Release notes for the latest release

This release relates to IBM® App Connect Operator 11.6.0.

The support requirements for the IBM App Connect Operator 11.6.0 are as follows:

This documentation relates to the release for these listed versions. Documentation for the previous releases of the Operator is available in PDF format at Documentation for previous releases.

Support for a new IBM App Connect Operator channel, and custom resource (or operand) channels or versions

IBM App Connect Operator 11.6.0 is delivered on a new v11.6 Operator channel, which you must select to install 11.6.0 versions of the Operator, or to initialize an upgrade from an 11.5.1 or earlier Operator.

Accompanying versions and licenses are provided for the App Connect Dashboard, App Connect Designer Authoring, Switch Server, Integration Server, and Integration Runtime custom resources (or operands). To create an instance or upgrade to an 11.6.0-specific version of a custom resource (CR), you must choose both of these options:

• Subscribe to the 12.0 or 12.0.12 channel for custom resources, or specify a fully qualified version of 12.0.12.2-r1.
• Select an 11.6.0-specific license for approval.

More information:

• Installing IBM App Connect on Red Hat OpenShift or Kubernetes environments
• Upgrading Operator releases
• Licensing reference for IBM App Connect Operator
• spec.version values

Ongoing support for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.12 and 4.14

Red Hat OpenShift 4.12 and 4.14 are both supported for installing IBM App Connect Operator 11.6.0. The following implications apply for the operand versions that are supported after you install the Operator:

• On a Red Hat OpenShift 4.12 cluster, you can create App Connect Dashboard, App Connect Designer Authoring, Switch Server, Integration Server, and Integration Runtime instances at version 12.0.8.0-r3 or later.
• On a Red Hat OpenShift 4.14 cluster, you can create instances at version 12.0.10.0-r2 or later only.

Red Hat OpenShift 4.12 and 4.14 are also both supported for upgrading from an earlier IBM App Connect Operator version to version 11.6.0. The following implications apply for the operand versions that are supported after you upgrade the Operator:

• On a Red Hat OpenShift 4.12 cluster, you must upgrade all your existing App Connect Dashboard, App Connect Designer Authoring, Switch Server, Integration Server, and Integration Runtime instances to version 12.0.8.0-r3 or later.
• On a Red Hat OpenShift 4.14 cluster, you must upgrade all your existing instances to version 12.0.10.0-r2 or later.

More information:

• spec.version values
• Upgrading Operator releases

Adoption of a Helm chart installation for the IBM App Connect Operator on Kubernetes

In a Kubernetes environment, you can no longer use Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM) to install, upgrade, or manage the lifecycle of the IBM App Connect Operator. A Helm chart is now provided as the installation mechanism for the IBM App Connect Operator.

You can use this Helm chart to install the IBM App Connect Operator into an online cluster that is connected to the internet or into an air-gapped cluster with no internet connection.

If you want to progress from IBM App Connect Operator 11.5.1 or earlier, to IBM App Connect Operator 11.6.0 or later, a direct upgrade is not supported. A sequence of steps is provided to help you migrate from your OLM-managed deployment to the new Helm-managed deployment.

More information:

• Installing and uninstalling IBM App Connect in a Kubernetes environment
• Migrating an IBM App Connect Operator deployment from Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM) to Helm on Kubernetes

New API for IBM App Connect in containers

An API is now available for use in IBM App Connect in containers. You can use this API to administer BAR files, configuration objects, integration runtimes, and trace objects within an App Connect Dashboard instance. The API provides an alternative way to complete tasks that you complete in the Dashboard, and can typically be used to automate the deployment lifecycle of your integrations from continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.

A spec.api.enabled parameter is included in the Dashboard CR to enable the API for IBM App Connect in containers. If you are creating a 12.0.12.2-r1 or later Dashboard, the API is enabled by default. If you are upgrading from 12.0.12.0-r2 or earlier, and want to use this API to administer resources in the upgraded Dashboard, manually update the Dashboard CR to add a spec.api.enabled setting with a value of true.

More information: API for IBM App Connect in containers

Support for the replay feature for deployed integration runtimes in the App Connect Dashboard

If you have completed the tasks to record and replay message data that passes through the message flows in a Toolkit integration, you can now mark (or select) recorded message data for replay when you view the deployed integration runtime in the App Connect Dashboard. The selected messages are added to the replay list and you can resubmit them for processing to a selected IBM MQ destination.

More information: Viewing details about a deployed integration runtime

New connectors for App Connect Designer flows and deployed Designer integrations

New connectors are available for connecting to, and interacting with, target applications when referenced in App Connect Designer flows, or in deployed integration servers or integration runtimes:

• Apptio Targetprocess (Supports events and actions)
• Crystal Ball
• Factorial HR
• GraphQL APIs (imported APIs)
• Hunter
• Zoho CRM (Supports events and actions)

More information:

• App Connect Designer: Supported components for flows
• App Connect Dashboard: Supported components for export
• How-to guides for apps

Deprecated operand versions and channels

A number of operand versions and channels are deprecated for the IBM App Connect Operator 11.6.0 and might no longer be reconciled by future versions of the Operator. A deprecation notice is displayed if you try to save a new or existing Dashboard, Designer, switch server, integration server, or integration runtime custom resource if its spec.version value resolves to a deprecated version.

More information: spec.version values

Removed operand channels and versions

The following operand version, which was deprecated in IBM App Connect Operator 11.5.1, has been removed from IBM App Connect Operator 11.6.0:

• 12.0.12.0-r1-lts

After you upgrade to version 11.6.0 of the Operator, existing App Connect Designer, App Connect Dashboard, switch server, integration server, or integration runtime instances that resolve to a removed version are no longer supported and cannot be reconciled by the Operator.

• You can upgrade the instance to a supported version by updating the spec.version value and accepting the appropriate license.
• You can delete the instance if it's no longer required.
• You cannot save modifications to the custom resource settings if the instance is at an unsupported version. If you require an instance at a version that is unsupported in Operator 11.6.0, you must install an Operator version from the v11.5 or earlier channel, and then create an instance at the version that you require.

More information:

• spec.version values
• Licensing reference for IBM App Connect Operator

Elimination of the flowdocAuthoring container from a deployed App Connect Designer instance

A flowdocAuthoring container is no longer created when you deploy a Designer instance at version 12.0.12.2-r1 or later, which helps to reduce the resources that a deployed instance needs.