Published Release Notes

Agents not running after update of EAR-based deployment

If you update an EAR-file deployment and your update meets both of the following criteria, you must redeploy the prpc_*.ear file for your application server after you complete the update to avoid agent-related errors:

• Updating from Pega 7.1.7, Pega 7.1.8, or Pega 7.1.9
• Updating to Pega 7.1.10, 7.1.11, 7.2, or 7.2.1

If you do not redeploy the prpc_*.ear file, you will see the agent-related issues that are described in the support article Agents are not running.

For information about redeploying, see the Pega 7 Platform Update Guide for your target version of the Pega 7 Platform.

Unified Messaging Desktop integration with Pega Platform

You can now use the Pega Unified Messaging Desktop™ customer service solution with a Pega Platform™ application so that customer service representatives (CSRs) and other users, such as managers, can respond to user requests more quickly and in a more consistent manner. With integrated Pega Unified Messaging Desktop, CSRs can escalate user requests from Pega Intelligent Virtual Assistants™ (IVAs) by using case processing and artificial intelligence alongside Pega Customer Service™

For more information, see Develop a single IVA channel to chat across different messaging platforms.

Client-server deployment of Hazelcast

Pega Platform™ now supports the client-server model for the Hazelcast service, which provides cluster communication and distributes Pega Platform features across nodes. This optional deployment model introduces independent scalability for both servers and clients in Pega Platform, improving stability for deployments that use a large number of nodes.

The Hazelcast client-server model is intended for select environments running Pega Platform 8.4 across a large number of nodes and should be deployed only when directed by Global Client Support.

Direct deployment of decision parameters

Direct deployment overlays now enable business users to own decision parameters. Revisions based on this new type of overlay can be directly activated by Decision Manager portal users. For more information on this feature, see the Revision Management landing page.

Existing collections are deprecated

The original implementation of the Collection form is deprecated. Legacy instances in your application remain functional; however, any new instance you create uses the redesigned Collection form. Use the Decision category in the Records Explorer to view all collections available to you.

For guidance on upgrade limitations, see the Deprecated Collection form.

Mobile features deprecated in 8.4

Following the introduction of new functionalities for mobile apps, some features are reaching end of life. To avoid additional effort during updates to future releases, do not use deprecated features.

In the 8.4 release, the following features are no longer recommended:

• Mobile Client 7 is now deprecated and planned for removal in 8.5. Use Pega Infinity Mobile Client to meet the mobile needs of your business.
• The Reuse existing web portal functionality is deprecated and planned for removal in 8.5. For improved app performance and more efficient development, use the mobile app builder in the mobile channel. Also, you must convert existing projects to use separate channels for mobile and web portals before upgrading to 8.5.

In addition, the Pega Mobile Express app has been removed from app stores and replaced with the Pega Mobile Preview app.

Updates no longer require redeploying the prweb.war file or the application server-specific EAR file

Updating from Pega 7.1.7 to later versions of Pega 7 no longer requires that you redeploy the prweb.war file or the application server-specific EAR file.

Note that upgrades from versions prior to Pega 7.1.7 still require that you redeploy these files.

Certain flow actions deprecated and replaced

To ensure compatibility with supported browsers and mobile devices and to enhance ease of design, the following flow actions are deprecated and replaced. As a best practice, use the replacement actions for new development. The deprecated rules are still supported and do not have to be updated.

For example, the new Transfer Assignment action supports the most common routing options such as operator, workbasket, and reporting manager. Advanced options allow users to escalate, set due dates, update status, and provide instructions.

Transform Assignment form

See Atlas - Standard Flow Actions (Local)​.

Updated Pega 7 mobile application

The Pega 7 mobile application, available for download in the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, has been updated in this release. New features and enhancements include:

• iOS 8.0 support
• Android 5.0 Lollipop support (once released)
• App size reduced by over 30%
• Faster app download
• Improved logging
• New Javascript APIs available, including:
  • Native SQL API for custom offline app development
  • File transfer capability for background photo and video upload

Use the QR codes on the Mobile tab in Designer Studio to quickly access the Pega 7 mobile app download page.

Changes to archive.info in Pega 7.1.7

In Pega 7.1.7, the contents of the archive.info file have changed.

• In versions Pega 7.1.6 and earlier, the archive.info file displays the build number of the Pega installation.
• As of Pega 7.1.7, the build number no longer appears in the archive.info file.

In Pega 7.1.7, the archive.info file only displays a status message indicating whether or not the system is running, and the build number no longer appears. Instead, if the system is operational, the message “status=Running” displays in the archive.info file.

If there are any automated tests, scripts, or applications that rely on the archive.info file displaying the build number, those may fail and produce an error. It is recommended that any automation that relies on the build number displaying in the archive.info file be changed to look for the “status=Running” message.