This page consolidates all requirements, mandatory actions, and related resources you need for a successful upgrade to Lobster Data Platform version 26.2. Work through the sections in order before starting the upgrade in your production environment.
IMPORTANT
Version 26.2 includes specific changes and installations that must — in part independently of a Java upgrade — be implemented and validated in a test environment before upgrading your production system. Upgrading without following these steps can prevent the platform from restarting or cause database and third-party system connections to fail.
Changes at a glance
Change | Severity | Impact | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
New wrapper installation process | 🔴 Required | Release 26.2 uses a new wrapper. The start/stop mechanisms have changed. Existing configurations must be updated for the Lobster Application Wrapper to function correctly. | |
Switch to OpenJDK 21 | 🔴 Important | OpenJDK 11 is reaching end-of-life. Release 26.2 supports both OpenJDK 21 and OpenJDK 11. We recommend switching to OpenJDK 21 as part of the 26.2 upgrade so you are not under time pressure for future releases. | |
JDBC driver compatibility | 🔴 Important | Outdated drivers cause connection failures under OpenJDK 21. This particularly affects the MS SQL Server — recurring issues have been observed when the driver is not updated before upgrading the JDK. | |
JDOM2 migration | 🟡 Conditional | Only applies if you use custom code (Execute scripts, custom Java classes) that imports JDOM classes. This migration is required regardless of the Java version in use, including Java 11. | |
TLS default settings | 🟡 Conditional | TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are disabled by default under OpenJDK 21. Connections to legacy systems that do not support TLS 1.2+ will fail. | |
Informix as hub database | 🟡 Not supported | All Informix JDBC JARs have been removed (applies to 26.2, but also to 26.1.5 and 25.1.11). For non-hub scenarios: provide the driver yourself under | |
Character encoding UTF-8 | 🔵 Notice | The default character encoding under OpenJDK 21 is now always UTF-8 (including on Windows). Check log files, CSV exports, and database imports if you have not previously set an explicit encoding. |
Upgrade paths to 26.2
Use the following table to determine which additional steps apply to your starting point. If you have skipped one or more intermediate versions, you must account for the changes documented there cumulatively.
Your current version | Upgrade type | Additional considerations |
|---|---|---|
26.1.4 (current patch) | Direct | Only the 26.2 changes listed on this page. |
26.1.2 or 26.1.3 | Direct (version skip) | Also read the release notes for skipped patch versions 26.1.3, 26.1.4. |
26.1.0 or 26.1.1 | Direct (version skip) | Also read all release notes starting from 26.1.1: 26.1.1 → 26.1.2 → 26.1.3 → 26.1.4. |
25.0 | Multi-step | Migrate to 25.1.x LTS first, then upgrade to 26.2. |
25.x LTS (current patch) | Direct | All 26.1.x release notes + 26.2 changes. See Determine upgrade path. |
4.6.14 or older | Multi-step | Migrate to 25.1.x LTS first, then upgrade to 26.2. See Upgrading from 4.x to 25.1.x. |
Step-by-step checklist
The following checklist walks you through all required actions. Complete the steps in the order shown.
Phase 1 – Preparation
Create a backup — Back up the complete Lobster installation directory and the repository database. → Before starting an upgrade.
Verify upgrade path — Identify your starting point in the table above and read all cumulatively required upgrade notes.
Phase 2 – Check and update dependencies
Provision OpenJDK 21 — Extract OpenJDK 21 into its directory alongside the existing JDK 11; do not overwrite JDK 11. A system-wide installation via the OS installer is not necessary and is not recommended for security and rollback reasons. → Upgrading from Java 11 to Java 21
Update JDBC drivers — For every configured database connection, verify that the JDBC driver in use is compatible with OpenJDK 21. Update as needed. → Check JDBC driver compatibility
IMPORTANT
Known issue with Microsoft SQL Server: Customers running MS SQL Server have repeatedly experienced connection errors when the JDBC driver is not updated before the platform upgrade. Make sure you are using at least
mssql-jdbc-12.6. Starting with version 12.6, the included jre11 variant also supports Java 17 and Java 21.Update application wrapper configuration — Starting with 26.2, a new wrapper is used for the start mechanism. Existing
wrapper.conffiles must be updated. → Wrapper installation (26.2)Migrate custom code to JDOM2 — This only applies if you use Execute scripts or custom Java classes that import JDOM classes. This migration is also required under Java 11. → JDOM1-to-JDOM2 migration
Check TLS compatibility — This will identify systems that only support TLS 1.0 or 1.1 and plan their update. → Review TLS Java changes
Back up SAP libraries — If you use SAP connectivity, back up the libraries before the upgrade and restore them afterward. → SAP libraries
Update external drivers in
./extlib— These are not modified during the update. Verify versions and replace as needed before the upgrade.
Phase 3 – Staging test
Perform the full upgrade on your test system — Apply the platform update, Java switch, driver update, and wrapper change together in a non-production environment.
Run end-to-end tests:
Database access (all database types in use).
Reporting and BI integrations.
SAP connectivity (if applicable).
TLS-secured connections to third-party systems.
Execute scripts and custom code using JDOM.
CSV/file exports for correct character encoding.
Check Java version status in the UI — After the restart, the Java icon in the system info bar must no longer show a red exclamation mark. → Check Java version status
Phase 4 – Production upgrade
Schedule a maintenance window — Coordinate the window with your team. Plan it during a period of low data throughput.
Run the upgrade — Follow the step-by-step guide for your environment: Windows | Linux | DMZ | High availability
Post-upgrade verification — After the restart, confirm the following:
Platform version number in the UI: 26.2.x.
Java icon without a red exclamation mark.
Log file
./logs/console.txt: noClassNotFoundException, noNoSuchMethodError, no TLS handshake errors.All database connections reachable (connection test in the UI).
At least one representative job completed successfully.
Known issues and workarounds
Symptom | Cause | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
Connection errors to MS SQL Server after upgrade. | JDBC driver is incompatible with OpenJDK 21 (commonly | Update the driver to |
TLS handshake errors when connecting to legacy systems. | The remote system only supports TLS 1.0/1.1, which is disabled by default under OpenJDK 21. | Update the remote system. If not immediately possible, configure a temporary exception in |
| Custom code still references the legacy JDOM 1.x package prefix | Update imports to |
Service fails to start / wrapper error. | Existing | Update the wrapper configuration per the guide. → Wrapper installation (26.2) |
Character encoding in CSV exports differs. | OpenJDK 21 defaults to UTF-8 instead of Cp1252 (Windows). | Set the encoding explicitly, or temporarily use |
Estimated downtime
Component | Estimate |
|---|---|
Apply platform update | Approx. 1–10 minutes (depends on disk speed and antivirus scanner). |
JDK switch + wrapper update | Approx. 5–15 minutes (manual configuration steps). |
Platform restart | Depends on system size and running jobs. Use |
When in doubt, refer to the historical start/stop times of your system to estimate the expected downtime realistically.
Related resources
Topic | Link |
|---|---|
Generic pre-upgrade checklist. | |
Environment selection and OS-specific steps. | |
Java upgrade – overview and next steps. | |
Release and update policy. | |
Release Notes 26.2. |
Questions or need help with the upgrade? Contact Lobster Support.