Upgrades to Adobe® LiveCycle® Enterprise Suite 2.5 (ES2.5) software have been designed with one goal in mind: to protect the assets you and your organization have created using previous generations of LiveCycle ES software. LiveCycle ES2.5 is available in October 2010. Previous generations of software that can be migrated to LiveCycle ES2.5 include LiveCycle ES and ES Update 1, LiveCycle 7.0, LiveCycle 6.0, and a range of older enterprise server products.
To learn more about the benefits of upgrading to LiveCycle ES2.5, choose the tab that best represents your current software version.
LiveCycle ES2
Upgrading to LiveCycle ES2.5
- What is Adobe LiveCycle ES2.5?
- Adobe LiveCycle Enterprise Suite 2.5 (ES2.5) consists of major functional enhancements on top of the same architectural base provided by ES2. LiveCycle ES2.5 includes new and function-refreshed LiveCycle modules and tooling as noted below. There are also new solution accelerators that are licensed for production use and are supported under the LiveCycle ES Support plans. The solution accelerators released as part of ES2.5 can be installed on an existing ES2 system with Service Pack 2 or later applied.
- How does Adobe LiveCycle ES2.5 compare to LiveCycle ES2?
- ES2.5 adds new functionality as described below which should be installed on an ES2 system that has been upgraded to Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later. Details on SP2 can be found in the release notes and the readme. The version numbers of items included in the service pack will be 9.0.0.2 if they are maintenance updates. Note that a few parts of the ES2 about boxes identify themselves as 9.0.0.0 SP2; this is the same as 9.0.0.2. The version number of items that have substantial improvements will be 9.5.
- What are the new functional areas and improvements in ES2.5 beyond the Service Pack?
- Functionally enhanced LiveCycle Modules that are available with ES2.5 include:
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- Adobe LiveCycle Mosaic 9.5 – Adds application user-facing enhancements including tile permission controls, skinning and new catalog APIs.
- Adobe LiveCycle Workbench 9.5 – Adds several developer productivity enhancements including viewing server logs in Workbench, improved debugging, new wizards and enhanced interactivity around process variable usage. In addition, form asset relationship analysis is now included.
- Adobe LiveCycle Collaboration Service – Adds a revamped and enhanced software development kit for building real-time multiuser collaboration into rich Internet applications. Key improvements include new JavaScript APIs, screen-sharing, and recording/playback. The Collaboration Service is a hosted service available without the need for a LiveCycle server installation.
- Adobe LiveCycle 9.5 Connector for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 – Adds functional enhancements such as integration with LiveCycle Rights Management ES2 and support for SharePoint Server 2010.
- Adobe LiveCycle Mobile 9.5 – Supersedes the Adobe LiveCycle ES2 Workspace Mobile offering. Provides client and server functionality to support LiveCycle applications that use LiveCycle Process Management task management, LiveCycle Forms data capture and LiveCycle Content Services content access on a variety of smart mobile client platforms.
- Three new solution accelerators are now available and are supported. These require ES2 SP2 or later be installed before the solution accelerator is installed./dd>
- Correspondence Management Solution Accelerator 9.5 – Enable business users to dynamically create personalized communications using preapproved layouts and content to provide consistent high quality customer correspondence such as creating a customized claims letter.
- Interactive Statements Solution Accelerator 9.5 – Use interactive statements to engage customers in unique ways to allow direct communications with your business to enable various self services-capabilities such as credit card statements.
- Managed Review & Approval Solution Accelerator 9.5 – Rapidly deliver managed review, commenting, and approval solutions for applications such as legal/contracts review, manufacturing design review, and any other procedure-based review and approval workflows.
- Must SP2 be installed before these various modules?
- There are dependencies for each module and solution accelerator.
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- Solution accelerators, Mosaic 9.5 and the SharePoint Connector require SP2 or later ES2 service packs.
