The product lifecycle
This part of the procurement section is for project managers, contract managers and security officers in a public
body who must plan an Exponential site over a contract of several years. It explains what a version number promises,
which versions get fixes, how the platform under the software ages, and how to budget and contract for keeping the
site current. The main sources are Source control and releases,
SECURITY.md and Upgrading.
The pages
| Page | It answers |
|---|---|
| Release policy and version numbers | Published versions never change; fixes come as the next release; where changes are recorded |
| Supported versions | 6.0.x is maintained; 5.x and older are not; how to require a supported version |
| PHP and platform support | PHP 8.0 to 8.5, six databases, the engines, and planning platform upgrades |
| Reading the roadmap as a public body | The roadmap is intent; the changelog is the record; how to request or fund a feature |
| Planning upgrades in the budget | Three kinds of upgrade, what drives the effort, a budget template |
| Security updates and patching cadence | From report to fix, what the project promises, a patching clause |
| Keeping a site current over a multi-year contract | A monthly, quarterly and yearly rhythm with owners and a supplier report |
| The end of a contract | Renew, re-tender or leave, and the handover each needs |
Reading order
- Release policy and version numbers and Supported versions: what you can rely on.
- PHP and platform support: the layers below the software.
- Security updates and patching cadence and Planning upgrades in the budget: the obligations and their cost.
- Keeping a site current over a multi-year contract: the routine.
- Reading the roadmap as a public body and The end of a contract: the future, and the way out.
Key facts
- A published tag is never changed; a fix reaches you as the next release (
SECURITY.md). - 6.0.x is the maintained line; 5.x, 4.x, 3.x and older are not supported (
SECURITY.md). - A private security report gets a first answer within one business day; no time to fix is promised (
SECURITY.md). - PHP 8.0 to 8.5 are supported, Velocity included from its release 0.0.4.54 (2. Requirements).
- The project publishes no SLA and no end-of-life dates (SLA options for Exponential hosting).
Related pages
- Procuring Exponential in the public sector
- Government: start here (government-start-here.md, the landing page of this help section)
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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