Release Notes

The IBM® Connect:Direct® Web Service Release Notes document supplements IBM Connect:Direct Web Service documentation. Release notes are updated with each release of the product and contains product requirements, as well as other information pertinent to installing and implementing Connect:Direct Web Services.

New Features and Enhancements

IBM Connect:Direct Web Services and its related software have the following features and enhancements:

FixPack 9 (v6.3.0.9)

New Features and Enhancements

IBM Connect:Direct Web Services 6.3.0.9 has the following features and enhancements:

  • To enable or disable certificate-based authentication from a browser or REST client, a new property has been introduced in this release:
    1. enable.certificate.based.authentication: To know more about this property, refer to Configuring application.properties.

FixPack 8 (v6.3.0.8)

New Features and Enhancements

IBM Connect:Direct Web Services 6.3.0.8 has the following features and enhancements:

  • Version API: Version API improved to serve Connect:Direct Server, Connect:Direct Web Services details.

  • REST and UI Decoupling For Container: Users now have the option to choose whether to install both Connect:Direct Web Services UI and REST components, or REST alone.

FixPack 7 (v6.3.0.7)

New Features and Enhancements

IBM Connect:Direct Web Services 6.3.0.7 has the following features and enhancements:

  • Deploying IBM Connect:Direct Web Services using an IBM Certified Container Software RHEL Platfrom: This Fix Pack now introduces support to deploy IBM Connect:Direct Web Services using an IBM Certified Container Software.

    IBM Certified Container Software (CCS) offers an IBM certified IBM Connect:Direct Web Services image and Helm Chart, and can be used to deploy a production-ready IBM Connect:Direct Web Services image on Kubernetes based cluster. For more information, refer to Installing IBM Connect:Direct Web Services using an IBM Certified Container Software.

  • Connect:Direct Web Services UI/Swagger UI Improvements:
    Sorting in Transfers:
    Users now have the ability to sort transfers based on their preferences. This enhancement enables users to effectively manage and organize transfers according to their individual needs.
    Sorting in Statistics:
    Our latest update introduces sorting functionality in statistics, allowing users to arrange statistics based on their specific criteria. This enhancement facilitates easy analysis and interpretation of statistics for our users.
    Admin Login Functionality in Swagger:
    Swagger now supports admin login functionality. This enhancement enables administrators to access privileged features and endpoints. The addition of admin-related APIs simplifies the management of system configurations, such as Admin System Configuration, Trust Certificates, and Key Certificates.
  • Rest and UI Decoupling: During installation, users now have the option to choose whether to install both Connect:Direct Web Services UI and REST components, or REST alone.

FixPack 6 (v6.3.0.6)

New Features and Enhancements

IBM Connect:Direct Web Services 6.3.0.6 has the following features and enhancements:

  • Highlight Expired Certificates: In the Connect:Direct Web Services Console, certificates now come with color-coded alerts. If the certificate is expired, it is marked in red, which ensures immediate attention. Additionally, certificates nearing expiry are highlighted in yellow, providing a visual cue for proactive management.
  • Export File Agent Watch Directories: To export watch directories, follow the below navigation.

    Settings > File Agent > View Directories > Export

  • Export File Agent Rules: To export rules, follow the below navigation.

    Settings > File Agent > View Rules > Export

  • Import File Agent Watch Directories: To import watch directories, follow the below navigation.

    Settings > File Agent > View Directories > Import

  • Import File Agent Rules: To import rules, follow the below navigation.

    Settings > File Agent > View Rules > Import

  • Configure/Override Communication Mode for Connect:Direct Windows Netmap: To configure/override communication mode for the connect:direct windows server partner nodes, follow the below navigation

    Partners > Add Partner > Add Partner Details Manually > Communication Mode > Select Override default Communication Mode Settings > Configure Values

  • Netmap Node Description for Windows Netmap Node API: Now, the netmap node description has been added to the netmap node rest API response for Connect:Direct Windows server.

FixPack 4 (v6.3.0.4)

New Features and Enhancements

IBM Connect:Direct Web Services 6.3.0.4 has the following features and enhancements:

  • ICON of MFTWebServices added for Windows Control Panel
  • Enabled sorting of statistics records based log date/time
  • Connect:Direct Web Services admin user able to delete multiple nodes from Connect:Direct Web Services Admin UI
  • Improvement in Silent Installation, now user can provide either clear text passwords or base64 encoded passwords in silent installation properties.

    When clear text password is provided during installation, the values will be encrypted using base64 encryption algorithm and stored in silent installation properties

    Note: Starting from CDWS v6.3.0.4, IBM JRE 17 is supported. Note that the ikeycmd and ikeyman utilities are not available in the <Installation Directory>/jre/bin folder. Instead, you can use the keytool utility as a replacement for ikeycmd.

