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new d075ab326e docs: document Spark version adoption and support-lifetime
policy (#4977)
d075ab326e is described below
commit d075ab326e7601ffb65dc3d156ee4b00362ec06b
Author: Andy Grove <[email protected]>
AuthorDate: Thu Jul 23 00:23:49 2026 -0600
docs: document Spark version adoption and support-lifetime policy (#4977)
---
docs/source/about/versioning_policy.md | 61 +++++++++++++++++-----
.../latest/compatibility/spark-versions.md | 4 +-
2 files changed, 50 insertions(+), 15 deletions(-)
diff --git a/docs/source/about/versioning_policy.md
b/docs/source/about/versioning_policy.md
index 917b164f4b..2d795ff828 100644
--- a/docs/source/about/versioning_policy.md
+++ b/docs/source/about/versioning_policy.md
@@ -74,20 +74,53 @@ For details on per-expression and per-operator support
levels, see the
## Apache Spark Version Support
-Each Comet release supports the **latest patch version** of every Apache Spark
minor release that
-Comet targets at the time of release. The currently supported Spark versions
are listed on the
-[Spark Version
Compatibility](../user-guide/latest/compatibility/spark-versions.md) page.
-
-When the upstream Spark project publishes a new patch within a supported minor
(for example,
-`3.5.8` → `3.5.9`), the next Comet release will pick it up. Older Spark
patches within the same
-minor are not separately supported.
-
-Dropping support for an entire Spark minor (for example, removing Spark 3.4)
is announced in the
-release notes of the **preceding** Comet minor release, giving users at least
one release of
-notice before the change takes effect.
-
-Comet binaries are published per `(Spark minor × Scala binary version)`
combination. Users must
-select the binary that matches their Spark and Scala installation.
+The currently supported Spark versions are listed on the
+[Spark Version
Compatibility](../user-guide/latest/compatibility/spark-versions.md) page. Comet
+binaries are published per `(Spark minor × Scala binary version)` combination.
Users must select
+the binary that matches their Spark and Scala installation.
+
+### New Version Adoption
+
+Comet does not commit to a timeline for adopting a new Apache Spark minor
release. The effort
+required varies significantly from one release to the next, so Comet will not
promise a
+delivery date it cannot guarantee.
+
+A Spark minor release becomes eligible for **supported** status only after
upstream ships an
+official GA release. Comet may publish **experimental** support for a pre-GA
release (a
+preview, release candidate, or snapshot) to gather feedback during
development, but such
+experimental support is explicitly not a commitment: it may lag upstream,
break, or be
+withdrawn at any time. Production users should target GA versions only.
+
+The mechanical stages of a bring-up and the criteria a version must meet
before being promoted
+from experimental to supported are documented in the contributor guide's
+[Adding Support for a New Spark
Version](../contributor-guide/adding_a_new_spark_version.md)
+page.
+
+### Support Lifetime
+
+Comet aligns its Spark support window with the upstream
+[Apache Spark versioning
policy](https://spark.apache.org/versioning-policy.html). A Spark minor
+release is supported by Comet for as long as it is actively maintained by the
upstream Apache
+Spark project. Once upstream ends maintenance for a Spark minor, Comet removes
it in two steps:
+
+1. **Deprecation.** The next Comet minor release after upstream maintenance
ends marks the Spark
+ minor as deprecated in the release notes and on the
+ [Spark Version
Compatibility](../user-guide/latest/compatibility/spark-versions.md) page.
+ Comet continues to build and publish binaries for the deprecated Spark
minor during this
+ release cycle.
+2. **Removal.** The following Comet minor release removes the Spark minor and
stops publishing
+ binaries for it.
+
+This gives users at least one Comet minor release of prior notice before a
Spark minor is
+dropped. For example, Spark 3.4 was deprecated in Comet 1.0.0 and will be
removed in Comet
+1.1.0.
+
+### Patch Versions
+
+Each Comet release supports the **latest patch version** of every Apache Spark
minor release
+that Comet targets at the time of release. When the upstream Spark project
publishes a new patch
+within a supported minor (for example, `3.5.8` → `3.5.9`), the next Comet
release will pick it
+up. Older Spark patches within the same minor are not separately supported.
## Release Cadence
diff --git a/docs/source/user-guide/latest/compatibility/spark-versions.md
b/docs/source/user-guide/latest/compatibility/spark-versions.md
index 94ba0b4968..a0b739994e 100644
--- a/docs/source/user-guide/latest/compatibility/spark-versions.md
+++ b/docs/source/user-guide/latest/compatibility/spark-versions.md
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ under the License.
This page documents known issues and limitations specific to each supported
Apache Spark version.
For general compatibility information that applies across all Spark versions,
see the other pages in this
-compatibility guide.
+compatibility guide. For the rule that governs how long each Spark minor is
supported, see the
+[Apache Spark version support
section](../../../about/versioning_policy.md#apache-spark-version-support)
+of the versioning policy.
## Spark 3.4
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