Overview - MySQL Connector/J 5.1

This Release Note covers all point releases for MySQL Connector/J 5.1 that are offered by eApps. Upgrade instructions are included.

MySQL Connector/J 5.1 is only available for Virtual Servers running CentOS 6 or CentOS 7. If you are on a CentOS 5 (Webmin) or CentOS 4 (VPS) plan and need MySQL Connector/J 5.1, you will need to migrate to a CentOS 6 or CentOS 7 plan. Contact eApps Sales for more information.

MySQL Connector/J 5.1 is a major release of the MySQL Java Connector. This release has introduced new functionality and significant changes to the existing MySQL Connector/J. If you are upgrading from any prior version of MySQL Connector/J to MySQL Connector/J 5.1, there is a HIGH RISK of data loss and downtime if you do not carefully test your existing database and application with this new version.

eApps recommends, as a best practice, to maintain a staging server where you can test software upgrades before moving them into production. This approach will allow you to minimize the risk of data loss and downtime of your production service when performing software upgrades. If necessary, you can rebuild your staging Virtual Server on demand so that you have a fresh installation to test on. If you need more information about setting up a Virtual Server for staging or testing, please contact eApps Sales.

IMPORTANT: MySQL Connector/J 5.1 has an extensive list of new features and changes. See the Official MySQL Connector/J Release Notes for a list of changes that may cause issues when upgrading: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/connector-j/en/news-5-1.html. Please read this document carefully to understand all the changes in the MySQL Connector/J 5.1 release. Upgrading to this version may significantly impact the operation of your database and applications. All MySQL Connector/J documentation is located here: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/connector-j/en/index.html

eApps Release Notes for MySQL Connector/J 5.1.37
eApps Release Notes for MySQL Connector/J 5.1.31

How to Upgrade
MySQL Connector/J 5.1.x to MySQL Connector/J 5.1.y (newer version)

Highlighted Features and Fixes in MySQL Connector/J 5.1.37

Features

• Support for JSON data type
• Compatible with Java SE 8
• Support for Eclipse 4.4

Fixes

• Fix for Connector/J using incorrect timestamps when server was set to GMT and client to local time
• Other authentication protocols will be tried if server is set for SHA256 but Connector/J authentication is not set

The Official Release Notes for MySQL Connector/J are available here - http://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/connector-j/en/news-5-1-37.html

Highlighted Features and Fixes in MySQL Connector/J 5.1.31

Features

MySQL Connector/J 5.1.31 is a bug fix and security release, no new major features have been added

Fixes

• Fixed the misspelling of gatherPerfMetrics that was causing performance metrics to not be logged
• Error in profileSQL causing a memory leak was fixed
• The StringUtils.getBytes methods have been refactored

The Official Release Notes for MySQL Connector/J 5.1.31 are available here - http://dev.mysql.com/doc/relnotes/connector-j/en/news-5-1-31.html

How to Upgrade

It is your responsibility to ensure that your application will work on the newer version of MySQL Connector/J. There may be incompatibilities that will affect how your application works. Please make sure that you have read the official Release Notes and Changelog, and have done any necessary testing before upgrading a production application.

Before upgrading MySQL Connector/J make a backup of your database. Follow the instructions for your database: MySQL or MariaDB.

You should also make a backup of your application, your configuration, and any tunings or changes you have made. If you do not have current backups and something goes wrong during the upgrade process, you could have data loss.

To upgrade MySQL Connector/J, you will need to work from the command line using SSH, and you will need to be able to work as the root user. You will need to use yum to upgrade the application.

MySQL Connector/J 5.1.x to MySQL Connector/J 5.1.y (newer version)

To update MySQL Connector/J to the newest version, you will need to use the yum update mysql-connector-java command as the root user.

[root@eapps-example ~]# yum update mysql-connector-java

Once the update is complete, test your applications to make sure they are working as expected.