Upgrading Univiewer environment from 6.x to 6.10.x while running Java 7
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Upgrading Univiewer environment from 6.x to 6.10.x while running Java 7

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Article ID: 234133

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Updated On:

Products

CA Automic Dollar Universe

Issue/Introduction

Starting in version 6.10, Univiewer (as well as all other Dollar Universe components) no longer supports Java 7 at all. Java 8 or Java 11 must be used. If Univiewer Console (UVC) is running in Web Start or WebConsole mode, Java 8 must be used, as Java WebStart (javaws) has been deprecated in all future versions. Java 8 will be supported until 2030. For the purposes of this guide, I will assume Java 8 is used as it covers all use cases.

In order to upgrade to Univiewer 6.10, a Java 8 instance must first be installed on the Univiewer Management Server as well as any clients running UVC. Not only must a Java 8 instance be installed, but UVMS and UVC’s configuration files must be configured to be using this new instance. If Univiewer version 6.4.01 or older is used, please consult Annex A on this topic below.

As with any Dollar Universe upgrade, the appropriate order to upgrade components is: 1) UVC, 2) UVMS, and finally 3) Dollar Universe.

The first thing that needs to be done is to install a Java 8 instance. This can be installed alongside a Java 7 instance, so as to not disturb any applications (including Univiewer / Dollar Universe) that may be using it. If an OpenJDK version of JRE will be used, please consult Annex B on this topic below.

Environment

CREDITS to Domenico Cotugno from Apta Solutions for this detailed procedure explained here

Cause

Java 7 and previous versions are no longer supported in 6.10.x and superior Dollar Universe Components.

Resolution

Univiewer Console

Here are the steps to follow to upgrade UVC for each different mode. This assumes the Java 8 instance has already been installed.

  • UVC Standalone

    • Windows
      1. From an elevated command prompt, run the following command: ‘java -version’ After installing the Java 8 instance, the result should be ‘java version “1.8.x_xxx”’
      2. Edit the univiewer_console.bat file located in the <installation_path>\univiewer\mgr\ folder and replace any hardcoded reference to a Java 7 path toward the new Java 8 instance path. It is possible that there is nothing to do as the Standalone UVC generally uses Windows PATH variables
      3. Only after having made the above modification, if necessary, upgrade the UVC instance
    • Linux
      1. From a terminal session, run the following command: ‘java -version’. After installation the Java 8 instance, the result should be ‘java version “1.8.x_xxx”’
      2. Edit the unistarconsole.ksh file located in the <installation_path>\univiewer_console\ folder and replace any hardcoded reference to a Java 7 path toward the new Java 8 instance path. It is possible that there is nothing to do as the Standalone UVC generally uses the Linux default PATH variables
      3. Only after having made the above modification, if necessary, upgrade the UVC instance

  • UVC WebStart

    • Windows
      1. If using Tomcat 8.0 or earlier, first upgrade to Tomcat 8.5 or 9.0
      2. Configure Tomcat to use the Java 8 instance:

3. Deploy the new Univiewer WebStart version in the Tomcat.

 

    • Linux
      1. Modify the path to Java your Tomcat uses. This depends on how Tomcat was installed. It might be using the catalina.sh script to start or it might be installed as a service. It might also be using the JAVA_HOME variable, in which case nothing needs to be changed, if the JAVA_HOME variable was updated when the Java 8 instance was installed
      2. If using Tomcat 8.0 or earlier, upgrade to Tomcat 8.5 or 9.0
      3. Deploy the new Univiewer WebStart version in the Tomcat.
    •  

  • UVC WebConsole

    • The same procedure as WebStart should be used

 

Univiewer Management Server

Here are the steps to follow to upgrade UVMS. This assumes the Java 8 instance has already been installed.

  • Windows

    • Modify the unienv.bat file from the <installation_path>\data folder to replace any mention of the Java 7 path with the one for Java 8
    • Launch the binary to upgrade the UVMS

  • Unix

    • Modify the unienv.ksh and unienv.csh files from the <installation_path>/data folder to replace any mention of the Java 7 path with the one for Java 8
    • Launch the binary to upgrade the UVMS

Dollar Universe

Here are the steps to follow to upgrade Dollar Universe nodes. This only applies if you are using a Manager that requires Java (Manager for Java, Web Services, JMS, EJB). This assumes the Java 8 instance has already been installed.

  • Via UVC, go to the Administration Mode, then click on Nodes, and Nodes again to list your instances. Right-click the node in question and select Node Settings
  • On the left-hand panel, click on Manager for Java and find the “Path of Java command…” setting. Change the setting to point to the new Java 8 instance.
  • Restart the JEE engine (No changes are required for any of the dependent managers).
    • From the Nodes view, right-click the node and select Server Engine List, 
    • Right-click the JEE engine and click Stop
    • After a few second, right-click the engine and select Start
  • Proceed to upgrade the node either via the kit on the server itself or via the Autopatch

Additional Information

Annex A: Univiewer 6.4.01 and prior considerations

Univiewer 6.4.01 and prior versions did not support Java 8. Therefore, it is necessary to upgrade to an intermediate version which supports both Java 7 and Java 8. It is recommended to upgrade to version 6.9.61 which is the last version to support both versions of Java. Once at version 6.9.61, switch to Java 8 and proceed with the upgrade, as detailed above.

 

Annex B: OpenJDK

Oracle has changed its licensing model since 2019 and no longer allows for commercial use of Java under its free license. For this reason, many users who do not pay licensing to Oracle for other products are not willing to do so solely for Dollar Universe. Luckily, there are free and open-source versions of Java SE that can be used instead. OpenJDK 11 is already supported for Dollar Universe and Univiewer version 6.10. However, for customer who use Univiewer WebStart or WebConsole, Java 11 cannot be used. OpenJDK Java 8 can be used with Univiewer, but it requires some tweaking.

First, OpenJDK must be installed correctly. We recommend AdoptOpenJDK 8 HotSpot.  For WebStart and WebConsole to work, it is mandatory to also install the IcedTea-Web module. See this screenshot for details on Windows:


For Linux, consult the AdoptOpenJDK website for instructions on how to install for the given distribution.

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