We are planning to perform a multistep upgrade from 5.5.6 to 5.5.8, then to 5.6. We have lot of workflows configured in our system. Has anyone observed any changes to the Custom Workflows done during their upgrade? any issues observed during the upgrade or post upgrade for WorkFlow process. Any suggestions highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

Based on my experience, moving from 5.5.6 to 5.5.8 and then to 5.6 is still within the same overall product generation, so the risk of regression for custom workflows is generally limited compared to a major technology shift. That said, you should still treat it as a controlled change because workflow engines can be sensitive to configuration and underlying component updates.

A few practical suggestions:

• Read the README / upgrade notes for each step (5.5.8 and 5.6). This is where IBM typically documents prerequisites, required interim fixes, database/schema considerations, and any known limitations or post-upgrade tasks.

• Validate in a non-production environment first. This is the best way to confirm that your custom workflows, queues, and process integrations behave as expected before impacting live operations.

• Run a targeted regression test set focused on:

  • the most critical and most complex workflows,

  • integrations (event actions, external services, ICN touchpoints if applicable),

• Ensure you have solid backups and rollback planning (databases, configuration, and exported artifacts where appropriate).

If you follow the documented steps and validate properly outside PROD, upgrades like this typically go smoothly for custom workflows.

Good luck with the upgrade.