Periodically you may need to update Java on the server that hosts your meshIQ system. In many cases, this is transparent to the Domain, CEP, and web services. However, if you encounter problems, this document provides the steps required.
Linux is generally more forgiving than Windows. But in both cases, if Java is in the path, there should be no requirement to make additional changes; however, should you need to, follow the instructions using the guidelines below.
We require that a 64-bit Java is installed by your server administrators. This allows regular maintenance to be applied. In these cases, you will get the Java location from the system. You may use any version of Java that meshIQ has certified.
Note: Installing the new version in the same location as the old version can simplify steps related to changing the location.
Please see the release notes for specific versions of Java supported. Some older versions support Java 8 or 11 and the latest versions support Java 11, 14 or 17. If updating to a recent Java version, you must be on recent versions of meshIQ products.
Note when using an Express Deployment Pack installation option on Linux
With the express options, such as the deployment pack tar files for Navigator and XRay, the Java location is one level above the AutoPilotM6 folder. It is referenced using a link "current." To install a new version, stop all services, point the link to the new location and restart.
Update references to the Java executable location
If no other JRE is available, the location of the Java executable is stored within lax files (ATPNAMES.lax, ATPNODE.lax and so on). You will need to edit each of these files to change to the new location. Edit each file and change the current setting to either a specific or relative path. For example:
lax.nl.current.vm=C:\\nastel\\AutoPilotM6\\Java\\bin\\java.exe
Configuration changes for Java 17
This modification is not required if you are using service update 34.x and later.
If you are running AutoPilot service updates 31, 32 or 33 and use Java 17, follow the instructions below to configure AutoPilot.
In the ATPCONS.lax file, append the following to the “lax.nl.java.option.additional=” parameter:
--add-exports java.desktop/com.sun.java.swing.plaf.windows=ALL-UNNAMED --add-exports java.desktop/com.sun.java.swing.plaf.motif=ALL-UNNAMED
I changed Java and received an error that server is not available
The most common error when starting the service is an error stating that the server is missing. If this occurs, edit the lax files and locate the optional parameters line and remove -server, retaining any other parameters you may have specified. For example:
lax.nl.java.option.additional=-Djava.awt.headless=true ...
If you get an error that indicates the wrong major version, this indicates that you are using a version of Java that is too old. Review the release notes for the specific version required.
Apache Tomcat on Windows using a domain install
For Windows, you need to set JAVA_HOME and then delete and reinstall the service. At a command prompt, enter the command m6service remove|install and follow the instructions provided. You can also choose to reinstall the Apache Tomcat service using the instructions in this FAQ.
I installed Apache Tomcat on Unix/Linux using a domain install
On Linux, the Apache Tomcat server sets the location for Java during installation. You can modify this script to change the explicit location using a variable (such as JAVA_HOME) to simplify changing Java versions. Edit Catalina.sh and change the line that says:
JAVA_HOME=/your/java/path
You can also choose to reinstall the Apache Tomcat service using the instructions in this FAQ.