- Workbench 9.5 is installed on the developer desktop and will work with any ES2, whether ES, ES2 SP1 or ES2 SP2, although 9.5 is suggested for use with SP2. Workbench 9.5 is required for use with the three solution accelerators.
- LiveCycle Mobile 9.5 will work with any ES2 system for task management and content access; SP2 or later is required for data capture.
- Adobe has promoted solution accelerators in conjunction with LiveCycle ES2 before. What happens to these solutions and the earlier generations of solution accelerators?
- The Human Capital Applications, Benefits & Services Delivery, and Customer Acquisition Solution Accelerators will be removed from our LiveCycle Developer Center and moved to limited availability status - contact Adobe to get access to these earlier generations.
- What is involved applying the ES2 Service Pack 2 onto a ES2 or ES2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) system?
- SP2 consists of a service pack level revision to ES2 for the LiveCycle modules. Applying a Service Pack will cause current ES2 based applications to start using the fixes and improvements automatically. The majority of modules that have undergone changes at the service pack level will retain their "Adobe LiveCycle <module name> 9" moniker. Any reference to version 9.0.0.2 represents a component that has changed from the original 9.0.0.0 version of ES2 to the Service Pack 2 version.
- How do I migrate applications from ES2 to ES2.5?
- Applications built using standard LiveCycle ES2 modules will run on LiveCycle ES2.5 without any manual changes. The service pack deployment process will update the LiveCycle module components from ES2 to ES2 SP2; no extra effort or changes to your application are required.
- Do I need to migrate to LiveCycle Workbench 9.0 to 9.5 to work with LiveCycle ES2.5?
- Yes. It is best practice to run Workbench and the LiveCycle server at the compatible version levels (Workbench 9.5 and LiveCycle Server 9.0.0.2 in this case).
- Has any of the supported software that LiveCycle depends on changed between ES2 and ES2.5?
- Changes to service packs and patch levels for individual third party software and components may be required. No changes have been made to major or minor versions of application servers, databases and operating systems. Please refer to the "Supported Platform Combinations" web page for these updates.
- What are the new capabilities of LiveCycle Workbench 9.5 in ES2.5?
- These are listed in the Workbench 9.5 "what's new" in the help. This can be found at http://help.adobe.com/en_US/LiveCycle/9.5/WorkbenchHelp/WS23d4f3b60a74969d-69d765ea12b0b5afacf-8000.html.
- Where can I find more information on LiveCycle?
- For access to tutorials, technical documentation, sample code, and more, visit the Adobe LiveCycle Developer Center.
- How can I get access to LiveCycle for longer term development and development support?
- If you would like to evaluate LiveCycle for a limited period free of charge, take advantage of our trial download.
- If you would like to evaluate all the LiveCycle modules and get enterprise support during your effort, join the Adobe Enterprise Developer Program.
Module upgrades
- LiveCycle Business Activity Monitoring ES2
- LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES
- LiveCycle Content Services ES2
- LiveCycle Data Services ES2
- LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES2
- LiveCycle ES2 Connectors for ECM
- LiveCycle Forms ES2
- LiveCycle Output ES2
- LiveCycle PDF Generator ES2
- LiveCycle Process Management ES2
- LiveCycle Production Print ES2
- LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES2
- LiveCycle Rights Management ES2
Contact Adobe
LiveCycle ES or Update 1
Upgrading to LiveCycle ES2
- What new software modules are included in Adobe LiveCycle ES2?
- There is one new module offered as part of Adobe LiveCycle ES2, called LiveCycle Mosaic ES2. Mosaic offers a composite application framework to deliver rich Internet applications that improve employee productivity by making it easier for users to access critical information for more informed decision-making.
- In LiveCycle ES2, Adobe is offering the Barcoded Forms module as part of Adobe LiveCycle Reader® Extensions ES2.
- What are the key enhancements to LiveCycle Workbench ES2?
