Juniper provides this document as a means to help customers and Juniper manufacturing select a Junos software version that aligns with their deployment needs. The releases listed below have performed well for the general population, but note that due to the uniqueness of our customer network deployments to include areas such as design, traffic patterns/flows, and specific usage of features and functionality, Juniper recommends that all customers A) read the associated Release Notes to understand how features, functionality, fixes, and any known outstanding issues may apply to your specific network and applications, and B) test and certify the suggested code version(s) to ensure they will perform as expected in your network.

This article applies to the following devices:

• EX Series
• M, T, and MX Series
• ACX Series
• NFX Series
• QFX Series
• SRX Series

For other Junos devices, refer to the Release Notes and the Alerts column on the Download Software pages.

Notes:

1. The software versions included in this article are selected by utilizing input from Juniper Engineering, customers, and analysis of field usage data.
2. To be automatically notified of updates to this document, use the Subscribe link. If you do not see the Subscribe link, log in with your user account.
3. ​Juniper Networks offers optional fee-based services to further aide customers in selecting and testing software releases. If interested in more information, please contact your Juniper Sales Representative to discuss offering details and pricing.

For use by customers and Juniper manufacturing planning an upgrade or initial installation.

Exceptions for evaluating these suggested software versions include:

• A Juniper Engineer has recommended that a customer use a specific version of Junos software that is different from what is listed here in this article.

• You require specific features (Feature Explorer) that are available only in another version of Junos software. In that case, be sure to download the latest maintenance release.

• Your currently installed version of Junos is meeting your requirements as is.

• If you use NSM, refer to the NSM & Junos Compatibility Matrix to make sure the suggested Junos software version can be managed by NSM.

To see the list​ of End of Engineering (EOE) and EOS (End of Support) dates for specific Junos versions, please go to the Junos Dates & Milestones page: https://support.juniper.net/support/eol/software/junos/

To see features supported per specific Junos versions, please go the Juniper Pathfinder page and navigate to "Feature Explorer": https://apps.juniper.net/home/

To download Junos Software, go to the Software Download site and find your product.

Suggested Junos Software Versions for your consideration and evaluation are listed in the tables below. 

Select to jump to a platform series:

EX Series Ethernet Switches

Notes:

1. It is highly recommended to refer to the Release Notes, Technical Documentation, and KB articles for any outstanding and resolved issues before making the upgrade decision. Contact JTAC if there are any queries.
2. Please refer to TSB16758 for minimum software requirements for newer revision EX8200 linecards.
3. Please refer TSB17138 for more details.
4. Please refer TSB17329 .

ACX Series Service Routers

M, T, PTX, and MX Series Routers

Notes:

1. This includes subscriber management deployments that incorporate services such as CGNAT, etc.
2. See KB33938 for detail information and directly downloadable links to software for M/MX/PTX/T-Series JUNOS Software
3. Recently released hardware may require a software version newer than listed above. Please use the latest Service Release for the required JUNOS software version
4. Due to feature parity recommended from Product Line Management
5. MPC11 is not supported in Junos 19.4

NFX Series Network Services Platform

QFX Series

Note:

1. Qfabric NSSU upgrade from Junos 12.2X50 to later releases is NOT recommended. Please see TSB16842 for more details.

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SRX Series Services Gateways

Notes:

1. KB30446 - SRX Junos SRX5K Hardware / Software compatibility matrix.

2. TSB17655 - On SRX5000 series with SRX5k RE-13-20 a software upgrade to Junos release 12.3X48-D80, D85 or D90 may fail the pre-check due to insufficient space available on the compact flash.

3. Junos OS upgrade from 18.4R3 or 18.4R3 based Service Releases directly to 19.4R3 or 19.4R3 based Service Releases is supported for all SRX platforms.

4. Notes for upgrading from Junos 15.1X49 releases to 19.4R3 or 19.4R3 based Service Releases:

   • Junos OS upgrade from 15.1X49 directly to 19.4R3 or 19.4R3 based Service Releases is supported for all SRX platforms (ISSU is not supported). Note: PR1572963 - Junos OS upgrade from 15.1X49 directly to 19.4R3-S2 fails on SRX5400 / SRX5600 / SRX5800.

