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System requirements

This document provides the minimum system requirements for the 8.0 CR3 (and later) release of HCL Connections. Higher maintenance levels, such as fix packs and service packs, may be supported as they become available.

For detailed system requirements for other HCL Connections releases, refer to HCL Connections and Connections Docs System Requirements in the support portal. Detailed system requirements provide complete lists of hardware requirements, supported operating systems, prerequisites and optional supported software, with component-level details and operating system restrictions.

Definition of terms

There are three categories of support for integrated products to HCL Connections. They are "Supported Configuration", "Unsupported Configuration", and "Other Configuration". The definition and support statement for each category follow:

  • Product minimum - The Connections cumulative release (CR) that the new release was certified.

  • Supported Configuration - A combination of HCL Software and other Dependent Products (usually at a specified version, release, fix or specification level) that has been validated by HCL.

  • Unsupported Configuration - A combination of HCL Software and other software packages (at a specified version, release and fix level) that is known to not work with HCL Connections and is therefore not supported.

  • Other Configuration - Includes many configurations of HCL Products and other software exist that are not explicitly listed as "Supported Configurations" or "Unsupported Configurations", but which can reasonably be expected to perform within the accepted bounds of reliability, function, and performance.

For more details, refer to HCL Connections support statement.

System requirements

Operating systems

Note

All instances of "(1)" mean that the requirement includes future minor releases and fix packs.

Linux Family

OS OS minimum Hardware Bitness Product minimum Support level
IBM Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Server 7.9 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Other Configuration
IBM Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Server 8.6 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Supported Configuration
IBM Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Server 9.2 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 CR4 Supported Configuration
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 12 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Other Configuration
CentOS Linux 7.0 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Other Configuration
AlmaLinux 9.3 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 CR5 Other Configuration

Microsoft Windows Family

OS OS minimum Hardware Bitness Product minimum Support level
Windows Server Essentials Edition 2016 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Other Configuration
Windows Server Essentials Edition 2019 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Other Configuration
Windows Server Standard Edition 2016 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Other Configuration
Windows Server Standard Edition 2019 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Supported Configuration
Windows Server Datacenter Edition 2016 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Other Configuration
Windows Server Datacenter Edition 2019 (1) x86-64 64-Tolerate 8.0 Other Configuration

Plugins

OS System requirements
HCL Connections for Mac See the HCL Connections for Mac supports article
HCL Connections Desktop Plug-ins for Microsoft Windows See the HCL Connections Desktop Plug-ins for Microsoft Windows article

Application Servers

Application Server Version Product minimum Support level
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 8.5.5.21 (2) 8.0 Supported Configuration
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 8.5.5.22 (2, 3) 8.0 Supported Configuration
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 8.5.5.23 (2) 8.0 CR2 Supported Configuration
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 8.5.5.24 (2, 4) 8.0 CR5 Supported Configuration
IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 9.x.x.x N/A Unsupported Configuration

Additional details:

(2) Fix packs are available on the HCL License & Delivery Portal in the "WebSphere Application Server 8.5.5 and Select Fix Packs" package.

(3) There is a known issue in IBM WebSphere 8.5.5 Fix Pack 22 where retrieve from port using TLS v1.3 or v1.2 ciphers may not work. For details, refer to PH49497: RETRIEVE FROM PORT NOT HONORING SSL PROTOCOL on the IBM support portal. Contact HCL Connections support or IBM WebSphere support for the iFix 8.5.5.22-WS-WAS-IFPH49497.zip.

(4) For deployments using HCL Connections Component Pack 8.0 CR5 (new or upgraded), IBM WebSphere 8.5.5 Fix Pack 24, which has an updated Java version, is required. Otherwise enabling SSL for Metrics will fail, as the Java version prior to Fix Pack 24 cannot open the keystore built by the newer Java.

