Ascend product releases
This document explains how Ascend releases changes to the product, how those changes are announced in What's new, and what to expect for different release phases.
How Ascend releases changes​
Ascend is continuously evolving, adding new features and capabilities and improving what our users can do with the product. Releases happen continuously, both for bug fixes and for new functionality. We strive to maximize the value delivered to our users, and do not use fixed release cadences that slow down software delivery.
Because we release major changes in staged rollouts using feature flags, certain features or functionality might be available in your organization before becoming available to all organizations.
Release notes​
Ascend announces recent feature releases, functionality changes, and bug fixes weekly on Fridays. Release notes may be skipped during holidays or weeks when changes are primarily maintenance-focused. See What’s new to review this changelog.
Preview features​
Ascend makes some features available in private or public preview. These features are identified in the product with a Preview label and in the documentation with an explicit admonition.
Private preview (PrP) features are not available by default and are not publicly announced. Private preview features are subject to frequent changes and might not have documentation available. If you are interested in joining a limited test group and enabling a private preview feature in your Ascend organization, contact Support.
Public preview (PuP) features are available in the product by default. Users do not need to request access to public preview features. Public preview features might not have documentation available.
All preview features, whether private or public, and their documentation are subject to the following notice:
Preview features are not subject to Ascend SLAs or immediate support attention. Ascend may make certain functionality or features related to the product which are designated as preview (each, a "preview feature") available to users. Preview features may be used by the user in the user’s sole discretion and at the user’s own risk.
Preview features are intended for evaluation purposes only. Ascend may discontinue preview features at any time in Ascend’s sole discretion and may choose to never make them generally available. Preview features are considered part of the product, however, preview features are provided as is.
Generally available (GA) features​
Unless otherwise indicated in the documentation, features and functionality are generally available (GA) in the product. When first released, GA features are made available in the product to all users in staged rollouts. See how Ascend releases changes for more information. If a feature was previously released in a preview release, the release notes indicate the transition to GA by including (GA).
Deprecated and removed features​
Ascend may deprecate or remove features and functionality from the product.
Deprecated features are features for which Ascend has declared an intention to stop further enhancement. Deprecated features continue to work in the product for existing organizations but might not be available to newly created organizations. Ascend continues to support deprecated features and provide critical bug fixes until they are removed from the product for all organizations after a notice period. However, Ascend organizations need to begin planning for the future removal of support. Deprecated features are marked in the documentation as deprecated.
Removed features are no longer supported and cannot be used after a deprecation period. Organizations must find an alternative to using the removed feature or functionality. Documentation for removed features is unavailable.