SonicWall system software/firmware releases advanced features and functionality for your SonicWall security appliances. Our release model helps you make the right choice when it comes to deciding which software or firmware version to load onto your appliance. For information on the different releases, read below; if you need help selecting the release that’s right for you, contact your local SonicWall partner or sales representative.
- General Release software is a mature, widely deployed and proven release, suitable for typical use cases and is the software of choice for reliability. General Releases are used for production environments.
- Feature Release software is a new release that introduces major new features in the product. Feature release has gone through multiple & thorough engineering, quality, alpha, and beta test cycles and is being launched for general availability. Feature Release is a candidate to move to General Release after the maturity criteria is met. Please refer to the release notes for list of major features.
- Maintenance Release software includes bug fixes and enhancements made to a previous Release. Maintenance Release is gone through engineering & quality test cycles and is launched for general availability. Maintenance Release is a candidate to move to General Release after the maturity criteria is met. Please refer to the release notes for full details.
- This is software that includes incremental changes to a previous release (Early Release), or it is a first look at a new release (Preview Release). It has not yet reached a level of maturity required for a General Release and should be evaluated in a lab network environment first before deployment to a production environment. Refer to the release notes for full details.
- Initial release software is the first release of a new product. This type of release moves into a General Release after the maturity criteria is met.
- Hotfix releases contain the latest fixes and patches, and are provided to customers who are looking to address specific issues. Eventually hotfixes releases are integrated into the Maintenance/General release.