- The LiveCycle Workbench ES2 integrated development environment (IDE) now includes these capabilities:
- Take advantage of a single, unified authoring tool with versioning, check-in/checkout, and granular access controls for creating PDF forms, LiveCycle Output ES2 templates, form guides, business processes, and Java™ components.
- Design easy-to-use Guides with a Guide Builder perspective that allows you to quickly create an Adobe Flash® technology–based application that guides the user through a typical data capture process such as an online form.
- Streamline development by using a common data model that enables developers to write applications at a higher level, reducing the amount of code and simplifying data integration in the development of your application.
- Dynamically create sophisticated document packages and interactive PDF Portfolios.
- Leverage existing resources with a common repository.
- Simplify testing and deployment by previewing your business process, including testing form and Flex® user interfaces, and recording the process results.
- What are the key enhancements to LiveCycle Foundation?
- LiveCycle Foundation now includes these capabilities:
- Reference real-time graphical server health statistics within the LiveCycle administration UI.
- Work in maintenance mode to streamline and reduce operational costs from upgrades or system maintenance by suspending all asynchronous operations.
- What are the additions to the platform matrix?
- The platform matrix now includes:
- IBM WebSphere 7.0
- Oracle WebLogic 10gR3
- JBoss EAP 4.3
- What are the steps required to upgrade?
- The LiveCycle upgrade is similar to any other upgrade of enterprise software. Adobe recommends that you first upgrade and test a development environment before you upgrade and test your staging and production environments.
- The LiveCycle ES2 installation and configuration process provides an upgrade mode. If selected, your existing content will automatically be available in the new system.
- If I upgrade to LiveCycle ES2, does everyone in my organization need to upgrade to Adobe Reader 9?
- No. When you upgrade your server to LiveCycle ES2, users inside and outside your organization who use PDF forms created by LiveCycle will not have to upgrade to Adobe Reader 9 software. LiveCycle ES2 has been designed to work with Reader 7.0.5 and later, Reader 8, and Reader 9. The only reason users may need to upgrade their Reader software is if your form authors choose to use some of the new form features provided by LiveCycle ES2.
- If my organization is upgrading to Reader 9, do I need to upgrade to LiveCycle ES2?
- No. Adobe Reader can be upgraded independently of LiveCycle. Reader 9 has been tested with LiveCycle ES and LiveCycle 7.0. As long as your users don't use any special features of Adobe Acrobat® or Reader 9, they can use the newer version of the client with the old version of the server.
- How do I request an upgrade?
- If your organization holds a current maintenance and support contract, your designated point of contact receives an e-mail containing a complimentary upgrade coupon and detailed instructions on the process when each new version is released. If you don't have access to this e-mail or if you would like to learn more about the process, contact Adobe Customer Service.
- Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle ES2?
- Yes. You can download most of the modules as part of the Adobe LiveCycle trial.
Module upgrades
- LiveCycle Business Activity Monitoring ES2
- LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES
- LiveCycle Content Services ES2
- LiveCycle Data Services ES2
- LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES2
- LiveCycle ES2 Connectors for ECM
- LiveCycle Forms ES2
- LiveCycle Output ES2
- LiveCycle PDF Generator ES2
- LiveCycle Process Management ES2
- LiveCycle Production Print ES2
- LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES2
- LiveCycle Rights Management ES2
Contact Adobe
LiveCycle 7.x
Upgrading from LiveCycle 7.x to LiveCycle ES2
- Why the new name? And what does ES mean?
- Enhancements to LiveCycle between version 7.0 and ES were so significant that simply giving it a new version number didn't adequately emphasize its real business value. ES stands for Enterprise Suite. The word "enterprise" was chosen because LiveCycle ES is designed to address specific problems within large-scale enterprise IT environments. The word "suite" reflects the transition of LiveCycle from a family of individual products to a unified, integrated system for developing and delivering applications.
- How do I identify the latest generation for my LiveCycle version 7.x product?
- The following chart maps version 7.x products with LiveCycle ES2 modules.
