Release Lifecycle¶

This page documents the release cadence, versioning scheme, and support lifecycle for HPE Morpheus Software platform components.

Release Cadence¶

Example annual release timeline:

9.0.0 → 9.0.1 → 9.0.2 → 9.1.0 → 9.1.1 → 9.1.2 → 9.2.0 → 9.2.1 → 9.2.2 → 10.0.0
├── Q1 ──────────────────┤── Q2 ─────────────────┤── Q3 ─────────────────┤── Q4 ──┤

Component Release Schedule¶

Manager (Morpheus Appliance)¶

The HPE Morpheus Software Manager follows the Major/Minor/Patch cadence described above. All platform features, API changes, and UI updates ship in Manager releases.

HVM OS (Hypervisor Host Operating System)¶

The HVM OS is released quarterly alongside each Minor Manager release. It is a purpose-built operating system for HVM hypervisor hosts based on Ubuntu LTS.

Currently supported HVM OS versions:

HVM OS updates between releases:

HPE maintains controlled Apt mirrors that deliver quarterly security and kernel updates after internal review. HVM hosts using the standard HVM OS can apply updates using standard apt procedures:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Updates available through the HPE Apt mirrors have been validated against the current HPE Morpheus Software release. No additional compatibility verification is required when using the official mirrors.

Compatibility: HVM OS compatibility depends on both the Manager release and cluster layout. HVM OS 24.04 is used by layout 1.3 and HVM OS 26.04 is used by layout 2.0. See v9.1.0 Compatibility & Breaking Changes for the supported combinations.

Agent¶

The HPE Morpheus Software Agent ships with each Manager release and is backward compatible within the same Major version. Agent upgrades are recommended with each Manager upgrade but are not strictly required for patch releases.

To upgrade the Agent on HVM hosts, navigate to the host detail page, expand the ACTIONS menu, and click “Upgrade Agent.”

Plugins¶

Plugins (HPE Alletra Block Storage, Aruba CX, etc.) follow an independent release cycle. Each plugin version declares its compatible Manager version range. Plugin compatibility is documented in the plugin’s release notes and on the HPE Morpheus Software Plugin Catalog.

Support Lifecycle¶

Active Support (1 Year)¶

From the General Availability (GA) date of a Major release, active support is provided for one year:

• New features delivered in quarterly Minor releases

• Bug fixes delivered in monthly Patch releases

• Security updates delivered in Patch releases

• Full technical support and troubleshooting

Security/Maintenance Mode (1 Year)¶

When a new Major release ships, the previous Major enters security/maintenance mode for one additional year:

• Critical security fixes only (no new features or general bug fixes)

• Technical support for existing configurations

• No new Minor releases

• Customers are encouraged to upgrade to the current Major during this period

End of Support¶

After the security/maintenance year ends, the release reaches End of Support:

• No further patches or security fixes

• Technical support is best-effort only

• Upgrade to a supported Major version is required

Total lifecycle per Major release: 2 years (1 year active + 1 year security/maintenance).

Upgrade Policy¶

Supported Upgrade Paths¶

• Patch to Patch (e.g., 9.0.1 → 9.0.2): Always supported, minimal downtime

• Minor to Minor (e.g., 9.0.x → 9.1.0): Supported from the latest patch of the previous minor

• Major to Major (e.g., 8.x → 9.0): Supported from designated minimum upgrade version (see release notes for each version)

• Skipping versions: Skipping Minor releases within a Major is supported (e.g., 9.0.x → 9.2.0). Skipping Major releases is not supported — upgrade to each Major in sequence.

Rolling vs Non-Rolling Upgrades¶

HVM Cluster Layout Upgrades¶

HVM cluster layout upgrades are a separate operation from Manager upgrades. Layout 1.2 can be upgraded to 1.3 using the supported cluster action. Layouts 1.3 and 2.0 are maintained in parallel; no in-place transition between them is documented. See Upgrading Clusters for supported procedures.

HVM OS Upgrades¶

HVM host OS updates within the same layout are performed per-host using the host maintenance workflow:

1. Place the host in maintenance mode (VMs evacuate to other hosts)

2. Perform the OS upgrade

3. Exit maintenance mode

This can be done as a rolling operation across cluster hosts with no VM downtime. Do not change a layout 1.3 Host from HVM OS 24.04 to HVM OS 26.04 as an operating-system update; HVM OS 26.04 is paired with layout 2.0.