Establishing Standardized End-of-Life and End-of-Support Programs for Software and Hardware

AI-Generated EOS Schema Art ;-)

The rapidly evolving nature of technology compels software providers, open source maintainers, vendors, and suppliers to regularly update their software (and hardware) to maintain a competitive edge or stay relevant. However, this constant cycle of innovation and product development inevitably leads to the end of life (EOL) and end of support (EOS) for older products. I would like to start a discussion about a standardized approach to EOL and EOS programs across the industry. This can help to streamline the process, reduce confusion, and ensure a smooth transition for consumers/customers as they migrate to newer technology solutions.
The software industry is characterized by rapid innovation and continuous product development. As a result, older products are often phased out and replaced by newer, more advanced solutions. In such cases, software providers, vendors, and suppliers must create comprehensive EOL and EOS programs to support customers during the transition. The absence of industry-wide standards for these programs can lead to confusion and inconsistencies, negatively impacting both customers and vendors. In this article, I would like to outline the importance of creating standardized EOL and EOS programs in the software industry, as well as recommendations for establishing these standards.

EOL and EOS Standard Adoption in Open Source Projects

I strongly recommended that open-source maintainers adopt standardized End-of-Life (EOL) and End-of-Support (EOS) programs similar to those employed by commercial software providers. Yes, this is “easier said than done”. However, the implementation of such programs within the open-source community will yield significant benefits across the supply chain, promoting greater consistency, predictability, and transparency for all stakeholders, including developers, users, and businesses that rely on open-source software.

Benefits and Challenges of Standardized EOL and EOS Programs

The following are a few benefits of a Standardized EOL and EOS programs in the Supply Chain:

• Improved Communication: Standardized EOL and EOS programs for open-source projects can facilitate clear and consistent communication among project maintainers, contributors, and users. This ensures that all parties are well-informed about the status of a project and can plan accordingly, reducing potential disruptions.
• Enhanced Trust and Reliability: By adopting standardized EOL and EOS programs, open-source maintainers can demonstrate their commitment to transparency, stability, and responsible project management. This can foster trust and confidence in the open-source ecosystem, which is vital for encouraging broader adoption and investment in open-source solutions.
• Increased Stability for Businesses, Governments, and Critical Infrastructure: A wide range of stakeholders that rely on open-source software can benefit from a more predictable and transparent EOL and EOS process. This can help them plan their technology roadmaps more effectively, allocate resources appropriately, and mitigate potential risks associated with deprecated software.
• Support for Open-Source Sustainability: By implementing standardized EOL and EOS programs, open-source maintainers can help to ensure the long-term sustainability of their projects. This can encourage new contributors, attract funding, and ultimately contribute to the ongoing success and growth of the open-source community.

Clearly, these will not only benefit individual projects and stakeholders but also contribute to the overall health and sustainability of the open-source ecosystem. Implementing standardized EOL and EOS programs for open-source projects can present several challenges, which may include:

• Diverse Project Structures: Open-source projects vary greatly in terms of size, scope, and organizational structure. This diversity can make it difficult to develop and enforce a one-size-fits-all EOL and EOS program that is suitable for all projects.
• Limited Resources: Many open-source projects are maintained by volunteers or have limited funding, making it challenging to allocate sufficient resources for managing and communicating EOL and EOS milestones effectively.
• Decentralized Decision-Making: Open-source projects often involve decentralized decision-making processes, with multiple maintainers, contributors, and users having a say in the project’s direction. This can make it difficult to reach a consensus on EOL and EOS plans and to enforce them consistently across the project.
• Lack of Awareness and Adoption: Some open-source maintainers may not be aware of the benefits of implementing standardized EOL and EOS programs or may be hesitant to adopt them due to perceived complexity or additional workload.
• Resistance to Change: Standardizing EOL and EOS programs may face resistance from certain stakeholders within the open-source community who prefer a more flexible, ad hoc approach to managing project obsolescence and support termination.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of adopting standardized EOL and EOS programs in open-source projects outweigh the potential difficulties. By addressing these challenges through education, collaboration, and the development of adaptable and scalable EOL and EOS frameworks, open-source maintainers can improve the overall health and sustainability of their projects and the broader open-source ecosystem.

