From 2801c1b52f2b0590fbd3fc24a39845e25cb52c3b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Loic Dachary Date: Thu, 7 May 2015 10:30:23 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] doc: clarify the release cycle and LTS meaning * Explain the development cycle and stable release cycle * Replace the 18 month duration with the LTS+2 overlap logic * Explain that the estimated retirement is an educated guess that depends on the stable release frequency * Replace Support with Stable in LTS to avoid confusion with professional services * Do not promise bugs will be handled, only that they will be triaged Signed-off-by: Loic Dachary --- doc/releases.rst | 56 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------- 1 file changed, 36 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/releases.rst b/doc/releases.rst index fcb7d2bc473..d3c33061255 100644 --- a/doc/releases.rst +++ b/doc/releases.rst @@ -2,17 +2,36 @@ Release timeline ================ -There are approximately three stable releases a year. Every other -release is a LTS (Long Term Support). A LTS release is supported for 18 -months. A stable release that is not LTS is supported until the next -stable release is published. A development / testing release is not -supported. +The development release cycle is two to four weeks long. Each cycle +freezes the master development branch and applies `integration and +upgrade tests `_ for the +duration of one cycle before it is released and the next release's +code is frozen for testing. Once released, there is no effort to +backport fixes; developer focus in on the next development release +which is usually only a few weeks away. -* Long Term Support release : 18 months +There are three to four stable releases a year. Each stable release +will receive a name (e.g., `Firefly') and bug fix backports at least +until the next stable release is out. + +Every other stable releases is a LTS (Long Term Stable) and will +receive updates until two LTS are published. For instance Dumpling is +retired when Hammer is published, Firefly is retired when Jewel is +published etc. The rationale is that backports to a LTS (Dumpling for +instance) are expected to happen until the next LTS is published +(Firefly is the LTS following Dumpling), to fix bugs and possibly +backport important features. After the next LTS is published, there +backports are still expected to fix bugs with a focus on whatever can +prevent upgrades to the next LTS (in our example, fixes to Dumpling +were published after Firefly was released and until Hammer was +published, primarily to ensure Dumpling cluster can smoothly migrate +to Firefly). + +* LTS : until the next two LTS are published * Stable release : until the next stable release is published -* Development / testing release : not supported +* Development / testing release : no backports -Supporting a release means: +For each stable release: * `Integration and upgrade tests `_ are run on a regular basis @@ -23,21 +42,18 @@ Supporting a release means: release. * When an issue found in the release is `reported `_ it will be - handled by Ceph developers. + triaged by Ceph developers. * The `stable releases and backport team `_ publishes ``point releases`` including fixes that have been backported to the release. -In the following, the life time of a LTS is calculated to be 18 months -after the month of the first release. For instance, Dumpling is -published August 2013 and 18 months starting September 2013 is -February 2015, therefore by March 2015 Dumpling should be End of -Life. The lifetime of a release may be extended a few months. For -instance although Dumpling theoritical End of Life was March 2015, it -was extended to May 2015. - -There is no estimated End of Life for a stable release that is not a -LTS because it is set by the release date of the next stable release -instead of a fixed duration. +In the following, the life time of a LTS is calculated to be +approximately 18 months after the month of the first release. For +instance, Dumpling is published August 2013 and 18 months starting +September 2013 is February 2015, therefore by March 2015 Dumpling +should be retired. The lifetime of a release may vary because it +depend on how quickly the stable releases are published. For instance +although Dumpling theoritical retirement was March 2015, it was +extended to May 2015. +----------------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+ | |`Dumpling`_|`Emperor`_ |`Firefly`_ |`Giant`_ |`Hammer`_ |