Release introduced: 26.4

Kafka authorization ensures that external Kafka clients can use only authorized external topics. When Kafka authorization is enabled, external clients cannot access internal Kafka topics.

Kafka authorization is disabled by default. If NFM-P is deployed, additional Multi-NIC and authentication requirements apply; see the NSP System Administrator Guide.

For enablement, configuration, and deployment scenarios, see Kafka authorization in the NSP System Administrator Guide.

Release introduced: 26.4

This new NSP GUI menu customization capability allows customers and users to modify the order and labels shown in the main NSP GUI menu.

Release introduced: 26.4

This feature adds the capability to notify the NSP user in advance of the NSP Subscription license expiration, using a color-coded banner and text that appear at the top of each window open in the NSP web UI. The color and text change at 180, 80, 7, and 0 days remaining, and when the NSP subscription license is more than 30 days past due. The banner cannot be removed when the NSP license has 7 or fewer days remaining, or after the license has expired.

Release introduced: 26.4

The procedures to install a new NSP cluster and to upgrade an existing NSP cluster in a Kubernetes environment allow the containerized NSP workload to be installed or upgraded directly to a patch-level NSP release where that path is supported for your deployment. The NSP Installation and Upgrade Guide describes the applicable steps in the "To install an NSP cluster" procedure, in the "NSP system upgrade from Release 25.8 or earlier" section, and in the "NSP system upgrade from Release 25.11 or later" section.

For administrators, this supports shorter installation and upgrade cycles when the target is a patch (or patch-aligned) NSP delivery, instead of requiring an intermediate stop on a non-patch baseline when the documentation supports a direct path. Supported release combinations, service-pack handling, and preparation steps remain as defined in the NSP Release Notice and in the preparation material that applies before those procedures and chapters.

Release introduced: 26.4

Customers upgrading to Release 26.4 will find a new auto-created role for "NSP notification service", and this role will be assigned to all user groups. (If the upgraded system has only one user group and its name is "admin", no auto-created role for "NSP notification service" is generated.) This ensures continuity of user access to NBI notifications after the upgrade. The NSP system administrator should review the required user access levels for NBI notifications and update roles and user groups as needed. Refer to the NSP System Administrator Guide for procedures on updating user access controls.

Release introduced: 26.4

This feature lets customers define unique user IDs and passwords for every internal NSP account at install time, and change those credentials after installation (for example by re-generating them, changing configuration, or equivalent flows). The goal is no shared or vendor-default credentials in production. The feature provides the following business value:

- Aligns NSP with customer security and government rules, which reduces breach risk and exception/waiver effort

- Speeds approved deployment where default or fixed internal accounts would block sign-off

Release introduced: 26.4

Starting with Release 26.4, the PCE feature packages (Control & Visualization, Control & Optimization, Enhanced Optimization, Simulation) will transition their value calculation to license points, in line with all the other NSP feature packages.

This will simplify the way the NSP value is determined, presented, and understood by customers.

Release introduced: 26.4

Starting with Release 26.4, the NSP Developer feature package amalgamates all the previous feature packages from the Programmability Suite: the Intent-Based Networking Framework, the Workflow Automation Engine, and the SDK feature packages.

Existing customers of the Programmability Suite feature packages, in any combination, will be transitioned to the NSP Developer feature package when they upgrade to Release 26.4 or later. New customers can select the NSP Developer feature package with Release 26.4 or later.