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.Â
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.
Deprecated support for Pega Platform deployments on embedded Cassandra
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
If you use Pega Platform™ decision management capabilities, Pega Platform uses Cassandra as the underlying storage system for the Decision Data Store (DDS), which manages the Cassandra cluster and stores decision management data in a Cassandra database. Future versions of Pega Platform will no longer support deployments on embedded Cassandra. In Pega Platform version 8.6, deployments using embedded Cassandra are deprecated but still work. To ensure future compatibility, do not create any new installations using embedded Cassandra.
For information about how to configure Pega Platform to access an external database, see Defining Pega Platform access to an external Cassandra database.
Virtual questions deprecated in 8.6
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Following the improvements in Pega Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA), the creation of virtual questions is now deprecated and planned for removal. To avoid additional effort during updates to future releases, do not use deprecated features. For optimal application performance and efficient development of conversation processes, you now collect information from users by using the Ask a question smart shape.
For more information, see Adding a case type conversation process for a conversational channel and Asking a question in a case.
Loading cues in Pega Platform
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Pega Platform™ applications that rely on the Cosmos React framework now feature a visual placeholder for the page that is being loaded. The system displays an indicator when loading portals, cases, simple pages, and list pages. This update provides users with a visual cue that their request is being processed, which improves the user experience.
Pega Platform ends support for Java 7
Valid from Pega Version 7.4
Oracle has ended support for Java 7 and is no longer issuing security patches for Java 7. Therefore, starting with Pega 7.4, Pega® Platform no longer supports Java 7. For more information about supported platforms, see the Platform Support Guide. For more information about Oracle support for Java 7, see the Oracle documentation.
Upgrading to Hazelcast 4.x requires downtime during upgrades to Pega Infinity 8.6
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
Upgrade impact statement
On-premises upgrades of Pega Infinity release 8.4.2 and later to version 8.5.1 or later on Tomcat and PostgreSQL are completed with near-zero downtime. However, upgrading to Hazelcast 4.x requires that you shut down and restart your application server.
What is required to update the application to be compatible with this change?
Hazelcast 3.x is enabled by default. For near-zero downtime upgrades, you do not need to perform any action.
For instructions about upgrading to Hazelcast 4.x, see one of the following topics:
- For near-zero downtime upgrades from Pega Infinity release 8.4.2 or later on Tomcat and PostgreSQL, see "Optional: upgrading to Pega Platform version 8.6: Upgrading to Hazelcast 4.x" in Near-zero downtime Upgrade Guide for Pega Platform version 8.4.2 and later for Tomcat and PostgreSQL.
- For all other upgrades, see "Optional: upgrading to Hazelcast 4.x" in the appropriate upgrade guide.
REST APIs for viewing Pega Platform configuration settings
Valid from Pega Version 7.4
New REST APIs in the Nodes category provide a view of the current configuration settings for any node in a cluster or for an entire cluster. You can also find a specific node ID by listing all the nodes in the cluster. To diagnose settings issues for a node, you can download the prconfig.xml file.
For more information, see Pega API for Pega Platform 7.4, Pega API, and Viewing the current configuration settings for a node or the whole cluster.
Legacy rules removed to reduce Pega Platform installation size
Valid from Pega Version 7.4
The installation of Pega® Platform 7.4 removes deprecated and unused rules. The smaller installation size decreases rule sync time and reduces the amount of storage required for Pega Platform. In addition, the smaller installation reduces the rule database size and shortens installation and upgrade times. You can access the legacy rules, if needed, in the PegaLegacyRules:01-01-01 in the Resource Kit on the Pega Platform media.
For more information see Finding legacy rules in sections.
View the configuration settings for Pega Platform nodes in Designer Studio
Valid from Pega Version 7.4
On the new Configuration Settings landing page, you can view a list of the configuration settings for a specific node, current or remote, or for an entire cluster. From this landing page you can diagnose settings issues, determine whether settings are loaded correctly, and review the settings' purposes. You can also download the prconfig.xml file for any node in a cluster to modify the settings. The ability to view settings for all nodes in the Cluster from a single landing page makes diagnosing configuration issues across the cluster simpler and easier than logging on to each node individually to view its system settings. For example, if a started agent does not run, you can check if agents are enabled on your system; or if some of your caches are too big, you can check the setting for the cache size. You can also determine if settings are loaded correctly, and identify discrepancies in the settings across the nodes.
For more information, see Viewing the current configuration settings of a node or the whole cluster, Downloading and viewing the prconfig.xml file for a specific node, REST APIs for viewing the configuration settings for Pega Platform.
End of active support for Cosmos React version 8.6
Valid from Pega Version 8.6
As of the release of Pega Platform™ version 8.8 in October 2022, the early adopter Cosmos React (now Constellation) UI is no longer supported. Consequently, Pega support teams no longer accept assignments and incident reports for the 8.6 version of Cosmos React and DX SDK. Upgrade to a later version of Cosmos React or Constellation to maintain support.