Long-term support
{{short description|Software version that is stable and supported under a long-term or extended contract}}
Long-term support (LTS) is a product lifecycle management policy in which a stable release of computer software is maintained for a longer period of time than the standard edition. The term is typically reserved for open-source software, where it describes a software edition that is supported for months or years longer than the software's standard edition. This is often called an extended-support release.
Short-term support (STS) is a term that distinguishes the support policy for the software's standard edition. STS software has a comparatively short life cycle, and may be afforded new features that are omitted from the LTS edition to avoid potentially compromising the stability or compatibility of the LTS release.{{cite web|title=Release and support cycle|url=https://docs.joomla.org/release_and_support_cycle|website=Joomla! Documentation|access-date=2017-06-20}}
Characteristics
LTS applies the tenets of reliability engineering to the software development process and software release life cycle. Long-term support extends the period of software maintenance; it also alters the type and frequency of software updates (patches) to reduce the risk, expense, and disruption of software deployment, while promoting the dependability of the software. It does not necessarily imply technical support.
At the beginning of a long-term support period, the software developers impose a feature freeze: They make patches to correct software bugs and vulnerabilities, but do not introduce new features that may cause regression. The software maintainer either distributes patches individually, or packages them in maintenance releases, point releases, or service packs. At the conclusion of the support period, the product either reaches end-of-life, or receives a reduced level of support for a period of time (e.g., high-priority security patches only).{{cite book |title=Ubuntu 8.10 Linux Bible |chapter=The Ubuntu Linux Project § Ubuntu Update and Maintenance Commitments |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sl6GkVpZ5bEC&pg=PA9 |last=von Hagen |first=William |pages=9–10 |publisher=Wiley Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-470-29420-8}}
Rationale
{{See also|IT risk management|Software quality}}
Before upgrading software, a decision-maker might consider the risk and cost of the upgrade.{{cite book |title=Software Systems Architecture: Working with Stakeholders Using Viewpoints and Perspectives |last1=Rozanski |first1=Nick |last2=Woods |first2=Eóin |chapter=The Operational Viewpoint § Functional Migration |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nXRF77-gxRkC&pg=PA395 |edition=2nd |page=395 |publisher=Addison-Wesley |year=2012 |orig-year=2011 |isbn=978-0-321-71833-4 |via=Google Books}}
As software developers add new features and fix software bugs, they may introduce new bugs or break old functionality.{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yt2yRW6du9wC&pg=PA194 |title=Software Testing: Principles and Practice |last1=Desikan |first1=Srinivasan |last2=Gopalaswamy |first2=Ramesh |chapter=What Is Regression Testing? |publisher=Pearson Education |year=2008 |orig-year=2006 |page=194 |isbn=978-81-7758-121-8 |via=Google Books}} When such a flaw occurs in software, it is called a regression. Two ways that a software publisher or maintainer can reduce the risk of regression are to release major updates less frequently, and to allow users to test an alternate, updated version of the software.{{cite book |title=Pragmatic Software Testing: Becoming an Effective and Efficient Test Professional |last=Black |first=Rex |chapter=Three Other Regression Strategies |pages=43–44 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N6EKCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA43 |publisher=Wiley Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-470-12790-2 |via=Google Books}} LTS software applies these two risk-reduction strategies. The LTS edition of the software is published in parallel with the STS (short-term support) edition. Since major updates to the STS edition are published more frequently, it offers LTS users a preview of changes that might be incorporated into the LTS edition when those changes are judged to be of sufficient quality.
While using older versions of software may avoid the risks associated with upgrading, it may introduce the risk of losing support for the old software.{{cite book |title=Industrial Perspectives of Safety-critical Systems: Proceedings of the Sixth Safety-Critical Systems Symposium, Birmingham 1998 |last=May |first=Rod |chapter=COTS in Safety-Related Systems: Issues and an Illustration |year=1998 |editor-last=Redmill |editor-first=Felix |editor2-last=Anderson |editor2-first=Tom |page=220 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sIzhBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA220 |publisher=Springer-Verlag |isbn=978-3-540-76189-1 |doi=10.1007/978-1-4471-1534-2 |s2cid=31255136 |via=Google Books}} Long-term support addresses this by assuring users and administrators that the software will be maintained for a specific period of time, and that updates selected for publication will carry a significantly reduced risk of regression. The maintainers of LTS software only publish updates that either have low IT risk or that reduce IT risk (such as security patches). Patches for LTS software are published with the understanding that installing them is less risky than not installing them.
