Expertflow CX Release Versioning

This guide explains how Expertflow CX versions are numbered and what each type of release means for your deployment or upgrade planning.

Summary for Managers:

• Always use GA releases for production.

• Plan for major upgrades annually, minor upgrades quarterly, and apply patches as soon as they’re available.

• Monitor EoL dates to avoid running unsupported versions.

How Expertflow CX Versions Work

Expertflow CX uses Semantic versioning, which means every release has a version number like:

CX<major>.<minor>.<patch>

• CX: Always present as a prefix for all releases.

• <major>: Major version (e.g., 4)

• <minor>: Minor version (e.g., 5)

• <patch>: Patch version (e.g., 0)

Example:
CX4.5.0

The CX release version is named as “CX”<major>”.”<minor>”.”<patch>, where: 

"CX" is the version name prefix for all CX releases

<major> ::= <numeric identifier>
<minor> ::= <numeric identifier>
<patch> ::= <numeric identifier>

<numeric identifier> ::= "0"
                       | <positive digit>
                       | <positive digit> <digits>
<digits> ::= <digit>
           | <digit> <digits>

<digit> ::= "0"
          | <positive digit>

<positive digit> ::= "1" | "2" | "3" | "4" | "5" | "6" | "7" | "8" | "9"

Types of Releases

Major Releases

A major release increases the <major> number (e.g., CX4.0.0 → CX5.0.0). It’s done usually once a year. A major release is done when there are:

• Breaking changes in public APIs

• Major architectural changes or new solution components

Major upgrades may require more planning, testing, and possibly changes to integrations.

Minor Releases

A minor release increases the <minor> number (e.g., CX4.5.0 → CX4.6.0). It’s done when:

• Backward-compatible new features

• Enhancements and security updates that don’t break existing functionality

Usually, one minor release is done per quarter. Minor upgrades are generally safe and easy to adopt.

Maintenance (Patch) Releases

A maintenance release increases the <patch> number (e.g., CX4.5.0 → CX4.5.1). A maintenance release addresses critical bugs or security vulnerabilities. It is done for:

• Bug fixes

• Security patches

• Small enhancements to existing features

Expertflow produces maintenance releases for all the GA releases until their EoL.

Release Support & End-of-Life (EoL)

Every Major and Minor release of Expertflow CX is supported for a defined period. This policy ensures customers receive critical updates, patches, and necessary support for a predictable duration.

• Each GA release is supported for a defined period.

• After EoL, no further updates or patches are provided.

End-of-Life (EoL) Policy

The EoL policy governs the lifecycle of a release version:

• Support Period: Both Major and Minor releases are supported for a defined period, typically ranging from one to three years.

• End-of-Support (EoS) / End-of-Life (EoL): Once the support period expires, the specific release version series is considered End-of-Life (EoL).

• Post-EoL Status: After a release reaches EoL, no further updates, security patches, or technical support are provided for that version.

• Maintenance Releases: Expertflow continues to produce maintenance (patch) releases for all General Availability (GA) versions until their defined EoL date is reached.

Pre-releases

A pre-release is an early versions for testing new features for field trials – not for production. A pre-release is named under Semantic versioning - spec item# 9. 

Do not deploy pre-releases in production. Always review release notes for known limitations.

For instance, for a planned production release CX1.0, a pre-release version is named as: