Nintex Automation product support and release strategy
This article describes Nintex’s official release strategy for Nintex Automation, Nintex K2 Five, Nintex K2 blackpearl, and Nintex K2 connect for SAP (collectively known as “Nintex K2 on-premises software”). It also includes information on how product releases may affect version support. Additionally, support plans for third-party software (including Microsoft products) are included in this article. Please contact your local Nintex representative with any questions.
Contents
- Release Timing and Definitions
- Third-Party software support plan
- Mobile Application Non-App Store Delivery Mechanisms
- Hardware Virtualization Support Policy
- Nintex K2 software support plan
Useful Links to other articles
- Nintex K2 Product Releases and Build Numbers - lists the released versions and build numbers, and contains links to the release notes for that release
- How to determine the installed Nintex K2 software version, Cumulative Updates, and Fix Packs - describes how to determine which version/Cumulative Update or Fix Pack are installed in an environment
- Product Compatibility, Integration and Support - a matrix that lists compatibility and support information for various versions of Nintex K2 with versions of third-party software
- Support & Services Policies - terms and conditions for support policies, such as Extended Term Support Policies, Nintex K2 Software Support Policies, and Virtual Services Policies
Release Timing and Definitions
On-premises software releases occur periodically, depending on the release vehicle. Minor versions (e.g., 5.6) occur annually, generally in the middle of the calendar year. Cumulative updates roll up fixes and release periodically depending on needs. Fix packs release weekly and include any code fixes needed for a release vehicle. For more details and definitions, see Major and Minor versions, Cumulative Updates, Fix Packs, and Code Fixes.
Third-Party Software Support Plans
Nintex K2 on-premises software integrates with various third-party systems and applications. Nintex will plan to support third-party integration per the following guidelines:
- Nintex tests our integration with the third-party version available at the beginning of our testing cycle. These versions are listed in the compatibility matrix.
- If the third-party vendor maintains backwards compatibility with the APIs and integration points Nintex K2 on-premises software uses, minor releases (such as service packs, cumulative updates, or patches) of third-party products are supported.
- If the third-party vendor makes a breaking change to an integration point with Nintex K2, we will react to that change through our normal support channels and update cycles.
- Nintex K2 on-premises releases will drop support for third-party products that are no longer supported by those third parties.
- Any support for new versions of third-party products or additional third-party products not currently integrated with Nintex K2 on-premises software will be communicated as Nintex develops plans, if any, for integration.
Mobile Application Non-App Store Delivery Mechanisms
Nintex does not explicitly test or support Nintex K2 mobile software delivered through other mechanisms, such as specific MDMs. Nintex will only support issues that are able to be reproduced in an App Store signed version of the app. If an issue is found with an app that a customer has re-signed using an enterprise profile that cannot be reproduced with the app store version, Nintex will not support it and will not provide a fix for the issue.
Hardware Virtualization Support Policy
Nintex does not explicitly test or support Nintex K2 software running on specific hardware virtualization technologies or software, for either on-premise or online deployments. If you have Technical Support and Maintenance services from Nintex, Nintex will investigate potential issues with Nintex K2 software running on hardware virtualization software, for example Microsoft Hyper-V, Microsoft Azure Persistent VM, Amazon EC2 and VMware, provided technical requirements for the virtualization environment are met. Nintex may require that customers replicate the issue on a physical machine to proceed with the investigation. This request to replicate issues on alternative physical hardware is used to verify that the problem exists in the Nintex software independent of the underlying platform. Where it is determined that the issue is not related to hardware virtualization software, Nintex K2 software will be supported in a manner that is consistent with support provided when the software is on physical hardware.
Nintex K2 software support plan
Component Compatibility
All Server Components and Client Components in an environment* must be on the same Major Release and Minor Release. Additionally, all Server Components must have the same Cumulative Update (CU) / Fix Pack (FP). For example, if K2 Server has 4.7 installed, the Nintex K2 for SharePoint components in the same environment must also have 4.7 installed. Nintex highly recommends that all Client Components be at the same CU/FP level as the Server Components in the same environment. Refer to the version release notes for any known considerations about Server/Client components compatibility.
If your organization has multiple environments (e.g., Dev, Test, Production) and you are upgrading or updating environments, it is expected that non-Production environments (e.g., Dev and Test) will be on a higher release and CU/FP level than Production environments, at least while the necessary testing is completed. In these cases, it is not always possible to use the K2 Package and Deployment (P&D) tools or client components between environments that are not on the same release and update level. From a P&D tool perspective, it is usually possible to P&D from a lower version to a higher version, but not necessarily the other way around. Nintex recommends, where possible, to deploy only between environments that are on the same version and CU/FP level.
If moving your K2 database or configuring a new server to point to an existing K2 database ensure that the same Nintex K2 version and CU/FP are installed as the original server/database. Once the configuration is complete confirm that the environment is working before upgrading to a new Nintex K2 version.