Version 7.x products LiveCycle ES2 upgrade path LiveCycle Forms 7.x LiveCycle Forms ES2 LiveCycle Print 7.x LiveCycle Output ES2 LiveCycle PDF Generator 7.x (all editions) LiveCycle PDF Generator ES2 LiveCycle Assembler 7.x LiveCycle PDF Generator ES2 LiveCycle Barcoded Forms 7.x LiveCycle Reader Extension ES2 LiveCycle Barcoded Forms 7.x ST LiveCycle Reader Extension ES2 LiveCycle Reader Extensions 7.x LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES2 Flex Data Services 2 Departmental LiveCycle Data Services ES2 Flex Data Services 2 Enterprise LiveCycle Data Services ES2 LiveCycle Policy Server 7.x LiveCycle Rights Management ES2 LiveCycle Document Security 7.x LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES2 LiveCycle Workflow 7.x LiveCycle Process Management ES2 LiveCycle Designer 7.x LiveCycle Designer ES2 - How is the LiveCycle ES2 development environment different from LiveCycle 7.0?
- In LiveCycle 7.0, developers previously used different tools for various tasks — creating forms and output templates, designing processes, managing process orchestration, and so on. This multitool environment complicated collaboration for development teams. With LiveCycle ES2, all development tasks come together in the familiar Eclipse™ based development environment of LiveCycle Workbench ES2.
Module upgrades
- LiveCycle Business Activity Monitoring ES2
- LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES
- LiveCycle Content Services ES2
- LiveCycle Data Services ES2
- LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES2
- LiveCycle ES2 Connectors for ECM
- LiveCycle Forms ES2
- LiveCycle Output ES2
- LiveCycle PDF Generator ES2
- LiveCycle Process Management ES2
- LiveCycle Production Print ES2
- LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES2
- LiveCycle Rights Management ES2
Contact Adobe
Previous generations
Upgrading from earlier generations to LiveCycle ES2
- What is involved in upgrading from previous generation enterprise server products to LiveCycle ES2?
- Moving from other Adobe server products to LiveCycle ES2 is a true migration. You'll want to prepare your teams to recode applications and re-create processes. They'll also need to redesign templates for applications that dynamically generate interactive forms or personalized documents from enterprise data. Adobe and many Adobe solution partners have consulting services available to assist your enterprise throughout the process.
- What is involved in migrating from Adobe Central Pro Output Server or Adobe Web Output Pak to LiveCycle Output ES2?
- While Adobe continues to sell and support this product family, LiveCycle Output ES is offered as the designated replacement product for customers who own Adobe Central Output Server, Adobe Central Pro Output Server, and Adobe Web Output Pak. To learn more about the advantages of moving to LiveCycle Output ES, read the Move to LiveCycle ES FAQ. For detailed information about the migration process, read the Adobe Central Output Server Migration Guide — A Technical Guide for Migrating to LiveCycle Output ES (PDF, ).
- What is involved in migrating from LiveCycle 6.0 to LiveCycle ES2?
- If you're a LiveCycle Forms 6.0 user, you may have to migrate your forms, and you may have to migrate applications that use the Forms 6.0 APIs. When LiveCycle Forms ES2 detects that it is rendering a form that was originally targeted for Forms 6.0, it will render it in a compatibility mode that preserves the way the form looks and behaves. But once you make any changes to the form in LiveCycle Designer ES2, it will render differently. You'll have to update your form so that it renders the way you want. Some of the APIs have been changed as well, so you may need to port your applications to use the new LiveCycle ES APIs instead.
- What is involved in migrating from Adobe Workflow 6.0 to LiveCycle ES2?
