
- linux_arm
|
|
- linux_arm64
|
|
- windows_386
|
|
- windows_amd64
|
|
|
|
Eligibility for a fix does not guarantee that a fix will be issued.
|
|
For example, some fixes may not be technically possible on a given release branch,
|
|
or they may present an undue burden or risk relative to the benefit of the fix.
|
|
|
|
HashiCorp may, in its sole discretion, include fixes in a minor release
|
|
on an LTS release branch that do not meet the eligibility criteria above.
|
|
|
|
## Version compatibility with dependencies
|
|
|
|
Consul integrates with Envoy and Kubernetes releases that are maintained for less time
|
|
than Consul Enterprise LTS.
|
|
|
|
HashiCorp will make a reasonable effort to keep each Consul Enterprise LTS release branch
|
|
compatible with a maintained release branch of Envoy and Kubernetes until the LTS release branch
|
|
approaches its end of maintenance.
|
|
|
|
For more details on LTS version compatibility with dependencies, refer to the following topics:
|
|
- [Kubernetes version compatibility with Consul](/consul/docs/k8s/compatibility)
|
|
- [Envoy and Consul dataplane version compatibility with Consul](/consul/docs/connect/proxies/envoy)
|