*A Nintex K2 “environment” is any combination of Nintex K2 components that utilize a single instance of K2 databases. For example, an installation with two load-balanced K2 Servers, two SharePoint web front-ends running Nintex K2 for SharePoint components, and 10 developers running K2 for Visual Studio components, all sharing an instance of the K2 database(s), would be considered an “environment”. In this example, the K2 database, the K2 servers and the Nintex K2 for SharePoint components are considered “Server Components” and the K2 for Visual Studio components are considered “Client Components.”, and they all reside in an "environment".
API Support Policy
When possible, Nintex will minimize the impact of API changes to attempt to maintain backwards compatibility with previous Nintex K2 on-premises software releases. However, Nintex reserves the right to make breaking changes in Major and Minor releases. Nintex will not introduce breaking changes in Cumulative Updates and Fix Packs. Wherever possible, breaking changes in APIs will be described in that version's release notes. If you use APIs that have changed in your custom code, you may need to update custom code to cater for possible breaking changes.
Legacy Component Support Policy
If you have upgraded from a previous on-premises version (i.e., Nintex K2 blackpearl or Nintex K2.net 2003), several components used in the old version are deprecated and are now marked as legacy components. Nintex recommends that any new development of Nintex K2 applications is done on the latest components to take advantage of the newest features.
While artifacts created in legacy designers or integrating with legacy APIs will continue to run, we reserve the right to remove and deprecate those components in the future. Legacy components remain supported during the support window for the release in which they are installed.
No legacy component will receive additional features. If there are features in the legacy components that are not yet in the newer versions, please log your feedback to ideas.nintex.com for prioritization.
Product Support Lifecycle Policy
Nintex supports every on-premises product release (major releases and minor releases) for a minimum of two years. This is known as the standard support lifecycle of an on-premises release, or a “Supported Release.” During this standard lifecycle, customers with an active Support agreement have access to support and new code fixes.
Nintex K2 on-premises software will enter an “End of Life” status after the standard support lifecycle ends. When a Nintex K2 on-premises release reaches End of Life, development of new code fixes will cease unless a crucial fix is required for a production outage. Security, stability and performance release packs will continue until the Nintex K2 product reaches the end of Extended support. To receive existing code fixes and have access to support, you must have an active support agreement in place.
Once a Nintex K2 on-premises release has reached the end of Extended support, no new code fixes will be developed. Nintex will endeavor to assist in providing suggested updates in solution design or implementing a workaround. To receive existing code fixes and have access to Support, you must have an active support agreement in place.
Support lifecycles
This includes all related Nintex K2 components based on the Compatibility Matrix.
Currently Supported Products
The table below lists all product versions currently in standard or extended support.
| Product | Standard Support Lifecycle Begins | Standard Support Lifecycle Ends (End of Life) | End of Extended Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintex Automation (5.8) | 5 September 2024 | 30 September 2026 | 30 September 2028 |
| Nintex Automation (5.7) | 19 September 2023 | 30 September 2025 | 30 September 2027 |
| Nintex K2 Five (5.6) | 30 August 2022 | 31 August 2024 | 31 August 2026 |
| Nintex K2 Five (5.5) | 29 July 2021 | 29 July 2023 | 29 July 2025 |
|
Nintex K2 connect for SAP (5.3) *Nintex K2 connect for SAP support matches the Nintex K2 Five/Nintex Automation version you have installed, assuming compatibility. |
May 2022 | 30 September 2025 | 30 September 2027 |
| Nintex K2 connect for SAP (4.7.3) | September 2018 | 31 December 2019 | 31 December 2025 |
| Nintex K2 blackpearl (4.7) | 22 September 2016 | 31 December 2019 | 31 December 2025 |
Support Expired Products
The table below lists all product versions for which standard and extended support has expired.
| Product | Standard Support Lifecycle Begins | Standard Support Lifecycle Ends (End of Life) | End of Extended Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintex K2 Five (5.4) | 23 June 2020 | 30 June 2022 | 30 June 2024 |
| Nintex K2 Five (5.3) | 3 May 2019 | 31 May 2021 | 31 May 2023 |
| Nintex K2 Five (5.2) | 16 October 2018 | 31 October 2020 | 31 October 2022 |
| Nintex K2 Five (5.1) | 30 April 2018 | 30 April 2020 | 30 April 2022 |
| Nintex K2 Five (5.0) | 1 November 2017 | 31 December 2019 | 31 December 2021 |
| Nintex K2 4.6.11 and earlier | All versions are end of life | ||
| Nintex K2 connect for SAP (5.2) | September 2020 | 31 October 2020 | 31 October 2022 |
| Nintex K2 connect for SAP (5.1) | September 2018 | 30 April 2020 | 30 April 2022 |
| Nintex K2 connect for SAP (5.0) | November 2017 | 31 December 2019 | 31 December 2021 |
| Nintex K2 connect for SAP (4.7.2) and earlier | All versions are end of life |