Updates in Pega Cloud
Pega Cloud® helps ensure that you have access to the latest features of Pega Platform™ and your Pega applications by performing periodic system maintenance on your Pega Cloud environments. This maintenance is part of the standard policy defined in Pega Cloud maintenance and types of system updates.
Infrastructure updates
To keep your environments current and secure, Pega updates the supporting infrastructure of each Pega Cloud environment, including updates related to database, security, performance, reliability, and new Pega Cloud features.
Infrastructure updates are zero-downtime and do not change the Pega software running in the Pega Cloud environment. For more information about the Pega Cloud infrastructure update process and the expected experience, see Infrastructure update Process for Pega Cloud.
Software patches
Pega applies cumulative patch releases of the latest Pega software to your Pega Cloud environments.
Patches include important updates related to:
- Security: Enhancements that protect your system from vulnerabilities.
- Supportability: Improvements that make the software easier to maintain and troubleshoot.
- Reliability improvements: Updates that enhance stability and performance.
- Bug fixes based on client feedback: Corrections of issues reported by users to ensure that the software functions as expected.
Patch installation does not require any downtime, meaning that the system remains fully operational and accessible during the installation process.
To review the patch support policies, see Pega Cloud maintenance and types of system updates.
Software updates
Pega updates the environment to the latest major or minor Pega software versions running in Pega Cloud services environments. You can choose to accept or reject a Pega software version update; however, Pega strongly encourages clients to adopt the most recent version of Pega software and supports each software version in accordance with the Pega Extended Support program.
Each software update includes the latest security updates, features, performance improvements, and supportability enhancements. Software updates for Pega Cloud environments include a cloned environment for validation.
Pega implements a two-phased software update process:
- Basic Update Phase: Benefit from the latest performance and security improvements without affecting your existing Pega applications.
- Feature Adoption Phase: Take advantage of the latest Pega Infinity and application features using your standard DevOps process.
The update process includes update assessment tools, a cloned environment for compatibility testing, and testing orchestration with update pipeline in Deployment Manager. Pega provides updates with minimal downtime of the Pega Infinity software in your environment.
Summary of Pega Cloud updates
Review the table below for a summary of the impact and notifications associated with each type of Pega Cloud maintenance:
| Maintenance type | Frequency | Client action | Downtime required? | Notification? |
| Continuous infrastructure updates | Continuous | None | No | No |
| Emergency hotfix | As needed | None | No | Yes - zero to five days |
| Database updates | Quarterly for minor updates; annually for major updates. | None | Occasionally for major updates, as communicated through notifications. No downtime for minor updates. | Yes – minimum of five days |
| Pega software patches | Every few months | Occasionally, as communicated through notifications. For required action, see:
Patch process for Pega Infinity release 8.3 and later Patch process for Pega Infinity 8.2 releases |
No | Yes – minimum of five days |
| Pega software updates | 1-2 per year | Testing required, see
Pega Cloud update process for Pega Infinity 8.4.2 and later. Depends on the new features and type of issues fixed. For details, see Pega Platform changes with update impact. |
Near-zero downtime for versions 8.4.2 and later. For details, see Pega Cloud update process for Pega Infinity 8.4.2 and later. | Yes – at client’s schedule |
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