UCS C220 M5 support dates
| Milestone | Date | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| End-of-Life Announcement Date | 1 May 2023 | Vendor-publishedOne bulletin covers the C220 M5, C240 M5 and C480 M5. Its Table 2 lists UCSC-C220-M5SX, -M5L and -M5SN, with their -BR, -CH and spare (=) variants (11 C220 M5 PIDs). All share one set of dates. | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended, updated 28 Jan 2025): End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco UCS M5 Rack Servers (C220 M5, C240 M5, C480 M5) |
| End-of-Sale Date | 30 October 2023 | Vendor-publishedCisco's C220 M5 support page also shows End-of-Sale Date 30-OCT-2023. | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended) |
| Last Ship Date | 28 January 2024 | Vendor-published | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended) |
| End of Routine Failure Analysis Date | 29 October 2024 | Vendor-published | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended) |
| End of New Service Attachment Date | 29 October 2024 | Vendor-publishedThis date has passed. Under the bulletin's definition, equipment not already covered can no longer be put on a new Cisco service contract or added to an existing one. | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended) |
| End of SW Maintenance Releases Date | 29 October 2026 | Vendor-published | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended) |
| End of Service Contract Renewal Date | 25 January 2028 | Vendor-published | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended) |
| End of Vulnerability/Security Support | 31 October 2028 | Vendor-published | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended) |
| Last Date of Support | 31 October 2028 | Vendor-publishedCisco's C220 M5 support page also shows End-of-Support Date 31-OCT-2028. | Cisco EOL15060 (Amended) |
Where the UCS C220 M5 stands today
Cisco's C220 M5 support page lists the model as 'End of Sale' and states: 'This product is supported by Cisco, but is no longer being sold.' The dates come from Cisco's amended EOL15060 bulletin, updated 28 January 2025, which covers the C220 M5, C240 M5 and C480 M5 together; its Table 2 gives all 11 C220 M5 product IDs, the M5SX, M5L and M5SN chassis and their variants, one set of milestones. Routine failure analysis and new service attachment both ended on 29 October 2024. Existing service contracts can be renewed until 25 January 2028, and End of Vulnerability/Security Support coincides with the Last Date of Support on 31 October 2028.
Because Cisco attaches these dates to a product ID rather than a serial number, there is no per-unit end date to look up. Read the chassis PID, such as UCSC-C220-M5SX, from the label or the Cisco IMC inventory and match it in Table 2; the same dates appear on Cisco's C220 M5 support page. Whether that serial is still under a Cisco contract or warranty is a separate entitlement question for your Cisco partner or account team. Other servers in the estate can be checked with the server end-of-life checker.
Cisco dates apply to a product ID (PID), not to an individual unit. Read the chassis PID (for example UCSC-C220-M5SX) from the Cisco IMC inventory or the label, then look it up in Table 2 of Cisco bulletin EOL15060 (https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/servers-unified-computing/ucs-c-series-rack-servers/ucs-m5-rack-server-c220-c240-c480-eol.html). Every C220 M5 PID there carries the same dates, also shown on Cisco's C220 M5 support page (https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/servers-unified-computing/ucs-c220-m5-rack-server/model.html). Whether a particular serial number is under a Cisco contract or warranty is a separate entitlement question for your Cisco partner or account team.
What still works after Cisco support ends
Cisco's software commitment to the C220 M5 narrows in two steps. Up to 29 October 2026 the bulletin allows final software maintenance releases and bug fixes; from then until 31 October 2028 it provides only for planned maintenance releases or scheduled remedies for security vulnerabilities, after which it defines the product as obsolete. At that point Cisco's security vulnerability policy says PSIRT 'will continue to accept vulnerability reports but will not analyze, fix, or disclose potential vulnerabilities', and no CVEs are issued. Separately, as a 'special customer service', Cisco may decide case by case to offer free software updates for high-severity security problems, typically limited to Critical and High severity; where Cisco has offered one, eligible noncontract customers can obtain it by contacting TAC, and it confers no new licence, feature set or major revision upgrade.
The C220 M5 SFF spec sheet lists 'Downloads of BIOS, drivers, and firmware updates' under the no-contract Unified Computing Warranty, alongside three years of parts cover, but does not say whether download access continues once the warranty ends. Cisco's EoL policy bars any contract ending after the Last Date of Support. The bulletin also points to Cisco Certified Refurbished Equipment, which may be available in limited supply in certain countries on a first-come, first-served basis until 31 October 2028, and to trade-in credit under the Cisco Technology Migration Program where applicable.
