Golden Release Program

| Overview

The Golden Release Program is a structured validation process used to identify and certify the most stable, reliable, and production-ready software versions within the 75F ecosystem. Rather than evaluating individual applications in isolation, a Golden Release validates a complete combination of CCU, Home App, Remote Access App, BACnet App, and CM versions that have been tested together and demonstrated consistent performance in real-world deployments.

A release is first designated as a Golden Release Candidate (GRC). Once the candidate completes predefined deployment and quality milestones, it is promoted to an official Golden Release, becoming the recommended software baseline for new installations, upgrades, and large-scale deployments.

| Purpose of the Golden Release Program

The Golden Release Program exists to:

• Establish a trusted software baseline for field deployments.
• Minimise upgrade-related risks.
• Ensure compatibility across all bundled applications.
• Validate software performance under real-world operating conditions.
• Increase confidence for customers, support teams, and deployment partners.
• Reduce production incidents and post-release defects.

By certifying a release only after extensive validation and successful field adoption, the organization ensures that customers receive a thoroughly vetted and highly dependable software package.

| What is a Golden Release Candidate?

A Golden Release Candidate (GRC) is a bundle version identified as a strong contender for becoming the next Golden Release.

The candidate consists of a specific set of application versions that have successfully completed:

• Development validation
• Quality Assurance testing
• Regression testing
• Integration testing
• Upgrade validation testing
• Initial production deployments

For example:

This combination becomes a Golden Release Candidate and enters the Golden Circle workflow for additional field validation.

| Golden Circle Workflow

The Golden Circle Workflow is the final qualification stage before a release is promoted to Golden status.

During this phase:

1. The candidate bundle is deployed to production sites.
2. Installations are monitored closely for stability and reliability.
3. Customer-facing issues, upgrade failures, and critical defects are tracked.
4. Support and Engineering teams review field performance metrics.
5. Deployment success rates are analyzed.

A candidate is promoted to Golden Release only after meeting predefined success criteria.

Current Approval Criteria

A release is approved as a Golden Release when:

• At least 300 CCUs have been successfully upgraded or deployed.
• No known critical issues remain open.
• No significant upgrade-related failures are reported.
• System performance remains stable across validated profiles and configurations.

| Bundle Upgrade Workflow

When upgrading through an App Bundle release, the following process is followed:

Step 1 – Bundle Installation

The user initiates the upgrade using the Install App Bundle option available in the portal.

Step 2 – CCU Upgrade

The CCU software is updated to the target version.

Step 3 – Side Application Updates

After the CCU update completes:

• Home App
• Remote Access App
• BACnet App

are automatically updated to the versions defined in the bundle.

Step 4 – Tablet Reboot

If the Home App is updated, the tablet automatically reboots approximately five minutes after installation.

Step 5 – Application Synchronization

Once the tablet comes back online:

• Home App launches.
• CCU services start.
• Remote Access App starts.
• BACnet App starts.
• Updated versions are synchronized with the cloud.

Step 6 – Configuration Validation

For newly registered CCUs:

• Configuration activities should be performed only after the reboot process has completed.
• This ensures all applications are fully updated and synchronized.

Step 7 – CM Docking Recommendation

To ensure successful bundle installation:

• The CM should remain docked and powered throughout the upgrade process.
• This prevents interruptions during package download and installation.

| Migration Validation

Before a release enters the Golden Circle workflow, upgrade paths from multiple production versions are validated.

Migration testing verifies:

• Upgrade compatibility
• Configuration retention
• Device communication
• Profile functionality
• BACnet integrations
• User interface behavior

Testing is performed across multiple:

• System Profiles
• Zone Profiles
• Hardware generations
• Existing customer configurations

This ensures that both legacy and current deployments can safely migrate to the candidate version.

| Benefits of the Golden Release Program

Increased Stability

Golden Releases represent the most thoroughly validated software combinations available, reducing operational risk after deployment.

Proven Field Reliability

Unlike standard releases that rely primarily on laboratory testing, Golden Releases have demonstrated successful operation across hundreds of production installations.

Reduced Upgrade Risk

Migration paths are validated from multiple historical software versions, minimizing the likelihood of upgrade failures.

Faster Issue Resolution

Because a Golden Release becomes the recommended deployment baseline, support teams can focus troubleshooting and documentation efforts around a single validated software stack.

Improved Compatibility

All applications included in the bundle are tested together, ensuring compatibility between:

• CCU
• Home App
• Remote Access App
• BACnet App
• CM

Higher Customer Confidence

Customers and deployment teams gain confidence knowing the software has passed both internal validation and large-scale field verification.

| Release Lifecycle

Development
      │
      ▼
QA & Integration Testing
      │
      ▼
Bundle Creation
      │
      ▼
Golden Release Candidate
      │
      ▼
Golden Circle Validation
(300+ Successful CCUs)
      │
      ▼
Golden Release Approval
      │
      ▼
Recommended Production Version

| Conclusion

The Golden Release Program provides a disciplined approach to identifying the most dependable software versions within the 75F platform. By combining comprehensive internal testing with large-scale field validation, the program ensures that only software bundles demonstrating exceptional stability, compatibility, and performance are designated as Golden Releases. These releases become the preferred baseline for production deployments, delivering increased reliability for customers, support teams, and deployment partners alike.