Published Release Notes

Automatically populate columns on import

If an imported archive file adds columns to existing tables, Pega Platform ™ can automatically expose and populate the new columns during the import. For more information, see Import wizard.

Automatically revalidate and save classes after upgrade

To automatically revalidate and save classes after an upgrade, edit the product rule definition. After you upgrade the application, the classes you specify are revalidated and saved under the application version context you provide. If the application version exists on the target system before the upgrade, the revalidate and save process is not called.

For more information about editing the product rule, see Specifying product rule deployment options.

Add and populate new indexes on import

If you import an archive that includes new indexes, use the Import wizard advanced mode to schedule a post-import job to automatically add and populate the new indexes. For more information, see Import wizard.

Resolve Job Scheduler and Queue Processor rules with the AsyncProcessor requestor type

Use the new AsyncProcessor requestor type to define a default dynamic context to resolve background rules such as Job Scheduler and Queue Processor rules. Switch to an application-based context after you create your own access groups, to resolve only the rules that are included in your application.

For more information, see AsyncProcessor requestor type.

Support for an external Elasticsearch cluster for on-premises deployments

On-premises customers can configure an Elasticsearch cluster that is external to the Pega Platform™ by using client-server mode. Using an external search configuration makes Elasticsearch more highly available and scalable. 

You can view the status of your external Elasticsearch service on the Search landing page. For more information, see link to Viewing the status of an external search service.

REST APIs for system management

New REST APIs are available for reports, agent management, requestor management, cache management, queue processing, and node management. Call these APIs to troubleshoot issues, or perform administrative functions in Cloud applications.

For more information, see Pega API.

Import only new instances of specific classes

To bypass updates for specific classes and only import new instances of those types, edit the product rule definition.  For more information, see Specifying product rule deployment options.

Create configurable node types with purpose-specific names

To meet your specific business needs, you can now configure your own node types that you can segregate by purpose, and also define their behavior. Pega Platform™ supports node types that you can associate with multiple resources, like agents or job schedulers. For ease of use, apply meaningful names to your node types.

For more information, see Node classification, Creating configurable node types.

New roles required for system management features and APIs after upgrade

The pzSystemOperationsObserver and pzSystemOperationsAdministator privileges are no longer used for accessing system management features in Admin Studio and for system management APIs. Pega Platform™ has new privileges for individual system management functions and new roles configured with these privileges. Use the following roles to access system management features and APIs:

• PegaRULES:SysOpsAdministrator – has all administrator and observer privileges
• PegaRULES:SysOpsObserver – has all observer privileges
• PegaRULES:SysAdm4 – has all administrator and observer privileges

After upgrading, you can include one or more of these roles in your access group or create a custom role. For more information about access roles, see Access roles.

Enabling access to upgraded help

After upgrading to Pega Platform ™ 8.1, the default URL to the upgraded help files might be incorrect. To enable access to the latest help files, reset the URL:

1. In the header of Dev Studio, click Configure > System > Settings > URLs.
2. Enter the Online Help URL:

   https://community.pega.com/sites/default/files/help_v81/

3. Click Save.
4. Log out and log back into Pega Platform.