Document Conventions

Release Types

The terms "Community" and "Prime" are used to differentiate the releases intended for community users and SUSE customers. "Prime" refers to SUSE Rancher Prime, which is SUSE's enterprise container management platform.

Release Type	Versioning Convention	Example	Support Lifecycle
Community	x.y.z	v1.5.0	Support for each community release ends when version x.(y+1).1 is released.
Prime	x.y.[1-z]	v1.5.1	Prime releases receive 6 months of active support. This is followed by 12 months of maintenance support, which covers critical security-related issues.

Release Labels

The Harvester documentation uses the following labels to describe releases of the software.

• Dev: The software is under active development and has not been thoroughly tested. Upgrading from earlier releases or to later releases is not supported.

• Latest: The software has passed all stages of verification and testing. All remaining known issues are considered acceptable.

• EOL: The software has reached the end of its useful life and no further code-level maintenance is provided. You may continue to use the software within the terms of the licensing agreement.

Feature Labels

Harvester features and add-ons are labeled according to their maturity and support commitment. Features without a label are generally available by default.

• Experimental: End-to-end implementation is complete, but automated test coverage remains limited. The feature is not supported and is not recommended for use in production environments.

• Technical Preview: Primary functionality is complete, but some capabilities and automated test coverage are only partially implemented. The feature is supported on a best-effort basis. Evaluate the feature thoroughly before using it in production environments.

• Generally Available (GA): All planned functionality is implemented with sufficient automated test coverage. The feature is fully supported and recommended for production use.

• Deprecated: The feature is no longer actively maintained or supported, and is scheduled for removal in a future release. Existing installations continue to function, but the feature receives no further updates. The documentation indicates the recommended replacement, if available.

Experimental and Technical Preview features have the following limitations:

• Still in development and may be functionally incomplete, unstable, or in other ways unsuitable for production use.
• May only be available for specific hardware architectures. Details and functionality are subject to change. As a result, upgrading to subsequent releases may be impossible and may require a fresh installation.
• Can be removed from the product at any time. This may occur, for example, if we discover that the feature does not meet customer or market needs, or does not comply with enterprise standards.

note

Experimental and Technical Preview features are usually disabled by default. The documentation provides information about how you can enable and configure such features.

For add-ons, the maturity level is displayed next to the name on the Add-ons screen. This level is independent of whether an add-on is included in the Harvester ISO.

Admonitions

Admonitions are text blocks that provide additional or important information. Each text block is marked with a special label and icon. The Harvester documentation uses the following conventions to help you interpret information.

• Note: Additional information that is useful but not critical.

• Important: Information that requires special attention, such as changes in product behavior.

• Tip: Helpful advice and suggestions, such as alternative methods of completing a task.

• Caution: Information that must be considered before proceeding with specific actions, such as errors that may occur.

• Warning: Critical information about harmful consequences, such as irreversible damage and data loss.