mongodb

Sitecore XP 8.2 Now Supports MongoDB 3.6

By August 7, 2019 August 9th, 2019 No Comments

After the awesome news earlier this year that Sitecore 9.2 supports the latest version of MongoDB (MongoDB 4.0), another exciting announcement was made on August 5, this time regarding Sitecore XP 8.2. Sitecore XP 8.2.x now supports MongoDB version 3.6 on its latest minor version Sitecore XP 8.2.7. Read the full announcement.

I would like to share some thoughts regarding the above announcement.

Let me start with the line in the announcement “Customers using Sitecore XP 8.2 must upgrade to MongoDB version 3.6.” MongoDB 3.4 is scheduled for End-of-Life on January 2020. I don’t disagree that is always a good practice to rely on a supported version of any product. But using a product even after it goes EOL is not the end of the world, as long as you have a clear timeline for an upgrade. And if during the transition period, a blocker issue arises (such as a security flaw) then you will need to be prepared to accelerate the process. 

If you are using a DBaaS (database as a service) vendor that applies a strict policy around EOL of products it’s a good idea to speed up the upgrade process. At ObjectRocket, we will continue to fully support MongoDB 3.4 after January 2020. To give you an example of how ObjectRocket handles EOL events, we discontinued support for MongoDB 2.6 in April 2019, more than 3 years after MongoDB itself scheduled the EOL of version 2.6. Obviously we always advise our customers to use the latest versions, if possible, but our EOL strategy is designed to cover every organization’s needs. If you are an ObjectRocket customer using Sitecore, you will have extra time to plan the upgrade. 

Now, in regards to “The following upgrade process has been tested with MongoDB 3.6.6” the keyword is tested. There is a misconception that Sitecore only works with the versions of MongoDB that are listed in the Sitecore compatibility table. Typically, Sitecore tests the latest available version but then does not continue to test subsequent minor releases. For example, for the MongoDB 3.2 release, Sitecore tested with MongoDB version 3.2.1 (note that the list of bugs associated with this version is substantial). My point is, between minor versions there aren’t significant changes on how drivers interact with the database. If an application is compatible with MongoDB 3.2.1, it is also compatible with MongoDB 3.2.22 (latest 3.2 minor release). My advice is, always use the latest minor version. At the time I am writing this blog, it is currently MongoDB 3.6.13

In conclusion, I want to highlight the fact that our MongoDB experts here at ObjectRocket are always available to help you with the MongoDB upgrade, which is included in your current cost for service. Email us at support@objectrocket.com, and we’ll provide you with a solid upgrade plan to ensure a smooth transition to MongoDB 3.6.