What You Get by Moving to Automic 24

Version 24 swaps Automic’s old database code page for UTF-8. That single change widens column capacity and clears the way for a cleaner, more consistent data store – exactly what Broadcom highlights in the upgrade notes and webinar. Broadcom also shifted to year-based numbering, so “24.x” equals the 2024 major release and stays in mainstream support until 2029.

The Web Interface gets modest but welcome polish. Search runs faster, right-click menus feel smoother, and navigation flows better, yet the overall layout stays familiar. Users won’t need retraining; they’ll just notice fewer clicks.

RMT advises teams to land on 24.3 rather than the newest dot version. Moving to the “n-1” release sidesteps bugs that sometimes surface in a brand-new build while still keeping the environment current. In short, version 24 delivers a UTF-8 foundation, five years of vendor coverage, and usability tweaks that tidy day-to-day work – all without turning the interface upside down.

Technical Prerequisites

Start with the basics. Make sure the source SQL Server already runs 2017 or newer; anything older stops Broadcom’s UTF-8 migration pack before it begins. Next, have the DBA spin up a fresh UTF-8 schema on the same database engine – the workflow needs that landing zone in place ahead of time.

Now audit your environment. List every integration and action pack, then verify each one still carries Broadcom support in version 24. If a pack is retired, swap or refactor it before cut-over.

Finally, draft a rollback plan and get change control to bless it. RMT’s upgrade-strategy template calls for restart steps, connection-string toggles, and clear validation checks so you can pivot fast if something misbehaves. Tick off these tasks before you import the migration package and the rest of the upgrade turns into routine execution instead of a fire drill.

Choose Your Upgrade Path

You’ve got two clear ways to land on v24. The quick route is Broadcom’s UTF-8 Migration Package. It runs in three stages – Initial 0, Running 2, Final 3 – and the first two stages copy data while production keeps running. 

The workflow lifts every object, execution record, password, and configuration into a fresh UTF-8 schema. One requirement: source and target databases must share the same engine, because the package depends on cross-schema links. Broadcom cites about 45 minutes per 100 GB, so a 500 GB cluster finishes the first pass in roughly five hours.

If you need to switch database platforms or you’re on a release earlier than 12.3, use the classic unload/load utilities instead. That path moves only object definitions; execution history stays behind, and teams must re-enter passwords and re-enable schedules after v24 starts.

Step-by-Step Guide to Running the UTF-8 Migration Package

1. Import the UTF-8 migration pack into your Automic 21 environment and open the Setup Objects folder. You’ll see two connection objects – fill them out so the database agent can reach both the source and the new UTF-8 schema.

2. Start with Stage 0, the Initial copy, which performs a full data copy while production keeps running and gives you a timing baseline.

3. When you’re closer to cut-over, run Stage 1, the Refresh copy, to capture everything that changed since Stage 0 – again, no downtime is needed.

4. During the scheduled outage window, launch Stage 2, the Final copy. Stop the Automic 21 engines, let the workflow perform its last delta, and watch for the email that includes two SQL scripts.

5. A DBA runs those scripts on the target schema to unpack the transported data and move the message-queue tables.

6. With the data in place, execute the Automic load utility to upgrade the schema to version 24, update your INI files, and start the new engines. Log in to the AWI; your schedules, execution history, passwords, and LDAP settings should appear exactly as before.

7. Validate. If everything checks out, the cut-over is done.

Post-Upgrade Must-Dos

After the v24 engines start, look at the agents. RMT recommends upgrading them so every component shares the same support level, yet it isn’t mandatory: version 24 accepts agents from 21 and newer over the Java Communication Process, and older agents can still connect through the TLS Gateway or a legacy CP. Ideally, bring all agents to v24 during the same project to keep maintenance simple.

Next, install Automic Analytics straight on v24; You don’t need to stage it on 21 first. Finish by opening the Web Interface for a quick check. 

Because the UTF-8 migration package copies every object definition, execution record, password, and LDAP setting, your schedules and history should appear exactly as they did before cut-over. If they do, the upgrade is complete and production runs on a fully supported release with Broadcom’s mainstream support.