F5 BIG-IP Platform Lifecycles

24 Jul 2021

K4309: F5 platform lifecycle support policy

The F5 platform lifecycle support policy defines the stages of the platform lifecycle from initial release through retirement. This policy describes the levels of support available for customers with a purchased Support Agreement. The intent of this policy is to provide consistent documentation that aids customers in planning and preparing for their organization's support needs.

F5 platforms progress through two distinct lifecycle phases, Regular Support and Extended Support.

Illustration of a typical platform lifecycle

Regular Support Phase

The Regular Support phase begins with the first customer ship date of a product. During this phase, customers have access to the latest compatible software releases. Refer to K9476: The F5 hardware/software compatibility matrix.

For additional information about the F5 BIG-IP software version or software lifecycle policies, refer to K8986: F5 software lifecycle policy.

A platform's End of New Software Support (EoNSS) date indicates that any new releases (Major and Minor) released after a platform’s EoNSS date will not support that platform. Additionally, maintenance releases are not considered new software, therefore, maintenance releases based on Major or Minor releases that were released before EoNSS will be supported until the platform’s EoSD date or the Software train EoSD date, whichever occurs first. F5 stops testing to see whether new Major Release Software versions produced after this EoNSS date will run properly on platforms designated as EoNSS. Unless specifically communicated differently by F5, the EoNSS date defaults to two years after End of Sale (EoS).

A platform's End of Software Development (EoSD) date marks the end of the Regular Support phase and begins the Extended Support phase. The platform EoSD is the date that F5 Product Development has ceased considering the repair/maintenance of confirmed software/firmware defects for the designated platform or software release. Maintenance Release Software versions and Engineering hotfixes will be supported on a platform up until the Platform EoSD date. Unless specifically communicated differently by F5, a platform's EoSD date defaults to three years after EoS.

Extended Support Phase

At F5 we want to provide customers with stable and functionally superior products. In time, our customer's continuing desire for new features or technologies can be met only with new products or newer versions of existing products. To allow customers additional time to migrate to these newer platforms, we offer extended support on our products. We highly encourage our customers to operate Maintenance Release Software versions during the extended support phase.

Extended Support begins with the platform EoSD date. After the platform EoSD effective date, F5 is no longer liable to provide security updates, software fixes (hotfixes), or consulting services for that specified product.

During the Extended Support phase, F5 will continue to offer technical support inclusive of technical questions on the product, troubleshooting, and problem isolation; refer to F5 Technical Support Services Guidelines and Policies. No escalations to Engineering Services or Product Development will be utilized. Accordingly, during the extended phase, no software updates, which may include security or stability-related software releases, will be available. RMA support is included if the platform itself has not exceeded its platform End of Technical Support (EoTS) or End of RMA (EoRMA) date.

Customers should view the corresponding software release notes to determine if a particular software release is suitable for their platform or software version. Access or compatibility of these software updates are not guaranteed. Additionally, if a platform is not compatible with the latest Maintenance Release Software versions, the platform may be restricted from operating that version through the F5 software licensing process.

For platforms, unless specifically declared and announced by F5, three years after the platform EoSD date is the default End of Support Contract Renewal (EoSCR) date. This is a logistical designation only, applicable to default 1-year maintenance contract terms, so maintenance contracts do not extend beyond a platform's End of Life (EoL) time frame.

For platforms, unless specifically declared and announced by F5, four years after the Platform EoSD date is the default platform EoTS date and the EoRMA date. Customers may, at the end of their last full year of maintenance prior to the EoTS date, purchase one more full year of support. For example, if the maintenance agreement expires March 31, 2018 and EoTS is May 1, 2018, the customer is allowed to pay for a full year of maintenance (and EoRMA) through March 31, 2019. In this example, no new contracts can start after May 1, 2018.

As customers can control and change the software release of their platform at will, F5 Support is under no obligation to support software versions beyond their EoTS date, despite having a valid support contract on a platform that has not yet reached its own EoL date.

Failure Analysis Report

F5 does not offer or provide a detailed full Failure Analysis (FA) Report on EoSD platforms. Alternately, F5 offers an abbreviated version, known as the Abbreviated FA report.

F5 Platform Lifecycles

BIG-IP Platform Lifecycles

The following table lists currently supported BIG-IP platforms and their associated lifecycle dates. If a platform's lifecycle dates are listed as "---", an EoS date has not been announced, and the platform is in the Regular Support phase. Platforms that have reached EoL are listed in the End of Life F5 Platforms table.

Learn more: https://support.f5.com/csp/article/K4309