Release Status
Introduction
Generally, the release status of a feature or product can go through the following phases:
- Private beta.
- Experimental.
- Public beta.
- Limited availability (LA).
- General availability (GA).
- Deprecated
This document outlines the purpose of each phase and what customers can expect from Mendix.
Some of the phases are optional. The release status impacts the support level for the feature or product. More specifically, Limited or General Availability features or products are ready for production use and are covered by your Support Level Agreement, as opposed to Private Beta, Public Beta, or Experimental features.
Next to release statuses, content available on Mendix Marketplace has a Support status (for example, Platform Supported or Deprecated). For more information, see the Content Support Categories section in the Marketplace Support Content.
Private Beta, Experimental, and Public Beta Releases
Mendix releases features or products labeled Private beta, Experimental, or Public beta in order to collect feedback on their implementation and use. We value any feedback, because feedback enables us to provide you with the best possible product. This also helps us prepare the feature or product for the GA release.
An example is a new major version of Mendix Studio Pro. Mendix releases this product in beta, as the features may not be complete and developers may find gaps in functionality that Mendix is still working on.
Availability of Beta Features
Private beta features or products are available to selected customers only, whereas Experimental and Public beta features or products are available to all customers.
Typical Use Cases
Mendix releases Private beta or Public beta features or products in two cases:
- When a new product or a product version is introduced and made available to early adopters so that they can try it, with the aim to become GA in the future
- When individual features are introduced within a non-beta product which are, in principle, production-ready but are either subject to change or need to be reviewed by a broader audience (these features are disabled by default)
Mendix releases Experimental features or products when those features or products can already provide value to the user, but Mendix cannot yet guarantee the stability or quality and may never release this as GA.
Testing Beta Releases
If you would like to test a beta feature or product, consider the following:
- Features or products labeled Public beta or Experimental are available for all customers. Your feedback on these features is welcome through your Customer Success Manager (CSM) and in the community forum.
- For features or products labeled Private beta, our product team usually reaches out to you with an invitation to test the feature or products. They will be your point of contact for any feedback and will ensure the involvement of Mendix Expert Services if required to provide you with the required knowledge to successfully make use of the private beta feature or product.
Limitations of Beta and Experimental Releases
Please take note of the following limitations regarding beta/experimental features and products:
- These features and products should not be used for production applications
- Mendix does not offer production support on beta/experimental features and products
- Beta/experimental features and products may contain bugs, which could potentially lead to data corruption
- These features and products are not covered by any SLA
- Mendix values feedback, including tickets describing problems with beta/experimental features and products, but these tickets will not be handled according to your SLA
- Mendix cannot guarantee timely fixes for any problems you encounter with beta/experimental features and products
- These features and products may introduce breaking changes
- Although we aim for backwards compatibility, Mendix cannot guarantee backwards compatibility between monthly releases for beta/experimental features and products
- Their scope and functionality may change in future releases, depending on the feedback
- Their scope may be incomplete
- Future releases may include more functionality to complete the feature or product
In addition, features or products labeled Experimental:
- May be made available to a limited group of users only
- May be removed at any time from existing and future releases
Documentation
The availability of beta/experimental features and products is documented in the release notes for the release. Other documentation may be provided by Mendix. Please consult the release notes and the documentation for details on how to enable and use these features and products.
In the docs, pages about beta features are marked with a beta badge (
Limited Availability
Mendix releases features or products labeled Limited Availability to introduce the feature or product to the market in a controlled way. In this optional phase, specific groups or regions may get access to the feature or product for production use, while others may follow later. This can be due to regulatory or operational reasons. When there is a desire to take a Limited Availability feature or product into production, please contact your CSM to see which arrangements are possible.
General Availability
Features or products labeled General Availability are available for all customers to use in production.