Improved security after hiding SQL values
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
In Pega Platform™ version 8.6, the default value of the showSQLInList dynamic system setting changes to FALSE, which suppresses the visibility of the SQL values in the Clipboard tool. With this setting disabled, when you run a report definition the clipboard does not display sensitive values in the pxSQLStatementPre and pxSQLStatementPost properties, which makes your system less vulnerable. If you want to display the values, in the .prconfig file, set the prconfig/security/showSQLInListPage/default to TRUE.
Improved resiliency and observability of email infrastructure
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Pega Platform now has several enhancements to improve the resiliency and observability of its email infrastructure. With the following enhancements, you can improve service quality and reduce maintenance costs:
- Pega Predictive Diagnostic Cloud alerts notify you of connection timeouts and help you troubleshoot more quickly.
- Default values for email settings ensure that your email configuration is optimal and follows best practices.
- Email listeners automatically retry test connectivity upon start-up if the connection fails or authentication fails.
- Improved logging provides meaningful messages and log categorization to support debugging.
For more information, see List of events and notifications in PDC.
Additional connection pool parameters for JDBC URL external databases
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
For improved external JDBC URL database connection performance, Pega Platform™ now supports multiple Hikari connection pool parameters directly in the Data-Admin-DB-Name rule. Previously, Pega Platform supported a limited number of connection pool parameters to optimize your database connection using dynamic system settings (DSS). Now you can optimize your JDBC URL connection pool sizing to meet your traffic requirements through additional parameters without switching rules. Additional parameters include client-request parameters to maximize the connectivity to your external databases.
For more information, see Creating and updating external database instances with JDBC URLs.
Upgrade impact
During an upgrade to Pega Infinity™ release 8.6 and later, clients who previously specified their JDBC URL connection parameters through dynamic system settings (DSS) or prconfig file must delete the corresponding DSS or prconfig elements immediately after upgrade. The old parameters that you previously specified through DSS or the prconfig file override the equivalent parameters that you specified in the JDBC URL rule after your upgrade.
For more information about deleting your previous DSS or prconfig elements, see Deleting dynamic system setting connection parameters and Deleting connection parameters in the prconfig file.
Enhanced PEGA0104 alert
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
The PEGA0104 alert now includes the thread pool size, a list of activities that are waiting in the queue for a thread to become available, and details on how long it took to capture the thread dump. By default, the alert also includes the thread dump. You can disable the inclusion of the thread dump by changing the related configuration option.
For more information, see PEGA0104 alert: Background tasks have exceeded a threshold time when attempting to acquire a thread from pool or executor.
New alert for job scheduler activity that exceeds a time threshold
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Pega Platform™ now saves the PEGA0130 alert in the performance alert log at the time that a scheduled job exceeds the configured threshold value. To identify performance issues with long-running processes, you can monitor the log for the alert while the job scheduler runs.
The alert is enabled by default. You can change the default threshold value or disable the alert in dynamic system settings.
For more information, see PEGA0130 alert: Current Job Scheduler run is taking too long.
Deprecation of EAR deployments in Pega Platform 8.6
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Starting with Pega Platform 8.6, EAR deployments of Pega Platform are deprecated. In the upcoming 8.7 release, EAR deployments will not be supported. The following rules that require EAR deployments will also be deprecated and no longer supported in Pega Platform 8.7:
- Connect EJB
- Connect JCA
- JCA Resource Adapter
- JMS MDB Listener
- Service EJB
With this deprecation, you can use the latest tools and keep your application up to date.
Upgrade impact
In Pega Platform 8.6, you can still create rules that require EAR deployments and update existing rules. However, after an upgrade to Pega Platform 8.7, rules that require EAR deployments are no longer supported.
What steps are required to update an application to be compatible with this change?
To prepare your application for this change well in advance of the Pega Platform 8.7 release, see the following table for a list of alternative rules and for guidance on modernizing your application.
| Deprecated rule type | Alternative rule type | Recommended configuration |
| Connect EJB | Connect REST | Substitute legacy EJB resources with a REST API, and use REST connectors to interact with them. |
| Connect JCA | Connect REST | Substitute legacy JCA resources with a REST API, and use REST connectors to interact with them. |
| JCA Resource Adapter | JCA resource adapters are data records that are used within the scope of a Connect JCA rule. If you replaced Connect JCA rules in your application with Connect REST rules, JCA resource adapters are no longer relevant. | No further configuration is necessary. |
| JMS MDB Listener | JMS Listener | Replace JMS MDB Listener configurations with standard JMS Listener configurations. |
| Service EJB | Service REST | Redefine your EJB services as a set of RESTful service APIs, and invoke them over HTTP/HTTPS. |
For information on the supported platforms that are affected by this deprecation, see Pega Platform 8.6 Support Guide.
Legacy Parse XML rule configurations must be upgraded to edit them
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
If your application has Parse XML rules that use the legacy configuration from Pega Platform™ 5.x, you cannot edit these rules after you upgrade to Pega Platform 8.6 until after you upgrade them to use tree-based parse rule configuration.
You must upgrade a Parse XML rule that you want to edit if it shows the following warning when you open it in Dev Studio.
This type of Parse XML rule is deprecated. An upgrade should be performed.
An option to upgrade also displays below the message.
Upgrade impact
Parse XML rules with the legacy configuration do not map data to the clipboard, and the rule definition is empty. After you upgrade to Pega Platform 8.6, you cannot edit Parse XML rules that you created in Pega Platform 5.x or earlier until you upgrade them to use tree-based parse rule configuration.
What steps are required to update an application to be compatible with this change?
Update legacy Parse XML rules to use tree-based parse rule configuration before you edit them in Pega Platform 8.6. Using tree-based parse rules is considered a best practice.
- Open the legacy Parse XML rule.
- On the Mapping tab, click Upgrade.
Result: The Allow tree editing? check box is displayed and is automatically selected. You can add attributes and elements to the tree structure, or delete them. - Save the upgraded rule configuration.
For more information, see Parse XML rules.
Connect MQ rules configured with alias queue do not work after upgrade
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Connect MQ rules that you defined with an alias queue in earlier versions of Pega Platform do not work after an upgrade to Pega Platform 8.6.
Upgrade impact
If you defined an alias queue in Connect MQ rules, after an upgrade to Pega Platform 8.6, those Connect MQ rules do not work.
What steps are required to update an application to be compatible with this change?
In the Pega-IntegrationEngine ruleset, create the following dynamic system settings and their default values:
- "mq/pmo" = 0
- "mq/gmo" = 0
- "mq/oo_request" = 1040
- "mq/oo_response" = 16
For more information, see Creating a dynamic system setting.
Data model inheritance does not depend on ruleset context
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Search and Reporting Service (SRS) in Pega Platform™ 8.6 now provides an improved method of synchronizing data model by distinct users. In applications built on earlier versions of Pega Platform, some users might encounter difficulties in indexing data. Now, the data model that the system sends to SRS does not depend on access privileges. With this enhancement, each user of your application is eligible to synchronize data.