Let’s switch gears from open-source projects to businesses. Companies that adopt standardized EOL and EOS frameworks can reap a multitude of benefits, including:

• Streamlined Product Management: A standardized approach to EOL and EOS programs simplifies the management process for software providers, vendors, and suppliers. This leads to more efficient resource allocation, decreased administrative burdens, and improved customer satisfaction.
• Strengthened Customer Trust: By embracing industry-wide standards for EOL and EOS programs, software providers can showcase their dedication to transparency, customer support, and adherence to best practices. This helps build trust and confidence among customers, fostering increased loyalty and fostering long-term business relationships.
• Smoother Transitions: Standardized EOL and EOS programs facilitate seamless transitions for customers as they migrate to new technology solutions. This results in minimized downtime, reduced support issues, and an overall enhanced user experience.

Many organizations have already established EOL and EOS policies to manage their product lifecycles. For example, this is Cisco’s EOL Policy. Cisco’s EOL Policy is a comprehensive example that encompasses additional milestones that could be taken into account when developing a standard. Nevertheless, in this article, my focus is on discussing a simple proof-of-concept approach that serves as a foundation for discussion and future expansion. This initial proof-of-concept can then be built upon, incorporating further details and milestones as needed to accommodate the diverse requirements of different organizations and industry sectors.

Recommendations for Establishing Standardized EOL and EOS Programs

Software providers, vendors, and suppliers should clearly define and communicate the key milestones in their EOL and EOS programs, such as product discontinuation, end of sales, end of support, and end of life. These milestones should be consistent across the industry to facilitate a common understanding among all stakeholders.

Establish standardized timelines for each stage of the EOL and EOS process, ensuring sufficient notice and time for customers to plan and execute their migration strategies. These timelines should take into consideration the typical product life cycle, market demands, and customer needs.

Create a centralized, industry-wide platform for EOL and EOS notifications. This platform should provide up-to-date information on product obsolescence, support termination, and replacement options, ensuring that customers have easy access to the information they need.

Software providers, vendors, and suppliers should offer a range of support options to assist customers during the EOL and EOS process. These may include technical support, migration assistance, and training resources. By providing a comprehensive support package, companies can ensure a smooth transition for customers and maintain high levels of satisfaction.

A Barebone Proof-of-Concept Example

The following sections provides an overview of a potential “standardized” End-of-Life (EOL) and End-of-Support (EOS) JSON schema, which serves as a proof-of-concept example to initiate conversations around standardizing the representation of EOL and EOS product information. The schema is designed to be flexible and can be extended or modified to accommodate the needs of different stakeholders, including software providers, vendors, suppliers, and open-source maintainers.

{
  "$id": "https://openplf.org/eol-eos-schema.json",
  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
  "title": "EOL and EOS Information",
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "supplierName": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "The name of the supplier or service provider"
    },
    "supplierID": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "A unique identifier for the supplier or service provider"
    },
    "productName": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "The name of the product"
    },
    "productID": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "A globally unique identifier for the product"
    },
    "EOLDate": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date",
      "description": "The end-of-life date for the product"
    },
    "EOSDate": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date",
      "description": "The end-of-support date for the product"
    },
    "creationTimestamp": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date-time",
      "description": "The timestamp when the EOL and EOS record was created"
    }
  },
  "required": ["supplierName", "supplierID", "productName", "productID", "EOLDate", "EOSDate"]
}

The schema includes the supplier’s name and ID, product details, EOL notification date, EOS date, and Last Date of Support (LDOS). It also accommodates information about recommended replacement products, if applicable.

Schema Properties

The schema consists of the following properties:

• supplierId: The unique identifier for the supplier (string).
• supplierName: The name of the supplier (string).
• productId: The unique product identifier (string).
• productName: The name of the product (string).
• productVersion: The version or release of the product (string).
• EOLNotificationDate: The date on which the end of life notification is issued (string, formatted as a date).
• EOSDate: The date after which the product is no longer offered for sale (string, formatted as a date).
• LDOSDate: The last date to receive support as entitled by active service contracts (string, formatted as a date).
• replacementProduct: An optional property containing information about the recommended replacement product, including the unique product identifier, product name, and product version (object).

