# v0.98.x — Stabilization

> **Status:** Planned
> **Scope:** Variable
> **User promise:** *"The next development baseline contains less risk, not more scope."*
> **Blocked by:** [v0.97.0](v0.97.0.md)
> **Renumbered:** previously v0.95.x.

## Theme

Hold a stabilization-only release series before the extended IVM program in
[v0.99.0](v0.99.0.md) through [v0.105.x](v0.105.x.md). The goal is to remove
risk and prove compatibility on an interim qualified baseline.
Deleting an unstable optimization or making a controller decision more
conservative is a valid release outcome.

## Allowed work

- correctness and security fixes
- bugs found by the soak, longevity environment, upgrade matrix, conformance
  suites, or users
- compatibility, packaging, and documentation fixes
- missing tests and clearer diagnostics
- dependency cleanup and removal of unnecessary configuration
- performance regression fixes
- disabling or narrowing optimizer and controller rules that lack evidence
- correctness-preserving Delta V1 fixes; stable capability admission remains
  blocked while its independent conformance gate is not green
- explicit rejection of combinations that cannot be supported safely

New SQL functions, catalog capabilities, query coverage, and operational
features are outside this stabilization series. Later roadmap releases must
admit them through their own evidence gates.

## Exit criteria

- [ ] No known correctness or security blocker remains
- [ ] The exact oracle, Graph V1 and Delta V1 conformance suites, upgrade
      matrix, 72-hour soak, package smoke tests, and performance regression
      gates pass on the release-candidate baseline
- [ ] Every supported fallback and suspension has a stable reason code and a
      support-matrix entry
- [ ] Unstable optimizer or controller decisions are narrowed, disabled, or
      removed
- [ ] API, catalog, GUC, monitoring, and package contracts match the qualified
      v0.98.x baseline
- [ ] Remaining known limitations are assigned to v0.99.0 through v0.105.x,
      explicit v1.0 non-goals, or post-v1.0 work