Release History
IBMs release scheduling introduces new releases of z/OS each September.
IBM supports z/OS release coexistence and fallback on an "N+2" basis. For example, IBM customers running Release 9 can upgrade directly to Release 11 (or Release 10), and both releases can operate concurrently within the same Sysplex (cluster) and without conflict using the same datasets, configurations, security profiles, etc. (coexistence), as long as so-called "toleration maintenance" is installed in the older release. If there is a problem with Release 11, the customer can return to Release 9 without experiencing dataset, configuration, or security profile compatibility problems (fallback) until ready to try moving forward again. z/OS customers using Parallel Sysplex (clustering) can operate N+2 releases (e.g. Release 9 and Release 11, or Release 9 and Release 10) in mixed release configurations, in production, as long as required to complete release upgrades. Supported release mixing within a cluster is one of the key strategies of z/OS for avoiding service outages.
IBM's standard support period for each z/OS release is three years. Most z/OS customers take advantage of the N+2 support model, and skip every other release. Thus most z/OS customers are either "odd" or "even."
IBM releases individual patches (a.k.a. PTFs) for z/OS as needed, when needed. IBM labels critical PTFs as "HIPER" (High Impact PERvasive). IBM also "rolls up" multiple patches into a Recommended Service Update (RSU). RSUs are released periodically (in the range of every one to three months) and undergo additional testing. Although z/OS customers vary in their maintenance practices, IBM encourages every z/OS customer to adopt a reasonable preventive maintenance strategy, to avoid known problems before they might occur.
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