Important Changes with the Release of Optimizer Supervisor N4.13u3

TRANSITION TO AZUL (JRE) FOR SUPERVISORS

Tridium is migrating all supervisors and workbenches to Azul JAVA. release of the Optimizer Supervisor N4.13u3 software is now available to support all Niagara-based controllers, including Optimizer Advanced Controller, HON-9000, and WEB-8000 controllers. This software release applies to all Tridium-based OEMs: Honeywell, Vykon, Distech, Lnxyspring, etc.

 

KEY FEATURES OF THE RELEASE: 

  • Azul JAVA Runtime Engine (JRE): This release replaces the Oracle JRE with Azul JAVA Runtime Engine. Following changes to the Niagara framework, all Supervisors and Workbenches are being migrated to Azul JRE. This change is driven by Oracle's new licensing structure, which would increase costs. 

IMPORTANT CHANGES:

  • Effective Date: Starting July 15, 2024, all new licenses will include the Azul feature. Customers who wish to run legacy versions of Optimizer Supervisor (e.g., N4.13u2) will need to purchase the LEGACY-JRE part number as part of their license. Purchase Here

  • Workbench Licenses: All workbench licenses will remain unaffected as long as the license is refreshed to run the newer version (N4.13u3).

IMPORTANT POINTS FOR COMMISSIONING CONTROLLERS:

  • This release will only include updates to the Supervisor.

  • This package will not include any controller firmware. Commissioning will need to be conducted using a Demo/Engineering license that matches the controller’s firmware version. Once commissioned, these controllers can be integrated into the Supervisor at the higher version for monitoring purposes.

  • Please refer to the FAQ below, as it addresses this transition

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What is Azul and how is it different than Oracle JRE?
Azul provides an open-source distribution of the Java Development Kit that is engineered to the same standards and verified with the same Java Card Technology Compatibility Kit (TCK) test suite as the Oracle Java Runtime Engine (JRE). For this reason, the migration from one JRE to another is relatively straightforward.

What is changing?

On May 24, 2024, Tridium released Niagara versions 4.10u8 and 4.13u3, which will only include the Azul JRE. New Azul features have already been added to all Supervisor and Workbench models. While these are ready for the JRE change, you will need to refresh your licenses prior to upgrading to these new versions of Niagara Framework.


What will happen to my existing Supervisor and Workbench licenses?
All existing Supervisors and Workbench instances will continue to operate as expected. Starting on July 15, 2024, and following a refresh of your license, you will notice that the model on your Supervisor license includes the prefix "LEGACY-" and the license also includes the new Azul JRE features. The "LEGACY-" prefix denotes that they will run legacy versions of Niagara and that they represent a release no longer available for sale.

Why is the LEGACY-JRE software option offered? When is it necessary?
All the Supervisor licenses sold until Jul 14, 2024 have Oracle JRE. These licenses can be used as long as it is active. To protect customers from any Oracle Licensing non-compliance issue and related penalties, anyone who purchased their Supervisor license on or after July 15, 2024, will not be able to use that license to run Niagara versions earlier than 4.13u3 by default. Customers have the option to enable their Supervisor to run earlier Niagara Versions by purchasing an additional software option that covers Oracle JRE licensing (LEGACY-JRE). 

What is changing with my workbench/demo/engineering licenses? Do I need to add the LEGACY-JRE option to Workbench to allow me to work with older versions of Niagara?
There are no changes required for Workbench/Demo/Engineering models at this time. Existing demo models contain features for both the old JRE (Oracle) and the new JRE (Azul). You can continue to use Workbench/Demo/Engineering models as you did prior to this change

Are the controllers affected by this change?
No, all HON-9000, WEB-8000, Optimized Advanced Controller, CIPer controllers and Edge devices have already migrated to Azul

Can my existing licenses with the new LEGACY- model continue to be upgraded to run the latest versions of Niagara with the new JRE?
Yes. All legacy models have already been enabled to run the new JRE whenever you upgrade their Niagara version, which is subject to an active SMA (Software Maintenance Agreement).

Is there a prospective End-of-Life date for the LEGACY-JRE part?
No.

Will I need LEGACY-JRE part to run Optimizer N4.14 software?
No, because N4.14 runs the new Azul JRE


Please refer to the Tridium Technical Bulletin and FAQ's for more details. Please refer to Software Release Bulletin for more details on which controllers are supported with the release. The Optimizer Supervisor N4.13u3 software can be downloaded here.

PURCHASE LEGACY-JRE HERE:

Nicole Ericksen Repka