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Version: v2.18.x LTS

Version 2.17.0 (July 2024)

Version 2.17.0 (July 2024)

Welcome to the Zowe Version 2.17.0 release!

See New features and enhancements for a full list of changes to the functionality. See Bug fixes for a list of issues addressed in this release.

Download v2.17.0 build: Want to try new features as soon as possible? You can download the v2.17.0 build from Zowe.org.

New features and enhancements

Zowe Version 2.17.0 contains the enhancements that are described in the following topics.

find out more

To watch a demo of new enhancements and updated features included in a Zowe minor release, look for the release demo recording in the Zowe V2 System Demo playlist on YouTube.

System demos are typically held the week after a minor release becomes available. Check the Open Mainframe Project Calendar for the latest schedule.

Zowe installation and packaging

  • Added JCL sample templates within SZWESAMP dataset, also seen within “files/SZWESAMP”. Datasets beginning with ZWEI are intended to be an alternative but not replacement of zwe init operations. ZWEIRAC, ZWEITSS, and ZWEIACF are derived from and intended to replace ZWESECUR in the future. ZWEIKR* are derived from and intended to replace ZWEKRING in the future. (#3890)
  • Added a job, ZWEGENER within the SZWESAMP dataset. When provided the location of Zowe’s runtime directory and YAML files, this job will take the SZWESAMP sample JCL templates and resolve parameter values with those found in the YAML configuration after validation, placing the results into the CUST.JCLLIB dataset. This can be used to simplify setup of jobs for Zowe installation. (#3890)
  • Startup performance has been improved by moving extension schema validation of application framework plugins from runtime to install time. This additionally helps identify schema errors at install time that would previously have been shown only at runtime. (#3866)
  • Added zowe.network.server.tls.attls and zowe.network.client.tls.attls as Booleans for controlling global or per-component way to tell Zowe servers that they should operate in a mode compatible with an AT-TLS setup. (#3463)
  • Startup performance has been improved by reducing the quantity of processes involved during startup. (#115)
  • Reduction in resource consumption. Each Zowe component uses one less shell process at runtime. (#115)
  • Added a “files/defaults.yaml” file which contains default YAML properties to reduce the chance of errors found during an upgrade of Zowe when re-using an older YAML configuration file. This file should not be edited but can be reviewed to learn default behaviors, and overridden within user YAML files. (#3883)

Zowe Application Framework

Zlux App Server

  • The app-server can now use Zowe's standardized and simplified AT-TLS configuration simply by toggling zowe.network.server.tls.attls: true or components.app-server.zowe.network.server.tls.attls: true. If you wish to control client tls separately from server tls, you can also use zowe.network.client.tls.attls or components.app-server.zowe.network.client.tls.attls. (#300) (#303)
  • Reduced startup time by removing a check for DNS behavior on node versions 14 and less. Node 14 has not been supported since September 2023. (#304)
  • Reduced startup time by consolidating startup configuration script actions into one process. (#305)

Zlux Server Framework

  • Added function isClientAttls(zoweConfig) within libs/util.js. whenever a plugin makes a network request, it should always use this to determine, if a normally HTTPS request should instead be made as HTTP due to AT-TLS handling the TLS when enabled. (#544)

Zowe Common C

  • Fixed xplatform.loadFileUTF8 when trying to open nonexistent file. (#454)
  • Allocated SLH for http server with configurable value httpRequestHeapMaxBlocks in YAML. (#447)

ZSS

  • Added code to configure the SLH block size of the http server through httpRequestHeapMaxBlocks in the YAML. (#701)

Zowe API Mediation Layer

  • Cloud gateway can now run with AT-TLS enabled in the environment. (#3564)
  • The request buffer size for WebSocket connections is now customizable. (#3609)

Zowe CLI

Zowe CLI (Core)

  • Added the ability to set JCL reader properties for --jobRecordLength, --jobRecordFormat, and --jobEncoding on the zowe jobs submit local-file and zowe jobs submit stdin commands. (#2139)
  • Added the ability to download job spool files using other codepages with --encoding on the zowe jobs download output, zowe jobs view spool-file-by-id, and zowe jobs view all-spool-content commands. This allows users to download job spool files in other languages (i.e. IBM-1147 for French). (#1822)

Zowe CLI Imperative Framework

  • Added the ProfileInfo.profileManagerWillLoad function to verify that the credential manager can load. (#2111)

  • Added support for proxy servers using a proxy http agent. Supports the usage of the environment variables HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY (not case sensitive).

