AEM update release vehicle definitions

This document includes details about the various types of Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) releases, including full releases, feature packs, and services packs that Adobe delivers to its customers.

NOTE

For release schedule of AEM update releases, refer to AEM update releases roadmap

Full Release

Definition
  • Scheduled release
  • Supports upgrade paths for specific versions, which is defined in the release notes
Naming
  • Version numbers for major releases increase based on the formula X+1.Y.Z.
  • Version numbers for minor releases increase based on the formula X.Y+1.Z

Where X is the primary version number, Y is the secondary version number, and Z the patch number.
Inclusions
  • New features
  • Improvements
  • Bug fixes
Documentation
  • Release notes are available on the documentation portal
  • Documentation on features, improvements, and bug fixes are available on the documentation portal
Cadence Yearly
Availability and Installation
  • Delivered as a standalone product installer
  • Available from Licensing Website and Managed Services Licensing Website
  • May require content repository migration
Level of Testing Fully validated by QA

Service Pack

Definition
  • Scheduled release
  • Currently, cannot be rolled back
Naming
  • Patch release number is a single digit number
  • After installation, will increase the installed release number patch digit, based on the formula X.Y.Z.SPx
  • Where X is the primary version number, Y is the secondary version number, and Z the patch number. x is the service pack number.
Inclusions
  • New features
  • Improvements
  • Bug fixes
  • Common Interest feature packs (if any)
Documentation
  • Release notes available on the documentation portal
  • Documentation on features, improvements, bug fixes on the documentation portal
Cadence Quarterly
Availability and Installation
  • Delivered as a package
  • Available on Software Distribution
  • Requires existing functional installation
Level of Testing
  • All fixes QA validated
  • Overall package sanity with automation runs

Cumulative Fix Pack

Definition
  • Single delivery model of releasing fixes
  • Aggregator content package containing content package of individual components
  • CFPs are rollover of hot fixes and no improvements are part of it.
Naming

X.Y.Z.CFPx

Where X is the primary version number, Y is the secondary version number, and Z the patch number. x is the cumulative service pack number.
Inclusions

CFP is cumulative fix pack containing fixes of all components through specified dates. For example, if a customer applies CFP3, then CFP3 = CFP1 + CFP2.
Documentation Release notes available on the documentation portal
Cadence Quaterly
Availability and Installation
  • Delivered as a package
  • Available on Software Distribution
  • Dependent on the latest service pack released
  • CFP is self-dependant. Customers need not worry about finding/resolving dependencies. CFP should be installed on latest released Service Pack.
  • CFP can be installed as a single package, which improves customer experience.
Level of Testing QA validated at Integration level and regression testing

Overlay

Definition
Naming overlay-<ticket ID>
Inclusions Bug fix for a JS or JSP file
Documentation None
Cadence As necessary
Availability and Installation
  • Delivered as package by AEM Customer Care
  • Not necessarily included in service packs or full releases
Level of Testing Validated by Customer Care

Feature Pack

Definition
  • Feature Packs are add-on functionalities and are delivered via Service Packs. If an AEM version has released its last service pack, Adobe will not deliver any feature pack for it in future.
  • FPs contain product enhancements, scheduled for a subsequent product release, but delivered early based on the decision of Adobe's Product Management.
  • Features are always merged with the next major release and then backported to the AEM version required by the customer
  • Common Interest and GA feature packs are merged into the next service pack
Naming cq-<Release Version>-featurepack-<featurepack ID>-<featurepack version>
Inclusions
  • New features
  • Improvements
  • Bug fixes (incremental product updates)
Documentation Documentation is available on helpx.adobe.com.
Cadence Varies with Product area
Availability and Installation
  • Delivered via Service Packs
  • Available on Software Distribution. Customers accept Adobe's Terms and Conditions through Software Distribution.
Level of Testing General Availability feature packs are QA validated
  • 1: OAK fixes are not delivered as individual hot fixes. However, they are included in the subsequent Cumulative Oak hot fix. If necessary, a diagnostic build on top of the latest COFP can be made available. The precondition is that the customer has the latest COFP running. Diagnostic builds only provide the same level quality assurance as a hot fix. Therefore, they don’t provide the same level of quality assurance as a cumulative fix pack, service pack, or product release. The final fix is delivered with the next CFP.

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