Important Reminder: Sterling B2B Integrator and Sterling File Gateway End of Support for Java 8

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The IBM Java team has announced an extension of support for Java 8 until December 31, 2030. As noted in the IBM TechXchange community blog post, “technical support for IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition, v8.0 will be available only through customer entitlement of an IBM product.”

Although IBM Java will release quarterly security patches and make Java 8 available for download until 2030, this extended support does not change the individual product support lifecycle for Sterling products using Java 8. After April 2026, the IBM Java team will no longer provide product-related Java 8 support for Sterling products.

Sterling B2B Integrator and IBM Sterling File Gateway v6.1.x and IBM B2B Advanced Communications products based on Java 8 announced end of support (EOS) in April 2024, with IBM extending support until April 2026:

• Sterling B2B Integrator, Sterling File Gateway and others
• B2B Advanced Communications

Sterling B2B Integrator and IBM Sterling File Gateway v6.2.0.x products are also based on Java 8 and will no longer be receiving any fixes (product nor security) after April 30, 2026. The last fixpack on this branch will be v6.2.0.6, planned to be available in March 2026. New fixes will be provided in the 6.2.1.x or newer product stream.

After April 2026, 6.2.0.x customers can continue opening Support Cases, no Extended Support is required since 6.2.x is still within an active support cycle. But if a fix is needed - be it product or security - that will require an upgrade to a future 6.2.1.x (Java 17) or newer stream.

Clients are encouraged to migrate to a Sterling product version based on Java 17 with v6.2.1.0 or newer to ensure continued access to the latest security updates. 

To avoid potential product issues, customers should not use untested Java 8 versions past April 30, 2026. If issues arise, clients will need to revert to the supported Java 8 version originally included with the product. Support will not be available for unsupported versions of Java 8.

URGENT NOTE: If you are on a custom specific interimFix (sometimes called “hotfix”) please check either yourself or via Support if all the fixes from your custom interimFix are incorporated into the core product version of B2Bi/SFG.