- If you are an Adobe LiveCycle Workflow 6.0 customer, you'll have to re-create your processes. LiveCycle ES2 is a Java based application, while Workflow 6.0 is a native Microsoft® Windows® application. There is no compatibility between Workflow 6.0 and LiveCycle ES2. Your forms fall into the same situation as LiveCycle Forms 6.0 customers. They will render in LiveCycle ES2, but as soon as you make modifications to them in LiveCycle Designer ES2, you may have to modify the forms to get them to render as they did previously.
- What is involved in migrating from Adobe Form Server 5.0 or other form-based products to LiveCycle ES2?
- Form Server 5.0 customers will have to migrate to LiveCycle ES2 in two distinct steps. The first step is to import all your form templates into LiveCycle Designer ES2. Your forms must be converted to the LiveCycle ES2 format to be rendered. Much of the layout in your original forms will be preserved. You will also have to rescript any events that you have configured to execute because the scripting model and language are different in LiveCycle ES2. Your previous scripts will be commented out during the import, so you can easily see what they used to do.
- You'll also have to port your applications that used the Form Server 5.0 APIs to the new LiveCycle ES2 APIs.
- What is involved in migrating from Adobe Document Server to LiveCycle ES2?
- There are several types of users of Adobe Document Server. If you're using Adobe Document Server to assemble documents, you'll have to convert your Adobe Document Server XML commands files to the new DDX files. DDX files give you more flexibility to create and manipulate your PDF files.
- If you're using Adobe Document Server to extract data from AcroForms, you'll need to re-create your forms in LiveCycle Designer ES2. You can import your PDF form as an artwork layer and then re-create the interactive elements on top of it. Once you re-create your form in Designer ES2, you'll be able to read and write XML data to and from your form. Once your form reads and writes XML, you will be able to more easily pass the data to and from your enterprise applications.
- You should continue to use Adobe Document Server if you're using the XSL-FO layout or image manipulation features.
- If I have Adobe Document Server, which LiveCycle modules do I migrate to?
- Adobe Document Server customers have a variety of migration path options. To learn more, read the Adobe Document Server next-steps web page or the migration FAQ (PDF, 145k).
- My company also licensed Adobe Document Server for Reader Extensions. What is the upgrade path for that product?
- Adobe Document Server for Reader Extensions upgrades to Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES2, which activates hidden functionality within Adobe Reader to enable capabilities such as form fill-in and save, annotations, signatures, and more.
- What is involved in migrating from Adobe Acrobat Elements Server 6.0?
- Acrobat Elements Server 6.0 customers will have to pay close attention to any applications that your organization created with the Acrobat Elements Server APIs. The Acrobat Elements Server 6.0 APIs are no longer available in LiveCycle ES, so you will have to port your applications to use the new LiveCycle PDF Generator ES2 APIs. The same types of operations are possible, so all you should have to do is swap out the old calls for the new ones.
- Are there other previous-generation products?
- There are many other legacy products that you can migrate to Adobe LiveCycle ES2. For each product that generates interactive forms or dynamically generated documents, you'll have to migrate your templates by either importing them into Designer ES2 or re-creating them. You'll also have to port your applications to use the new LiveCycle ES2 APIs.
- How do I know if my previous-generation product is still supported?
- To learn more about Adobe enterprise support policies, visit the Support Lifecycle Policy page.
- View a complete matrix of product versions and technical support periods.
- How do I request an upgrade?
- If your organization holds a current maintenance and support contract, your designated point of contact receives an e-mail containing a complimentary upgrade coupon and detailed instructions on the process when each new version is released. If you don't have access to this e-mail or if you would like to learn more about the process, contact Adobe Customer Service.
Module upgrades
- LiveCycle Business Activity Monitoring ES2
- LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES
- LiveCycle Content Services ES2
- LiveCycle Data Services ES2
- LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES2
- LiveCycle ES2 Connectors for ECM
- LiveCycle Forms ES2
- LiveCycle Output ES2
- LiveCycle PDF Generator ES2
- LiveCycle Process Management ES2
- LiveCycle Production Print ES2
- LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES2
- LiveCycle Rights Management ES2
