Server Software Requirements

This page describes the server software requirements for Weave.

Java

The Weave web application requires Java to run, but as part of the installation process a suitable Java runtime can be installed along with the rest of the Weave components. During the installation process you can choose to use an existing Java runtime for running Weave, if it meets the minimum requirements, or you can have the Weave installer install the bundled Java runtime. The Java runtime that's bundled with the release is 8 and is suitable for both Windows and Linux.

If however you are trying to install Weave directly from the installation file or you've copied the installer to a remote server that you don't have hardware access to, then you'll need to, at least temporarily, install a Java runtime on the server. The Java runtime used for the installer does not have the same requirements as the Java runtime required to run Weave itself, so an older Java installation may be suitable.

Java Licencing.

Cohga supplies version 8 of Java with Weave by default.  This supplied version of Java 8 does not have updates enabled and is fixed at the version, as installed.

The Oracle JDK FAQ clearly states that if you download and use a version of Java prior to April 16, 2019, it is not affected by the new license agreement. See here: https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/overview/oracle-jdk-faqs.html

Specifically these two sections:

What versions are available under the Binary Code License for Java SE (“BCL”)?
Oracle Java SE versions (including updates) released prior to April 16, 2019 are the only versions licensed under the BCL license. 

What happens to the Oracle Java SE releases I downloaded under previous licenses, such as the BCL?
You may continue to use releases you have downloaded under the terms of the license under which you downloaded them. Legacy releases are still available in the Java Archives. Note that older versions of the JRE and JDK are provided to help developers debug issues in older systems. They are not updated with the latest security patches and are not recommended for use in production. Oracle strongly recommends that you remain on an up-to-date version of Java with the latest performance, stability and security updates. 

Importantly, later releases of Weave will use the OpenJDK version of Java. This does not have the licence restrictions as does the Oracle version.  If your site wants to run a more updated version of Oracle Java 8 then you will need to purchase a license from Oracle. In simple terms, the licence change introduced by Oracle in 2019 will not affect the running of your Weave system today, and not in the future.

Application Servers

Cohga supports the application servers listed on the page Supported Platforms, provided they are running on Windows, Linux, a UNIX-based operating system (such as NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD and Solaris). If you have no preference for a particular application server and wish to set up Weave for production purposes, we highly recommend installing our standalone version, which includes the Jetty application server.

Weave supports the application server versions listed below. We may ask you to migrate to one of the supported application servers before we can provide you with further support.

• Jetty --- 9.4+
• Apache Tomcat --- 8.5+

Antivirus Software Configuration

The presence of antivirus software on your operating system running Weave greatly decreases the performance of Weave. Antivirus software that intercepts access to the hard disk is particularly detrimental and may even cause errors in Weave.

You should configure your antivirus software to ignore the following directories:

• Weave home directory
• All database-related directories