To help with your IBM Continuous Engineering (CE) and Collaborative Lifecycle Management (CLM) planning, here are some release updates. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section below this post, or follow up with your IBM Support team to discuss any questions or implications.

Extended Maintenance Release

Version 6.0.6 is an Extended Maintenance Release (EMR), which means it provides all fixes from earlier releases (including security fixes) for the life of the release stream. The previous EMR was version 6.0.2. For related information, see Improvement to the CLM Maintenance Model.

IBM Java SDK and implications for support

All customers are encouraged to move to version 6.0.6 or later by September 2019.

• IBM^® Java SDK 6 is no longer supported. As announced in April 2018, the 5.0.2 products will go out of support in April 2019, and security fixes that depend on the Java SDK are already no longer offered.
• IBM Java SDK 7 is scheduled to go out of support in September 2019.
• Version 6.0.6 is the first release to support the IBM Java SDK 8 runtime.

Future support

• After 6.0.6, Apache Tomcat will no longer be supported. The CE/CLM products have bundled WebSphere^® Liberty instead of Apache Tomcat for several releases, and the 6.0.6 release will be the last release to support Tomcat.
• If your deployment includes WebSphere Application Server, consider moving to WebSphere Liberty when you next upgrade CE/CLM. WebSphere Liberty is now the preferred application server. There are no immediate plans to stop supporting WebSphere Application Server.
• In a future release, support will be discontinued for the Rational Team Concert Eclipse/SVN integration and the Rational Team Concert Social Connector/Lotus Connections integration. This discontinuation will make room for newer, more popular integrations.
• In a future release, support will be discontinued for OSLC 1.0 interfaces (including TRS 1.0). OSLC 2.0 was implemented in the CE/CLM products in 2011. Most integrations already use OSLC 2.0 APIs. If you have an early integration with the CLM tools, you might need to update your integration to OSLC 2.0.

Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel

Beginning with the 6.0.6 release, the following applications support the Microsoft Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel in addition to the long-term service channel, which makes it easier for enterprises to stay current on Windows 10:

• Rational Team Concert
• Rational Quality Manager
• Rational DOORS Next Generation
• Rational Engineering Lifecycle Manager
• Rhapsody Model Manager
• Rational Publishing Engine

As described by Microsoft, the Semi-Annual Channel (formerly known as Current Business Branch) is a twice-per-year feature update intended to release around March and September, with 18-month servicing timelines for each release. Because these Windows 10 releases will not always align with the CE/CLM releases, we expect to deliver fixes for any issues that arise through iFix releases. However, you might have to upgrade to a newer IBM product release to obtain fixes for regressions or changes introduced by the Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel releases.

Deployment recommendations

The CE/CLM tools support several web application servers, operating systems, and databases. For maximum flexibility to adopt new advanced features, and to simplify a potential move to or from the IBM CE/CLM on Cloud or CLM as a Managed Service offerings, we recommend the following deployment options:

• Deploy new environments using WebSphere Liberty. If you currently use WebSphere Application Server, consider migrating to WebSphere Liberty when you next upgrade your CE/CLM servers.
• Use RedHat Enterprise Linux if your enterprise can support it. Some advanced capabilities require IBM IoT MessageSight, which requires at least one server running RedHat Enterprise Linux x86-64.
• If your organization can support IBM Db2®, use it for new environments.

Deployment notes

• The CE/CLM solution includes limited-use licenses for IBM WebSphere Application Server, including Liberty, IBM Db2 and IBM IoT MessageSight.
• The deployment recommendations do not reflect a change in our level of commitment to support other hardware, operating systems, or databases.
• For more information, see Migrating from Traditional WebSphere to WebSphere Liberty and the IBM WebSphere Application Server Migration Toolkit

Deployment wiki on Jazz.net

As always, I recommend becoming well acquainted with the Deployment wiki, including the documented ALM topologies.

Daniel Moul
Senior Offering Manager

Updated 2018-08-07 to clarify that TRS 1.0 is included in the OSLC 1.0 statement above.