Important Changes Introduced in Version 6

Consolidation

The FTL server consolidates many executable components that were previously separate and replaces them with a single component, which embraces their functionality. The FTL server is now the central address for FTL client services.

Simplification

One important goal of this change is to simplify usage and administration of FTL components.

Previously, administrators would separately run realm server, persistence server, transport bridge process, and eFTL server. Instead, administrators now configure operational parameters of the realm service, persistence service, bridge service, and eFTL service - all in a single configuration file - and run one FTL server that provides all those services as configured in that file.

Fault Tolerance

The new arrangement also simplifies fault tolerance.

Previously, administrators arranged a primary and a backup realm server. Instead, administrators can now run any number of FTL servers, which all cooperate for fault tolerance. Clients receive a list of URLs at which they can connect to those FTL servers. It is sufficient for a client to connect to any one of them.

Each FTL server provides a realm service. Those realm services all cooperate for fault tolerance, with fewer restrictions than in previous releases.

Fault tolerance for persistence services, bridge services, and eFTL services is identical to previous releases.

Containers

The new arrangement simplifies operations when using Docker containers.

Consolidating many services into a single container reduces the number of containers and the cloud resources required for operations. It also reduces the number of external ports in containers, and completely eliminates the need for a separate agent process.

Migration

In most cases you can migrate from Release 5.4 to Release 6 without interruptions to existing operations. For detailed instructions, see Planning for Migration from Release 5.x to 6.x and the tasks that follow it.