- Up to 29 Oct 2026 (End of SW Maintenance Releases), Cisco may release final software maintenance releases and bug fixes. From then until 31 Oct 2028 (End of Vulnerability/Security Support), the bulletin provides only for planned maintenance releases or scheduled remedies for security vulnerabilities. The bulletin defines the Last Date of Support (31 Oct 2028) as the point after which the product is obsolete. (cisco.com)
- Once a product passes its Last Day of Support, Cisco PSIRT 'will continue to accept vulnerability reports but will not analyze, fix, or disclose potential vulnerabilities', and will not issue CVEs for issues reported on products past that milestone. (sec.cloudapps.cisco.com)
- As a 'special customer service', Cisco may offer free software updates for high-severity security problems. It decides case by case, and such updates are typically limited to Critical and High severity. Where Cisco has offered one, eligible noncontract customers may get it by contacting Cisco TAC, with the URL of the Cisco document offering the update ready to verify entitlement. Free security updates do not entitle a customer to a new licence, extra feature sets or major revision upgrades. (sec.cloudapps.cisco.com)
- Cisco's C220 M5 SFF spec sheet lists 'Downloads of BIOS, drivers, and firmware updates' among the coverage supplied under the no-contract Unified Computing Warranty, alongside three-year parts coverage. The spec sheet does not say whether download access continues after the warranty ends. (cisco.com)
Vendor support you can still buy
- Renewal of an existing Cisco service contract — Available until the End of Service Contract Renewal date, 25 Jan 2028. New service attachment closed on 29 Oct 2024. Cisco's EoL policy does not allow a contract end date beyond the Last Date of Support (31 Oct 2028). (cisco.com)
- Cisco Certified Refurbished Equipment — The bulletin says refurbished units may be available in limited supply in certain countries, first come first served, until the Last Date of Support. (cisco.com)
- Cisco Technology Migration Program (TMP) — Where applicable, trade-in of eligible products for credit towards new Cisco equipment, per the bulletin. (cisco.com)
What a maintenance contract needs to cover on the UCS C220 M5
A C220 M5 maintenance contract has to start from which of the three 1RU chassis is in the rack. The UCSC-C220-M5SX takes up to ten 2.5-inch SAS/SATA drives, with up to two NVMe SSDs in front bays 1 and 2; the M5SN takes up to ten 2.5-inch NVMe SSDs only; the M5L has four 3.5-inch SAS/SATA bays plus room for up to two NVMe drives. NVMe on both SFF chassis needs two processors fitted. A dedicated internal slot holds either the Cisco 12G SAS Modular RAID controller, with 1 GB or 2 GB of flash-backed write cache, or the 12G SAS Modular HBA, and the contract should name which.
The rest of the parts list is 24 DDR4 DIMM slots plus any Intel Optane Persistent Memory, two 10GBASE-T Intel X550 LOM ports, the mLOM slot and two PCIe 3.0 slots. A single hot-swappable supply is mandatory and a second adds 1+1 redundancy, in 770 W AC, 1050 W AC, 1050 W DC, 1600 W AC or 1050 W ELV AC form, so spares must match what is fitted. Server third-party maintenance generally provides fault diagnosis, replacement parts and engineer attendance, including after a vendor's support ends, and the maintenance coverage builder takes a quote request for a specific configuration.
| Specification | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 1RU rack server (spec sheet: 'One rack unit (1RU) chassis') | cisco.com |
| Processors | 1 or 2 Intel Xeon Scalable processors, first or second generation, with up to 28 cores per socket | cisco.com |
| Memory | 24 DDR4 DIMM slots (RDIMM, LRDIMM or TSV) plus Intel Optane Persistent Memory. Up to 9 TB using 12 x 256 GB DIMMs and 12 x 512 GB PMem modules. | cisco.com |
| Drive bays (SFF versions) | UCSC-C220-M5SX: up to 10 x 2.5in SAS/SATA HDDs or SSDs, with up to 2 NVMe SSDs allowed in front bays 1-2 (two CPUs required for NVMe). UCSC-C220-M5SN: up to 10 x 2.5in NVMe SSDs only (two CPUs required). | cisco.com |
| Drive bays (LFF version) | UCSC-C220-M5L: up to 4 x 3.5in SAS/SATA HDDs or SSDs and up to 2 NVMe PCIe drives | cisco.com |
| Storage controller and I/O | A dedicated internal slot takes the Cisco 12G SAS Modular RAID controller (1 or 2 GB flash-backed write cache) or the 12G SAS Modular HBA. The server also has 2 x 10GBASE-T Intel X550 LOM ports, a dedicated mLOM slot and 2 PCIe 3.0 slots. | cisco.com |
| Power supplies | Up to two hot-swappable units, one mandatory and a second for 1+1 redundancy: 770 W AC, 1050 W AC, 1050 W DC, 1600 W AC or 1050 W ELV AC | cisco.com |
| Management controller | Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) for out-of-band management. Data-sheet system requirements: Cisco IMC release 3.1(1) or later; Cisco UCS Manager (optional) release 3.2(1) or later. Cisco Intersight ready. | cisco.com |
Extend or refresh the UCS C220 M5?
Running a C220 M5 into 2028 is a defensible plan: Cisco keeps planned security remedies going until 31 October 2028, and units without Cisco cover can be maintained by a third party. One caveat concerns fabric interconnects: EOL15060 says Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects are 'going end-of-support from 31-May-2024' and that M5 servers in 6200 FI domains 'need to migrate to newer model FIs for continued TAC support', naming 6400, 6300 and 6536 FIs as targets. That date belongs to the interconnects, not the server, and C220 M5 units in 6300, 6400 or 6536 domains are not affected.
