Beta features are typically those that are nearly complete, yet still under development. When beta features are accessible to their target audience and user community, they can be evaluated more effectively for suitability across a wider range of workflows. During early access to these features, the user community is encouraged to provide feedback and shape development for the features before they are finalized.
When features are designated as beta, the following may be true:
- They may not be feature complete.
- They are not fully supported.
- They may have known performance or quality issues.
The ArcGIS Enterprise user community has various opportunities to evaluate beta features, for example, through a public or private program. In some cases, beta features are included in an ArcGIS Enterprise short-term support release that provides the opportunity to preview and experience such features ahead of their final release.
Learn more about an update to the ArcGIS Enterprise product life cycle
Feedback and support
Beta features are supported from the Esri Early Adopter Community (EAP) site or similar forum where users can provide feedback and receive limited assistance. Because these features are not fully complete, they are not supported by Esri Technical Support.
When a beta feature is introduced, it is accompanied by a beta program forum and timeline for that feature’s availability. Additionally, specific support expectations will be outlined for the feature in its beta forum. Beta forums and limited support will generally be available until the next release of the software, at which time the forums will be frozen or retired.
Considerations
Consider how and whether beta functionality is used in production environments as well as the following:
- Functional bugs and other quality issues found in these features will be addressed at a future software release as the features are moved to be a regularly supported feature of the software. These issues will not be addressed in patches.
- A beta feature’s user experience and APIs may change substantially between the beta release and the final release. Any use of or customization built on top of beta features may need to be updated to work with subsequent software releases.
- Beta features may not become regularly supported functionality and may be removed from future releases of the software without prior notice. While Esri intends for beta functionality to be part of future software releases, there may be circumstances that cause these features to be removed instead.