App Connect

IBM App Connect Professional v7.5.4.0 is the fix pack released for App Connect Professional software. Fix packs provide both regular maintenance for the product, and also new functional content. You may download the 7.5.4 fixpack from IBM Fixcentral. This blog summarizes all the latest and greatest capabilities:

• The Adobe flash dependency has been removed for accessing and making changes in the Web Management Console (WMC) user interface.
• TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 are disabled across all connectors.
• App Connect Professional hypervisor edition is supported on VMWare ESX server version 6.7 (build 14320388).
• DSA algorithm is disabled for SSH access to CLI

Find out more details about the same in App Connect Professional Knowledge Center

Web Management Console changes:

The Web Management Console (WMC) is a browser-based application hosted by the Integration Appliance. The WMC can configure and monitor hardware, orchestration, and network status of an Integration Appliance, using a Web browser. As many of you would be aware WMC was based on Adobe Flash player.

With Adobe’s announcement of End of Life announcement of Flash player, we replaced the WMC’s underlying Flash player with modern browser based UI technologies to provide an uninterrupted way to perform administration activities on your App Connect Professional projects.

All the Web Management Console features and functionalities are available as before, but with a new, much more intuitive and easy to use UI.

Here is a detailed overview screen grab of the changes in the new Web Management Console.

Migration from v7.x.x.x to v7.5.4.0:

A direct upgrade to V7.5.4 from V7.x.x.x is not supported. The underlying operating system version used in IBM App Connect Professional V7.5.4 is different from the operating system version used in earlier V7.x.x.x releases of IBM App Connect Professional and WebSphere Cast Iron.

Instead of upgrading, we recommend that you migrate to IBM App Connect Professional V7.5.4. Please refer to the documentation in Knowledge Center or contact IBM Support.

Migrating a virtual appliance

Steps for migrating:

• Virtual appliance V7.0.0.x, V7.5.0.x, V7.5.1.x, V7.5.2.x up to IFIX-015, V7.5.3.x up to IFIX-004:
  1. Save your Projects and User Settings from the appliance using Repository > Import/Export in the Web Management Console (WMC).
  2. In the old appliance, for the emgmt interface, configure a certificate that has SHA256withRSA (or stronger) signature algorithm.
  3. Install a fresh instance of IBM App Connect Professional V7.5.4 on the appliance and then restore with one of the following options:
     • If you don't have SHA256withRSA signature algorithm certificate configured for emgmt, restore with "Projects Only"
     • (Otherwise) Restore with "Projects and User Settings".
  4. If you restored with "Projects Only", configure Network settings and User settings manually
  5. Upload the vendor libraries (required by your projects) to the WMC.

• Virtual appliance V7.5.2.0 IFIx-017 and higher, V7.5.3.0 IFIX-005 and higher:
  1. Save your Projects and User Settings from the appliance using Repository > Import/Export in the Web Management Console (WMC).
  2. Install a fresh instance of IBM App Connect Professional V7.5.4 on the appliance and then restore with "Projects and User Settings".
  3. Upload the vendor libraries (required by your projects) to the WMC.

Note: Have a copy or backup of all third-party vendor libraries, which are uploaded with earlier versions or get them from respective vendor sites.For connector-specific latest changes, see the technote at https://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ibm10959985. For further assistance, contact IBM Support.

The following demo shows a step-by-step overview of the migration from an earlier version of App Connect Professional to App Connect Professional 7.5.4

Migrating a physical appliance to a virtual appliance

A physical appliance supports only V7.0.0.x, V7.5.0.1, and V7.5.1.0.

Steps for migrating:

1. Save your Projects and User Settings from the appliance using Repository > Import/Export in the Web Management Console (WMC).
2. In the old appliance, for the emgmt interface, configure a certificate that has SHA256withRSA (or stronger) signature algorithm.
3. Install a fresh instance of IBM App Connect Professional V7.5.4 on the appliance and then restore with one of the following options:
   • If you don't have SHA256withRSA signature algorithm certificate configured for emgmt, restore with "Projects Only"
   • (Otherwise) Restore with "Projects and User Settings".
4. If you restored with "Projects Only", configure Network settings and User settings manually
5. Upload the vendor libraries (required by your projects) to the WMC.

For more details, contact IBM Support. 

Note to App Connect Professional on Cloud customers:

Soon we will refresh App Connect Professional on Cloud will be upgraded with v7.5.4.0, backward compatibility of older secure connectors from v7520, v7530, etc with v7540 versions [cloud or appliance] is not supported. Customer's need to migrate old version secure connectors either by upgrading or by installing a new version v7540 secure connector.