The refresh case strengthens after 29 October 2026, when general maintenance releases and bug fixes end and only planned security remedies remain, so a non-security firmware defect on a C220 M5 falls outside Cisco's commitment; once 31 October 2028 has passed, PSIRT no longer analyses vulnerabilities reported against it. EOL15060 names no single replacement model, listing only the product-line codes UCS-M6-MLB and UCS-M7-MLB; the next 1RU models in the same line are the C220 M6 and C220 M7, the like-for-like candidates if refresh is the choice.
- Software maintenance releases end on 29 Oct 2026. After that, the bulletin provides for no further maintenance releases or bug fixes for the platform. Only planned security remedies continue, until 31 Oct 2028. (cisco.com)
- End of New Service Attachment passed on 29 Oct 2024, so a C220 M5 that has no Cisco cover today cannot be put on a new Cisco contract or added to an existing one. A unit already under contract can be renewed until the End of Service Contract Renewal date, 25 Jan 2028. (cisco.com)
- The bulletin says Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects are 'going end-of-support from 31-May-2024', so M5 servers connected to 6200 FI domains 'need to migrate to newer model FIs for continued TAC support'. It says C-Series M5 rack servers can move to 6400, 6300 or 6536 FIs with suitable cables or transceivers. Servers in 6300, 6400 or 6536 FI domains are not affected. (cisco.com)
- Cisco's EoL policy provides five years of TAC support and five years of replacement parts for hardware, counted from the End-of-Sale date. After an EoL notice, it sells renewals or new contracts only where the contract end date does not exceed the Last Date of Support. (cisco.com)
Keep your UCS C220 M5 covered
Tell us how many you run and when your current cover ends, and we will come back with a like-for-like maintenance quote for that estate. Your model and its support status are attached to the enquiry automatically, so there is nothing to re-type.
Related models
The C220 M5 is one of three servers on EOL15060, alongside the UCS C240 M5 and the C480 M5. Its predecessor, the UCS C220 M4, sits on the older EOL12709 bulletin, which named the UCSC-C220-M5SX and UCSC-C220-M5L as replacements for the C220 M4 SKUs.
- UCS C240 M5 end of lifeEnd-of-life announced — vendor support still available
- UCS C220 M4 end of lifePast the vendor’s last date of support
- UCS C240 M4 end of lifePast the vendor’s last date of support
Look up another model in the server & network end-of-life checker, or read what third-party maintenance covers.
Questions people ask about the UCS C220 M5
Is the Cisco UCS C220 M5 end of life?
Cisco announced end of life for the C220 M5 on 1 May 2023 and stopped selling it on 30 October 2023, but the model is still supported. Bulletin EOL15060 puts the Last Date of Support at 31 October 2028, and Cisco's support page describes it as supported but no longer sold.
When does Cisco stop supporting the C220 M5?
Cisco's Last Date of Support for every C220 M5 product ID is 31 October 2028, the same day as its End of Vulnerability/Security Support. Before that, software maintenance releases end on 29 October 2026, and the last day to renew an existing Cisco service contract is 25 January 2028.
Can I still download firmware for the C220 M5?
Cisco may issue final maintenance releases and bug fixes until 29 October 2026, then only planned security remedies until 31 October 2028. The spec sheet lists BIOS, driver and firmware downloads under the no-contract warranty without saying whether that access lasts beyond the warranty, so confirm entitlement for your serial number with your Cisco partner or account team.
Can I get third-party maintenance for a C220 M5?
Third-party maintenance generally covers servers of this kind with diagnosis, replacement parts and engineers, and that cover can run past the vendor's end of support. It matters here because Cisco closed new service attachment on 29 October 2024, so a C220 M5 with no Cisco contract cannot get one. An alternative to Cisco SmartNet sets out the approach, and a quote can be requested for your configuration.
What came after the UCS C220 M5?
EOL15060 does not name a single replacement model; for every C220 M5 PID it lists the product-line codes UCS-M6-MLB and UCS-M7-MLB. The next 1RU models in the same line are the C220 M6 and C220 M7.
Sources
Every date, rule and specification above was checked against these on 8 October 2026 by an independent verification pass. Vendors revise lifecycle notices; this page is re-checked by 8 January 2027.
- Cisco EOL15060 (Amended, updated 28 Jan 2025): End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco UCS M5 Rack Servers (C220 M5, C240 M5, C480 M5) — cisco.com
- UCS C220 M5 release — cisco.com
- sec.cloudapps.cisco.com — sec.cloudapps.cisco.com
- cisco.com — cisco.com
- cisco.com — cisco.com
- cisco.com — cisco.com
- cisco.com — cisco.com
Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Lifecycle dates for the UCS C220 M5 are re-verified against Cisco's own notices at each review; a date a vendor has not published is never filled in.