Overview

While upgrading Operational Decision Manager, you can continue to use it without shutting it down entirely. You can upgrade each node in turn until all the server and client nodes are upgraded. You complete this rolling upgrade when all the components are on the same version.

Operational Decision Manager provides compatibility between versions. Two or more versions of runtime components and assets can coexist until the upgrade to the newer version is completed. Conversely, Operational Decision Manager components can be compatible with assets from an older version but not compatible with assets from a newer version. These assets include RuleApps and rulesets:

  • The assets that are generated in Vn can be used by the runtime components in Vn+1.
  • The assets that are generated in Vn+1 cannot be used in the runtime components in Vn.

Scope

The rolling upgrade is documented for the following Operational Decision Manager components:
  • Decision Server Rules (Rule Designer and Rule Execution Server)
  • Decision Center (Business console)

The testing and simulation features are not part of the rolling upgrade. You must stop using these features before the rolling upgrade begins, and you cannot use them during the rolling upgrade to prevent two versions of Decision Runner from existing on the same node. You must deploy the testing and simulation archive of the new version when you complete the rolling upgrade.

Sequence

The tasks of a rolling upgrade are done in a sequence that can vary with the versions. To complete a rolling upgrade, you must upgrade all the runtime components and assets to the new version.

To avoid losing work, notify users that you plan to upgrade the system progressively, and all of their work must be committed before you start the upgrade. Give them a deadline for committing their work, and notify them again when you start the upgrade process.

Generally, you upgrade the components in the following order:
  1. Decision Server Rules environment
    1. Rule Execution Server database
    2. Rule Execution Server console
    3. Execution units and rule sessions
    4. Decision Warehouse database
  2. Decision Center
    1. Decision Center database
    2. Decision Center applications
  3. Rule Designer
The following diagram shows the order for upgrading the components and assets:
Diagram shows the order for upgrading Operational Decision Manager components and assets.