This article applies to: Cireson Portal, v9.1+.
Product Release Lanes
Wondering which product release lane is right for you?
You've come to the right place!
We work hard to push you a stable product with the latest features and as quickly as possible. We thoroughly test all of our releases, including automated testing, internal user acceptance testing, and external user acceptance testing. Primarily, the new release lanes are designed to accommodate customers that have specific internal testing requirements that don't allow for rapid release cycles and prefer to stay on one internally tested release for a pre-determined length of time. This is where our release lanes and the differences between them come into play. We want to give you, the customer, the choice.
But before we talk about the differences between the lanes, let's take a look at what is shared between the two lanes:
- They are both fully tested before release, including both user acceptance testing, and automated testing.
- They are both supported and follow the normal support process.
- They are different versions of the same codebase, so matching versions are the same code regardless of the lane the version originated in.
While all of the above are shared between the two lanes, there are some significant differences between the two and how updates will be released, so let's take a look at that below.
Latest Lane
The LATEST is where all the latest features will show up first. The LATEST will receive fixes targeting the new features and fixes coming from the BASELINE are also rolled up into the LATEST. Due to both feature and hotfix releases being released on LATEST, it will always be the latest and most up-to-date version of the software (hence the name).
Baseline Lane
The BASELINE is primarily designed for larger environments with strict internal testing policies. Any new features to the BASELINE will be released no more than once per Quarter, but will still receive regular hotfixes targeting pre-existing functionality. This will keep the required update testing footprint for any release smaller, and allow for small internal testing sprints rather than entire portal testing cycles for each HOTFIX release.
So Which Is For Me?
In order to help you determine which lane, BASELINE or LATEST, is best for you here are a few things to consider in making the decision:
- The LATEST is generally designed for flexible companies who want the newest features first.
- The LATEST is also targeted at test environments in larger companies to allow for extended testing of new features before moving to production.
- The LATEST will receive HOTFIXES from both BASELINE and LATEST, which means updates will be necessary more often.
- The BASELINE will receive only HOTFIXES for pre-existing functionality.
- The BASELINE will NOT receive HOTFIXES created for the LATEST features and functionality, extending the BASELINE time between updates.
Can I Move Between Lanes?
Yes, but there is one rule to follow in order to do so in a supported manner. You can switch lanes as long as you are switching to a GREATER version. You cannot downgrade when switching lanes. The installer you are using is what determines the lane you are on, as the BASELINE installer will always pull the latest BASELINE release and vice versa. Here are some examples of supported scenarios:
- You are on version 9.0.3 of the BASELINE, and you switch to 9.1.2 of the LATEST.
- You are on version 9.1.2 of the LATEST, and you switch to 9.1.5 of the BASELINE.
Here are some examples of unsupported scenarios:
- You are on version 9.1.2 of the LATEST, and you attempt to switch to version 9.0.3 of the BASELINE.
Support
The final release version for each major release (ie, 9.x.x, 10.x.x, etc) for either release lane will be supported for 1 year following the release of the next major version. (ie. version 9.2.3 is on the BASELINE when version 10.x is pushed to the BASELINE, version 9.2.3 will be supported for one more year following the version 10.x release)
You can read more about Cireson Portal Version Information here.