Continuity Engine 15

What's New

EMS Alerting based on Managed Server Telemetry

1. The first chapter in unlocking advanced monitoring and alerting is to enable our new telemetry service, which will seamlessly extract relevant information about events happening on the Engine nodes.
2. By enabling telemetry, you empower the EMS to deliver better monitoring and alerting for critical events that matter most to your business. This will translate into quicker response times, more accurate alerts, and ultimately, greater peace of mind knowing that your systems are running optimally.

Better User Experience

Offline Licensing Management via EMS

1. Self-service offline licensing: customers may claim license keys directly from Engine Management Service for deployments which are not managed via EMS.
   
2. Install Engine Management Service on any supported Windows machine with access to internet (i.e. Engine Licensing Server) then claim your license keys corresponding to your purchased software subscription from the Support section. Details in Self-Service Offline Licensing: How to Claim a License Key for a Deployment Not Managed via Engine Management Service.

New Version Availability and Download Published via EMS

1. EMS UI alerts whenever a newer version is generally available, along with download link and release highlights.

UI Improvements

1. [EN-6467]: [EMS UI] Do not show red callouts for offline EMS.
   
2. [EN-6335]: [EMS UI]: Re-word options for application start when starting replication.

Available Plugins Visibility Update

1. Bundled plugins list is linked directly from Engine Management Service UI support section. Engine plugin offers out-of-the-box automated protection for client applications (specific versions). 

Patching Downtime Reduction with Passive Management Name

1. Continuity Engine's Passive Management Name feature enables the ability of patching of standby passive nodes in centralized update management environment.
   
2. Following document lists all the Patch Management or Backup Software Solutions / Technologies proven to work or scheduled in the near future for interoping validation with Continuity Engine's Passive Management Name feature: Patch Management Solutions / Technologies supported by Continuity Engine's Passive Management Name

SQL Server Plugin v201.5.17

1. SQL Server Plugin protects and proactively monitors SQL Server environment.
2. Support for SQL Server 2022 Standard, Enterprise, and Express Editions.

OPSWAT MetaDefender Managed File Transfer Plugin v201.5.1

1. OPSWAT MetaDefender Managed File Transfer Plugin provides protection and proactively monitors MetaDefender MFT environment’s configuration data, services, and application data files.
2. Support for OPSWAT MetaDefender Managed File Transfer v3.6.x, 3.7.x., cloned or non-cloned architecture.

Clever Devices CleverCAD Plugin v201.5.2

Apache Tomcat Plugin v201.5.2

1. Apache Tomcat Plugin provides protection and proactively monitors the Apache Tomcat environment’s configuration data, services, and application data files.
   
2. Support for Apache Tomcat 10.x.x

Progress MOVEit 2024 Plug-ins Suite

1. Progress MOVEit 2024 Plug-ins Suite protects and proactively monitors MOVEit Automation and Transfer environment.
   
2. Support for MOVEit Automation Server 2024.0 (plugin version 201.5.6).
   
3. Support for MOVEit Transfer Server 2024.0 (plugin version 201.5.7).
   
4. Support for MOVEit Database hosted on SQL Server 2022.

Access to Continuity Engine Utilities Repo

1. Access Continuity Engine collection of utility scripts and add-ons designed to extend core features
2. Collaborate for enhancing and extending Continuity Engine functionality for specific scenarios 
   
3. Utilities repo may be accessed directly from EMS UI> Support> Add-ons

Snapshot Management Improvements

Ransomware Recovery: With Snapshot Management organizations can take snapshots each 15 minutes and roll back the dataset to before the incident happened thus restoring the protected application server to full operating conditions.

1. How to Use Continuity Engine For Ransomware Mitigation
2. How to Setup Snapshot Management for Neverfail Continuity Engine

CLI Installer v2 Improvements 

Engine command-line installer was improved in version bundled with CE15. 

Engine command-line installer (CLI) may be used for installing, upgrading or uninstalling Continuity Engine on a specific node. 

It was designed to be used in the scenarios where EMS-driven fully automated install/upgrade cannot be used. Contact Support for guidance.

More Secure

Read the updated Security Policy Regarding Neverfail Continuity Engine.

OpenJDK and Apache Tomcat version updated to latest

• Continuity Engine's objective is to keep your systems up, running, protected, and safe. Having the latest security updates, fixes and patches for the used open-source software is critical.
  • v15.0 is updated to Azul Zulu 8.80.0.17-CA-win64 (JDK version 8u422-b05). 
  • v15.0 is updated to Apache Tomcat 9.0.91. Following link lists all security vulnerabilities fixed in released versions of Apache Tomcat.
    

