Release 2.1
Explore the release highlights for IBM webMethods Integration.
What's New
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| New features and enhancements | Description |
|---|---|
| Release 2.1.4 | |
| Automatically execute workflows in Hold state | All workflows kept on hold due to rate limiting will now be automatically executed after some time. This eliminates the need for users to manually execute each workflow in Hold state. |
| Release 2.1.3 | |
| Restart workflow execution | You can now restart your failed workflows that were triggered using webhook, through the execution logs screen under the Monitor tab.  To enable this feature, select the Save status of each successfully executed action check box in the Execution Settings tab under the Workflow Settings screen.  You can optionally edit the webhook payload of the workflow before restarting it.  |
| Resume workflow execution from the point of failure | You can now resume the execution of your workflow right from the point it has failed, using the execution logs screen under the Monitor tab. .  To enable this feature, select the Save status of each successfully executed action check box in the Execution Settings tab under the Workflow Settings screen.  You can optionally edit the JSON input schema of the failed action(s) before resuming the workflow execution.  |
| Release 2.1.2 | |
| REST and SOAP API enhancements | In the earlier release, you could create REST APIs from scratch or by importing an existing API from a swagger file. In this release, you can also create REST APIs by importing an existing API from a Swagger URL.  Also, while editing a REST API, you can upload a new Swagger file from the API Details page.  Further, you can now import REST APIs using URLs protected with basic authentication, that is, support is provided in case authentication is required, if the REST API URL supports credentials. Alert Rules (Monitor > Alert Rules > Flow service Alerts) for REST API and SOAP API assets have also been added in this release. |
| Support for Flat File connectors | IBM now supports the flat file connector to translate documents into and from flat file formats. You can create a flat file connector using any one of the following approaches: |
| Enhanced custom operations screen | You can now view the input/output signature and test custom operations for REST, SOAP, On-Premises, and Flat File connectors. The Show i/o signature  and Test operation  options are available on the Custom Operations screen. After you create an operation, click the Show i/o signature option to view the Input and Output signature of the custom operation. The input and output fields cannot be edited. You can click the input and output fields to view the field properties. The Test operation option allows you to test the custom operation. Specify the Account name and the Input data and then click Run to test the operation and view the test results in the Result window. For array inputs, you can add the array items and then add the values. If an operation does not have an input signature, the input fields are not displayed. |
| Support to modify service-level pipeline data before resuming Flow service execution | In earlier releases, you could modify only the Flow service-level pipeline data before resuming a Flow service execution. In this release, you can modify the service-level pipeline data till the failure point before resuming a Flow service execution. |
| Flow service enhancements | You can now right-click on a step on the Flow service editor and add a step or a child step for the selected step, and paste the step(s) after the selected step(s) by clicking the Duplicate option.  The Duplicate option is also available if you click the  icon. |
| Support for Branch construct in Flow services | You can now perform different actions on different values of one or more pipeline variables by using the Branch construct. Branch is a conditional execution of steps and constitutes a group of expressions. Within a Branch, IBM runs the first expression that evaluates to true. Expressions are the conditions on the pipeline variables. At run time, Branch evaluates the conditions provided and runs the first expression whose condition is evaluated to true. If none of the expressions are true, the default expression if included, is run. |
| Lock and Unlock Flow services | IBM now allows you to manage a Flow service during the development life cycle by auto locking. When you edit a Flow service, it is automatically locked for you. This restricts multiple users from editing the Flow service at the same time. Other users can open the Flow service only in view mode. After you edit a Flow service and save the changes, you can exit the edit mode to unlock the Flow service and make it available for other users. Relevant messages appear in the user interface for other users if you are editing a Flow service and have completed editing the Flow service, and also if another user tries to delete the Flow service. If you have kept the user session idle for quite some time or because of any other reasons a Flow service lock remains and is not resolved, only a user with Admin role can unlock the Flow service and make it available for editing by clicking the Unlock option available on a Flow service. |
| Support for adding icons for REST and SOAP connectors | You can now add icons for custom REST and SOAP connectors while creating them. |
