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Release Policy

docs/articles_en/about-openvino/release-notes-openvino/release-policy.rst

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Release Policy

OpenVINO™ offers releases of four different types, each targeting a different use case:

  • Regular releases <#regular-releases>__
  • Long-Term Support <#long-term-support-releases>__
  • Pre-release releases <#pre-release-releases>__
  • Nightly <#nightly-releases>__

Regular releases ####################

OpenVINO™ is published multiple times a year, when significant new features and bug fixes have been completed and validated. For each regular release, a dedicated development branch in GitHub is created, targeting changes such as:

  • New features of gold quality, as well as Beta features, labeled as “preview.”
  • Key bug fixes.
  • Newest hardware support.

Each regular release is supported until the next version arrives, making it suitable for:

  • Most typical use cases (the recommended release type).
  • Products requiring frequent changes in supported hardware, libraries, operating systems, and models.

Long-Term Support releases ###########################

Each year's final release becomes a Long-Term Support (LTS) version, which continues to receive bug fixes and security updates, even after newer versions are published. Therefore, LTS may be used for production environments where:

  • There is no need for frequent changes in hardware or model support.
  • New optimizations are not prioritized.
  • Upgrading is challenging, e.g., due to high software complexity.
  • A legacy feature, discontinued in newer OpenVINO versions, is still required.

LTS Lifecycle

  • LTS is typically published at the end of every year cycle.
  • LTS uses the branch of the last yearly regular release.
  • LTS aim to receive an update once a year.
  • Security updates are offered for the duration of the entire LTS period, which is two years (or until superseded by two consecutive LTS versions).
  • Updates targeting newly discovered bugs are offered for the period of one year.

.. note:: LTS releases may offer limited distribution options.

Components covered by LTS

Not all components associated with the OpenVINO™ toolkit are covered by the LTS policy. The following elements are not guaranteed to receive updates:

  • Components in the deprecation period.
  • Preview features (highlighted in the release notes).
  • Components not directly connected to the OpenVINO™ workflow, such as: Samples, demos, and Jupyter notebooks.
  • OpenVINO tools, such as NNCF and OVMS.
  • Code samples used in component testing.

Pre-release releases ######################

OpenVINO pre-release is an early version of regular releases that has not undergone full release validation or qualification. Pre-release versions are more stable than nightly releases. No support is offered on pre-release software. The scope, functionality, and APIs/behavior are subject to change in the future. It should NOT be incorporated into any production software/solution, instead it should be used only for:

  • Performing early testing and integration.
  • Getting early feedback from the community.

Nightly releases ###########################

OpenVINO nightly releases are the first source of newly added features and priority bug fixes reported for the previous versions, as a preview of the most recent changes. They are:

  • Released every workday.
  • Based on the master branch of the OpenVINO GitHub repository.
  • Not fit for production environments.
  • Offered with limited distribution options:

Since their validation scope is limited, they should never be used for production purposes. Instead, they may serve:

  • Early integration testing.
  • Community contribution development and integration.
  • Tracking development progress.

.. tab-set::

.. tab-item:: Downloadable Archives :sync: archives-s3

  1. Go to `OpenVINO Nightly Packages <https://storage.openvinotoolkit.org/repositories/openvino/packages/nightly/>`__.
  2. Select a package you want to install.
  3. Download the archive for your platform.
  4. Unpack the archive in a convenient location.
  5. Once unpacked, proceed as with a regular OpenVINO archive (see :doc:`installation guides <../../../get-started/install-openvino>`).

.. tab-item:: OV Wheels on S3 :sync: wheels-s3

  A PyPI repository deployed on AWS S3 (`see more details <https://peps.python.org/pep-0503/>`__)
  enables the use of regular PyPI without the need to rename wheels. Installation commands vary depending
  on the branch:

  .. tab-set::

    .. tab-item:: Master
       :sync: master

       .. code-block:: py

          pip install --pre openvino --extra-index-url
          https://storage.openvinotoolkit.org/simple/wheels/nightly

    .. tab-item:: Release
       :sync: release

       * This command includes **Release Candidates**.
       * To use ``extra-index-url``, you need to pass a link containing ``simple``.
       * The ``--pre`` allows the installation of dev-builds.

       .. code-block:: py

          pip install --pre openvino --extra-index-url
          https://storage.openvinotoolkit.org/simple/wheels/pre-release

.. tab-item:: OV Wheels on PyPi (not recommended) :sync: wheels-pypi

  Install OV Wheels from PyPI:

  .. code-block:: py

     pip install openvino-nightly

Additional Information #########################

| Determining the OpenVINO Version | If you need to operate on a specific OpenVINO release, and you are not sure which version is included in the installed package, you can verify it in one of two ways:

.. tab-set::

.. tab-item:: Python :sync: python

  Execute the following command within the installed package:

  .. code-block:: python

     python3 -c "import openvino; print(openvino.__version__)"

.. tab-item:: Archives :sync: archives

  You can find the file version in:

  .. code-block:: text

     <UNZIPPED_ARCHIVE_ROOT>/runtime/version.txt

| Issue Reporting | To report issues, use the Intel® Premier Support <https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/design/support/ips/training/welcome.html>__ clearly stating the issue, impact, and the expected timeline.

| Distribution:

  • Selector tool <https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/tools/openvino-toolkit/download.html>__ of all distribution options.

  • Source code distribution: GitHub <https://github.com/openvinotoolkit/openvino>__ and Gitee <https://gitee.com/openvinotoolkit-prc/openvino>__ .

  • Binary distribution:

    • Download from OpenVINO storage <https://storage.openvinotoolkit.org/repositories/openvino/packages/>__
    • pypi.org <https://pypi.org/project/openvino/>__
    • DockerHub* <https://hub.docker.com/u/openvino>__