Glossary

Key terms used throughout the NVIDIA AI Enterprise Lifecycle Policy documentation.

Application Layer

The set of NVIDIA AI Enterprise software components for building and deploying AI solutions — including AI frameworks, SDKs, NVIDIA NIMs, NVIDIA Omniverse, and pre-trained models.

Deprecated

A support phase during which a component is still supported with patches, but a deprecation date has been set and customers are notified. Plan migration to a newer branch.

End of Life (EOL)

The final lifecycle state. The branch is no longer supported and no migration or update path is provided. The branch may remain available on the NGC Catalog but is not maintained in any capacity. Customers should not use End of Life branches for any workload.

End of Support

The phase after a release branch’s final update. Older versions remain available on the NGC Catalog for download but are no longer supported. Only the latest supported version receives CVE patches, bug fixes, and new features. Customers should upgrade to the latest supported version.

Feature Branch (FB)

A release branch containing the latest software versions. Designed for development, testing, and research environments with a rapid release cadence and short support window.

Government Ready Containers

Hardened container images that meet government and defense compliance requirements. Available for select Production Branch components.

Infrastructure Branch

A release branch for GPU drivers and infrastructure operators. Major and minor releases follow a regular cadence, with standard and long-term support options available.

Infrastructure Layer

The set of NVIDIA AI Enterprise software components for managing GPU compute resources — including GPU drivers, NVIDIA GPU Operator, NVIDIA Network Operator, NVIDIA Container Toolkit, NVIDIA Run:ai, and cluster management tools.

Interactive Lifecycle and Compatibility Explorer

A web-based tool on the Lifecycle Policy page for checking cross-stack compatibility across NVIDIA AI Enterprise infrastructure components.

Long-Term Support Branch (LTSB)

A release branch designed for highly regulated industries with extended certification cycles and strict change control requirements. Provides the longest support window with periodic security patches.

NVIDIA NGC Catalog

NVIDIA’s hub for GPU-optimized software. All NVIDIA AI Enterprise supported components are listed in the NGC Catalog and identified by the “NVIDIA AI Enterprise Supported” designation.

NVIDIA Omniverse

A platform for 3D collaboration, simulation, OpenUSD workflows, and digital twins. Included in NVIDIA AI Enterprise licenses as an Application Layer component.

NVIDIA Run:ai

A GPU orchestration and workload scheduling platform for Kubernetes environments. NVIDIA Run:ai self-hosted is included in NVIDIA AI Enterprise licenses. NVIDIA Run:ai SaaS remains a separate product.

Production Branch (PB)

A release branch optimized for production deployments. Provides API stability, regular security patches, and a longer support window than Feature Branches.

Stack Alignment

The compatibility relationship between Infrastructure Layer components across infrastructure branches. Components release staggered cadences with overlap windows to enable upgrades.

Supported

Active support phase for a release branch during which NVIDIA provides bug fixes, security updates, and critical patches. Components are available on the NGC Catalog.