| Support for adding assets for alert rules for Flow services | While adding an alert under Alert Rules (Monitor > Alert Rules > Flow service Alerts), you can now select the Assets option  to select the list of all assets (REST APIs and SOAP APIs) created in a project. This will help you get notifications and keep relevant users updated about the status. |
| Restart workflow execution | You can now restart your failed workflows that were triggered using webhook, through the execution logs screen under the Monitor tab. You can optionally edit the webhook payload of the workflow before restarting it. |
| Resume workflow execution from the point of failure | You can now resume the execution of your workflow right from the point it has failed, using the execution logs screen under the Monitor tab. . To enable this feature, select the Save status of each successfully executed action check box in the Execution Settings tab under the Workflow Settings screen. You can optionally edit the JSON input schema of the failed action(s) before resuming the workflow execution. |
| View transaction usage | Users of transaction-based tenants can now view the transaction usage statistics of their tenants on the Usage page under the Monitor > General tab. You can see the Usage page only if transactions are enabled for your tenant.  |
| Support for Node.js function to set the workflow status to failed | Support has now been added for a Node.js function which sets the status of the workflow to fail. This function can be used in any of the actions that enable you to write custom logic for your workflow. |
| Set failed status for workflows | In earlier releases, the status of a workflow used to be always Successful when the Global Error Handler action was used. In this release, we have introduced a new Set Workflow Status Failed Action, which enables you to modify the status of such workflows to failed. You can also add a custom error message, which appears when the workflow fails.  |
| Support for Node.js function for Memory Store | Support has now been added for a Memory Store Node.js function, which allows you to set and retrieve the value of key(s) for a single execution run. You can use this function in any of the actions that enable you to write custom logic for your workflow. |
| Input/Output logs for Logger action removed from the Debug Panel | In earlier releases, whenever you executed any Logger action, you could view its input and output logs in the Debug Panel. In this release, input and output logs are removed for the Logger action from the Debug Panel. You will continue to view the input/output logs in the Log section whenever you click on the executed Logger action in the Debug Panel.  |
| White label enhancements | In this release, the Link Border Color setting in the White label configuration screen is added. This setting allows you to change the border color of the user interface menu. |
| Tenant settings changes | In earlier releases, you could view and manage all the tenant settings by using the Settings option under the Tenant Profile icon. In this release, the following options are available when you click on the Tenant Profile icon:  |
| New Connectors | The following connectors are added in this release: |
| Version field changes for the Workday connector account | The Version field in the account configuration dialog box of the Workday connector is now made read only. |
| Release 2.1.0 | |
| Projects home page enhancements | The following changes have been made to the Projects page in this release for improved usability: New Project: Click the  icon available on the Projects page to create a new project. Flow services: Click the Flow services link available on a project to go to the Flow services page for the project. In earlier releases, you could create complex integrations by switching to the Flow Editor using the App Switcher, where you used a drag and drop tool to create the integrations and then used them in your Workflows. In this release, this process is simplified by introducing the Flow Editor capabilities as Flow services directly in your IBM project, thus eliminating the need for you to access the Flow Editor to create complex integrations. Click here to see how to enable the Flow services capability. Workflows: Click the Workflow link available on a project to go to the Workflows page for the project. The Workflow landing page is also enhanced to improve the usability. You now need to click the icon on the Workflows page to create a new Workflow. |
| Publish Projects | The project publish pages have been enhanced to increase the usability. |
| Monitor page enhancements | In earlier releases, you could access the Dashboard, Audit Logs, Activity Logs, and Alert Rules pages through the Monitor tab. In this release, the Monitor tab pages are reorganized in the following categories to improve usability: |
| Environments option changes | You can now register new environments and view, switch, and manage existing environments from your tenant home page. |
| Help option changes | The following options are available in this release when you click the Help icon. |
| White labeling | You can now apply white labeling on your tenant as per your company brand identity and customize your tenant theme using the White Labeling functionality. These settings work at tenant level and only admin users have the permissions to create and modify themes. This allows you to boost your brand visibility and strengthen customer loyalty. |
