Hardware has an end-of-service date. So does your software.
EOSL.ai tracks hardware end of service life: the physical switches, routers, firewalls and servers in your stack. That gear runs software that ages on its own clock. When an operating system, runtime or database reaches end of life, the security patches stop, and scanners often miss it.
Network OS trains tracked here, where software meets the hardware
The one slice of software lifecycle EOSL.ai tracks to its own source-backed standard: the network operating systems that run on tracked hardware, from the vendors' own software end-of-life bulletins, including the End of Vulnerability/Security Support date most summaries skip. A device capped on a retired train can be unpatched while its hardware is still supported.
| Train | Security fixes ended | Last date of support | Hardware affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco IOS XE 16.9.x | Aug 4, 2021 | Feb 28, 2025 | 3850 Series, 9300 Series |
| Cisco IOS XE 16.11.x | Jul 10, 2020 | Jan 31, 2025 | 3850 Series |
| Cisco IOS XE 16.6.x | Jul 31, 2021 | Jul 31, 2024 | 3850 Series |
| Cisco IOS XE 16.8.x | Mar 31, 2019 | Sep 30, 2023 | 3850 Series |
| Cisco IOS XE 16.3.x | Aug 1, 2020 | Jul 31, 2023 | 3850 Series |
| Cisco IOS XE 16.5.1 | Mar 1, 2019 | Feb 28, 2023 | 3850 Series |
| Cisco IOS XE 3.7.xE | May 1, 2018 | Apr 30, 2022 | 3850 Series, 3650 Series |
| Cisco IOS XE 3.6.xE / IOS 15.2(2)E | May 1, 2019 | Apr 30, 2022 | 3850 Series, 3650 Series, 4500-E Series |
Two different clocks
When a vendor ends support for a physical product: no more firmware fixes, no support, no hardware replacement. Tracked here, source-linked, down to the part number.
When a vendor stops patching a software release. For general software lifecycle dates we point to endoflife.ai, built on the open endoflife.date dataset.
Software that runs on a lifecycle clock
Software EOL vs hardware EOSL
Does EOSL.ai track software end-of-life dates?
For the network operating systems that run on tracked hardware, yes: EOSL.ai tracks 8 OS trains (Cisco IOS XE and IOS) from the vendors' own software end-of-life bulletins, each tied to the hardware products it affects. General software lifecycle (operating systems, runtimes, databases, frameworks) is a separate discipline, for which EOSL.ai points to endoflife.ai.
What is the difference between hardware EOSL and software EOL?
Hardware end of service life (EOSL) is when a vendor stops supporting a physical product: no more firmware fixes and no hardware replacement. Software end of life (EOL) is when a vendor stops patching a software release. A running system can be exposed on either clock: unsupported hardware, unsupported software, or both.
Where can I check software end-of-life dates?
endoflife.ai is a free resource for software lifecycle dates: operating systems, runtimes, databases and frameworks such as Windows, Ubuntu, RHEL, Python, Node.js, PHP, PostgreSQL and Kubernetes. It is built on the open endoflife.date dataset.
Why does software EOL matter for security?
After a release reaches end of life it stops receiving security patches. A vulnerability found in a supported version often affects the end-of-life version too, and that version stays unpatched. Vulnerability scanners frequently miss it. Compliance frameworks (SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA) commonly flag unsupported software in a control review.