Cisco Systems® announces updates to the software release designations effective May 23, 2012 for new technology releases off of the Cisco® IOS® Software 12.2SX Major Release and 12.2SY Standard Maintenance Release for the Cisco Catalyst® 6500 Series.
This announcement provides clarity on software maintenance plans and does not change any Cisco standard end-of-life policies, located at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/products_end-of-life_policy.html. The Cisco standard end-of-life policy defines maintenance and support requirements for a major release, which for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series is 12.2SX and 12.2SY. The end-of-life policy does not specify how long bug-fix maintenance rebuilds can be expected on a new technology release such as 12.2(33)SXJ on Major Release 12.2S. Figure 1 shows the release numbering convention for Major Release 12.2S.
Under current policy, after a new technology release becomes available on the same major release, bug fixes will generally not be applied to previous new technology releases. In order to get comprehensive bug fixes, customers must move to the latest new technology release identified by Cisco.
As long as maintenance is offered under the Cisco end-of-life policies for a major release, bug fixes will continue to be applied to that release, but can only be expected to appear in the most recent new technology release of that major release. For example, for Cisco IOS Software Major Release 12.2S, a move from Release 12.2(33) SXI to Release 12.2(33) SXJ would be required after Release 12.2(33) SXJ is available in order to get bug fixes through rebuilds.
To allow customers to qualify, deploy, and remain on a new technology release for more than 6 to 12 months with active bug-fix maintenance plans, Cisco will now designate new technology releases on Major Release 12.2S as either a standard maintenance release or extended maintenance release. A standard maintenance release will offer regular bug-fix maintenance rebuilds for 12 months, and an extended maintenance release will offer bug-fix maintenance rebuilds for 24 months.
Under the new policy, bug fixes can be expected in any new technology release that is in an active maintenance state as defined by the standard maintenance and extended maintenance release designator.
Figure 2 shows sample standard maintenance and extended maintenance releases and explains the new policy.
Figure 2. Timelines Showing Planned Release Maintenance Process
Standard Maintenance Release
• Ideal for latest feature and hardware support
• 12 months of critical fixes for bugs with no operational workaround or business affecting severity 1 and 2 issues
• 6 additional months of critical fix support for network affecting bugs such as Product Security Incident Report Team (PSIRT) issues (standard Cisco PSIRT policy will take precedence; see http://www.cisco.com/go/psirt)
The last date on which regular bug-fix maintenance rebuilds will be made available for this software release. After this date, a software upgrade to the next available release for supported products might be required for continued bug-fix maintenance.
+12 months
End of critical maintenance
The last date on which a critical fix rebuild (limited to network-affecting issues such as PSIRT advisories; see http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/products_security_advisories_listing.html) will be made available for this software release. After this date, a software upgrade to the next available release for supported products might be required for continued bug-fix maintenance or critical fixes. Standard Cisco PSIRT policy will take precedence; see http://www.cisco.com/go/psirt.
+6 months from end of standard maintenance date
Extended Maintenance Release
• Ideal for long-term maintenance support and also incorporating all the features and hardware support of previous standard maintenance and extended maintenance releases
• 24 months of regular maintenance rebuilds (approximately one every 3 months) with fixes for critical severity 1, 2, and 3 bugs
• 6 additional months of critical fixes support for network-affecting bugs such as PSIRT issues (standard Cisco PSIRT policy will take precedence; see http://www.cisco.com/go/psirt)
• Release will be safe harbor tested and certified
• 12 months of overlap with next extended maintenance release to allow for smooth transitions
• Release 12.2(18)SXF is the first extended maintenance release, with the 2-year clock starting on March 1, 2006
Table 2 lists extended maintenance release goals and dates for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series.
Table 2. Extended Maintenance Release Goals and Dates for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series
The last date on which regular bug-fix maintenance rebuilds will be made available for this software release. After this date, a software upgrade to the next available release for supported products might be required for continued bug-fix maintenance.
+24 months
End of critical maintenance
The last date on which a critical fix rebuild (limited to network-affecting issues such as PSIRT advisories; see http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/products_security_advisories_listing.html) will be made available for this software release. After this date, a software upgrade to the next available release for supported products might be required for continued bug-fix maintenance or critical fixes. Standard Cisco PSIRT policy will take precedence; see http://www.cisco.com/go/psirt.