Installation

Installation Version Product minimum Support level
IBM Installation Manager 1.8.5 N/A Unsupported Configuration
IBM Installation Manager 1.9 (1) 8.0 Supported Configuration

Collaboration

Collaboration Version Product minimum Support level
HCL Connections Docs 2.0.2 8.0 Supported Configuration
HCL Leap (PVU) 9.3.5 8.0 CR2 Supported Configuration
HCL Leap (PVU Container) 9.3.5 Container 8.0 CR6 Supported Configuration

Databases

Database Version Product minimum Support level
IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition 11.5.6 (1) 8.0 Supported Configuration
Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Edition 2019 (1, 4) 8.0 Other Configuration
Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Edition 2022 (1, 4) 8.0 CR2 Supported Configuration
Oracle Database 19c Standard Edition 19.0.0 (1) 8.0 Supported Configuration
Oracle Database 19c Enterprise Edition 19.0.0 (1) 8.0 Other Configuration

Additional details:

(4) MS SQL 2019 & 2022 requires the "HCL Connections V8.0 Wizard for Refresh for MS SQL Server 2022" which can be downloaded from the HCL Software License & Download Portal in the HCL Connections 8.0 CRx download package.

E-mail applications

E-mail application Version Product minimum Support level
HCL Notes 11.0, 12.0, 14.0 (1) 8.0 Supported Configuration
Microsoft Outlook 2019 8.0 Other Configuration
Microsoft Outlook 365 8.0 Supported Configuration

Identity management

Identity Management Version Product minimum Support level
IBM Security Directory Integrator 7.2 Fix Pack 8 (5) 8.0 Supported Configuration
IBM Security Directory Integrator 7.2 Fix Pack 9 (5, 6) 8.0 Supported Configuration

Additional details:

(5) IBM Java 8 Runtime is required for the IBM Security Directory Integrator 7.2 Fix Pack 8 & 9.

(6) For important installation details, refer to Upgrading to SDI 7.2.0 FP9 breaks SDI Solution for Connections Profiles (tdisol) in the support portal.

LDAP

LDAP Server Version Product minimum Support level
HCL Domino 11.0, 12.0, 14 (1, 7) 8.0 Supported Configuration
IBM Security Directory Server 6.4 (1, 7) 8.0 Supported Configuration
Microsoft Active Directory 2016 (1, 7) 8.0 Other Configuration
OpenLDAP 2.4 (8) 8.0 Supported Configuration

Additional details:

(7) The LDAP versions listed in the Version column of the table have undergone compatibility testing by HCL and are therefore recommended for usage with Connections. For further details on newer versions and releases of supported LDAP Servers, refer to the Connections 8.0 support statement.

(8) OpenLDAP is only supported when using command line interface. The Population Wizard graphical user interface is not supported.

Note

LDAP servers that support the LDAP V3 specification are supported using command line interface. The Population Wizard graphical user interface is only supported for the LDAP servers that are listed as "Supported Configuration".

Mobile

Mobile product System requirements
HCL Connections for Android See the Compatibility section in the Play Store product entry.
HCL Connections for iOS See the Information section in the App Store product entry.

Security management

Security management Version Product minimum Support level
CA SiteMinder 12.5 (1) 8.0 Other Configurations
IBM Security Access Manager 9.0.1 (1) 8.0 Other Configurations
OpenID Connect (OIDC) N/A 8.0 Supported Configuration

Web browsers

Web browser Product minimum Support level
Apple Safari 8.0 Supported Configuration
Google Chrome 8.0 Supported Configuration
Microsoft Edge 8.0 Supported Configuration
Mozilla Firefox 8.0 Support Configuration

Note

The web browsers listed in the table have undergone compatibility testing by HCL and are therefore recommended for usage with Connections. For further details on newer versions and releases of supported web browsers, refer to the Connections 8.0 Support Statement.

Web servers

Web server Version Product minimum Support level
IBM HTTP Server 8.5.5.21 (1, 9) 8.0 Supported Configuration
IBM HTTP Server 8.5.5.22 (1, 9) 8.0 Supported Configuration
IBM HTTP Server 8.5.5.23 (1, 9) 8.0 CR3 Supported Configuration
IBM HTTP Server 8.5.5.24 (1, 9) 8.0 CR5 Supported Configuration
IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5 FP11(1, 9, 10) 8.0 CR3 Supported Configuration

Additional details:

(9) Fix packs are available on the HCL License & Delivery Portal in the "WebSphere Application Server 8.5.5 and Select Fix Packs" package.

