---
title: "End of Life data"
description: "End of Life data"
product: "Guardian"
edition: "Classic"
type: "reference"
url: "https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/what-s-new/3-archive/2024/quarterly-releases/q2/end-of-life-data/"
---
# End of Life data

Applies to: `Guardian Classic`

| Included in Version | Release Date |
| --- | --- |
| V4.3.46.0 | [July 2024 Quarterly Release](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/what-s-new/3-archive/2024/quarterly-releases/q2/july-feature-2024/index.md) |

When viewing the results of a node scan in Guardian, you can access data about specific configuration items that pertain to your selected node. From the results of a node scan, you can view configuration items like `ipaddress`, which simply shows the IP address for the node, and `os_distro_version`, which shows the current version of the operating system (**OS**) being run on the node.

In the case of configuration items like `os_distro_version`, it can be useful to view End of Life data to see the date when a node's OS will expire. Similarly, End of Life data can be useful for the `openssl` configuration item because it can alert you to when an update is needed. You can find End of Life data for these configuration items directly in Guardian, and you can also include these configuration items in policies so you're automatically alerted to any approaching dates.

!!! note

    End of Life data is only available for certain configuration items. You'll only see this data where relevant, like for `os_distro_version` and known package versions, which have built-in expiration dates for Guardian to capture.

## View end of Life data

End of Life data is available for select configuration items directly from the results of a node scan. You'll see this data where relevant, like when viewing a node's OS version.

To view end of life data, complete the following:

1. From the **Monitored** tab (**Inventory** > **Monitored**), select a node to view its scan results.
2. Find or search for the configuration item you want to view. For example, `openssl`. Then, click the item to view more details.

In the side panel, you'll see **End Of Life** along with the associated value. In the image below, you can see that the version of OpenSSL running on the selected node is set to expire on `2032-05-31`.

![Screenshot of the Guardian UI with the End of Life data for the 'openssl' configuration item highlighted in a node scan.](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/assets/images/guardian/inventory/monitored/eol-01.png)

## Create an end of Life policy

While viewing End of Life data on a node-by-node basis can be useful, you can let Guardian do the work of monitoring this data for you by creating a policy to alert you when a date is approaching. For example, you can create a policy that checks End of Life data for all configuration items under the Packages category. You can designate that, for a node to pass this policy, End of Life data must always be more than three months from now. If a date is sooner than three months from now, it fails the policy, alerting you that the item requires your attention.

!!! tip

    For more information on policies, see [Policies](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/control/policies/policies/index.md)

To create an End of Life policy, complete the following:

1. From the **Policies** tab (**Control** > **Policies**), click **Build Policy**.

    ![Screenshot of the Guardian UI with the Policies tab and Build Policy button highlighted.](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/assets/images/guardian/inventory/monitored/eol-02.png)

2. Enter a **Policy Name** and a node group to apply the policy to. Then, click **Start Building**.

    ![Screenshot of the New Policy dialog box.](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/assets/images/guardian/inventory/monitored/eol-03.png)

    !!! note

        If you don't apply the policy to a node group here, you can do it from within the policy later.

3. Select 'Section' from the **Type of Addition** drop-down and enter 'Packages' as the **Section Name**. Then, click **Done**.

    ![Screenshot of the Build Policy page with highligts around the Type of Addition and Section Name options.](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/assets/images/guardian/inventory/monitored/eol-04.png)

    !!! note

        While certain packages do contain End of Life data, other configuration items do too. For example, `os_distro_version` under Inventory contains End of Life data. To monitor this configuration item's End of Life data, create a separate check for 'Inventory' using the same configuration as outlined below.

4. Under the new Packages section, click the **Add Section** icon (![Add section](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/assets/images/guardian/buttons/add-section.png)) and select 'Check' from the **Type of Addition** drop-down. Then, select 'packages' from the **Type of Check** drop-down.
5. Enter '\*' as the **Name**, '\*' as the **Provider**, and 'Packages should not be End of Life' as the **Check Description**. The '\*' entries serve as wildcards, telling Guardian to check every configuration item contained within the Packages category.

    ![Screenshot of the Edit Policy page, showing the populated fields for adding a check on the 'packages' section of the node scan results.](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/assets/images/guardian/inventory/monitored/eol-05.png)

6. In the sidebar, click **Add Attribute Check**. Then enter 'End of Life' as the **Attribute Name** and select 'Time Comparison' as the **Type of Check**.
7. Select '>' from the **Value must be:** drop-down and enter '3 months from now' in the **Value must be:** field. Then, click **Add** to add the Time Comparison check to the overall Attribute Check.
8. Click **Add** again to add the attribute check to the policy.

    ![Screenshot showing the populated options for adding an Attribute Check to verify the date of End of Life data for all packages in a node scan.](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/assets/images/guardian/inventory/monitored/eol-06.png)

Now, you have a policy that checks End of Life data for all node packages to ensure their dates are more than three months from now. To verify the policy is working, view the node scan results for a node within the node group you applied the policy to. Then, find a package that contains End of Life data (`openssl`, for example). If your policy is functioning properly, you'll see the results in the sidebar:

![Screenshot of the Guardian UI showing a node's scan results with the passing check of End of Life data.](https://docs.cloudhouse.com/guardian/classic/assets/images/guardian/inventory/monitored/eol-07.png)

If your policy doesn't appear to be working, ensure that you've applied it to a node group. Also, keep in mind that not every package has End of Life data, so you'll only see it where applicable. You may also wish to create additional policies to monitor End of Life data for other configuration items that don't fall under the Packages category. You can do so following the above process, simply replacing 'Packages' with the desired category.