ZAIXOS Engineering Platform — Release Strategy
Document type: Product Definition
Version: 1.0 · Phase: 12-2
Status: Permanent product authority
Aligns with: PLATFORM_VERSIONING_POLICY.md
Release Philosophy
| Principle | Statement |
|---|---|
| Semver for platform | MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH on platform releases |
| Public API only guaranteed | Breaking changes only on Public surfaces drive major bumps |
| Contracts independence | contracts@1 frozen; new obligations = new contract major, not silent patch |
| Adapter semver | Adapters version independently; declare compatibility in manifest |
| Product pin | Products upgrade deliberately via lock file — no floating dev-main in production |
| Documentation releases | Product definition + constitution docs version with platform tags |
Product Lifecycle Overview
Pre-v1 (extraction) → v1.0 GA → v1.x patches → v2.0 themes → v3.0 themes → FuturePre-v1 — Extraction & Dual Maintenance
| Attribute | Definition |
|---|---|
| Theme | Move embedded ERP to platform repo; Composer/submodule integration |
| Audience | Platform team + Dental Clinic integrators |
| Compatibility | ERP v1.0 semantics preserved; no contract obligation changes |
| Product impact | Dental Clinic remains on embedded copy until Phase 12-7 (Consumer Migration) |
| Exit | Platform v1.0.0 tag at Phase 12-9 (Platform Freeze) + Dental Clinic on pinned package |
Not a marketing release — engineering milestone.
v1 — Foundation GA
| Attribute | Definition |
|---|---|
| Major themes | Platform repo GA; Composer primary; Cursor Adapter v1 certified; contracts@1; validation Public |
| Included capabilities | C-01 through C-08 (Installation Public at GA), C-11 Extensions |
| Excluded from GA requirement | C-09 CLI, C-10 SDK, C-12 Services (Experimental or absent) |
| Expected evolution | v1.x adds adapter fixes, docs, validation coverage — no contract changes |
| Compatibility | Products on ERP v1.0 baseline migrate with migration guide; lock file introduced |
| Dental Clinic | First production consumer on Composer pin |
v1.x Patch / Minor Expectations
| Type | Allowed |
|---|---|
| PATCH | Adapter template fixes, doc corrections, test additions |
| MINOR | New extension schema fields (backward compatible), new Internal APIs, optional manifest fields |
| NOT in v1.x | New Runtime Contract obligations; removal of Public APIs |
v2 — Tooling & Multi-Adapter
| Attribute | Definition |
|---|---|
| Major themes | Platform CLI Public; second certified adapter; SDK Experimental→Public candidates |
| Expected evolution | Reduced manual materialization; adapter parity tests |
| Compatibility | v1 product pins upgrade via migration guide; contracts@1 still valid unless v2 introduces contracts@2 ADR |
| Breaking drivers | CLI Public API stabilization; removal of deprecated submodule path |
v2 Compatibility Philosophy
- Prefer adapter additions over contract changes
- Major bump if default install path changes (e.g. CLI replaces manual steps as required)
v3 — Scale & Ecosystem
| Attribute | Definition |
|---|---|
| Major themes | Extension marketplace criteria; org policy bundles; improved upgrade automation |
| Expected evolution | Multi-product orgs run standard platform version policy |
| Compatibility | Long-term support window for v2 pins (duration TBD at v2 GA) |
| Breaking drivers | Marketplace signing requirements; extension schema v2 |
Future — SaaS Generator & Team Platform
| Attribute | Definition |
|---|---|
| Major themes | SaaS product generator (separate product line ADR); team platform dashboards; optional hosted validation |
| Compatibility | Generator consumes ZEP — does not merge into core |
| Breaking drivers | Only if hosted services become mandatory — unlikely by default |
Version Mapping (Historical → Platform)
| Historical | Platform equivalent |
|---|---|
| ERP v1.0 / EOS Phase 10–11 | Platform 1.0.0 semantic baseline |
Cursor Adapter 1.0.0-phase-11-9 | Adapter compatible with platform 1.x |
Dental Clinic tag v5.1-engineering-runtime-platform | Product freeze referencing embedded ERP — pre-platform GA |
Release Artefacts (Every GA)
| Artefact | Owner |
|---|---|
Git tag vX.Y.Z | Platform repo |
| CHANGELOG with Public API section | Platform team |
| Migration guide (if minor/major) | Platform team |
Updated PLATFORM_INDEX.md / product specs | Platform team |
| Validation suite green on reference product | Platform + Dental Clinic |
Deprecation Policy (Summary)
| Surface | Policy |
|---|---|
| Public API | Deprecated one minor before removal minimum |
| Submodule install | Deprecated when Composer GA + one release cycle |
| Embedded ERP in products | Deprecated at platform v1.0.0; removed by product migration phase |
| Experimental | May break without minor notice — not for production pins |
Release Train (Cadence — Target)
| Release | Cadence (target) |
|---|---|
| PATCH | As needed — fixes |
| MINOR | Quarterly (target) — compatible features |
| MAJOR | Annual or ADR-driven — breaking Public changes |
Cadence is product policy, not a guarantee.
Release Strategy v1.1 — Phase 12-2A alignment.