NVIDIA Delegated License Service Software Lifecycle

NVIDIA Delegated License Service (DLS) Software Lifecycle

NVIDIA has introduced a new enterprise software lifecycle and end-of-life (EOL) policy for Delegated License Service (DLS) software.

1. Introduction

1.1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the product lifecycle and end of life (EOL) for NVIDIA Licensing System (NLS) Delegated License Service (DLS) software.

NVIDIA License System (NLS) is used to serve a pool of floating licenses to licensed NVIDIA software products. A specific service instance is required to serve licenses to licensed clients. NVIDIA License System supports the following types of service instances:

Cloud License Service: A cloud-based license server managed by NVIDIA but the setup to be done by the customers (customer IT administration).
Delegated License Service: An on-premises license server that can be installed in customer’s premises.

This document introduces a new enterprise software lifecycle for DLS releases and defines a support matrix and EOL policy.

1.2. Definitions

NVIDIA License Service (NLS)

A platform developed by NVIDIA to license and monetize any NVIDIA branded software and services.

NVIDIA Licensing Portal (NLP)

An NVIDIA-managed web portal that is available to enterprise customers through a (human interaction) website. Customers can get their license keys and download software that they are entitled to use based on the purchased products. NLP is currently used for vGPU and NVAIE.

Major Feature Release

A major feature release is indicated by the x.0 version number. Any major feature requires a major release.

Release cadence: This will be a late binding decision (not a fixed cadence).

Minor Release (MR)

A release that updates a production branch release as indicated by the x.y version number.

Release payload: Minor feature enhancements, regular bug fixes, and critical security updates.

Release cadence: Quarterly.

Security Patch Release

A release that includes security bug fixes and provides update release on an LTS branch release as indicated by the x.y.z version number.

Release payload: Critical security updates.

Release cadence: Quarterly.

2. DLS Releases

Within the DLS release, there are two main categories of branches:

2.1. DLS Branches

Production Branch

Customers can access new features as they become available by using the DLS production branch. Production branch releases will receive regular bug and security updates through minor releases during the period that they are supported.

Release cadence: Three months.

Production branch releases will be provided every three (3) months.

LTS (Long Term Support) Branch

Customers can access security patches as they become available by using the DLS LTS branch. All of the DLS security patches will be delivered using the LTS branches during the period that the LTS branch is supported. LTS branch releases will be supported for three (3) years for security fixes.

Release cadence: Three months.

Security fixes will be provided every three (3) months.

2.2. Details on DLS Releases

Customers can access DLS production branch releases and LTS branch security patch releases from the NLP software downloads page. Customers must have an active vGPU Support, Maintenance, Updates, and Upgrades Subscription (SUMS) to access production branch releases and LTS branch security patch releases.

Note:

To summarize, NVIDIA is currently supporting two release branches of DLS products in parallel: DLS 3.x and DLS 3.0.x. DLS minor releases DLS 3.x and security patch releases DLS 3.0.x will be released quarterly. DLS 3.0 is declared as an LTS (long term support) branch release. DLS 3.0 is selected as a baseline due to in-place upgrade capability without downtime and new VM provisioning that can be used by customers for monthly refreshes. Therefore, it will provide seamless upgrades.

Type	Production Branch	Long Term Support Branch
Major release cadence	Any major feature requires a major release. Release cadence: This will be a late binding decision (not a fixed cadence).	Not applicable
Minor release cadence	Quarterly	Not applicable
Security patch release includes bug fixes and critical security updates cadence.	Not applicable	Quarterly
Technical support	Yes	Yes
Length of support	Production branch: Until the next release. Note: The actual security update and release cadence can change at NVIDIA’s discretion.	Three years
DLS security bulletin cadence	Quarterly	Quarterly

3. Security Patch Releases

DLS security patches will be available from DLS 3.1.x versions. Customers who use older DLS versions must use 3.1.x patch releases to get the security fixes. The new features will be part of the new release only and will not be backported to older releases.

Note:

For any zero-day vulnerabilities or urgent critical customer feedback, ad-hoc DLS patch releases will be planned as an exception.

4. Notification of Security Patch Releases and Fixes

NVIDIA will notify customers through security bulletin of the release versions and vulnerabilities fixed in that version.

The notification will be a public bulletin posted on Nvidia.com. DLS Security Bulletins will have detailed information on all the security vulnerabilities fixed in DLS software security patch releases. An appropriate amount of detail will be addressed about the issues fixed, including the severity of the issues, affected versions, and applicable release updates for the affected software.

5. EOL Plan for DLS Releases

DLS LTS branch releases will be supported for three (3) years from the release date.

Customers must upgrade to NVIDIA DLS software release DLS 3.0 or later, from an earlier DLS release, to get the bug fixes and security updates. If you are using an NVIDIA DLS software release from an earlier release branch, note that NVIDIA plans to patch and support these releases.

EOL Plan for DLS Releases: DLS 1.x and DLS 2.x

To get security fixes, upgrade to DLS 3.0.x or a later version of DLS releases.

