Brightside: Zowe, Code4z Foundation and Test4z

Enterprise Support Fix Strategy,

Release and Support Lifecycle Dates

Updated: July 24, 2025

This document describes:

• Brightside Offering Release Schedule
• Brightside Offering Fix Strategy for:
  • Proprietary content (Broadcom Innovations)
  • Open Mainframe Project (OMP) Zowe components
  • Code4z Foundation components available at the Visual Studio (VS) Code Marketplace and Open VSIX Registry
  • Test4z components

Brightside Offering Release Schedule

This schedule is subject to change

Brightside Offering Fix Strategy

Zowe

The Brightside offering for Zowe includes support for:

• Zowe Client Components
  • Zowe CLI Broadcom Proprietary Plugins
  • Zowe CLI Core
  • Zowe CLI Plugins
  • Zowe Explorer Broadcom Proprietary Features
  • Zowe Explorer
• Zowe z/OS Components
  • Zowe API Mediation Layer Broadcom Proprietary Features
  • Zowe API Mediation Layer
  • Zowe Application Framework Broadcom Proprietary Features
  • Zowe Application Framework

Broadcom Proprietary Content Fix Strategy

Broadcom Proprietary Zowe Client Components

Zowe CLI Fix Strategy

This section is applicable for Broadcom Proprietary Zowe CLI plugins.  Refer to the Brightside License required list of CLI plugins located at our TechDocs site: Follow the instructions below to identify and install the desired Brightside CLI Version.

Zowe CLI Versioning Tag Usage and Installation Recommendations

NPM tags differentiate Brightside CLI versions. They include:

• @zowe-v2-lts           -> Brightside 4.0
• @zowe-v1-lts -> Brightside 3.0

@zowe-v2-lts tag:

• represents Brightside 4.0
• will receive minor enhancements, bug fixes and security patches
• will not accept breaking changes

Brightside 4.0 users are encouraged to install with the @zowe-v2-lts distribution tag or install via a Brightside 4.0 package.

@zowe-v1-lts tag:

• represents Brightside 3.0
• will receive bug fixes and security patches
• will not accept breaking changes

Brightside 3.0 users are encouraged to install with the @zowe-v1-lts distribution tag or install via a Brightside 3.0 package.

Zowe CLI Installation Methods and Documentation

Installation methods include:

• Offline package
• Online npm

Follow the CLI Installation Methods in the Brightside product documentation to see the complete installation instructions. For more information about npm tag usage, see “How CLI Versioning Works.”

Note:  Support for specific Broadcom Product Zowe CLI plug-ins is provided by the associated Broadcom [parent] product.  See 2 examples below.  For a complete list of available Zowe CLI plug-ins, see TechDocs and navigate to ZOWE CLI >>> AVAILABLE CLI PLUG-INS.

Zowe Explorer Fix Strategy

Refer to the Code4z Foundation section for a list of Zowe Explorer Conformant VS Code extensions and the associated fix strategy.

Broadcom Proprietary Extensions for Zowe z/OS Components

The API State Monitor and API Audit Log for Zowe API ML Fix Strategy

1. Individual fixes will be prepared and delivered directly to customers based on reported support cases
2. Patches will be made available to download from the Broadcom Support Portal in the form of a PTF

Both extensions are compatible with Zowe 1.14.0 and newer versions. For more information about Zowe Support Lifecycle Dates, please refer to the table below in the article.

Zowe Application Framework Fix Strategy

There are no proprietary Application Framework features available at this time.

Zowe Components Fix Strategy

Zowe Client Components

Zowe CLI Fix Strategy:  See “Zowe CLI Fix Strategy” in the “Broadcom Proprietary Content” section

Zowe Explorer Fix Strategy

The Zowe Explorer is installed from the VS Code Marketplace, Open VSIX registry and GitHub repositories. Customers may obtain fixes at the VS Code marketplace, Open VSIX registry and GitHub repositories.

• Fixes will be distributed with the latest version
• For version details, at the VS Code Marketplace, select Zowe Explorer, then click on the CHANGELOG under the RESOURCES section (on the right side of the Zowe Explorer Overview page)

Zowe z/OS Components

Zowe API Mediation Layer Fix Strategy and

Zowe Application Framework Fix Strategy

The following applies to the Zowe API Mediation Layer and the Zowe Application Framework:

1. Individual Zowe z/OS Component fixes will be prepared and delivered directly to customers based on reported support cases.
2. Due to the open-source nature of Zowe, the fixes will be delivered as source code updates to the appropriate Zowe z/OS Components open repositories.
3. Fixes will be made available to download from the Broadcom Support Portal in the form of a new Zowe build immediately

Zowe Support Lifecycle Dates

This schedule is subject to change

*Brightside 3.0.x includes support for all minor versions of Zowe V1 (1.10.x, 1.11.x - 1.28.x) released since V1.9.0 LTS

*Brightside 4.0.x includes support for all minor versions of Zowe V2 (2.1.x, 2.2.x, etc.)

Code4z Foundation

The Brightside offering includes support for the following Code4z components:

• COBOL Language Support
• HLASM Language Support
• PL/I Language Support
• COBOL Control Flow (not open sourced)
• JCL Language Support (not open sourced)
• Explorer for Endevor*
• Debugger for Mainframe* (not open sourced)
• Abend Analyzer for Mainframe* (not open sourced)
• Data Editor for Mainframe* (not open sourced)
• Zowe Explorer**

* Support is provided by the associated Broadcom product listed here:

**Supported as a Zowe component, see Zowe Support Lifecycle Dates above

Code4z Foundation Fix Strategy

1. Fixes will be distributed with the latest versions of the respective components on the Visual Studio Code marketplace, Open VSIX registry and GitHub repositories.
2. Due to the nature of the open-sourced Code4z components, the fixes will be also delivered as source code updates to the appropriate components.

Code4z Foundation Support Lifecycle Dates

This schedule is subject to change

Test4z

The Brightside offering for Test4 includes support for:

• Test4z API Service
• Test4z SDK
• File Master Plus (Only in scope of Test4z if not licensed separately)

Test4z API Service Fix Strategy

1. Individual fixes will be prepared and delivered directly to customers based on reported support cases
2. Patches will be made available to download from the Broadcom Support Portal in the form of a PTF

Test4z SDK Fix Strategy

Individual fixes will be prepared and delivered as a new version of the Test4z SDK NPM package.

File Master Plus Fix Strategy

1. Individual fixes will be prepared and delivered directly to customers based on reported support cases
2. Patches will be made available to download from the Broadcom Support Portal in the form of a PTF

Test4z Support Lifecycle Dates

This schedule is subject to change