Data Domain: Product Support Availability and Life Cycle FAQ

Dell Data Domain Product Support Availability and Life Cycle:

Dell Data Domain s Product Support life cycle is geared toward providing a predictable product life cycle experience to help customers manage their technology investments with deployment and upgrade plans. Our Product life cycle policy specifies the support duration (referred to as the Primary Support period) and End-of-Primary-Support (EOPS) date for most Dell products. It is Dell's intention, subject to change at Dell's discretion, to offer product support coverage under Dell standard product maintenance terms and conditions during a product s Primary Support period. Once a product reaches its EOPS date, Dell may, at its discretion, make Extended Support available for certain software releases or hardware models. 

Additional information about Dell support life cycle policy for Dell Data Domain Hardware and Software products can be found on the specific Dell product page, located by searching within the Support by Product section of the Dell Online Support site. This information is subject to change at Dell discretion.

The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are intended to provide information regarding definitions and actions on the date support is terminated.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1: What is Primary Support?
Answer:  Primary Support is Dell standard maintenance and support services made available by Dell during the Primary Support Period for Dell products as specified in the applicable Product Notice.

Q2: What is End of Primary Support (EOPS)?
Answer: The date after which Primary Support is no longer available for Dell hardware or Dell software. 

Q3: What is End of Service Life (EOSL)?
Answer: The date after which Dell has discontinued Primary Support and Extended Support (if available) for a product offering.

Q4: What is Termination of Support on a Software Release (TSSR) Notification?
Answer: Notification Dell has discontinued or changed the scope of Primary Support for a specific release level of a model or model number of Software.
 
Q5: What changes to Support post TSSR/EOSL date occur?
Answer: As of the date of the TSSR

• Support is terminated for the specified release as of the TSSR date communicated
• Ability for Automatic Dial Home (Alert) Service Request creation is terminated.

Q6: What happens to content on the Support Portal (dell.com) at TSSR/EOSL date?
Answer: On the day after the TSSR/EOSL date the following actions occur:

• One version of DD OS EOSL code download per DD OS Release family is kept on the Support Portal to enable upgrade to supported DDOS version as per recommendation.  No patches or any other updates and support or maintenance is provided for these DD OS versions.
• The Support By Product pages will be removed from the Support Portal (dell.com)
• The product documentation will still be available, but not grouped on a Product Page. The documents are searchable and the product names can still be used as search filters.

Q7: What if customer is running a combination of EOSL Data Domain Software and non-EOSL Data Domain Hardware with valid Maintenance Contract?
Answer:

• Dell Support contracts are on Data Domain Hardware (including Extended Support) and not on Data Domain Software.
• DDOS Software EOSL applies to all customers.   Only Auto SR creation by Dial home(Alert) for all EOSL versions of DDOS will be turned off. Customer is responsible to monitor their systems and call in to open SR for support.
• If Data Domain Hardware is NOT EOSL, customers with a valid Maintenance contract are supported over Phone, Chat, and Web.
• If both Data Domain Hardware and Software are EOSL, then all channels of support will be terminated. However, support on a Time and Material basis (T&M - Agreed before service) over Phone; with an understanding that it is offered on a 'best efforts' basis, with no guarantee of resolution.

Reference: 

• Dell End-of-Life Product List for Converged Infrastructure and Storage