Glossary
Also: EOL
The point from which a version no longer receives security updates. From then on every known hole stays open permanently.
It affects language versions, databases, operating systems and libraries. The dates are fixed years in advance, yet projects are regularly caught unprepared.
Running a system past end of life is no longer technical sloppiness, it becomes a topic for insurers, clients and auditors.
How you notice it
Frequently asked
In two steps. First an inventory of which dependencies the new version requires and which of those are themselves at end of life. Then the upgrade as its own project with test coverage at the critical points. Jumping several versions is not maintenance, it is a project.