build/RELEASE-PLAN-5.0.txt

$Id$

                      Release Plan for Apache Tomcat 5.0
                      ==================================


Introduction:
------------

This document is a release plan for the final release of Apache Tomcat 5.0.

The goal of the Apache Tomcat 5.0 final release is to provide a stable
container that supports 100% of the mandatory requirements of the Servlet 2.4
and JSP 2.0 specifications, as well as to improve and add many useful 
additional features on top of the existing Apache Tomcat 4.1.x releases.

Apache Tomcat 5.0 includes the following major new features over 
Apache Tomcat 4.1:

    * Performance optimizations and reduced garbage collection
    * Refactored application deployer, with an optional standalone deployer 
      allowing validation and compilation of a web application before putting 
      it in production
    * Complete server monitoring using JMX and the manager web application
    * Scalability and reliability enhancements
    * Improved Taglibs handling, including advanced pooling and tag plugins
    * Improved platform integration, with native Windows and Unix wrappers
    * Embedding of Tomcat using JMX
    * Expanded documentation

Apache Tomcat 5.0 will use the build numbering and release process first used 
in the Apache HTTPd 2.0.x project.
Milestone builds, numbered 5.0.x, will be released as needed and will 
recieve a stability rating after a one week testing period. The rating can be
either: Alpha, Beta, or Stable.

This Release Plan proposes the following prospective target dates 
for stability:

  Middle of August, 2003
  ----------------------

Tomcat 5.0 should reach Beta status by this date.

  Servlet 2.4 and JSP 2.0 Final Specification Releases (expected by 09/2003)
  ----------------------------------------------------

At least another Beta rated release should be made simultaneous to the release
of the specification.

  Two to four weeks after Final Specification Releases
  ----------------------------------------------------

Best effort should be made for Tomcat 5.0 to reach Stable status as soon as
possible after the specification releases. However, it should be pointed out 
that wide testing cannot occur before the specifications are released, so
a Stable release should only be made after a period of time.

In order to complete a first Stable release, all outstanding Bugzilla bug 
reports against Tomcat 5.0 above NORMAL severity need to be fixed or deferred 
for later releases.

This Release Plan proposes the following classification of current outstanding
bug reports in the bug tracking system, sorted by component and their ID
numbers in our bug tracking system at:

http://nagoya.apache.org/bugzilla/

Please review the bug reports, and their severity accordingly.