   • In case you would need to rollback or downgrade from 19.4 to the 15.1X49 release on SRX1500, SRX4100/4200, SRX5k or vSRX, all files on the device may be lost. Hence it is important to backup the relevant files (configuration, license-keys etc) before the upgrade and have console access during the upgrade and during a potential rollback if required.

   • For vSRX the following limitations apply when upgrading from 15.1X49 directly to 19.4R3 or 19.4R3 based Service Releases:

     • The file system mounted on /var usage must be below 14% of capacity.
       Check this with
       root@vsrx> show system storage | match " /var$"
/dev/vtbd1s1f 2.7G 82M 2.4G 3% /var
       Note: The CLI command ‘request system storage cleanup’ may help reach that percentage if needed

     • The Junos upgrade image must be placed in the directory /var/host-mnt/var/tmp/
       request system software add /var/host-mnt/var/tmp/

     • It is recommended to deploy a new vSRX VM instead of performing a Junos upgrade. That also gives the option to move from vSRX to the newer and more recommended vSRX 3.0.
        

   • ISSU is not supported when upgrading from Junos 15.1X49 to any higher versions.

   • KB34945 - When Junos Space Security Director is used for managing the SRX configuration and the AppFW, IDP or UTM features are used, then when upgrading to Junos 18.2R1 or higher, the SRX configuration needs to be migrated to the new Unified Policies style and Security Director version 19.3 or higher is required.

   • Starting with Junos OS Release 17.3, when you upgrade from Junos OS Release 15.1X49 to Junos OS Release 17.3 or higher, or downgrade from Junos OS Release 17.3 or higher to Junos OS Release 15.1X49, you must update the IPS signature package by downloading and installing the IPS signature package update.

