Java: Minimum Release for Server Startup

The minimum JVM release is now 1.8 for server startup on all platforms. The following additional limitations apply to specific platforms.

• Windows. On Windows, the minimum Java release level is 1.8.0_20. The Java Listener will not start properly (and will show errors in the EDAPRINT log file) if a lower Java 1.8 maintenance release is used.
• OpenVMS. Java 1.8. is available for OpenVMS 8.4 (and higher), however, the Java implementation is strictly a 64-bit implementation and not a workable match to the OpenVMS WebFOCUS Server and DataMigrator Server, which are 32-bit builds.

  We investigated creating a 64-bit version of the server. However, very few of the supported current native adapters (for example, Oracle and Rdb) have 64-bit compatible libraries. Therefore, a 64-bit server version would be limited in purpose and use. Based on this, the decision was made to have the OpenVMS WebFOCUS and DataMigrator Servers remain 32-bit based and to not support the Java Listener by letting it fail at startup (as an expected known behavior). If 64-bit versions of these adapters do become available, switching the server to a 64-bit build and reestablishing the Java Listener functionality will be revisited.

  If you allow the Java Listener to fail at server startup and then an OpenVMS Java 32-bit JVM is released at some point in the future, it can simply be installed with applicable logicals set, which should enable the Java Listener to start on server startup with no need for a server software update. If you desire to bypass the Java Listener startup failure so it does not display in EDAPRINT, edit the odin.cfg file and remove (or comment out) the JSS block.