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MySQL Lifecycle Policy

MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Policy
MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Calendar
MySQL Cluster Lifecycle FAQ

MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Policy

Sun's MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Policy ("Policy") provides specific guidelines and timeframes for support during the product's lifecycle ("Production Lifecycle Support") and the product's end-of- -life (EOL1). The Policy is designed to provide customers with predictable and flexible rules for planning purposes. The Policy provides defined support timeframes and extension options which allow customers to operate under a supported version of the server for multiple years and to plan upgrade paths.

This Policy applies to the MySQL Cluster Standard Edition and MySQL Cluster Carrier Grade Edition Databases Software (as defined in the MySQL Cluster License and Support Agreement). This Policy applies to any Sun entity providing support for Sun's MySQL product line (collectively "Sun").

The Policy for Production Lifecycle Support is as follows:

  1. For each Major Release (as defined below), the product lifecycle is classified in 2 tiers:
    1. Active Lifecycle period: The initial two year (24 months) period, beginning on the date of General Availability (GA), and expiring on the last day of the 24th month ("Active Lifecycle"). Active Lifecycle support is included in Sun's standard MySQL Commercial Support offerings. Active Lifecycle support includes the following characteristics:
      1. Source Branch: Under active development.
      2. Security Updates: Goal is to fix known security vulnerabilities as reported by customers.
      3. Bug Fixes: Goal is to fix known Severity 1, 2 and 3 issues as reported by customers.
      4. New Binaries: Releases on a regular and predictable basis (as defined by Sun).
    2. Extended Lifecycle period: The three year (36 month) period beginning on the date the Active Lifecycle ends, and expiring on the last day of the 36th month ("Extended Lifecycle"). Extended Lifecycle support includes the following characteristics:
      1. Source Branch: Not under active development
      2. Security Updates: Goal is to fix known security vulnerabilities as reported by customers.
      3. Bug Fixes: Goal is to fix known Severity 1 issues as reported by customers
      4. New Binaries: Released only occasionally on an as-needed basis (as determined by Sun).
  2. "Major Release" means a new generally-available release of a product that typically includes major new features and/or enhancements as designated by Sun in the MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Calendar table below. A new major release is identified by a change to the "X" component of the X.Y.Z version number.
  3. The Production Lifecycle Support period for a Major Release, as covered by the combined Active Lifecycle and Extended Lifecycle periods, will be 5 years (60 months) beginning on date of General Availability.
  4. The above Active Lifecycle and Extended Lifecycle periods:
    1. Apply to all Minor and Maintenance Releases (as defined below) that are released under the same Major Release branch, and
    2. Do not restart each time there is a new Minor or Maintenance Release.
    3. "Minor Release" means a new generally-available release of a Major Release version of a product that typically includes fixes and often new features or enhancements that is not itself designated by Sun as a Major Release in the MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Calendar table below. A new minor release is identified by a change to the "Y" component of the X.Y.Z version number. Customers may be required to move to the latest GA minor release within the major release in order to pick up some bug fixes.
    4. "Maintenance Release" means a new generally-available release of a Major Release version of a product that typically includes fixes that is not itself designated by Sun as a Major Release in the MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Calendar table below. A new major release is identified by a change to the "Z" component of the X.Y.Z version number.
  5. Support beyond the Extended Lifecycle period is available by purchasing MySQL Vintage Support. For further information, please contact the MySQL Sales Team.
  6. If third party platform, hardware and operating system providers End-of-Life (EOL) older releases of their products, customers may find that specific components within their environmental stack are no longer supported by one or more of the original manufacturers. In these cases, Sun reserves the right to limit or terminate Active Lifecycle or Extended Lifecycle support of its products used in such unsupported configurations.
  7. There may be exceptions to this Policy for products with third party content where the content provider will not support the MySQL Lifecycle Policy. To understand the support information for a specific third party product, consult with your MySQL Sales Team at http://www.mysql.com/buy-mysql/ .
  8. Sun considers the stability of a GA release to be extremely important. In some cases, fixing a bug requires extensive or risky changes to the code, or the proper fix depends on features not available in an earlier version, or the risk of fixing the bug in an older version outweighs the benefit of fixing the bug. In these cases, Sun will fix the bug only in a later version in order to avoid destabilizing GA releases.

MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Calendar

Since each Major Release can have multiple Maintenance Releases, Sun maintains and provides build-level support and internal installations for the most current Maintenance Releases of each version. Customers are encouraged to be on the most current Maintenance Release to receive the highest level of Production Lifecycle Support.

