Upgrading the SDK

Change the version of the SDK Java Technology Edition using the applicable HCL Digital Experience Combined fix pack.

Ensure that the Portal profile is created before upgrading the SDK.

1. Start the Installation Manager.

2. Install the latest supported version of IBM WebSphere SDK Java Technology Edition.

   Note: Starting with HCL WebSphere Portal Combined fix pack 05, we can change the SDK Java Technology Edition from version 7.0 to version 7.1.

   Starting with HCL WebSphere Portal Combined fix pack 12, we can change the SDK Java Technology Edition to version 8.0.

3. Before running the managesdk task:
   • Stand-alone environments: Stop the profile server (node)

   • Clustered environments:

     • If the profile is a federated node of a deployment manager, ensure that the deployment manager is running before running the managesdk command to update the profile.

     • Stop all the nodes.

     • Ensure that the node agent for each node is started.

     • When enabling the SDK for a node, run the managesdk command from the /bin directory to which the node belongs. We can also run the command from the /bin directory of the profile that contains the node that we want to update.

     • A connection to the deployment manager must exist with a supported connector protocol in the following order of preference:
       • SOAP
       • Inter-Process Communications (IPC)
       • Remote Method Invocation (RMI)

       If the SOAP protocol is enabled, the managesdk command uses the SOAP protocol. If the SOAP protocol is not enabled but the IPC protocol is enabled, the command uses the IPC protocol. If the SOAP and IPC protocol are not enabled, then the command uses the RMI protocol.

     • Provide the administrative user name and password with the managesdk command for each profile that contains a federated node or deployment manager node in a cell with security enabled. If we do not specify the -user and -password parameters, the managesdk command might fail or stop processing.

     • When enabling the SDK for a deployment manager, only the deployment manager server is enabled. None of the managed nodes of the deployment manager is enabled to use the specific SDK.

4. cd AppServer_root/bin

5. List the available SDK versions:

   Go to managesdk command for information about the managesdk commands.

   • AIX : ./managesdk.sh -listAvailable

6. Enable all existing profiles to use the new SDK version:

   Note: version_number is the supported SDK version number that was listed when you ran the managesdk -listAvailable command.

   • AIX : ./managesdk.sh -enableProfileAll -sdkname version_number -enableServers

7. Make the new SDK version the new default:

   • AIX : ./managesdk.sh -setCommandDefault -sdkname version_number

     ./managesdk.sh -setNewProfileDefault -sdkname version_number

8. For a DB2 database, upgrade the JCC driver. Go to DB2 APAR PI47282 needed when using JAVA SDK8 in WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5.9+ for information.

9. Repeat these steps on each node in the environment.

   Note: We cannot roll back to a version of HCL WebSphere Portal earlier than fix pack 11 while we use SDK Java Technology Edition version 8. Support for SDK Java Technology Edition version 8 does not exist in earlier releases of Portal. To roll back to an earlier CF level, use the commands that are shown in steps 6 and 7 to switch back to SDK version 7.0 or 7.1 before you roll back.

Parent topic: AIX system - HCL WebSphere Portal installation