Puppet Enterprise
Platform Support Lifecycle

Puppet Enterprise Lifecycle Policy

This Puppet Enterprise (PE) lifecycle policy helps you make an informed decision about when to update your PE version. Support and maintenance provided under this policy is subject to Puppet’s Support Terms, which may be updated by Puppet from time to time. See the most recent version of our Support Terms.

Note: Previously, Puppet Enterprise was released in short-term support (STS) and long-term support (LTS) release tracks. In January 2020, we changed our policy to enable faster delivery of product features. The new policy provides: (a) a more frequently updated Puppet Enterprise release track, which replaces our previous STS release track; and (b) an overlapping support period and release cadence for Puppet Enterprise LTS, which we now support for two (2) years instead of the previous 18 months.

Puppet Enterprise is released in two tracks:

Puppet Enterprise

We recommend this release track for customers who want access to the latest capabilities and new features. This track receives new features, feature improvements, fixes, and security updates and is usually updated every six (6) months. PE track releases are versioned in an XXXX.Y pattern, such as 2020.1.

Each update in this track supersedes the previous update. Customer support is available for all updates in the current series, such as 2023.Y, but to receive the most recent features and fixes, you must update to the latest version.

Major versions in the PE track are typically released every two years, as determined by Puppet. The final update in a given PE series, such as 2019.Y, converts into the new PE LTS version. At that time, you must upgrade to the next major version of the PE track to continue taking advantage of new features and capabilities.

Puppet Enterprise Long-Term Support (LTS)

We recommend this release track for customers who require minimal change to their environments. This track receives feature improvements, security fixes, and bug fixes and is updated approximately every six (6) months. It does not receive new features. PE LTS track releases are versioned in an XXXX.Y.Z pattern, such as 2017.7.0.

The LTS track receives support for two (2) years from the date of first availability. To receive the most current security patches and bug fixes, you must update to the latest version.

Major versions in the PE LTS track are typically released every two years. Six months of overlapping support for the previous version is available after the release of a new LTS version. This is intended to provide the time to test and upgrade to the new PE LTS version.

Supported Versions of Puppet Enterprise

During the Mainstream Support period, the previous Puppet Enterprise LTS version receives feature improvements, security fixes, and bug fixes each at Puppet’s sole discretion. During the Overlap Support period, the previous Puppet Enterprise LTS version receives security fixes and bug fixes, each at Puppet’s sole discretion.

At the end of the Overlap Support period, the previous Puppet Enterprise LTS version enters the End of Life (EOL) phase and is no longer eligible for any fixes or security patches.

Inactive Versions: Customers on unsupported versions of Puppet Enterprise are strongly encouraged to adopt current releases to take full advantage of the product’s latest features. Inactive versions are not eligible for any new features, fixes, or security patches.

The open source Puppet projects that are included in Puppet Enterprise, such as Puppet and Facter, adhere to the maintenance and EOL dates for the PE release tracks that depend on them. For example, PE 2019.8 (LTS) uses Puppet Agent 6.x, so bug fixes and security updates for open source Puppet Agent 6.x will be released until the PE 2019.8 (LTS) end of life date of February 28, 2023.

For a full list of upstream components in PE releases, see the “Component Versions in Recent PE Releases” page on the docs site.

See version history