FixPack 3 (v6.3.0.3)

New Features and Enhancements

IBM Connect:Direct Web Services 6.3.0.3 has the following features and enhancements:

  • Set up the Trust Store Password during the installation process: Similar to the Keystore password, users have the option to configure the Trust Store password during the installation of IBM Connect:Direct Web Services.
  • Enabling Selection of All Cipher Suites: Users will have the capability to choose and remove all cipher suites listed when editing or creating a secure partner. This can be achieved using the Enable All and Disable All options. Additionally, users will receive warnings related to secure partners when editing them on the CDWS UI.
  • Bulk Import of Admin Nodes from Admin UI: Users have the ability to utilize a CSV-formatted document to efficiently add multiple admin nodes simultaneously in Connect:Direct Web Services. Furthermore, users can also export the admin node details from the existing Connect:Direct Web Services UI.
    • Exporting Admin Nodes: To export admin nodes, login to admin functions. Go to the Nodes section and click on the export icon located above the list of admin nodes. The exported data will be in CSV format.
    • Importing Admin Nodes: To import admin nodes, login to admin functions. Go to the Nodes section, then click on Add Node. Next, click on Browse File and select a CSV-formatted file containing admin node details such as Node Name, IP Address/Hostname, Port, Protocol, and Description. Once the file is selected, click Add Node to import the admin nodes.
  • Export Self Signed Public Certificate: User can export the self signed public certificate during the installation of IBM Connect:Direct Web Services. This public certificate can be imported into the server's truststore to establish a secure connection.
  • Import Trusted Certificate: User can import the trusted certificate during the installation of IBM Connect:Direct Web Services. This certificate will get imported in truststore of the CDWS to make secure connection with the Connect:Direct node.
  • Update Local Netmap Node of Connect:Direct Unix: Web console allows Connect:Direct Unix secure node user to edit the local node parameters.

    To edit, navigate to Partners > My Node. Click on Edit option.

Base Release (v6.3)

New Features and Enhancements
IBM Connect:Direct Web Services 6.3 has the following features and enhancements:
  1. Web console provides support for modifying integrated web services configuration.
    • Navigate to Settings > Web services to change integrated web services configuration.
  2. Web console allows users to configure integrated web services properties:
    • Navigate to Settings > Initialization Parameters > webservices.enable/webservices.port.For more information, refer Connect:Direct for Windows(v6.3.0.0) release notes.
  3. Web console allows users to configure permission for web services which will allow user to control access over web services configuration. Valid values are 'Yes', 'No' and 'View'.
    This option is available for users under Settings > Users > Create (New Functional Authority) > General Information.
  4. Secure+ Enhancement:
    The user can now validate Secure+ and can Sync the Secure+ with netmap.

    To validate, go to Settings > Secure+. The user can click on Validate option.

    To Sync the netmap, go to Settings > Secure +. The user can click on Refresh Button.

  5. Removal of support for deprecated Security Protocols:
    • The user will be able to connect to Connect Direct node from Web Services using only TCPIP(NONE), TLS1.2 and TLS1.3 protocols.
    • Support of SSL, TLS1.0, TLS1.1 was removed from Web Services.

Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements

IBM Connect:Direct Web Service and its related software require the following hardware and software. For detailed Software Product Compatibility Reports for Connect:Direct Web Services see, https://www.ibm.com/software/reports/compatibility/clarity/softwareReqsForProduct.html.

Table 1.
Hardware Software
For a UNIX operating system:
  • Disk Space (min.) - 5 GB
  • Upgrade Scenario - 8 GB
IBM Connect:Direct Web Service can be installed on the following 64-bit Operating Systems:
  • RedHat Enterprise Linux Server 7.8, 7.9
  • RedHat Enterprise Linux Server 8.1 and above
  • RedHat Enterprise Linux Server 9
  • IBM AIX 7.2 and 7.3
  • SuSE Any point release of SuSE Linux Enterprise Server version 12.3 and above
  • SuSE Any point release of SuSE Linux Enterprise Server version 15.x
  • zSeries SuSE Any point release of SuSE Linux Enterprise Server version 12.x
  • zSeries Red Hat Any point release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 7.x
  • MS-Windows server 2016
  • MS-Windows server 2019
  • MS-Windows server 2022
  • MS-Windows 10
  • MS-Windows 11
For a Windows operating system:
  • Disk Space (min.) - 5 GB
  • Upgrade Scenario - 8 GB

Browser Compatibility

The following table shows the browser versions compatible with the IBM Connect:Direct Web Console:

Table 2. Compatible browser with version
Browser Version supported
Google Chrome (recommended) 88.0.4324.190 (Official Build) (64-bit)
Mozilla Firefox 90.0 (64-bit)
Microsoft Edge (Chromium) 110.0.1587.63 (Official build) (64-bit)
Note: Recommended Web Console resolution is: 1366 * 768p (desktop applications only).

The application is best viewed when the zoom is set to a default 100% in the browser setting.

Note: IBM Connect:Direct Web Console displays content only in English language. The Web Console displays Date/Time information in user's local time zone.

Known Limitations and Restrictions

IBM Connect:Direct Web Services has the following known restrictions:

  • Upgrade from Connect:Direct Web Services v5.3 (1.0.0) is currently not supported. To install latest version,uninstall v5.3 and then install the latest one.
  • Currently, Connect:Direct Web Console content is only available in English language.
  • Once the partner is created or updated with FASP fields, the user will not be able to reset these fields with empty values.

Security Considerations

You should evaluate security consideration as per your enterprise policy and should take necessary steps to harden it.
  • For security reasons, you must change your default administrator password immediately on your first login. If you wish to change again, use Reset Password option under the Admin view.
  • If you configure and integrate your own Keystore/Truststore other than the default one, you will be responsible for its security and protection.
  • An Admin/CD user trying to login to CDWS will be blocked after N login failures. The value ‘N’ is now configurable via application.properties.
  • File Permission: The permission of the file system is handled by the Operating System itself. Only the user who installed the CDWS and the admin user will have permission to change any data.
  • Encrypted Data: The encryption/decryption logic is already in place (uses CD security library) and the secured data like passwords, token details are stored in JSON file in the encrypted format.