Release Date: June-2024

This page describes product changes, along with new features and functionality for GigaSpaces release 17.0.0.

 

Upgrade to Java 17 and Spring 6

Java Upgrade

GigaSpaces has been upgraded to Java 17 as the upgrade Spring 6 (see below) requires Java 17 or higher. In addition, this upgrade leverages updated features and improvements in Java, providing enhanced performance, security, and functionality. Java 17 includes more advanced garbage collection Garbage collection (GC) is a form of automatic memory management. The garbage collector attempts to reclain memory that was allocated by the program, but is not longer referenced; such memory is called garbage. (GC) mechanisms. Advanced garbage collectors open more possibilities for managing our memory footprint. For additional information about GigaSpaces Java usage, refer to JVM Settings and Tuning.

Why not Java 21?

Java 21 was released in September 2023 and has not yet been widely adopted in the community. If GigaSpaces enforce Java 21 on the server side (XAP), there might be a bigger impact on our install base that we can anticipate. Our recommendation to existing customers would be to consider upgrading their client applications directly to Java 21 to support forward compatibility.

Spring Framework Upgrade

We have transitioned from Spring 5.3 to Spring 6. Upgrading to Spring 6 ensures continued compliance with security best practices and access to the latest patches and fixes.

Rationale:

Security Enhancements: The shift to Spring 6 addresses known security issues inherent in previous versions, aligning with our commitment to maintaining a secure and robust system.

End-of-Support Considerations: This move is driven by the upcoming end-of-support for Spring 5.3 in August 2024, ensuring we continue to receive necessary security updates and benefit from the latest features in the Spring ecosystem. .

Impact:

Developers:

• Client Applications: This impacts all client applications which use Java SDK. Any applications which use .NET will be required to upgrade to Java 17.

• Codebase and dependencies need to be updated to ensure compatibility with Java 17 and Spring 6.

• Review and adjust custom implementations and third-party integrations to align with the updated frameworks.

Operations:

• Enhanced security and performance metrics due to the new Java and Spring versions.

• Monitoring and adjustments may be required during the transition period to ensure system stability.

We encourage all users to thoroughly test their applications in the updated environment to identify and resolve any issues prior to deploying the changes in production.

For additional details, including upgrading from previous version, please contact our Customer Support team.

FAQ

Security

GigaSpaces already secures user accounts by, for example, using IDP. This is now being expanded to include the securing of service accounts.

• A Service Account  is an account that is typically used by an application or a compute workload. It is an application that wishes to access GigaSpaces resources. This could either be a user of applications or components that wish to access GigaSpaces APIs.

• A service account differs to a user account in that it is associated with software that runs in our XAP Skyline or Smart DIH environments.

For additional information, refer to our Service Account Privilege Management page.

Data Integration (DI) Updates

GigaSpaces are introducing Transformations as part of our Data Integration The Data Integration (DI) layer is a vital part of the Digital Integration Hub (DIH) platform. It is responsible for a wide range of data integration tasks such as ingesting data in batches or streaming data changes. This is performed in real-time from various sources and systems of record (SOR. The data then resides in the In-Memory Data Grid (IMDG), or Space, of the GigaSpaces Smart DIH platform. module. Configuring Transformations enables data to be converted into a simple format that can then be used for the easy creation of services.

• A data pipeline is a method of transporting data from one place to another. Acting as a conduit for data, these pipelines will enable efficient processing, transformation, and delivery of data to the desired location.

• Through data cleansing and Transformation processes, data pipelines enhance data quality and ensure accuracy for analysis and decision-making.

For additional information, refer to our Transformations page.

GigaSpaces now has the ability for Smart DIH to define batch loads via a standard pipeline interface.

• Full batch loads can now be performed as a "pull" functionality.

• Can be managed by SpaceDeck GigaSpaces intuitive, streamlined user interface to set up, manage and control their environment. Using SpaceDeck, users can define the tools to bring legacy System of Record (SoR) databases into the in-memory data grid that is the core of the GigaSpaces system. or via REST API REpresentational State Transfer. Application Programming Interface An API, or application programming interface, is a set of rules that define how applications or devices can connect to and communicate with each other. A REST API is an API that conforms to the design principles of the REST, or representational state transfer architectural style.

For additional information, refer to our Batch Load page.