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Feature maturity

Feature maturity progresses through three stages: Technical Preview → Beta → General Availability (GA). The definitions below describe what each stage means for a feature or capability.

In this documentation, a pre-release feature is marked with a Tech Preview or Beta badge. The badge links to the definition on this page. A feature without such a badge is generally available.

Technical Preview​

A Technical Preview (Tech Preview) is an early-stage release of a feature or capability, made available prior to Beta to give users visibility into planned functionality and to collect feedback on direction, design, and usability. Technical Preview features:

  • May be incomplete and lack functionality planned for later releases
  • May undergo significant changes to functionality, behavior, or interfaces
  • May be discontinued or withdrawn at any time without notice
  • Are not intended for use in production environments
  • Are provided "as is," without any service-level agreement or support commitment, unless otherwise stated

Beta​

A Beta release is a pre-release version of a feature or capability that has reached functional completeness and is undergoing final validation before General Availability (GA). Beta features:

  • Contain the intended feature set, though minor changes may still occur based on feedback
  • May contain defects that have not yet been identified or resolved
  • Are generally suitable for evaluation and non-critical use, but are not recommended for critical production workloads unless explicitly stated
  • May be offered with limited support commitments, as specified in applicable documentation
  • Are expected to progress to General Availability once stability and quality criteria are met

General Availability (GA)​

General Availability is the stage a feature or capability reaches once stability and quality criteria are met. GA features are suitable for production use, including critical workloads, and are covered by the product's standard service-level agreement and support commitments. Changes follow the normal release process.