Published Release Notes

Additional connection pool parameters for JDBC URL external databases

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

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.

Secure email threading mechanism in email bots

Pega Email Bot™ now uses a secure built-in threading mechanism to ensure that all email communication between customer service representatives (CSRs), customers, and other stakeholders is secure and organized in separate threads for a triage case. For this purpose, the system embeds a unique encrypted security code in the body of outbound emails that identifies related triage cases, service requests, and forwarded emails.

For more information, see Understanding email triage process and Use a secure threading mechanism for emails.

Enhanced Pulse gadget for Cosmos React

Together with the DX API, the Cosmos React component now provides an overlay in which users can quickly view and select the feed sources from which to view Pulse messages. Users can also add attachments to their messages, and remove the messages that they post. These enhancements improve collaboration and speed up case resolution. For example, a case worker can view only posts from particular cases, to quickly find a request for additional information about a case, and then provide necessary details by attaching a relevant document.

For more information, see Configuring Pulse feed sources for Cosmos React and Posting a message in Pulse.

Remote case types in App Studio

App Studio now supports remote case types for applications that you build on Cosmos React. With remote case types, you can create a case type inside one application, and then work on cases based on this case type in another, remote application. As a result, users can perform work from multiple applications on one screen without the need to switch between applications, which results in increased efficiency and faster case resolution.

For more information, see:

• Increase efficiency by sharing remote case types between applications (8.6)
• Remote case types  

New alert for job scheduler activity that exceeds a time threshold

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.

Improved case previews and case utility enhancements

The collapsible preview panel in Cosmos applications has been enhanced. The preview panel now helps users complete assignments in the previewed case directly from the panel, to save time. The preview also includes a clickable case stage link which displays an overlay with the case life cycle and all its steps for better context.

Additionally, to help save screen space when a case is fully opened, the collapsed or expanded state of the utility panel now persists for all cases that you open in the same browser tab.

For more information, see Enhance the case processing experience in Cosmos Rules applications (8.6).

Multiple sessions in separate browser tabs or windows

Theme Cosmos applications introduce an enhancement to the existing ability to work on multiple cases simultaneously in separate browser tabs or windows. You can now open an entire application in, for example, two separate browser tabs, without one session refreshing and overriding the other. As a result, users gain more flexibility and freedom in how they work. 

For more information, see Adding a dynamic container to a portal.

Improved tabbed layout group

Tabbed layout groups now generate semantic markup, which helps conform to accessibility standards. As a result, the tabs in the preview panel support numbers, for example, for items that might require attention, and a horizontal scroll bar if the number of tabs does not fit the display.

For more information, see Enhance the case processing experience in Theme Cosmos applications (8.6).

Improved search results and screen space economy

Theme Cosmos applications now display search results in a new tab with a variety of filters. Consequently, users do not lose their content when they raise a search query, and can adjust their results by selecting from out-of-the-box filters, such as status or type.

The summary panel now also gives users more freedom in managing screen space by being collapsible. The collapsed panel moves to the top of the page and aligns the summary tabs horizontally, so that users can conveniently interact with complex lists.

For more information, see Enhance the case processing experience in Cosmos Rules applications (8.6).