New Supported Versions

New or Updated Plugins

1. SQL Server Plugin: support for SQL Server 2022.
   
2. Progress MOVEit 2024 Plug-ins: suport for MOVEit 2024.0.
   
3. Clever Devices CleverCAD Plugin: protection for Clever Devices CleverCAD v9.9 and v10.xx
   
4. OPSWAT MetaDefender Managed File Transfer Plugin: support for MD MFT 3.6.x, 3.7.x.
   
5. Apache Tomcat Plugin: support for Apache Tomcat 10.x.x.

VMware vCenter Server and VMware vCenter Converter Support

1. Supported - Engine Management Service API Support for deployment using the latest versions of VMware vCenter Server 7.0 and VMware vCenter Converter 6.2.
2. Supported - vSphere Integration Plugin Support for interoping with the latest versions of VMware vCenter Server 7.0
3. Coming soon - Engine Management Service API Support for deployment using the latest versions of VMware vCenter Server 8.0 and VMware vCenter Converter 6.3.
4. Coming soon - vSphere Integration Plugin Support for interoping with the latest versions of VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Licensing Updates 

Software Subscription Cancelation

1. End-User License-Subscription Agrement changes are summarized in the below section extracted from Neverfail End-User Software Subscription License Agreement.
   

Automatic Software Subscription Cancelation. Neverfail reserves the right to automatically cancel any Software Subscription if the Subscriber does not pay for either a monthly or a yearly subscription renewal for it within maximum 6 months past the Software Subscription’s end date. A Canceled Software Subscription is considered end of life, hence will not allow to be reactivated, renewed, or extended. If the subscriber will later want to continue the software usage, a new Software Subscription must be purchased to re-enable the subscriber with the Right of Use for the Licensed Software.

Software Subscription Payment Awareness Improvements

1. Improved in v15.0, the software subscription licensing mechanism is changed to be aware of software subscription's payment status. The changes are summarized in the below section extracted from Neverfail End-User Software Subscription License Agreement.

Term Software Subscription is ready to be consumed immediately upon fulfilment. Depending on the payment status, the right to use may or may not be limited a follows: (a) if the payment is pending when software subscription is being activated (consumed), a limited forty-five (45) days license key counted from the term software subscription start date will be generated; as soon as the payment is confirmed, the full term software subscription period is unlocked; relicensing with a full term license key will be performed automatically for online licensing; (b) if the payment is confirmed when software subscription is being activated (consumed) a full term license key will be generated. Similar payment status usability rules apply also in the case of license term software subscription renewal.

1. v15.0 licensing model is built on top of v9.0 model which transitioned Engine from a perpetual model to a software subscription term and rental model. Engine Licensing Service (ELS) enables call-home features that power our software subscription based licensing. The new cloud service is free but is required for Term and Rental deployments.  For more information on how the licensing works and upgrade notes please read Continuity Engine Licensing Model. 
   

Backward Compatibility

Continuity Engine 15 Management Service is compatible with older versions (i.e. EMS 15.0 manages correctly CE 9/10/11/12/13/14). 

1. If I upgrade to Continuity Engine 15, will my perpetual license cease? Yes! You are accepting software subscription's  requirements outlined in the new EULA for Term and Rental. Neverfail will generate new software subscriptions expiring the same day as the support was paid through. This means you will need to pay for support to continue software operations yearly or monthly depending on the type of subscription.

1. Can I upgrade using the Upgrade Wizard from older versions to Continuity Engine 15? Yes, the upgrade wizard is still supported. Keep in mind that Continuity Engine 6.7, 7.x, 8.x and 9.x are currently End-of-Life (EOL). To ensure organization continued support, you must upgrade to the latest Continuity Engine version.
   

2. When will Continuity Engine EOL? Check End of Life Policy for Neverfail Continuity Engine
   

3. Can I stay on previous versions of Continuity Engine? Yes, however, previous versions will eventually EOL and you will not be able to take full advantage of the new features of Continuity Engine v14. And evenly important, your systems will be more exposed to cyberattacks. For example:
   


1. CEv10.0
   
1. misses all the security fixes since Azul Zulu JDK 8.70.0.23, i.e. released between April 2023 (8u372-b07) and July 2024 (8u422-b05).
2. misses all the security fixes between April 2023 (Tomcat 9.0.74) and July 2024 (9.0.91).

Applies To

Continuity Engine v15