---
layout: docs
page_title: Deprecation notices
description: >-
  Deprecation announcements, updates, and migration plans for Vault.
---

# Deprecation notices

Vault implements a multi-phased approach to deprecations to provide users with
advanced warning, minimize business disruptions, and allow for the safe handling
of data affected by a feature removal.

<Highlight title="Have questions?">

If you have questions or concerns about a deprecated feature, please create a
topic on the [Vault community forum](https://discuss.hashicorp.com/c/vault/30)
or raise a ticket with your support team.

</Highlight>

<a id="announcements" />

## Recent announcements

<Tabs>
<Tab heading="DEPRECATED">

<EnterpriseAlert product="vault">
  The Vault Support Team can provide <b>limited</b> help with a deprecated feature.
  Limited support includes troubleshooting solutions and workarounds but does not
  include software patches or bug fixes. Refer to
  the <a href="https://support.hashicorp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021185113-Support-Period-and-End-of-Life-EOL-Policy">HashiCorp Support Policy</a> for
  more information on the product support timeline.
</EnterpriseAlert>

@include 'deprecation/ruby-client-library.mdx'

@include 'deprecation/active-directory-secrets-engine.mdx'

</Tab>
<Tab heading="PENDING REMOVAL">

@include 'deprecation/vault-agent-api-proxy.mdx'

@include 'deprecation/centrify-auth-method.mdx'

</Tab>
<Tab heading="REMOVED">

@include 'deprecation/duplicative-docker-images.mdx'

@include 'deprecation/aws-field-change.mdx'

@include 'deprecation/azure-password-policy.mdx'

</Tab>
</Tabs>

<a id="phases" />

## Deprecation phases

The lifecycle of a Vault feature or plugin includes 4 phases:

- **supported** - generally available (GA), functioning as expected, and under
  active maintenance
- **deprecated** - marked for removal in a future release
- **pending removal** - support ended or replaced by another feature
- **removed** - end of lifecycle

### Deprecated ((#deprecated))

"Deprecated" is the first phase of the deprecation process and indicates that
the feature is marked for removal in a future release. When you upgrade Vault,
newly deprecated features will begin alerting that the feature is deprecated:

- Built-in authentication and secrets plugins log `Warn`-level messages on
  unseal.
- All deprecated features log `Warn`-level messages.
- All `POST`, `GET`, and `LIST` endpoints associated with the feature return
  warnings in response data.

Built-in Vault authentication and secrets plugins also expose their deprecation
status through the Vault CLI and Vault API.

CLI command                                                                  | API endpoint
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------
N/A                                                                          | [`/sys/plugins/catalog`](/vault/api-docs/system/plugins-catalog)
[`vault plugin info auth <PLUGIN_NAME>`](/vault/docs/commands/plugin/info)   | [`/sys/plugins/catalog/auth/:name`](/vault/api-docs/system/plugins-catalog#list-plugins-1)
[`vault plugin info secret <PLUGIN_NAME>`](/vault/docs/commands/plugin/info) | [`/sys/plugins/catalog/secret/:name`](/vault/api-docs/system/plugins-catalog#list-plugins-1)

### Pending removal

"Pending removal" is the second phase of the deprecation process and indicates
that the feature behavior is fundamentally altered in the following ways:

- Built-in authentication and secrets plugins log `Error`-level messages and
  cause an immediate shutdown of the Vault core.
- All features pending removal fail and log `Error`-level messages.
- All CLI commands and API endpoints associated with the feature fail and return
  errors.

<Warning title="Use with caution">

  In critical situations, you may be able to override the pending removal behavior with the
  [`VAULT_ALLOW_PENDING_REMOVAL_MOUNTS`](/vault/docs/commands/server#vault_allow_pending_removal_mounts)
  environment variable, which forces Vault to treat some features that are pending
  removal as if they were still only deprecated.

</Warning>

### Removed

"Removed" is the last phase of the deprecation process and indicates that the
feature is no longer supported and no longer exists within Vault.

## Migrate from deprecated features

Features in the "pending removal" and "removed" phases will fail, log errors,
and, for built-in authentication or secret plugins, cause an immediate shutdown
of the Vault core.

Migrate away from a deprecated feature and successfully upgrade to newer Vault
versions, you must eliminate the deprecated features:

1. Downgrade Vault to a previous version if necessary.
1. Replace any "Removed" or "Pending removal" feature with the recommended
   alternative.
1. Upgrade to latest desired version.