Software with separate LTS versions
This table only lists software that have a specific LTS version in addition to a normal release cycle. Many projects, such as CentOS, provide a long period of support for every release.
:1.{{note|a}} The support period for Ubuntu's parent distribution, Debian, is one year after the release of the next stable version.{{cite web |url=https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases/PointReleases |title=Point Releases |last1=Kern |first1=Philipp |last2=Piat |first2=Franklin |last3=Simmons |first3=Geoff |date=19 April 2006 |website=Debian Wiki |publisher=Debian Project |access-date=27 June 2013|display-authors=etal}}{{cite web |url=https://www.debian.org/security/faq#lifespan |title=Debian security FAQ |author= |website=Debian.org |publisher=Debian Project |access-date=27 June 2013}} Since Debian 6.0 "Squeeze", LTS support (bug fixes and security patches) was added to all version releases.{{Cite web|title=[SECURITY] [DSA 2907-1] Announcement of long term support for Debian oldstable|url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-security-announce/2014/msg00082.html|website=lists.debian.org|access-date=2020-05-22}} The total LTS support time is generally around 5 years for every version.{{cite web|title=LTS - Debian Wiki|url=https://wiki.debian.org/LTS/|publisher=Debian Project|access-date=21 May 2020}}{{Cite web|title=Debian Version History|url=https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/project-history/ch-releases.en.html|website=Debian.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117212830/https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/project-history/ch-releases.en.html|archive-date=17 January 2020}} Due to the irregular release cycle of Debian, support times might vary from that average and the LTS support is done not by the Debian team but by a separate group of volunteers.{{Cite web|title=LTS/FAQ - Debian Wiki|url=https://wiki.debian.org/LTS/FAQ|website=wiki.debian.org|access-date=2020-05-22}}
See also
{{Portal|Free and open-source software|Linux}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
- Backporting
- Branching (version control)
- Computer security policy
- DevOps
- Disaster recovery plan
- Enterprise risk management
- Enterprise software
- ISO/IEC 12207, an international standard for software life-cycle processes
- Semantic Versioning
- Software quality
- Software reliability testing
- Total cost of ownership
- Vulnerability management
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite journal |last=Arnuphaptrairong |first=Tharwon |year=2011 |title=Top Ten Lists of Software Project Risks: Evidence from the Literature Survey |journal=Proceedings of the International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2011 |volume=1 |url=http://www.iaeng.org/publication/IMECS2011/IMECS2011_pp732-737.pdf |isbn=978-988-18210-3-4 |issn=2078-0966 |access-date=7 August 2013}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/9933 |title=What makes software dependable? |author= |date=5 February 2007 |website=bcs.org |publisher=BCS |access-date=12 August 2013}}
- {{cite web |url=https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/1034019/Outdated-software-is-risky-business |title=Outdated software is risky business |last=Brenner |first=Bill |website=Search Security |publisher=TechTarget |access-date=12 August 2013}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/making-software/deployment.html |title=Deploying software: Principles to ensure frequent, low-risk deployments |author= |website=Government Service Design Manual |publisher=Government Digital Service |access-date=12 August 2013}}
- {{cite web |url=http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~pjg2e/documents/2010.Ada-Europe.pdf |title=Practical Limits on Software Dependability: A Case Study |last1=Graydon |first1=Patrick J. |last2=Knight |first2=John C. |author3=Xiang Yin |date=2010 |access-date=12 August 2013}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1833567 |title=Four Principles of Low-Risk Software Releases |last=Humble |first=Jez |date=16 February 2012 |website=InformIT |publisher=Pearson Education |access-date=12 August 2013}}
- {{cite web |url=http://laser.cs.umass.edu/courses/cs521-621/papers/LittlewoodStrigini.pdf |title=Software Reliability and Dependability: A Roadmap |last1=Littlewood |first1=Bev |last2=Strigini |first2=Lorenzo |access-date=12 August 2013}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.esecurityplanet.com/patches/the-hidden-security-risks-of-legacy-software.html |title=The Hidden Security Risks of Legacy Software |last=Weiss |first=Aaron |date=8 June 2012 |website=eSecurity Planet |access-date=12 August 2013}}
- {{Cite web |url=https://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/386077/windows-xp-microsoft-s-ticking-time-bomb |title=Windows XP: Microsoft's ticking time bomb |last=Ghosh |first=Shona |date=19 December 2013 |website=PC Pro |publisher=Dennis Publishing |access-date=2 January 2014}}
{{Software distribution}}
{{FOSS}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long-term support}}
Category:Computer security procedures
Category:Product lifecycle management