Performance improvement to BLOB support in Postgres databases
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
New tables that contain BLOB columns now use external storage instead of expanded storage for Postgres databases. This improvement applies to tables that are created during installation, upgrade, or during DDL and schema generation. Using external storage improves database performance.
For more information, see BLOB storage in Postgres databases.
Automatically manage nodes in a System Management Application cluster
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
Instead of manually adding and deleting nodes in a cluster by using the System Management Application (SMA), you can now automatically manage nodes. You can enable Auto Node Discovery and configure it to get information about all the nodes in a cluster, add new nodes, and update the node list.
For more information, see Managing nodes automatically in a System Management Application cluster.
Run advanced agents on only one node in a cluster
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
You can now configure an advanced agent to run on only one node in a cluster at a specified time. In addition, you can specify the time interval within which an advanced agent runs on only one node in the cluster, which avoids having two advanced agents starting to run on the same node at the same time.
For more information, see Improved control for running advanced agents and Agents rules – Completing the Schedule tab.
Ability to test SELECT statements
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
When developing and debugging applications, you can test SELECT statements from the Query Runner landing page. You can run queries against non-BLOB columns in your database and view the results on the landing page or export the results to an Excel spreadsheet or PDF file. This functionality is available for Pega Cloud customers who use a Postgres database or for customers using an Oracle database on-premises or on the cloud.
To use this landing page, you must have the PegaRULES:DatabaseAdministrator role or the pxDBSelectQuery privilege in Data- and Rule- in your access group. You access the landing page by clicking .
For more information, see Query Runner landing page for testing SELECT statements.
Elasticsearch 2.4.0 upgrade
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
The Pega 7 Platform has been updated to use Elasticsearch 2.4.0. You do not have to reindex immediately. You can reindex at your convenience by using the FullTextindexer utility, which provides a smoother transition to the next Elasticsearch library upgrade.
Rolling upgrades are not supported. Instead, after the upgrade has been completed, shut down all the nodes in the cluster, and then restart them beginning with the indexing nodes. For more information, see the Pega 7 Platform Upgrade Guide on the Deployment Guides landing page.
Performance enhancements to StringBuilderFactory pooling
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
StringBuilderFactory has been enhanced to eliminate most scenarios where errors in calling application logic can accidentally cause StringBuilder data contamination within and across JVM thread boundaries. StringBuilderFactory pooling is now thread-specific, which prevents errors in one thread’s use of StringBuilder from contaminating StringBuilder objects in other threads. Debug messages were also added to help diagnose potential problems.
Roll back system changes by using restore points
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
Restore points save the state of your system, including all rule and data instances. You can roll back to this restore point later if there is a problem. The Pega 7 Platform automatically creates restore points before any archive import. You can also use the prpcServiceUtils command-line tool to create and manage restore points and to roll back changes to your application. For more information, see Restore points.
Deploy in secured mode
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
Deploying the Pega 7 Platform in secured mode helps prevent unauthorized access to your system. By default, the Pega 7 Platform deploys in secured mode. For more information, see the Deployment Guide for your environment.
Easily build components for applications
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
A component is a collection of rulesets that you use to create a small feature that can enhance an application. You can now create components that can be applied to applications created in the Pega 7 Platform. You can create and configure components on the new Component rule form and manage them on the Application rule form. Each component creates its own ruleset, which prevents naming conflicts from occurring if, for example, you install two components with the same name. You can upload or download any component from the Pega Exchange.
For more information, see Components.
Existing operator IDs during upgrades and updates
Valid from Pega Version 7.2.2
Upgrades and updates are always performed in secured mode to help prevent unauthorized access to your system. In secured mode, the [email protected] operator ID is always overwritten, but other existing standard operator IDs are not modified. New operator IDs are inserted in secured mode. For more information, see the Deployment Guide for your environment.