What is Mirapoint's release numbering scheme?

Issue

What is Mirapoint's release numbering scheme?

Solution

In Release 3.7, Mirapoint introduced a new software release process to improve the quality and the predictability of the general release date.

For the current Release Process and information about release naming and numbering, see below:

MOS Software Release Process

The Mirapoint software product release process for the Messaging Operating System (MOS) consists of three stages to ensure optimum quality: Beta, FCS, and GA. Release naming and numbering follows a consistent, unambiguous standard to ensure clarity.

Beta

A Beta is available only to selected partners invited to participate in the Beta Release Program, and can be used only during the Beta period.

A release is eligible for Beta when these requirements are met:

• All functional, regression, stress, limit, installation, branding, and compatibility testing are completed.
• All known critical and serious defects are addressed.
• The release has run on Mirapoint-internal production systems for a significant time without problems.
• User interfaces are localized for tier-1 languages.

Beta partners must sign a Beta Release Agreement, which includes these requirements:

• Usage of a Beta release is confidential.
• Use the release for internal testing during the Beta Release period.
• Test the Beta in a lab or non-production environment only; production use is strictly prohibited.
• Enable Service Reporting for Mirapoint to know the areas being used.
• Provide feedback on experience with the Beta.

Continued participation in the Beta Release process is contingent on these requirements. Only 9 x 5 weekday email support is available for the Beta. During the Beta Release period, Mirapoint:

• Commits reasonable commercial effort to fix any critical or serious defects discovered by the partners and reported prior to the final week of the Beta Release period.
• Continues to use the release internally and performs significant testing throughout the Beta Release period.

The Beta software has expiring licenses and stops functioning after the Beta period. Therefore, partners must upgrade the software on their testing systems to a newer Beta release or to a production-level release.

First Customer Ship (FCS)

An FCS is available to all customers. The FCS is production ready.

A release is eligible for FCS when these requirements are met:

• The Beta period has ended. (The release has been in use at a variety of customer sites for weeks.)
• All customer-reported critical or serious defects are addressed.
• Performance criteria are met.
• Service Reporting feedback indicates that all critical areas have been thoroughly tested.
• Online help is localized for tier-1 languages.

The FCS is supported 24 x 7 or as defined by the customer or partner support agreement.

General Availability (GA)

A GA is available to all customers. The GA is production ready, verified by extensive successful use of the FCS.

A release is eligible for GA when these requirements are met:

• The FCS accumulates one machine-year* of production use.

Production use data is collected from weekly reports sent via Service Reporting. A GA release has both tested quality and significant production use behind it in the field.

* A machine-year is a collective measure of field experience on a selective set of installed base systems in signficant production use.

Mirapoint supports available releases as follows:

• The most recent two GA releases
• For a minimum of 18 months from the GA date (except MOS 3.10, which is supported for the life of Mirapoint 5-Series hardware support).

Release Naming and Numbering

All release names have the format a.b.c-Beta, a.b.c-FCS, or a.b.c-GA, where:

• a = major release number
• b = minor release number
• c = patch number

For example, 3.8.0-Beta, 3.8.2-FCS, and 3.8.3-GA are valid release names. Four-part release numbers (w.x.y.z) are never used.

Release numbers are never reused; when a release advances from Beta to FCS or from FCS to GA, the number is incremented. For example, 3.8.2-FCS advances to 3.8.3-GA; there would never be a 3.8.2-FCS followed by a 3.8.2-GA.

Patch releases (a release for which only the patch number changes) never change GUI or other customer-visible features. These patches are used only to fix defects.

Patch Naming

Patch names start with D (for defect fixes) or E (for enhancements). Formerly, both kinds of patches used names starting with F.

The name of a patch that applies to a specific release contains the release number. For example, D3_8_3_fix_something would apply only to release 3.8.3-GA. If the patch applies to multiple releases in a family, a more generic name is used. For example, E3_goodstuff would apply to all 3.x releases.