Release Process Overview

Overview

When new versions are released to the public, customers can expect certain types of behavior and changes to occur.

Information on version naming conventions, release strategy, and version support is below.

Release Naming Convention 

The following diagram displays how each version of a Decisions Installation is named. 

Product Release Strategy 

The Product Teams develop two different versions of the Product concurrently; these versions are referred to as the LTS (Long Term Support) and Current versions. 

The following chart demonstrates the standard release cadence for these versions.

Additionally, typically every 18-24 months, a new Major Version is released. Upon public release, this version takes over as the new Current release, and as a result, the preceding version becomes the new LTS version, and the previous LTS version is deprecated from Software Support (see the following diagram for information on how versions are introduced/phased out of Support).

Version Support 

The Current version receives new features along with bug fixes, security fixes, and stability improvements. LTS will receive fixes, but will not get new features. Previous versions do not receive any patches and customers will not receive support.

Each Major Version is fully supported for a minimum of 24 months after its initial release. For example, Version 6.0 was released on 6/25/2019 and was supported until June 2023.

Users that are on unsupported versions should contact their Customer Support Manager as soon as possible to discuss their options for upgrading. Customers unsure about how to reach their CSM can submit a ticket to support@decisions.com.

The table below demonstrates how each Release Version is supported. 

FAQ

• Which version is the best to start with? 
  • It is recommended to start with the Current version as this version receives the most support and new features, and will be stable for production by the time a customer reaches the Production stage. 
• How should a customer plan their upgrade path Post-Production?
  • Most Decisions customers take three or four releases at a time. 
  • Customers typically upgrade twice a year if using LTS, and four times if Current. 
• Are versions backward compatible?
  • Decisions expends great effort to retain backward compatibility between all versions. Certain features are not retained and it is recommended customers review the Breaking Changes documents for a version before upgrading. Using the Upgrade Validator is also strongly encouraged.