SonicWall products have five post-release phases:
- Last Order Day (LOD)
- Active Retirement (ARM)
- One-Year Support Last Order Day
- Limited Retirement Mode (LRM)
- End of Support (EOS)
Last Order Day (LOD) is advanced notification that we intend to start the end of life process. LOD is informational only and products in this phase are active and continue to sell support contracts.
Active Retirement Mode (ARM) is an announcement that we are no longer actively manufacturing or selling the product. Support contracts for products in this phase will continue to be available. During this time, we may release a limited number of new features and will issue bug fixes only to the latest version of firmware available on the device. Support is available throughout ARM for products with an active support contract. The duration of ARM is two years beginning one day after the end of Last Order Day.
One-Year Support Last Order Day represents the final day to purchase a one-year support contract or subscription service that bundles support from SonicWall Partners. You may purchase and activate the one-year support contract so that the product will be eligible to receive support until the product has reached End of Support.
Limited Retirement Mode (LRM) is an announcement to indicate that we will no longer develop or release firmware updates or new features for these products. Software and firmware support for products in LRM is limited to critical bugs and security vulnerabilities. The duration of this phase is three years beginning one day after the end of Active Retirement Mode.
End of Support (EOS) is an announcement to indicate that we will no longer provide technical support, firmware updates/upgrades or hardware replacement for the product, and that all remaining unique inventory or materials will become unavailable. We may continue to offer security service subscriptions during the End of Support phase, but we will no longer provide technical support for the product or any security service running on it.
SonicWall software has three post-release phases:
- Release Date
- Limited Support
- End of Support
Release Date – generally available release/version. Enhancement requests for this release are accepted and may be considered for future releases. Maintenance releases and/or hot fixes are periodically made available for this release. Release/version is fully supported by both Support and Development. Release/version is available for download from Support Portal.
Limited Support – Support is available for this release/version, and we will use best efforts to provide known workarounds or fixes. No new code fixes will be generated except under extreme circumstances and at SonicWall’s discretion. Enhancement requests are not accepted. Customers are encouraged to plan an upgrade to a release/version on Full Support .
End of Support versions which are retired or discontinued. No new patches or fixes will be created for this release. Not available for download from Support Portal. Support will be provided to assist with upgrading to a supported version. Support is not obligated to provide assistance on this version of the product.
Our software/firmware release model helps you make the right choice when it comes to deciding which software or firmware version to load onto your appliance. For information on the different releases, read below; if you need help selecting the release that’s right for you, contact your local SonicWall partner or sales representative.
General Release: A General Release is a release that has reached a level of maturity in its lifecycle suitable for typical use cases and is the software of choice for reliability.
Feature Release: A Feature Release is a release that provides new features in addition to bug fixes after an initial release.
Maintenance Release: A Maintenance Release provides bug fix support and ongoing maintenance.
Initial Release: Initial Release software is the first release of a new product.
Hotfix Release: A Hotfix Release is provided to customers who are looking to address specific issues and may be integrated into a future release.
Please note: The above release definitions reflect our current release types. References to legacy or retired release types, including “Early Release,” may continue to exist throughout the website and technical documentation. Before performing any software or firmware upgrades, it is recommended that you consult the relevant Release Notes as they may include exception notices or warnings.