DLS 1.x

Support for DLS 1.x will be available for up to 18 months starting from May 2023.
- NVIDIA will provide an 18-month advance notice to help customers plan and transition to the latest DLS release.
- NVIDIA will publish a customer notice and explain the support plan for older DLS releases.
NVIDIA will provide the respective DLS 1.x release on the NLS software downloads portal for customers and provide WARs for any issues on that version.
Support plan:
- Support includes triage of cases by NVES and engineering, help from NVEX with configuration, documentation, and documented migration steps to the latest release.
- No security fixes or patch releases will be provided on DLS 1.x. Customers must upgrade to the latest NLS release for security fixes or regular patching requirements.
- A technical application note to communicate to NLS customers the DLS 1.x support and upgrade paths.
- The 18-month EOL period for DLS 1.x is an exception.

DLS 2.x

DLS 2.x will reach its EOL in December 2024.
The support plan for DLS 2.0 and 2.1 is the same as that of DLS 1.x.

Notices

Notice

This document is provided for information purposes only and shall not be regarded as a warranty of a certain functionality, condition, or quality of a product. NVIDIA Corporation (“NVIDIA”) makes no representations or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this document and assumes no responsibility for any errors contained herein. NVIDIA shall have no liability for the consequences or use of such information or for any infringement of patents or other rights of third parties that may result from its use. This document is not a commitment to develop, release, or deliver any Material (defined below), code, or functionality.

NVIDIA reserves the right to make corrections, modifications, enhancements, improvements, and any other changes to this document, at any time without notice.

Customer should obtain the latest relevant information before placing orders and should verify that such information is current and complete.

NVIDIA products are sold subject to the NVIDIA standard terms and conditions of sale supplied at the time of order acknowledgement, unless otherwise agreed in an individual sales agreement signed by authorized representatives of NVIDIA and customer (“Terms of Sale”). NVIDIA hereby expressly objects to applying any customer general terms and conditions with regards to the purchase of the NVIDIA product referenced in this document. No contractual obligations are formed either directly or indirectly by this document.

NVIDIA products are not designed, authorized, or warranted to be suitable for use in medical, military, aircraft, space, or life support equipment, nor in applications where failure or malfunction of the NVIDIA product can reasonably be expected to result in personal injury, death, or property or environmental damage. NVIDIA accepts no liability for inclusion and/or use of NVIDIA products in such equipment or applications and therefore such inclusion and/or use is at customer’s own risk.

NVIDIA makes no representation or warranty that products based on this document will be suitable for any specified use. Testing of all parameters of each product is not necessarily performed by NVIDIA. It is customer’s sole responsibility to evaluate and determine the applicability of any information contained in this document, ensure the product is suitable and fit for the application planned by customer, and perform the necessary testing for the application in order to avoid a default of the application or the product. Weaknesses in customer’s product designs may affect the quality and reliability of the NVIDIA product and may result in additional or different conditions and/or requirements beyond those contained in this document. NVIDIA accepts no liability related to any default, damage, costs, or problem which may be based on or attributable to: (i) the use of the NVIDIA product in any manner that is contrary to this document or (ii) customer product designs.

No license, either expressed or implied, is granted under any NVIDIA patent right, copyright, or other NVIDIA intellectual property right under this document. Information published by NVIDIA regarding third-party products or services does not constitute a license from NVIDIA to use such products or services or a warranty or endorsement thereof. Use of such information may require a license from a third party under the patents or other intellectual property rights of the third party, or a license from NVIDIA under the patents or other intellectual property rights of NVIDIA.

Reproduction of information in this document is permissible only if approved in advance by NVIDIA in writing, reproduced without alteration and in full compliance with all applicable export laws and regulations, and accompanied by all associated conditions, limitations, and notices.

THIS DOCUMENT AND ALL NVIDIA DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS, REFERENCE BOARDS, FILES, DRAWINGS, DIAGNOSTICS, LISTS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS (TOGETHER AND SEPARATELY, “MATERIALS”) ARE BEING PROVIDED “AS IS.” NVIDIA MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE WITH RESPECT TO THE MATERIALS, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NONINFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. TO THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL NVIDIA BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF ANY USE OF THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF NVIDIA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Notwithstanding any damages that customer might incur for any reason whatsoever, NVIDIA’s aggregate and cumulative liability towards customer for the products described herein shall be limited in accordance with the Terms of Sale for the product.

VESA DisplayPort

DisplayPort and DisplayPort Compliance Logo, DisplayPort Compliance Logo for Dual-mode Sources, and DisplayPort Compliance Logo for Active Cables are trademarks owned by the Video Electronics Standards Association in the United States and other countries.

HDMI

HDMI, the HDMI logo, and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC.

OpenCL

OpenCL is a trademark of Apple Inc. used under license to the Khronos Group Inc.

Trademarks

NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, NVIDIA Maxwell, NVIDIA Pascal, NVIDIA Turing, NVIDIA Volta, Quadro, and Tesla are trademarks or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.