    • If any of these environment variables is set, and depending on how the Zowe session is configured for http or https, the REST client instantiates an appropriate http agent.
    • If the z/OS system uses self-signed certificates then the proxy server must be configured to accept them.
    • If the proxy server itself is configured with self-signed certificates then the user needs to either import these certificates on their workstation, use rejectUnauthorized in their Zowe profile, or use the (not recommended) nodejs variable NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0.
    • Zowe also looks for the environment variable NO_PROXY. These work with a simple comma-separated list of hostnames that need to match with the hostname of the Zowe profile.
  • Added the BufferBuilder utility class to provide a convenient way of downloading to a stream that can be read as a buffer. (#2167)

Zowe Explorer

Zowe Explorer (Core)

  • See the Zowe Explorer changelog for updates included in this release.

Zowe Explorer API

Zowe Explorer FTP Extension

Zowe Explorer ESLint Plug-in

Bug fixes

Zowe Version 2.17.0 contains the bug fixes that are described in the following topics.

Zowe installation and packaging

  • Removed references to nonexistant STC ZWESVSTC from z/OSMF workflows. This was replaced with ZWESLSTC within Zowe v2.x and already existed within the workflows. (#3881)
  • Updated messages ZWEL0121E and ZWEL0122E to clarify how to resolve these errors if encountered. (#3884)
  • Fixed schema validation issue preventing startup when having null entries within the zowe.certificates section of the YAML configuration. (#3905), (#3901)

Zowe Application Framework

Zlux Server Framework

  • Fixed function isServerAttls(zoweConfig) within libs/util.js, which was preventing using AT-TLS with app-server. (#544)

Zowe Common C

  • Fixed an incorrect check in the recovery router code, which might lead to the state cell-pool being released prematurely. (#446)

Zowe API Mediation Layer

  • Updated attls icsf condition. (#3635)
  • Added missing PAT documetantion. (#3618)
  • Added requestConnectionTimeout as a zowe.yaml property. (#3629)
  • Disabled auto conversion for tagged files on z/OS. (#3619)
  • The keystore is now not loaded when AT-TLS is set, thereby allowing ICSF keys. (#3612)
  • Health endpoints can now be optionally protected. (#3625)
  • The external URL in the ZUUL Gateway if AT-TLS is enabled has been corrected. (#3565)
  • The protocol in the start.sh is now specified. (#3593)
  • Fixed consistency between UI titles and messages. (#3502)
  • WebSocket client default timeout is now customizable. (#3613)

Zowe CLI

Zowe CLI (Core)

  • Updated braces dependency for technical currency. (#2157)
  • Fixed zowe daemon enable installing an invalid daemon binary on macOS. (#2126)

Zowe CLI Imperative Framework

  • Fixed error in REST client that when using stream could cause small data sets to download with incomplete contents. (#744)
  • Updated micromatch dependency for technical currency. (#2167)
  • Updated braces dependency for technical currency. (#2157)
  • Modified error text in SyntaxValidator.invalidOptionError. (#2138)
  • Updated error text for invalid command options so that allowable values are displayed as strings instead of regular expressions when possible. (#1863)
  • Fixed issue where the ConfigSecure.securePropsForProfile function did not list secure properties outside the active config layer. (Zowe Explorer #2633)

Zowe Explorer

Zowe Explorer (Core)

  • See the Zowe Explorer changelog for updates included in this release.

Zowe Explorer API

Zowe Explorer FTP Extension

Zowe Explorer ESLint Plug-in

Vulnerabilities fixed

Zowe discloses fixed vulnerabilities in a timely manner giving you sufficient time to plan your upgrades. Zowe does not disclose the vulnerabilities fixed in the latest release as we respect the need for at least 45 days to decide when and how you upgrade Zowe. When a new release is published, Zowe publishes the vulnerabilities fixed in the previous release. For more information about the Zowe security policy, see the Security page on the Zowe website.

The following security issues were fixed by the Zowe security group in version 2.16.

  • CVE-2024-24549 (BDSA-2024-0623)
  • BDSA-2024-0622
  • BDSA-2021-2621
  • BDSA-2023-2855
  • CVE-2023-26159 (BDSA-2023-3572)
  • CVE-2024-28849 (BDSA-2024-0638)
  • CVE-2022-25883 (BDSA-2023-2207)
  • CVE-2024-22243 (BDSA-2024-0402)
  • CVE-2024-22257 (BDSA-2024-0647)