[new-product]: vitess

[Dentrax]

See: https://vitess.io/docs/releases/

[Dentrax]

PTAL when possible! ❤️ @captn3m0

[captn3m0]

2 suggestions:

1. Define support if we can. Unclear right now.
2. Please add a few recent unsupported releases. upstream lists archived releases going back to 13, which seems better. We want to be helpful to Vitess users, and some of them might be running older releases.

[Dentrax]

Thanks, (2) is done. But I'm not sure if I understand what do you mean by "define support" (1). It'd be nice to have a some clarification here.

[captn3m0]

What kind of fixes are guaranteed under support? Is there a different level for commercial and community editions?

A MySQL compatibility table would be nice, but that can come later - not needed for the first draft.

[captn3m0]

Read through the relevant VEPs, and we should provide a concise summary of the amended VEPs - as it stands users are expected to read through 2 different documents and understand them together). Release Cadence, supported bugfixes, Versioning scheme, and upgrade guidance are all good things to include.

The https://endoflife.date/opensearch page might be a good example.

[Dentrax]

Thank you Nemo, for providing what to do and enlighten my way here!

I've tried to add further details, by respecting the "Be Helpful" points.

Please take a look time permitting on your end!

[marcwrobel]

Thanks for this contribution @Dentrax, I have a few suggestions.

[marcwrobel]

Suggested change

	## Which Version Am I Running?
	Run the following command to check your Vitess version:
	```bash
	vtctl --version
	```

This must be documented in the versionCommand field. Note that in the versionCommand vtctldclient was used instead of vtctl.

[marcwrobel]

Suggested change

	releasePolicyLink: https://vitess.io/docs/releases/
	releasePolicyLink: https://github.com/vitessio/enhancements/blob/main/veps/vep-5.md

This link contains more information.

[marcwrobel]

Suggested change

	The last 3 major releases of Vitess are supported.
	Each major release is maintained for 1 year.
	## Support Lifecycle
	* Supported Versions: Each major version is supported for 12 months from its initial release.
	* High Severity Bug Fixes: Security vulnerabilities, data corruption issues, and critical bugs are backported to all supported versions.
	* End-of-Life (EOL): After 12 months, versions reach EOL and no longer receive updates.
	## Release Cadence
	* Major Releases: Every 4 months, introducing new features and improvements (e.g., 13.0, 14.0).
	* Patch Releases: Issued as needed for critical fixes, incrementing the patch number (e.g., 13.0.1).
	## Is My Version Supported?
	If your Vitess version was released within the last 12 months, it is still supported. Versions older than that have reached EOL.
	## How Long Do I Have Before I Need to Upgrade?
	You should plan to upgrade before your version's 12-month support window ends to continue receiving updates and fixes.
	## Which Version Am I Running?
	Run the following command to check your Vitess version:
	```bash
	vtctl --version
	```
	## When Is the Next Release?
	New major versions are released every 5 months. Expect the next release approximately 4 months after the latest major version.
	## What Does "Supported" Mean?
	A supported version receives:
	* Security Patches: Fixes for known vulnerabilities.
	* Critical Bug Fixes: Patches for severe issues like data loss or outages.
	* Patch Releases: Updates that address important fixes.
	For more detailed information, refer to the [Vitess Release Policy](https://vitess.io/docs/releases/) and [VEP #5 - Support Lifecycle](https://github.com/vitessio/enhancements/blob/main/veps/vep-5.md#support-lifecycle).
	A new major version of Vitess is released every four months. Each major version is supported for one year with high severity bugs (such as data loss or outages) and security fixes.

I would be better if this was shortened, WDYT ?

• there is no need to say that the last three releases are supported given a release is supported for a year,
• there is no need to say that after 1 year the release become EOL as it's implied,
• there is already a note on each page stating that users should run a supported version.