What's new in HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.x

What's New includes information about the latest modifications to the features and functionality that are available within the latest HCL Commerce updates.

The following sections list the changes in functionality from only the latest update packages.
Important: HCL Commerce Developer Version 9.0 supports upgrades from any version to version 9.0.1 directly, with the exception of version 9.0.0.8 and 9.0.0.9. If you are on either of these versions, you can upgrade to 9.0.1.1.
HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.21

What's new in Version 9.0.1.21

Required changes
Disable Hystrix
Hystrix is no longer supported by its maintainers. It is recommended to disable Hystrix on the Store server. For more information, see Disabling Hystrix on the Store server.
OAuth 2.0 login integration
Important: Upgrading to HCL Commerce 9.0.1.17 or later fix pack with a previously configured social network OAuth 2.0 login integration requires changes to be made for the integration to continue working. No action will result in the integration ceasing to function.

For more information, see Implementing OAuth 2.0 for social login on your storefront.

Mandatory use of Kafka
Beginning with HCL Commerce 9.0.1.18, Run Engine commands for the Commerce Remote Store (CRS) now require Kafka servers to be specified. Previously, Kafka server parameters were not required.
CentOS operating system migration
The CentOS Linux operating system image that has been used within the various HCL Commerce application Docker containers has been migrated to the Red Hat Universal Base Image (UBI) 8.8. This upgrade strips the Linux operating system to its bare essentials, offering benefits such as improved performance, stability, security, and streamlined support when it comes to underlying operating system issues. CentOS Linux 7 will reach end-of-life (EOL) on June 30, 2024.
Learn more...
Note: The use of UBI 8.8 introduces the improved DNF (Dandified YUM) package manager. The YUM package manager, used in the prior CentOS containers, remains supported.
Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9.0 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features.
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.18
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 23.0.0.12
  • IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition, Version 8.0.8.15
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.18
  • IBM Security Directory Suite Limited Edition 8.0.1.17
Security vulnerability fixes
Review Vulnerabilities addressed in HCL Commerce 9.0.1.21 for information about the security vulnerabilities that are fixed in Fix Pack 21 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.21).
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.21
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 21 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.21).
HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.20

What's new in Version 9.0.1.20

Required changes
Disable Hystrix
Hystrix is no longer supported by its maintainers. It is recommended to disable Hystrix on the Store server. For more information, see Disabling Hystrix on the Store server.
OAuth 2.0 login integration
Important: Upgrading to HCL Commerce 9.0.1.17 or later fix pack with a previously configured social network OAuth 2.0 login integration requires changes to be made for the integration to continue working. No action will result in the integration ceasing to function.

For more information, see Implementing OAuth 2.0 for social login on your storefront.

Mandatory use of Kafka
Beginning with HCL Commerce 9.0.1.18, Run Engine commands for the Commerce Remote Store (CRS) now require Kafka servers to be specified. Previously, Kafka server parameters were not required.
Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9.0 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features.
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.15 + PH50863
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 23.0.0.3 + PH50863
  • IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition, Version 8.0.8.0
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.15
  • IBM Db2 11.5.8
  • IBM Security Directory Suite Limited Edition 8.0.1.17
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.20
The list of HCL Commerce 9.0.1.20 defect fixes will be provided at a later date.
HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.19

What's new in Version 9.0.1.19

Required changes
Disable Hystrix
Hystrix is no longer supported by its maintainers. It is recommended to disable Hystrix on the Store server. For more information, see Disabling Hystrix on the Store server.
OAuth 2.0 login integration
Important: Upgrading to HCL Commerce 9.0.1.17 or later fix pack with a previously configured social network OAuth 2.0 login integration requires changes to be made for the integration to continue working. No action will result in the integration ceasing to function.

For more information, see Implementing OAuth 2.0 for social login on your storefront.

