Vendor Lifecycle Terminology
Decoder for reading any vendor's EoL bulletin.
Same concept, different names. Cisco's End of Software Maintenance isn't Juniper's End of Software Engineering. Palo Alto and Arista both give five years of support after End-of-Sale but cut software fixes off at different points inside that window. If you read bulletins from multiple vendors, you need a cross-reference. Here it is.
Every row cites the vendor's own policy. Last reviewed .
Cross-vendor milestone map
Rows are the lifecycle events; columns are what each vendor calls them.
| Concept | Cisco | Juniper | HPE Aruba | Palo Alto | Arista |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announcement: the vendor publishes a future EoL bulletin. | End-of-Life Announcement | End-of-Life Announcement (EoLN) | End-of-Life Announcement | End-of-Sale Announcement | End-of-Sale Announcement |
| Last order date: when you can no longer purchase. | End-of-Sale (EoS) typically 6 months after announcement | Last Order Date (LOD) ~180 days after EoLN | End of Sale (EoS) | End-of-Sale (EoS) | End-of-Sale 6 months after announcement |
| Last ship date: final date devices actually leave the vendor. | Last Ship Date 3 months after EoS | Last Ship Date | Last Ship Date | (no separate milestone published) | (no separate milestone published) |
| Software fixes stop: maintenance releases end. | End of Software Maintenance (EoSWM) | End of Software Engineering (EOSE) typically 3 years after LOD | Software-release-specific (not per-hardware) | 3 years after EoS for software products | Software bug fixes end up to 3 years after EoS |
| Security fixes stop: no more CVE patches. | End of Vulnerability/Security Support (EoVSS) 30 months after EoS for IOS XE | End of Engineering (no separate security milestone) | End of Security Support tied to EoSS | Tied to last supported PAN-OS on hardware | Tied to software bug-fix window |
| Hardware failure analysis ends. | End of Routine Failure Analysis 1 year after EoS typical | End of Hardware Engineering (EOHE) | No published separate milestone | Tied to hardware support end | No published separate milestone |
| Last day TAC / support tickets accepted. | Last Day of Support 5 years after EoS for hardware, 3 years for application software | End of Support (EOS) | End of Software Support (EoSS) 5 years after EoS (7 years for hardware sold before 2026-02-28) | End of Technical Support 5 years after EoS for hardware, 3 years for software | End-of-Life up to 5 years after EoS |
| Spare parts / RMA availability ends. | End of Service Contract Renewal 5 years after EoS typical | Tied to EoS milestone | Tied to EoSS | Hardware replacement available 5 years after EoS with active support contract | Tied to EoL milestone |
Cisco
End-of-Life announcement lands at least six months before End-of-Sale. Hardware TAC access and spare availability continue five years after End-of-Sale; application software TAC for three years. Three intermediate milestones progressively narrow what you get between End-of-Sale and Last Day of Support:
- End of Software Maintenance (EoSWM). No more maintenance releases.
- End of Vulnerability/Security Support (EoVSS). No more security fixes. 30 months after End-of-Sale on IOS XE.
- End of Routine Failure Analysis. Roughly one year after End-of-Sale.
Smart Net Total Care contracts must be active as of End-of-Sale to stay renewable.
Juniper
Uses Last Order Date (LOD) where other vendors use End-of-Sale. Splits hardware and software engineering into separate milestones: End of Hardware Engineering (EOHE) and End of Software Engineering (EOSE) can fall on different dates. EOSE is typically three years after LOD. After EOSE, JTAC will troubleshoot and give workarounds but won't cut new code. Open a case on a post-EOSE platform and expect config guidance, not a fix.
HPE Aruba Networking
End of Software Support (EoSS) lands five years after End-of-Sale for anything sold after 2026-02-28, seven years for hardware sold before that cutoff. Support envelopes vary by purchase date, not just SKU. Software lifecycle is release-type based (Short Supported Release / SSR versus Long Supported Release / LSR), not hardware-model based. Check the release policy separately from the hardware policy.
Palo Alto Networks
5 years of hardware TAC + RMA after EoS, 3 years for software products. Gotcha: the product must be under active support contract as of the EoS date to stay renewable. Let it lapse and you can't buy back in. You're out for the rest of the lifecycle. Budget accordingly if you're holding PA gear long-term.
Arista
5-year EoS lifecycle default, 3 years for select legacy lines. 24×7 TAC for 5 years from EoS; software bug fixes cut off at 3 years. Wi-Fi is on a different track: features for 18 months post-EoL, bug-fix releases for 60 months. If you're mixing Arista switching and Wi-Fi, they age out at different rates.
- Arista Five Year End of Life Policy
- Arista Three Year End of Life Policy
- Arista Wi-Fi End of Life Policy
Not here yet: Fortinet, Extreme, F5, SonicWall, WatchGuard, Sophos, Meraki (inherits Cisco policy), Cambium, Ruckus/CommScope, Check Point. Coming.