Docker Product Release Lifecycle: Beta and Early Access (EA) Stages

**Retirement:** During the experimental period, Docker will determine whether to continue an offering through its lifecycle. We reserve the right to change the scope of or discontinue an Experimental product or feature at any point in time without notice, as outlined in our [Subscription Service Agreement](https://www.docker.com/legal/docker-subscription-service-agreement). ### Beta Beta offerings are initial releases of potential future products or features. Customers who participate in our beta programs have the opportunity to test, validate, and provide feedback on future functionality. This helps us focus our efforts on what provides the most value to our customers. **Customer availability:** Participation in beta releases is by invitation or via use of clearly identified beta features in product. Beta invitations may be public or private. **Support:** Support for beta features is best effort via Community support channels and forums. **Limitations:** Beta releases may have potentially significant limitations such as functional limitations, performance limitations, and API limitations. Features and programmatic interfaces may change at any time without notice. **Retirement:** During the beta period, Docker will determine whether to continue an offering through its lifecycle. We reserve the right to change the scope of or discontinue a Beta product or feature at any point in time without notice, as outlined in our [Subscription Service Agreement](https://www.docker.com/legal/docker-subscription-service-agreement). ### Early Access (EA) Early Access offerings are products or features that may have potential feature limitations and are enabled for specific user groups as part of an incremental roll-out strategy. They are ready to be released to the world, pending some fine tuning. **Customer availability:** Early Access functionality can be rolled out to all customers or specific segments of users in addition to or in place of existing functionality. **Support:** Early Access offerings are provided with the same level of support as General Availability features and products. **Limitations:** Early Access releases may have potentially significant limitations such as functional limitations, performance limitations, and API limitations, though these limitations will be documented. Breaking changes to features and programmatic interfaces will follow the [retirement process](#retirement-process) outlined below. **Retirement:** In the event we retire an Early Access product before General Availability, we will strive to follow the [retirement process](#retirement-process) outlined below.

This section describes the Beta and Early Access (EA) stages of Docker's product release lifecycle. Beta offerings are initial releases for testing and feedback, with community support and potential limitations, and can be discontinued without notice. EA offerings, on the other hand, are for specific user groups as part of an incremental roll-out strategy, have full support, and follow a retirement process for breaking changes or discontinuation before GA.