Mandatory use of Kafka
Beginning with HCL Commerce 9.0.1.18, Run Engine commands for the Commerce Remote Store (CRS) now require Kafka servers to be specified. Previously, Kafka server parameters were not required.
Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9.0 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features.
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.12 + PH44339
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 22.0.0.6
  • IBM SDK, Java Technology Edition, Version 8.0.7.10
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.12
  • IBM Security Directory Suite Limited Edition 8.0.1.17
Security vulnerability fixes
Review Vulnerabilities addressed in HCL Commerce 9.0.1.19 for information about the security vulnerabilities that are fixed in Fix Pack 19 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.19).
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.19
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 19 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.19).
HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.18

What's new in Version 9.0.1.18

Required changes
OAuth 2.0 login integration
Important: Upgrading to HCL Commerce 9.0.1.17 or later fix pack with a previously configured social network OAuth 2.0 login integration requires changes to be made for the integration to continue working. No action will result in the integration ceasing to function.

For more information, see Implementing OAuth 2.0 for social login on your storefront.

Mandatory use of Kafka
Beginning with HCL Commerce 9.0.1.18, Run Engine commands for the Commerce Remote Store (CRS) now require Kafka servers to be specified. Previously, Kafka server parameters were not required.
Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9.0 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features.
Security vulnerability fixes
Review Vulnerabilities addressed in HCL Commerce 9.0.1.18 for information about the security vulnerabilities that are fixed in Fix Pack 18 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.18).
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.18
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 18 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.18).
HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.17

What's new in Version 9.0.1.17

Required changes
Important: Upgrading to HCL Commerce 9.0.1.17 with a previously configured social network OAuth 2.0 login integration requires changes to be made for the integration to continue working. No action will result in the integration ceasing to function.

For more information, see Implementing OAuth 2.0 for social login on your storefront.

Security vulnerability fixes
Review Vulnerabilities addressed in HCL Commerce 9.0.1.17 for information about the security vulnerabilities that are fixed in Fix Pack 17 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.17).
Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features. The previous versions of companion software have been upgraded to:
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.8
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 21.0.0.6
  • IBM SDK Java Technology Edition 8.0.6.30
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.8
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.17
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 17 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.17).
Download location
Visit the HCL License and download portal to download Version 9 updates. You must login to download these files. Once you have logged in, click the link again to be taken directly to the file download. For more information about the HCL License and download portal, visit this page.

What's new in Version 9.0.1.16

Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features. The previous versions of companion software have been upgraded to:
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.6 + PH31727 + PH33228 + PH33648
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 21.0.0.1
  • IBM SDK Java Technology Edition 8.0.6.25 (+ IJ31256 with HCL Commerce Developer)
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.6
Security enhancements
All session cookies now have the secure attribute set by default.

Learn more...

Security vulnerability fixes
Review Vulnerabilities addressed in HCL Commerce 9.0.1.16 for information about the security vulnerabilities that are fixed in Fix Pack 16 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.16).
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.16
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 16 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.16).

What's new in Version 9.0.1.15

Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features. The previous versions of companion software have been upgraded to:
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.5 + PH26220 + PH27509 +PH29871 + PH27157
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 20.0.0.9 + TFOLGH13861
  • IBM SDK Java Technology Edition 8.0.6.15
Security vulnerability fixes
Review Vulnerabilities addressed in HCL Commerce 9.0.1.15 for information about the security vulnerabilities that are fixed in Fix Pack 15 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.15).

What's new in Version 9.0.1.14

Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features. The previous versions of companion software have been upgraded to:
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.8
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 21.0.0.6
  • IBM SDK Java Technology Edition 8.0.5.30
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.5
Account Lockout behavior enhancement
Site users can now reset their passwords after hitting the limit of incorrect login attempts. This is facilitated by the Logon command returning a new error code, 2490, instead of disabling the account. Ensure that you update your store login flow to handle this new error code.
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.14
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 14 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.14).

What's new in Version 9.0.1.13

Software vulnerabilities addressed
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9 has been updated to include patches for vulnerabilities that have been discovered. The following three patches have been applied to WebSphere Application Server to address two vulnerabilities.
  • IFPH26083
  • IFPH26952
  • IFPH25074

For more information, see Security bulletins.

What's new in Version 9.0.1.12

Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features. The previous versions of companion software have been upgraded to:
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.3
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 20.0.0.3
  • IBM SDK Java Technology Edition 8.0.6.6
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.3
  • IBM Db2 Database 11.5
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.12
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 12 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.12).

