Attention:
The Carbon Black Cloud Sensor Support Policy is published on VMware Docs. This UEX page will no longer be updated. See: VMware Carbon Black Cloud Sensor Support Policy
This policy applies to customers with an active subscription contract for Carbon Black Cloud. There is a separate policy for Cb Protection and Cb Response which can be found HERE. The policy only addresses the Sensor/Agent components as the Server is maintained by Carbon Black. The intent of this policy is to provide consistent and predictable guidelines for product support throughout that product’s lifecycle to allow our customers to strategically plan for upgrades.
These terms apply to all Carbon Black Cloud customers unless otherwise agreed to in writing in your current maintenance and support agreement and/or master terms and conditions.
Current product release status can be found at Carbon Black Product Release Lifecycle Status
For both the Windows and macOS sensor, VMWare Carbon Black releases a minor release every 6 months, Minor releases are in standard support during that period. They go into extended support after the first 6 months for another 6 months. This means minor releases reach the end of life stage 12 months after the their initial release. All minor releases are updated every month for any bugs and issues with a maintenance release.
The Linux sensor, due to a more frequent release cycle, will be in standard support for 3 months and then move into extended support. Each Linux sensor will remain in extended support for 9 months. This means minor releases reach the end of life stage 12 months after the their initial release. All minor releases are updated every month for any bugs and issues with a maintenance release.
Release Definitions
Carbon Black release versioning convention is as follows:
A = Major
B = Minor
C.D = Maintenance
Major Release
The purpose of a Major release is to deliver significant new product features and functionality along with fixes from previous releases. This could include but isn’t limited to new UI design and workflows, major architectural changes, and changes to supported OS platforms. A major release may alter system and infrastructure requirements and isn’t designed to degrade any significant functionality.
Minor Release
The purpose of a Minor release is to deliver incremental new product features and functionality along with all fixes from previous releases. This could include changes to supported OS platforms and isn’t designed to degrade any significant functionality.
Maintenance Release
The purpose of a Maintenance Release is to improve product quality and provide corrective content and could potentially contain minor refinements to existing functionality and deliver support for updated OS platforms. Product changes will be clearly documented in the product release notes.
Support Lifecycle Stages
Standard Support
Provides maintenance releases, patches, hot fixes, and workarounds as are appropriate to enable the product to operate in conformity with its then-current operating documentation. Standard Support entails the following:
- Product fixes for defects
- Active technical Support providing industry-standard effort to address questions and issues until a defect or known limitation is identified
- Customers will have access to existing technical articles and support documentation available in our Knowledge Base available on our customer support sites
- Only the latest maintenance release for any Major.Minor receives standard support
- E.g. 2.1, 2.2 , 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 will not all be in Standard Support at any one time - 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 would be in Extended Support while 2.5 would be in Standard Support
- Critical security fixes will be provided.
- Windows and macOS sensors remains in standard support for 6 months from first release (not from last maintenance release)
- Linux sensors remains in standard support for 3 months from first release (not from last maintenance release)
Extended Support
Following Standard Support, product releases will enter Extended Support. Carbon Black will continue to provide active technical support for product releases within in the currently supported Major Release Trains. The last minor release in major release train will have extended support for 6 months. Extended Support entails the following:
- Active technical Support providing industry-standard effort to address questions and issues until a defect or known limitation is identified
- Customers will have access to existing technical articles and support documentation available in our Knowledge Base available on our customer support sites
- New hotfixes and other product changes will not be available for product releases in Extended Support
- Defects identified with a release in Extended Support will be verified in the latest shipping version and, if found to be present, considered for fixing in that or a future release
- Critical security fixes to the sensor will be provided.
- Customers will be advised to upgrade to a version in Standard support
- Windows and macOS sensors remains in extended support for 6 months from when the version first moves to extended support, not from last maintenance release in extended support.
- Linux sensors remains in extended support for 9 months from when the version first moves to extended support, not from last maintenance release in extended support.
End of Life
Following Extended Support, product releases will enter End of Life. For clarity, this means that the last minor release in a major release train will reach End of Life after 12 months from the last minor ship date. Carbon Black will provide no active technical support for product releases after entering End of Life. End of Life entails the following:
- Customers will have access to existing technical articles and support documentation available in our Knowledge Base available on our customer support sites
- New hotfixes and other product changes will not be available for product releases in End of Life
- Customers will be advised to upgrade to a version in Standard support
- Windows, macOS, and Linux sensors moves into End of Life 12 months from initial release, not from last maintenance release.
Supportability Matrix
|
Standard
|
Extended
|
End of Life
|
|
Technical Support
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Critical Security Fixes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Knowledge-base Access
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
User Forum Access
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Product Documentation
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
As available
|
|
Defect resolution/Hotfixes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
