The VMware Enterprise Infrastructure Support Life Cycle Policy provides information on VMware vSphere software support timelines, enabling customers to make business decisions around long-term change management and release strategies. The policy covers the following products.
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VMware will offer 7 years of support from the general availability of a new Major Release. When you purchase VMware Support for one of the products listed above, Support will be divided into two distinct phases: General Support and Technical Guidance. Please keep current with product updates to ensure no interruptions in your support services. (Visit the Downloads page for all product updates.)
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General Support – 5 years from general availability of a Major Release
Support includes new hardware support, guest OS updates, bug and security fixes, and technical helpdesk services. VMware will update the Hardware Compatibility Guide with new hardware platforms that have been tested and certified. Details are described in the table below. -
Technical Guidance – 2 years following General Support
Primary assistance is available through the self help page. Customers can also open a support request online to receive support and workarounds for low-severity issues on supported configurations only. (Telephone support is not provided.) There will be no new hardware support, guest OS updates, security patches or bug fixes. The phase is intended for usage by customers operating in stable environments with systems that are operating under reasonably stable loads.
* General Support for selected new hardware technology (such as servers, processors, chipsets, and add-in cards) is based on VMware’s discretion, OEM partner input, and customer input. An 18-month hardware support window is started when a major or minor vSphere release is generally available. New hardware technology launched within the 18-month window will be supported in a compatible mode by an update to a vSphere major/minor release; hardware technology launched after the 18-month window will normally not be supported by that release.
** Based on VMware’s discretion and customer input within the first two years of General Support.