What's new in Version 9.0.1.11

Increased flexibility of catalog management with product variants
HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.11 provides a three-tier product model for more versatile product management. In the traditional model, the product class contains attributes without content, with SKUs containing information on particular products. Product variants collect similar product attributes into one item. For example, instead of having only the product categories 'dresses' and individual SKUs with attributes such as color and length, you can define a variant such as 'red dresses' or 'full-length gowns.' Product variants let you target sales, promotions, and other actions more precisely and easily.

New informationLearn more...

Defects fixed in 9.0.1.11
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 11 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.11).

What's new in Version 9.0.1.10

Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features. The previous versions of companion software have been upgraded to:
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.2
  • WebSphere Application Server V8.5.5 Liberty 19.0.0.12
  • IBM SDK Java Technology Edition 8.0.6.0
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.2
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.10
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 10 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.10).
Download location
Visit the HCL License and download portal to download Version 9 updates. You must login to download these files. Once you have logged in, click the link again to be taken directly to the file download. For more information about the HCL License and download portal, visit this page.

What's new in Version 9.0.1.9

Defects fixed in 9.0.1.9
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 9 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.9).
Download location
Visit the HCL License and download portal to download Version 9 updates. You must login to download these files. Once you have logged in, click the link again to be taken directly to the file download. For more information about the HCL License and download portal, visit this page.

What's new in Version 9.0.1.8

Software stack upgrade
The software stack for HCL Commerce Version 9 has been updated to include the latest security, performance, and stability fixes and features. The previous versions of companion software have been upgraded to:
  • WebSphere Application Server 9.0.5.0
  • WebSphere Application Server Liberty 19.0.0.4
  • IBM SDK Java Technology Edition 8.0.5.40
  • IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5.0
  • spring-webmvc 4.3.0
  • httpclient 4.3.6
  • jquery 3.4.0
  • jackson-databind 2.9.8
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.8
Review Fixes that are included in HCL Commerce releases for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 8 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.8).
Download location
Visit the HCL License and download portal to download Version 9 updates. You must login to download these files. Once you have logged in, click the link again to be taken directly to the file download. For more information about the HCL License and download portal, visit this page.

What's new in Version 9.0.1.7

Adding a connector project to the Transaction Server (technote)
You can now modify your environment to deploy a custom connector project to your Transaction server Docker container. Setting up this process will allow for continuous security and performance updates from HCL without the need for significant manual overhead when modifying the provided containers. New informationLearn more...
Defects fixed in 9.0.1.7
Review this table for information about the defects that are fixed in Fix Pack 7 for Mod Pack 1. (9.0.1.7).
New download location
Visit the HCL License and download portal to download Version 9 updates. You must login to download these files. Once you have logged in, click the link again to be taken directly to the file download. For more information about the HCL License and download portal, visit this page.

What's new in Version 9.0.1.6

Administrative REST API
Additional administrative REST API are now available. As a developer, you can now call administrative REST API for creating and managing promotions, content and search relevancy. New informationLearn more...
Maintenance fixes
A variety of feature, security, and performance fixes and improvements. New informationLearn more...

What's new in Version 9.0.1.5

This release is a maintenance release and does not include any new features. This release includes a fix for the following HCL Commerce feature:
Data Load maintenance
A maintenance fix is available to improve the support for running the Data Load utility from the command line. For more information on this fix, see JR60918: Allow Data Load command line utility to run in j2se.

If you are on Version 9.0.1.4 and use the Data Load utility, upgrade to version 9.0.1.5.

What's new in Version 9.0.1.4

Administrative REST API
Additional administrative REST API are now available. As a developer, you can now call administrative REST API for creating and managing Commerce Composer pages, attributes, access control policies, member groups, inventory, scheduled jobs, currencies, and installment rules. attributes. New informationLearn more...
New Tutorial: Adding languages to HCL Commerce
Another new tutorial shows you how to add languages to HCL Commerce. This tutorial covers every step in the process of adding a language to your site to help you deliver a multilingual experience to your customers.

New informationLearn more...

What's new in Version 9.0.1.3

Enhanced logging with Global Tracing ID
Logging has been enhanced to allow you to trace the path and lifecycle of all requests passing between the distributed server containers that make up HCL Commerce Version 9. When you enable the Global Tracing ID, all requests are given a unique ID that allows you to track them from server to server. Everything is logged in a common file that you can examine or pipe to analysis software. This feature makes problem determination quick and system-wide.

New informationLearn more...

