Software versioning

There are three main categories of software versions in IXIASOFT CCMS: major.minor.[build].

The version categories convey the significance of the software changes from one version to another. As the versions are released, you can infer the scope of the changes by its version number. For example:

Figure: Example of a release cycle
Diagram of a release cycle
They are defined as follows:
  • Major: The major number increases (for example, from 4.2.0 to 5.0.0) when there are significant changes in the functionality or its components that require an important upgrade of the deployment. These include a major upgrade of the underlying framework (Java, Eclipse, etc.), an operating system that is no longer supported, a major update of the TEXTML Server version, etc. A new major software version may introduce changes that are not compatible with the configuration of an older version. In this case, an upgrade procedure is provided.
  • Minor: The minor number increases (for example, from 4.0.0 to 4.1.0) to introduce new important features. A minor update may require configuration changes and upgrades of the components. A new minor software version may introduce changes that are not compatible with the configuration of an older version. In this case, an upgrade procedure is provided.
  • Build: The build number increases (for example, from 4.1.0 to 4.1.1) to introduce bug fixes, which may require small updates to the components. No major upgrades are required. Minor configuration changes may be needed and are documented in the Upgrade Guide. Any change in the software must be backward compatible.

The following table describes the characteristics of each version category:

Major Minor Build
New features Yes Yes No
Bug fixes Yes Yes Yes
OS upgrade Maybe No No
Java upgrade
Major Maybe No No
Minor Maybe Maybe Maybe *
TEXTML upgrade
Major Maybe No No
Minor Maybe Maybe Maybe *
Eclipse SDK upgrade Maybe No No
XML Editor upgrade Maybe Maybe No
Configuration changes Yes Yes Maybe
Documentation updates Yes Yes Maybe
* In rare instances when critical bugs are found.