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• 2021-04-13: Updated SRX notes due to upgrade issue from 15.1X49 to 19.4R3-S2 (PR1572963)
• 2021-04-09: Update Junos-EVO suggestion from 20.4R1-EVO to 20.4R1-S1-EVO
• 2021-04-02: Removed Note #2 for MX section as MS-DPC is EOL.
• 2021-04-01: Update MX with 20.2R2-S2 to 20.2R2-S3
• 2021-03-09: Added a note regarding SRX upgrade from 15.1X49 to later releases.
• 2021-02-24: Added 20.2R2-S2 for MPC10
• 2021-02-19: Removed 19.3 from MPC10 Suggested Software, moving to 19.4R3-S1
• 2021-01-26: Added PTX10001. Update PTX running Junos Evolved to add "Deployment" vs. "Qualify" Software Version (see KB33938 for detail)
• 2021-01-07: Added PTX10004. Update PTX running Junos Evolved to be 20.4R1-EVO
• 2021-01-06: Updated for SRX platforms
• 2020-11-17: Added QFX Architecture( VCF, VC, MC-LAG, IP-Fabric) recommendations provided by QFX PLM to 18.4R2-S5 or later and 20.2R2.
• 2020-11-13: Update most of MX series - update to latest SR, added 19.4R3 for most platforms
• 2020-11-03: Fixing typo for PTX from 19.2R2-S4 (no such version) to 19.1R2-S4. Consolidate MX2008/2010/2020 to be the MX2000 series.
• 2020-10-16: Updated for SRX platforms the 12.3X48 release to D105, which is the final release for the 12.3X48 version. Also added an additional note.
• 2020-10-02: Updated the MS-SPC3/MS-MPC releases. Fixed typo in MX240/480/950 with SCBE3 to MX240/480/960 with SCBE3.
• 2020-08-24: Consolidate PTX series to simplify the display. Create pointer to KB33938 for detail information
• ​2020-07-29: Updated SRX4600 from 18.4R3-S4 to 18.4R3-S3 due to an issue which may occur during installation of 18.4R3-S4 (PR1528203)
• 2020-07-16: Updated SRX, PTX10003 platforms
• 2020-07-09: MX Subscriber Management and vBNG recommendations modified to 19.1R3-S1 and 19.4R1-S2
• 2020-07-07: Updated SRX Note 4 about direct upgrade from Junos 15.1X49 to 18.4R3. Added the exception for SRX5k due to PR1505864
• 2020-06-26: Updated ACX5448
• 2020-06-16: Updated SRX Note 4 about direct upgrade from Junos 15.1X49 to 18.4R3
• 2020-06-05: Updated SRX5k platform with RE3 / SCB4 / IOC4 and added a note.
• 2020-06-01: Update MX2000s with MPC11E to be 20.1R1 - reason - MACSEC support and feature parities
• 2020-05-15: Update PTX10003 to be 19.4R2-S1-EVO
• 2020-05-12: Adding MPC10E - previously missing from the list
• 2020-05-11: Added NFX Series section, and NFX platforms
• 2020-04-24: Updated SRX platforms
• 2020-04-21: Update MX, PTX software. Adding PTX10003, PTX10008 with LC1201-36CD and JNP10008-SF3
• 2020-03-30: Updated SRX Note3 for more precise listing of unsupported features in current JRR 18.2 versions.
• 2020-03-30: Added SRX380 platform
• 2020-03-02: Updated the SRX platforms which support up to Junos 12.3X48 releases
• 2020-01-29: Remove 16.1 from M-Series since their last version is 15.1
• 2020-01-22: Updated ACX5448
• 2020-01-13: SRX platforms updated; Deleted row for SRX Branch devices with 1G RAM due to EOS reached (see TSB17084 and the Junos Dates & Milestones page for details)
• 2020-01-13: MX, PTX platforms updated: Removing 15.1R7 due to reaching EOS
• 2019-12-30: Adding MX-SPC3 with 19.3R2 as the minimum required software
• 2019-12-26: updated PTX10008/16 with AC2, DC2, FAN2 recommends 19.2R1-2
• 2019-12-13: non-technical format changes.
• 2019-12-13: updated MX10008 to 19.2R1-S2
• 2019-12-12: updated MX204, MX10003 from 17.4R2-S8 to 18.2R3-S1
• 2019-12-04: Add MX2000s with MPC11 and SFB3 2019-10-23: Corrected the download links for Junos 18.2R3 images at the SRX300 series and SRX550HM. 2019-10-21: Changed MSMPC/MSDPC recommendation from S5 to S3 due to session affinity changes in S4 that cause instability.
• 2019-10-15: Updated SRX300 series and SRX550HM to 18.2R3 from 18.2R3-S1 due to DHCP server issue PR1464267 affecting 18.2R3-S1 but not affecting 18.2R3.
• 2019-10-11: Cleanup for SRX table. Combined SRX100/200 platforms which have the same recommended release in a row. Removed notes for EOL releases. Updated note 2 to link to TSB17655.
• 2019-10-11: Updated MX Subscriber to release 18.2R3-S1
• 2019-09-30: Updated SRX4600, SRX5k-SPC3, SRX200, 300, 550(M), 650 series and SRX1k/3k, added new entries for the vSRX 3.0 and SRX5k RE3/IOC4/SCB4
• 2019-07-25: Updated MX Subscriber and MX Services information
• 2019-07-21: Adding "Important Software Upgrade Notification" in the beginning
• 2019-06-25: Add a link to KB33938 for details of M-Series, MX-Series, PTX-Series, and T-Series
• 2019-04-25: Corrected SRX download links
• 2019-04-16: Updated SRX releases
• 2019-04-10: Fixed QFabric and EX6200 links. 
• 2019-03-19: Removing EOL released from M-series, and T-series
• 2019-03-01: Added note on how to locate Junos release versions containing an 's'
• 2019-02-28: Updated for several SRX platforms; added link to Feature Explorer.
• 2019-01-30: Fixed broken links for MX and vMX.
• 2018-12-19: Updated JRR for SRX5k with SPC3
• 2018-10-15: Updated SRX JRR versions and removed SRX210B and SRX210H platforms due to EOS reached.
• 2018-10-05: SRX: Move direct link to JRR version to the middle column that references JRR version
• 2018-10-03: SRX: Added direct link to JRR version per platform
• 2018-09-26: Removed J-Series platforms, due to EOS reached.
• 2018-06-25: Updated releases for ACX, MX and vMX platforms.
• 2018-05-17: Corrected link to SRX4600's software download page.
• 2018-05-15: Updated the recommended release for ACX5048 / ACX5096
• 2017-11-16: Updated VRR to 16.2
• 2017-04-18: Added jump links for quick access to platform series sections