1. Purpose of the gate
End of software support is the last gate in the firmware lifecycle. Its purpose is to close support cleanly, so that customers are left with a known final release, a clear statement of what happens next, and a supplier who can still rebuild the software if a serious issue ever forces it. An end of support that simply stops, without an archive or a final advisory, leaves risks that surface years later when no one remembers how the software was built.
The gate criteria are the final software release shipped, the software archive stored and tested for rebuild with source, toolchains, build environments and signing records, and customers told where to go after support ends. The final software release, the software archive and the migration guide are gating work products; the final security advisory is released alongside them.
Three hardware gates are held together with this one: Last-time ship in the SoC lifecycle, where software support may end with the chip or later and the date is set and announced rather than assumed; End of support in the AI accelerator lifecycle, where firmware support ends with the accelerator's software support; and Last-time ship in the automotive lifecycle, where software support and security updates for vehicles can be needed for as long as parts are supplied, and often longer.
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