Vault
Feature support for Vault Enterprise
Enterprise
Appropriate Vault Enterprise license required
Prior to 2026, HashiCorp offered Long-Term Support (LTS) for specific Vault Enterprise releases. Starting with the April 2026 (2.x.x) release, Vault Enterprise follows the IBM Support Cycle-2 (SC2) model.
Vault versioning
Vault uses V.M.F syntax for versioning:
V identifies a "major" release and the start of a new support lifecycle. Major releases can include breaking or architectural changes, new features, significant new code, improvements, bug fixes, and security updates or patches.
M indicates a "minor" or "mod pack" release. Minor releases can include new functionality, security patches, and fixes to defects or security vulnerabilities.
F indicates a "fix" release. Fix releases include security patches and bug fixes. You must update to the latest fix release within a major release to receive the updated. We do not backport fixes across minor releases within a major release.
We strongly recommend upgrading to the latest fix release for supported major releases as soon as possible.
What is Support Cycle-2 (SC2)?
The Support Cycle 2 uses a "2 + 1 + 3" framework to determine coverage for usage support and product updates:
- 2 years of base support.
- 1 year of critical extended support.
- 3 years of sustained support, which does not include new fixes or enhancements.
The table below outlines the expected product updates and technical support coverage for each support phase.
| Product update | Base support | Extended support | Sustained support |
|---|---|---|---|
| New features | Yes | No | No |
| Non-critical bug fixes | Yes | No | No |
| Product improvements | Yes | No | No |
| Critical bug fixes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Security patches | Yes | Limited | No |
| Technical support case access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
For additional details on technical support coverage, please contact your account representative or refer to the support article on IBM article on Support Cycle-2 (SC2) coverage.
Coverage for existing LTS versions
Existing long-term support versions follow the existing standard and extended support periods. Standard maintenance for a given Vault version lasts approximately 1 year. After the first year, LTS Vault versions move from standard maintenance to extended maintenance for approximately one additional year.
| LTS version | GA | Extended maintenance start | Extended maintence end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.16.x | APR 2024 | MAR 2025 | APR 2026 |
| 1.19.x | MAR 2025 | APR 2026 | APR 2027 |
Extended maintenance includes patches for bugs that may cause outages and critical vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs).
Refer to the IBM HashiCorp Self-Managed Product Support Lifecycle Addendum support article or the HashiCorp Support FAQ for more details.