ElasticMS Release & Roadmap Policy
ElasticMS follows a predictable, time-based release strategy, inspired by mature ecosystems such as Symfony.
The objective is to balance long-term stability, controlled evolution, and operational safety.
Release Types
Patch releases (x.y.z)
- Bug fixes only
- No functional changes
- No backward incompatibility
- Released as needed (typically weekly)
- Always safe to apply
Minor releases (x.y)
- New features and technical improvements
- Backward compatible
- Short support window (≈ 2 months)
- Used to progressively introduce changes and deprecations
Major releases (x.0)
- Stack upgrades and cleanup of deprecated features
- Possible breaking changes
- Introduced only when required by the roadmap
- Migration effort expected
Long-Term Support (LTS)
LTS versions are the recommended choice for production environments.
- Extended support duration
- Bug fixes and security updates only
- No new features
- Reduced operational risk
Current and planned LTS versions:
- ElasticMS 5.25 LTS — supported until June 2026
- ElasticMS 6.9 LTS — supported until December 2028
Minor Release Cycle (7.x)
- Regular minor releases
- Typical support duration: ~2 months
- Used for:
- functional evolution
- technical improvements
- progressive deprecations
- Minor versions act as stepping stones toward the next LTS
Major Versions
Major versions mark important technical transitions:
- framework upgrades
- dependency cleanup
- removal of deprecated APIs
- alignment with upstream ecosystems (Symfony, PHP, Elasticsearch / OpenSearch)
Example:
- ElasticMS 8.x starts in 2028, following the stabilization of the 7.x series and its LTS.
Roadmap Overview
Remarks
- The real start date of 5.25 is December 2024
- The real end date of 7.20 is December 2029
Key Principles
- Prefer LTS versions for production systems
- Minor versions are short-lived by design
- Major upgrades are planned and documented
- The roadmap is aligned with upstream technologies
- Dates may evolve, but the release structure remains stable