IBM Releases New Versions of FileNet and Cloud Pak for Business Automation
Robert Short, Vice President of Cloud Services at enChoice
Robert Short, Vice President of Cloud Services at enChoice, answers questions, and posts about FileNet, CP4BA, and other things IBM ECM-related.
IBM releases new software versions
While the prior announcements in October from IBM about the new versions had only confirmed some of the software components as Long-Term Support Releases (LTSR). As of Friday, December 17th these products are now confirmed:
- Cloud Pak for Business Automation (CP4BA) v21.0.3
- Business Automation Workflow (BAW) v21.0.3
- FileNet Content Manager v5.5.8
- IBM Content Navigator (ICN) v3.0.11
- Datacap v9.1.9
- Operational Decision Maker (ODM) v8.11
For more information about what an LTSR is, see IBM Announces New Long Term Support Release (LTSR) for FileNet and Cloud Pak for Business Automation - enChoice Blog.
I am only going to touch on a few items that I felt might be important to some of you. At the end of this post will also be a link to each of the products' “What’s New” page in their respective knowledge center.
Cloud Pak for Business Automation
One of the more impactful statements made by IBM in the CP4BA “What’s new” section is this:
“For all new users, the sc_deployment_platform custom resource configuration parameter must be set to either "ROKS" or "OCP".”
The value "other" is valid for stand-alone Business Automation Workflow and FileNet Content Manager customers who installed these containers on a non-OpenShift platform and who want to continue to install on a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF)-compatible non-OpenShift platform.”
My understanding is that any new users will not be able to use their CP4BA licenses to install FileNet Content Manager and Business automation Workflow onto a Non-OpenShift platform. New customers may need to purchase the BAW or FileNet Content Manager licenses separately. If you have purchased or are buying CP4BA intending to install any components on Kubernetes, speak to your sales rep right away.
There are more than 80 enhancements made to CP4BA with this release.
With this version, they are now able to support Kubernetes 1.22 and OpenShift 4.9 for containers.
Business Automation Workflow
While this is not new, be aware that only WebSphere Application Server Network Deployed (WAS ND) 8.5.5.20+ and WebSphere Application Server Liberty 21.0.0.9+ are supported. BAW is not supported on WAS ND 9.0+.
FileNet Content Manager
If you are using the DB2 license bundled with FileNet Content Manager, as of v5.5.7, IBM has changed the bundle from including the Enterprise edition of DB2 to the Standard edition. You may need to switch the edition of DB2 that you are using when you upgrade.
What’s New links
These links will take you to the respective products What’s New section in their knowledge center:
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions using the form below.
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About Robert Short - Vice President, Cloud Services at enChoice
Robert Short began working with FileNet software in 1997 as a Technical Consultant, installing, upgrading, and supporting FileNet Content Services, Image Services, P8 Content Platform Engine, and Case Manager. Robert served as an Implementation Project Manager for FileNet, creating standard implementation processes for the installation and upgrade of IBM ECM products. Robert is VP of Cloud Services at enChoice and has built a team to deliver Digital Transformation Services to our customers, both on-prem and in the public cloud, utilizing Amazon Web Services, Armor, Azure, IBM Cloud, and Rackspace.
About enChoice
Founded in 1993, enChoice®, Inc. is an award-winning Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Digital Transformation solutions company, with 28-years’ experience helping customers improve business processes and protect critical information with software and solutions that accelerate their path to digital efficiency.