HCL Commerce default tuning parameters
Performance tuning parameter documentation has been updated with the latest performance best practices.

New informationLearn more...

Best practices for build index performance and capacity
Build index documentation was updated with the latest performance and capacity best practices, to provide your performance engineers with tips on improving how to build your site's search indexes. These tips cover a range of subjects related to building indexes, including the indexing of large catalog volumes and multiple languages, and reducing the time needed to build indexes.

New informationLearn more...

Performance improvements to index processing
When indexing is run with parallel processing enabled, HCL Commerce now performs preprocessing and merging in parallel across listed languages. Prior to Version 9.0.1.3, temporary tables and index merges were run sequentially.
The CopyColumnsDataPreProcessor function is now the default for processing key temporary tables during the indexing process. In addition, a new property, no_logging_sql has been added to skip database logging, avoiding transaction log out-of-space conditions as well as improving performance.

New informationLearn more...

Administrative REST API
Additional administrative REST API are now available. As a developer, you can now call administrative REST API for creating and managing your stores, user account and password policies, pricing, inventory, shipping, fulfillment centers, transports, and more. New informationLearn more...

What's new in Version 9.0.1.2

pLinux IBM Cloud Private certification
You can now use your pLinux operating system with IBM Cloud Private.

New informationLearn more...

Store publish/gradle enhancement
The gradle-based store publishing scripts have been enhanced. You can now use them to customize the organization name for your newly created stores. You can also extend the organization of an existing store to the new store by giving the existing store's organization as the organization name for the new store.

New informationLearn more...

Search customization guide
The HCL Commerce Knowledge Center has been enhanced with a new customization guide for developing Search applications. The guide describes the search and index lifecycles, and shows you where you can customize or extend each component.

New informationLearn more...

Administrative REST API
As a developer, you can now call administrative REST API for managing your sites' organizations, user roles, and globalization. New informationLearn more...

What's new in Version 9.0.1.1

Production certified HCL Commerce application containers in IBM Cloud Private
HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.1 images are optimized and verified as IBM Certified Cloud Pak, which certifies the images for deployment, lifecycle management, and production uses. The certification denotes that the entire package is:
  • Tested to enterprise quality-of-service (QoS) standards for IBM Cloud Private.
  • Designed for enterprise production and simple deployment by product experts.
  • Supported for consistent upgrades across all IBM Cloud Paks.
For more information about using HCL Commerce with IBM Cloud Private, see Setting up an HCL Commerce production environment with IBM Cloud Private.
pLinux platform support
HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.1 supports the use of the Linux on IBM Power Systems. For more information about the supported operating systems and other prerequisites, see Software product compatibility reports.
Solr search engine now permits atomic updates
You can significantly improve index build time for Solr indexes using atomic updates. This feature enables the system to re-index only specific database fields that have changed, rather than having to re-index the entire table. This can make a big difference in indexing time when you are dealing with small changes to very large product databases.

New informationLearn more...

Change in location of Fix files for developers
For an easier upgrade experience, Developer fix file images are now available for download from Fix Central. This change applies only to Developer files, not Enterprise or Professional images.

New informationLearn more...

What's new in Version 9.0.1.0

Apache Struts 2 upgrade enables new Java web application capabilities
Starting with Version 9.0.1.0, HCL Commerce uses the Struts 2 framework for building Java enterprise web applications. The Struts 2 implementation includes all the latest capabilities of the Apache project, such as built-in double-click control for web forms, and a streamlined file upload tool.

Note that in HCL Commerce Version 9.0.1.0, store preview is not supported for Struts 2 migrated Local stores.

New informationLearn more...

Installation, deployment, and operation made easy with IBM Cloud Private
You can now use IBM Cloud Private to install, deploy, and operate your HCL Commerce version 9.0 runtime environments on Kubernetes, reducing a lot of the manual work involved with configuring a containerize orchestration.

New informationLearn more...

Migration embraces open source; and new tooling
Part of migrating to HCL Commerce Version 9 is updating your EJBs and AccessBeans code to JPA. Version 9.0.1.0 introduces a new tool to help migrate your Version 8.0 code to JPA by using an Eclipse plugin: the WC JPA Modeler. This new plug-in is made available for the IBM open source channel, where you can also find the existing Code Migration Tool.

New informationLearn more...