Example Usage

Below is an example JSON object conforming to the EOL and EOS Product JSON schema:

{
  "supplierId": "123456",
  "supplierName": "ExampleSupplier",
  "productId": "PID12345",
  "productName": "ExampleProduct",
  "productVersion": "1.0",
  "EOLNotificationDate": "2023-01-01",
  "EOSDate": "2023-06-01",
  "LDOSDate": "2028-06-01",
  "replacementProduct": {
    "productId": "P67890",
    "productName": "ExampleReplacementProduct",
    "productVersion": "2.0"
  }
}

Starting the Conversation

This proof-of-concept schema aims to facilitate discussions on standardizing the representation and management of EOL and EOS product information across the industry. Of course, this is just an idea and a starting point for creating a more comprehensive and robust standard that addresses the needs and requirements of all stakeholders in the software industry.

I created the following GitHub repository to start the discussions and develop a better proof-of-concept: https://github.com/santosomar/eol-eos/

This GitHub repository can then be transferred to another entity, as things evolve.

Integration with Other Standards

The EOL and EOS Product JSON schema described earlier can be further enhanced to support additional standards, such as Package URLs (PURLs) and Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) standards. Incorporating these standards would improve the schema’s interoperability, usefulness, and relevance across various software ecosystems.

• Package URLs (PURLs): PURLs are a standardized method for identifying and locating software packages within a variety of repositories, package managers, and ecosystems. By integrating PURLs into the schema, it becomes easier to uniquely identify and reference software products, providing a more precise and unambiguous way to specify EOL and EOS details for each product. This enhancement can facilitate better communication and collaboration between stakeholders, as well as improve the accuracy and consistency of EOL and EOS information.
• Software Bill of Materials (SBOM): SBOM standards aim to provide a transparent, machine-readable inventory of software components and dependencies within a software product. Incorporating SBOM standards into the EOL and EOS Product JSON schema would enable stakeholders to obtain a clear understanding of the product’s components, their associated EOL and EOS information, and potential security risks.
• Common Security Advisory Framework (CSAF): CSAF enables organizations to share information about security vulnerabilities and related patches in a standardized, machine-readable format. By extending CSAF to support the EOL and EOS standard, stakeholders can benefit from more comprehensive and streamlined security-related information. This would allow organizations to easily assess EOL and EOS details, along with relevant security advisories, thus ensuring better visibility into the security and lifecycle aspects of software products. Incorporating EOL and EOS information into the CSAF standard can facilitate a more informed decision-making process for organizations managing software products, as they can assess the impact of EOL and EOS milestones on their security posture. This integration can lead to improved risk management, enhanced security awareness, and a more secure and sustainable software ecosystem.

So, What’s Next?

To further advance this “idea”, it is essential to engage in open and constructive discussions in industry forums, conferences, and other relevant platforms. These discussions can foster the exchange of ideas, best practices, and lessons learned from various stakeholders, including software providers, vendors, suppliers, and open-source maintainers.

As the software industry continues to evolve, it is crucial to consider the future direction of this standardized approach to EOL and EOS management. Stakeholders should collaborate to identify potential areas of improvement and to explore innovative solutions that address emerging challenges and opportunities. Some key focus areas for future development include:

• Integration with existing standards
• Adoption by open-source projects.
• Perhaps platforms like GitHub can adopt a standardized method for displaying the maintenance status and EOL/EOS information of open-source projects. This can allow users and contributors to make informed decisions about project dependencies and contributions. In addition, enhance transparency and encourage a more proactive approach to managing open-source project lifecycles. Users and contributors can easily identify projects that are no longer maintained or nearing their EOL/EOS milestones, allowing them to assess potential risks, search for alternative solutions, and plan accordingly.
• Creating tools, resources, and best practices to support the implementation of the EOL and EOS standard can facilitate its widespread adoption and help stakeholders to efficiently manage their EOL and EOS programs.

Your insights, experiences, and ideas are invaluable for refining and expanding this initiative, ensuring that it remains relevant and beneficial to the entire software community. By actively participating in discussions, sharing best practices, and collaborating on improvements, you can help shape the future of EOL and EOS management, creating a more secure, sustainable, and stable software ecosystem. Please review, continue the conversation, and contribute to the GitHub repository.