Checking for Incompatibilities between Version 11.2 and 12.0

As a system administrator, you need to check incompatibilities between consecutive versions before upgrading your system.

The tables below list new features that might lead to compatibility issues or should be taken care of when upgrading; they do not list all new features of this AE version. New features are described in full in the Release Highlights and Release Notes.

More information:

To provide a better overview, the tables are categorized by the severity of the issue. There are three different categories:

  • Critical: Issues that must be addressed, otherwise the system will not work
  • Behavior change: Functionality changes in existing features that might have an impact on your system
  • Advisory: Different issues you should be aware of but might not have an impact on your system

The columns display the following information:

  • Topic: Name of the general topic or new feature
  • Changed behavior: What has been changed
  • Possible incompatibilities: Impact the change may have
  • Actions/Countermeasures: What can be done to identify and/or remove possible incompatibilities

Compatibility Issues

Critical

Topic

Changed Behavior

Possible Incompatibilities

Actions/Countermeasures

Java Workprocess (JWP)

Installation of JWP(s) is mandatory for several functions in Automation Engine and AWI.

N/A

Install JWP(s)

Behavior Change

Topic

Changed Behavior

Possible Incompatibilities

Actions/Countermeasures

UserInterface

The UserInterface has been replaced by the Automic Web Interface.

The new features for v12 have been implemented for the AWI exclusively.

N/A

N/A

Change of script function behavior:

  • PREP_PROCESS_FILENAME
  • PRE_PROCESSS_FILE
  • PREP_PROCESS
  • GET_FILESYSTEM

In connection with the new feature Centralized Agent Upgrade (CAU)the behavior of these script functions has been changed.

They do not abort anymore, if an agent is not available but stay in "Waiting for host" instead.

N/A

N/A

All ServiceManager actions require a password.

The password defined in the ServiceManager settings is now required for all possible actions in the ServiceManager.

You will be prompted for a password when:

  • moving an entry up or down
  • opening properties
  • editing/deleting/duplicating an entry

Enter the correct password when prompted.

DB Load and upgrade on SQL-Server

If the parameter in the SQL database READ_COMMITED_SNAPSHOT = FALSE then:

  • The upgrade has to be done by a user who has dbowner rights.
  • During the database upgrade no additional users besides DB Load are allowed.

Therefore in such cases the Zero Downtime Upgrade (ZDU) is not available.

N/A

Set READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT = TRUE
File Transfer from/to z/OS Agent During the file transfer, switching between the agent and the file transfer user is enabled by default. Note that you may need additional permissions for the file transfer and the agent user. The function call seteuid()/setegid() may fail.

Make sure that the permissions specified in the z/OS agent installation are granted, see Installing the Agent for z/OS.

Workaround: Set parameter ft_thread_level_security=no in the INI file of the z/OS agent at the (GLOBAL) section, see Agent z/OS.

Advisory

Topic

Changed Behavior

Possible Incompatibilities

Actions/Countermeasures

General DB change

Note: Information and the checking instructions apply to all versions, between your existing installation and the latest you want to upgrade to, respectively.

The DB scheme/structure has been changed.

Custom SQL queries on AE DB do not work anymore.

  • Check and adapt relevant SQL/SQLI/SQLJOBS objects accordingly

  • Check and adapt relevant DB queries used in external tools/programs

Service Level Management (SLM)

The Service Level Management via the Service Level Objective objects (SLOs) is a new function as of v12.
The general Automation Engine behavior has not changed but the SLOs' monitoring may affect system performance.

The monitoring has been implemented by checks via CPs and JWPs.

N/A

N/A

Zero Downtime Upgrade in AWI

As of v12 the ZDU is available in the AWI.

Take care not to conduct the ZDU steps using UI and AWI alternately.

Perform the ZDU either via AWI or UI exclusively.

N/A

N/A

Rapid Automation (RA) agent solutions

In order to edit RA objects in the AWI, you must upgrade your RA agent solutions to versions that support the AWI. The latest version of most, but not all, RA solutions support the AWI. For information on specific RA solutions, see the compatibility matrix. For more information, see Compatibility Information.

N/A

Contact Files to Aid Technical Support.

Web Service agent changes

New versions of the Web Service agent were split into separate RA solutions for SOAP (4.0.0) and REST (4.0.0).

Existing objects of version 3 are not automatically migrated to objects of version 4.

To migrate existing jobs from version 3 to 4 do the following :

  • For SOAP migrate objects manually.
  • For REST use the migration assistant.