Namirial will publish several "Feature Stream" releases in a longer feature-stream period (typically an entire year). The final release of a feature-stream development, published typically around end of the year or beginning of the new year, contains fixes from additional hardening activities. Each of the feature-stream releases is qualified to receive additional hotfixes, if indicated by ticket classification and as long as defined by change management process. Some time after publishing the final release of the feature-stream development, after additional feedback was retrieved on that product version, the latest hotfix level of this version will be re-published as Long-Term-Support (LTS) version. There will be at least one LTS version every year. The LTS version is qualified to receive hotfixes for the longer maintenance period.
Namirial will try to minimize the necessity of defined breaking changes in the product. When necessary, breaking changes including reduced product functionality are allowed at the beginning of a new feature stream release cycle (i.e. before the very first version of a new feature-stream version is released) but not in between feature-stream releases which belong to the same major version number. Valid exceptions, where additional breaking changes are allowed, are:
Breaking Changes will be documented in the product release notes.
Software Maintenance, i.e. the period in which hotfixes will be provided if qualified, is defined:
| Feature Release Stream | Until publication of next feature stream release |
| Long-Term-Support (LTS) Stream | For 2 years from LTS version release date (Hotfix release dates don't extend maintenance period) |
In general, a new product version will be published in time if a product discontinuation was not announced before.
Product discontinuation will be announced one year in advance. The announcement will be done in the product documentation.
From announcement on, Namirial may decide to release additional feature-stream releases or keep software maintenance for the feature stream release for the entire year. One year after announcement, software maintenance for the feature-stream releases will end.
On LTS versions, Namirial will provide the full software maintenance period, starting with the release date and defined for 2 years from LTS version release date on.