+6 months from end of extended maintenance date
12.2(50)SY Software Release
Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(50)SY for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series is a standard maintenance release available to Cisco® Catalyst® 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 2T only. Table 3 provides the goals and dates for the Maintenance Release 12.2(50)SY. This release is a Supervisor 2T only release. There is no support for Supervisor 720 or Supervisor 32 in 12.2(50)SY.
Table 3. Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(50)SY Goals and Dates
Goal
Date
Posting to Software Download Center
July 12, 2011
End of standard maintenance
July 26, 2012
End of critical maintenance
March 1, 2013
End of Support
July 31, 2017
12.2(33)SXJ Software Release
Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(33)SXJ for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series is the latest IOS release for Supervisor 720 and Supervisor 32 customers and is an extended maintenance software release. Table 4 provides the goals and dates for Extended Maintenance Release 12.2(33)SXJ.
Table 4. Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(33)SXJ Goals and Dates as the next Extended Maintenance Release
Goal
Date
Posting to Software Download Center
March 21, 2011
End of extended maintenance
December 31, 2013
End of critical maintenance
September 30, 2015
12.2(33)SXI Software Release
Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(33)SXI for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series is available to customers and is an extended maintenance software release. Table 5 provides the goals and dates for Extended Maintenance Release 12.2(33)SXI.
Table 5. Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(33)SXI Goals and Dates as the next Extended Maintenance Release
Goal
Date
Posting to Software Download Center
November 2008
End of extended maintenance
September 13, 2012
End of critical maintenance
September 13, 2014
End of Support
August 31, 2017
12.2(33)SXH Software Release
Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(33)SXH for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series is end of sale on March 2011. Table 4 provides the dates for 12.2(33)SXH.
Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(18)SXF for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series has reached End of Sale and the dates are provided in Table 7.
Table 7. Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(18)SXF Goals and Dates as the First Extended Maintenance Release
Goal
Date
Posting to Software Download Center
September 2005
End of Life Announcement
August 2009
End of extended maintenance
September 2009
End of Sale
February 2010
End of Critical Maintenance for WAN Interfaces*
February 2010*
End of critical maintenance
February 2011*
*NOTE: After the last planned rebuild in September 2009, only critical network impacting bugs will be considered. Critical fixes will only be done on an as needed basic on the last planned maintenance release 12.2(18)SXF17.
End of Support
February 2015
* Critical maintenance for WAN interfaces ends earlier than the rest of 12.2(18)SXF hardware and feature support. For a detailed list of WAN interfaces, please refer to the links below.
Cisco IOS Software releases prior to 12.2(18)SXH for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series have all reached End of Critical Maintenance. These include 12.2(17)SXB, 12.2(18)SXD,12.2(18)SXE and 12.2(18)SXF releases.
All Cisco Catalyst 6500 systems running previous releases of 12.2SX such as 12.2(17)SXB, 12.2(18)SXD, 12.2(18)SXE, 12.2(18)SXF, and 12.2(33)SXH should be migrated to Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(18)SXI or higher in order to get regular bug-fix maintenance rebuilds until the end of extended maintenance date.
Table 8. Last date of Support for the Cisco IOS Software Release prior to 12.2(18)SXH
Release
End of Software Maintenance
Last date of Support
12.2(17d)SXB
4/20/2006
4/20/2010
12.2(18)SXD
12/8/2006
12/8/2010
12.2(18)SXE
1/25/2007
1/25/2011
Standard Maintenance and Extended Maintenance Release Identification
At the time of initial posting to the Software Download Center, the product bulletin and release notes for a new release will be updated to indicate whether it is designated as a standard maintenance release or an extended maintenance release. Note that the "Posting to Software Download Center" date is effective on the initial new technology release posting for all subsequent rebuilds on that release. For example, the "Posting to Software Download Center" date for Release 12.2SXI5 will be the date Release 12.2SXI is first posted to the Cisco Software Download Center Website. Therefore, the standard maintenance and extended maintenance designations and dates only apply to the first build of a new technology release, such as 12.2SXI, and all subsequent rebuilds will be subject to the same policy and dates.