Lifecycle Calendar:

Major Release GA Versions of MySQL Cluster GA Date Active Support Ends Extended Support Ends
4.1.7 2004-10-27 2006-10-27 2009-12-31
5.0 2005-10-24 2007-12-31 2011-12-31
6.2 2007-08-31 2010-03-31 2013-03-31
6.3 2008-01-15 2010-03-31 2013-03-31
7.0 2009-04-21 2011-04-31 2014-04-31

MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Policy FAQ

How do I buy Production Lifecycle Support for MySQL Cluster?

MySQL offers a full range of support offerings. Please contact the MySQL Sales Team.

What is the MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Policy?

This MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Policy provides specific guidelines and timeframes for Production Lifecycle Support and Product End-of-Service-Life (EOSL). The Policy is designed to provide customers with predictable and flexible rules for planning purposes. This Policy provides defined support timeframes and extension options which allow customers to operate under a supported version of the server for multiple years and to plan upgrade paths.

What MySQL products are covered?

This Policy covers MySQL Cluster Standard Edition and Carrier Grade Edition (as defined in the MySQL Cluster License and Support Agreement).

What is the difference between Active Lifecycle and Extended Lifecycle support?

Active Lifecycle is characterized by a regular maintenance schedule that helps to ensure most customer reported issues, of all severity levels, are fixed and available on a regular and predictable basis. This helps to ensure that customers have the option to implement the most current version of the product allowing for the highest level of Production Lifecycle Support. Extended Lifecycle support is provided to help ensure that customers who have standardized on a specific version of the product can receive Production Lifecycle Support for multiple years. Under Extended Lifecycle support, maintenance releases are only provided on a when-needed basis, and only to fix Security and Severity Level 1 incidents.

Item Active Lifecycle (Years 1-2 After GA) Extended Lifecycle (Years 3-5 After GA)
Source Code Under active development Not under active development
Security Updates Goal is to fix known security vulnerabilities as reported by customers Goal is to fix known security vulnerabilities as reported by customers
Bug Fixes Goal is to fix known Severity 1, 2, or 3 issues as reported by customers Goal is to fix known Severity 1 issues as reported by customers
New Binaries Releases on a regular and predictable basis (as determined by Sun) Released only occasionally on an as-needed basis (as determined by Sun)

Sun considers the stability of a GA release to be extremely important. In some cases, fixing a bug requires extensive or risky changes to the code, or the proper fix depends on features not available in an earlier version, or the risk of fixing the bug in an older version outweighs the benefit of fixing the bug. In these cases, Sun will fix the bug only in a later version in order to avoid destabilizing GA releases.

Who can receive MySQL Cluster Support?

Customers who have purchased commercial licenses (whether Standard or Carrier Grade Edition) have the option to purchase a support contract. Users who use MySQL Cluster under the GPL license must purchase commercial licenses before buying support.

Will products in Extended Lifecycle support be ported to new platforms?

Only Active Lifecycle products are candidates for porting to new platforms. Extended Lifecycle products are on their way to becoming EOLed, and will not be ported to new platforms.

What is the maximum timeframe during which Production Lifecycle Support is available?

The Maximum Timeframe during which standard Production Lifecycle Support is available is five years: Active Lifecycle support: 2 years (24 months), plus Extended Lifecycle support: 3 years (36 months) Total Production Lifecycle Support: 5 years (60 months)

What if I need support beyond the Extended Lifecycle period?

Support past the Extended Lifecycle period may be available by purchasing MySQL Vintage Support. Please contact Sun's MySQL Sales Team.

Does the MySQL Cluster Lifecycle Policy allow for customers who have unique support requirements?

Exceptions to the core Policy will require a Custom Agreement - with explicit specification of the terms and timeframes. Please contact the MySQL Sales Team.

Will Sun continue to provide Production Lifecycle Support for MySQL Cluster on Platforms, Hardware, or Operating Systems where the respective vendors have End-of-Lifed those products?

MySQL reserves the right to limit or terminate Active or Extended Lifecycle support of its products used on such unsupported configurations (where the Platform or Hardware or Operating System has been retired/obsoleted by the provider).

How will active customers and users be notified when product support is scheduled to end?

Sun will endeavor to proactively notify active customers and users of MySQL Lifecycle events, including:

  • Intentions to EOL specific versions of the product
  • Platform, Hardware, and Operating Systems that are scheduled for EOL by the original manufacturer.

The following communications channels will be used:

  • Proactive notifications to customers via:
    • Email
    • Alerts
  • Proactive communications to the MySQL Community via:
    • PlanetMySQL Blogs
    • Community Forums
    • Community Mailing Lists
  • Public website

1 For Sun's MySQL line of products, EOL and End of Service Life (or EOSL), as described in the lifecycle policies for other Sun products, occur at the same.



Policy Date: July 7, 2009