| Flow Editor and Flow services | In earlier releases, you could create complex integrations by switching to the Flow Editor using the App Switcher, where you used a drag and drop tool to create integrations. In this release, this process is simplified by introducing the Flow Editor capabilities as Flow services directly in your IBM project, thus eliminating the need for you to access the Flow Editor to create complex integrations. In the Flow Editor, you used a graphical drag and drop tool to create integrations. You set up your integrations by plugging blocks together in the workspace and coding concepts were represented as interlocking blocks. In the Flow services editor, you now can easily build a Flow service by adding steps and selecting the constructs including Applications, Controls, Flow services, and Services from within the steps. The editor is visually enhanced to offer ease of use and is more interactive. A Flow service contains flow steps, which is a basic unit of work that IBM interprets and executes at run time. After you enable the Flow services capability, you can create complex and advanced integration scenarios involving multiple application endpoints and then include the Flow service in a Workflow. |
| IBM webMethods Integration Flow Apps | The Flow Editor has been renamed to IBM webMethods Integration Flow Apps in this release. You can connect to a database using the Database Application. The Database Application allows you to perform database operations with cloud databases using a JDBC driver. Use the Flat File Application to translate documents into and from flat file formats. To set up the translation, you create the definition and structure of the Flat File Application, which is called a flat file schema. The schema also contains the instructions for parsing or creating the flat file and defines how to identify individual records within a flat file and what data is contained in each of those records. |
| Migrating Flow Editor Integrations | If you have created integrations in the Flow Editor, you can migrate those integrations to the same project in Flow services using the Migrate Integrations functionality. |
| APIs | IBM allows you to write integration logic to integrate different types of applications. This logic can be exposed to the external world using APIs. In the earlier release, you could create only REST APIs from the IBM user interface. In this release, you can also create SOAP APIs from scratch or by using a WSDL file from the IBM user interface. A SOAP API exposes one or more Flow services as operations, so each operation in a SOAP API corresponds to a Flow service. SOAP APIs and REST APIs are now both grouped under the APIs category for improved usability. |
| Tenant credentials for webhook authentication | You can now secure your webhook by adding tenant credentials authentication to it. This will require the user of the webhook to specify the tenant credentials first, before sending an execution request. |
| Connectors | All connectors are now grouped under the new Connectors category for improved usability. You can create Accounts by clicking on a connector available on the Available Connectors panel. The connectors are also grouped and available when you start creating a Flow Service. Flat File Applications created in the Flow Editor are available as Flat File Connectors in the Flow services panel. Note: A few connectors are deprecated in this release. A deprecated connector displays the Deprecated label just below the connector where ever it appears in the user interface. Deprecated connectors will continue to work as before and are fully supported by IBM. If you are using deprecated connectors in your existing Workflows and/or Flow services, they will work as expected. No new feature enhancements will be made for deprecated connectors. If you are creating new Workflows or Flow services, it is recommended to use the provided alternative connectors instead of the deprecated connectors. The deprecation is applicable only for Actions. The deprecation is not applicable for Triggers, that is, Triggers are supported for both deprecated and alternative connectors. For the list of triggers, see the documentation for alternative connectors. |
| Applications | |
| New Connectors | The following connectors are added in this release: |
| Configurations | In earlier releases, you could access the Webhooks, Accounts, Triggers, and Parameters pages through the Configurations tab. In this release, the Configurations tab pages are reorganized in the following categories to improve usability: |
| Rate Limiting for Workflows | Rate limit is the maximum number of requests that you can make to the IBM server in a span of one minute. The rate limit works at the tenant-level and is applicable only for manually run, trigger-enabled, and sync/async webhook-enabled Workflows. |
| Time stamp updates | Any time stamp displayed in IBM webMethods Integration is now based on the time zone you have specified in IBM webMethods iPaaS. Note: All time zones available in IBM webMethods iPaaS are currently not supported in IBM webMethods Integration. If a time zone in IBM webMethods iPaaS is not supported, then the time stamp in IBM webMethods Integration defaults to the Pacific Standard Time (PST) time zone. |
| Support for Transaction-based tenants | The following types of tenants are now supported: |
| Plans for Transaction-based tenants | When you sign up for a IBM tenant, it will be assigned the 30-day Trial plan by default. You can optionally upgrade to the Free Forever Edition, Basic, Advanced, or Enterprise plans based on your requirement by contacting Global Support. Once your trial period is over, your tenant will be deactivated until you reactivate it by switching to one of the offered plans. |