Will installing Java v1.8 break my DataStage environment?

Installing another JDK alongside your IBM-supplied JVM shouldn’t interfere with a preexisting Java installation. DataStage and related items typically use explicit paths or similar to access the required IBM Java (J9) install, mostly through setupEnv in the asbnode/bin directory or dsenv itself.

The OpenJDK Java 1.8 installation required by MettleCI on your DataStage environment host servers is intended to be separate to the JDK used by other, co-resident applications like DataStage. It isn’t meant to be a replacement for the Java version that is being used by DataStage and should not be used that way. Just be sure to install the 1.8 JDK to its own folder and not a /path/to/existing/jvm folder.

If you use RedHat Linux, you have two choices:

Use the yum package manager to install the particular Java version; or
manually install it.

If you wish to use the yum package manager you’ll need to use the ‘alternatives’ command to:

check what the current Java ’selection’ is beforehand; and
in the unlikely event that the installation of the new Java version has changed it, restore that `selection`.

If you wish to avoid the yum-based install method and install Java 1.8 manually, then:

download the compressed archive form of the Java distribution (e.g. The latest AdoptOpenJDK 1.8 distro is `OpenJDK8U-jdk_x64_linux_hotspot_8u252b09.tar.gz')
un-tar that to a dedicated folder (e.g. /opt/dm/adoptopenjdk1.8).
Ensure that the MettleCI-dedicated user accounts (or their primary group, at least) on that server have read/write/execute access to the installation folder and its contents.
During the installation and configuration of MettleCI itself (specifically, the MettleCI Workbench component), your MettleCI consultant will configure the MettleCI-dedicated user to use that 1.8 JDK specifically.

For Windows, use the instructions in the section Installing Java v1.8 on Windows.

Note the specific path shown under “Location” in the Custom Setup step. Yours should be similar and should reflect a 1.8-version-specific path.

Remember that the 1.8 JDK installation step is only required on your legacy and upgrade target DataStage development servers (specifically, those that host the DataStage Engine Tier). Your downstream environments (“test” “prod”, etc) don’t need it.