(10) IBM HTTP Server 9.0.5 FP11 or above is required to support TLS 1.3.

Screen resolution

Screen resolution Product minimum Support level
Screen width of 1440 pixels 8.0 Supported Configuration

Component Pack middleware

Note

For deployments using HCL Connections Component Pack 8.0 CR5 (new or upgraded), IBM WebSphere 8.5.5 Fix Pack 24, which has an updated Java version, is required. Otherwise enabling SSL for Metrics will fail, as the Java version prior to Fix Pack 24 cannot open the keystore built by the newer Java.

Component Version Product minimum Support level
Calico 3.25 8.0 CR2 Supported Configuration
HAProxy 2.6.6 8.0 CR2 Supported Configuration
Helm 3.11.3 8.0 CR3 Supported Configuration
MongoDB 5.0.25
5.0.14
3.x
8.0 CR6
8.0 CR2
N/A
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration
Unsupported Configuration
NGINX 1.24 8.0 CR2 Supported Configuration
OpenSearch 2.12.0
2.9.0
2.7.0
1.3.9
8.0 CR6
N/A
8.0 CR4
8.0 CR2
Supported Configuration
Unsupported Configuration
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration

Component Pack container orchestration platform and runtime

Component Version Product minimum Support level
Amazon EKS 1.28.3
1.24
8.0 CR5
8.0 CR2
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration
Containerd 1.6.26
1.6.24
1.6.21
1.6.20
8.0 CR6
8.0 CR5
8.0 CR4
8.0 CR3
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration
Kubernetes 1.29
1.28
1.27
8.0 CR6
8.0 CR5
8.0 CR3
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration
OpenShift 4.15
4.11.25
8.0 CR6
8.0 CR2
Supported Configuration
Supported Configuration

End of support for system requirements

Application Version
ElasticSearch 7.6.1
IBM AIX 7.x
IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition 11.1.x.x
IBM Installation Manager 1.8.5
IBM Security Directory Integrator 7.2 in IBM Java 7 Runtime Environment
Microsoft Internet Explorer 11
Microsoft Outlook 2016
Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Edition 2016
Microsoft Windows Professional Client 10
MongoDB 3.0

Hardware

Disk space

Components Requirements
WebSphere Deployment Manager & Application Server Nodes HCL recommends you have at least 100 GB free disk space on the WebSphere machines under the WebSphere home directory to allow the installation of WebSphere and Connections, and to maintain the retention of configuration files, log files, and diagnostic files. Production deployments will likely require significantly more space to retain log and diagnostic files.

Installation will require:

Temporary:
- 5 GB to download the installation zip file and extract the contents (that is, /tmp//HCL_Connections_8.0_lin.tar & extraction to a temporary directory)

Permanent:
- Approximately 3 GB to install WebSphere (/opt/IBM/WebSphere)
- 2 GB of content will be extracted to the Connections Home directory (/opt/HCL/Connections) during installation on the Deployment Manager
- 2 GB of application binaries and configuration files will be installed under WebSphere (opt/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer)
Connections Home / Local file system Allocate an additional minimum of 20 GB to the local Connections Home file system on each Application Server node for storage of temporary search indexes, cache files and other data (/opt/HCL/Connections).
Connections Shared Content Store This network file storage is mounted on each Application Server and is used to store file content, favicons, SIB Message storage, search indexes and other files shared across all application servers. The size of this storage is greatly dependent on how Connections is utilized. The file system usage should be monitored and expanded as required.

HCL recommends a minimum of 1 TB for production deployments, but customers are encouraged to discuss their requirements with HCL Technical Sales and ensure they plan for future growth.

CPU/Memory

Hardware architecture Requirements
X86 & POWER System WebSphere Application Server node:
- At least 4 CPU and 16 GB of memory is recommended.

Database server:
- At least 4 CPU and 16 GB of memory is recommended. Also refer to the relational database product documentation for additional requirements.