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Apache KIE (Incubating) 10.2.0 Release Announcement

· 5 min read
Kennedy Bowers

We are excited to announce the release of Apache KIE (Incubating) 10.2.0, marking another significant milestone in the project's evolution under the Apache Software Foundation. This release represents a major step forward in modernization and Apache compliance, with substantial improvements to tooling and platform dependencies.

A Major Leap in Modernization​

The 10.2.0 release focuses on critical infrastructure improvements and a transformative update to our editing capabilities. This release removes legacy dependencies and introduces modern tooling that aligns with Apache guidelines and contemporary development practices.

Important Tooling Changes​

New BPMN Editor​

The most significant change in this release is the introduction of the new BPMN Editor. This modern editor replaces the legacy GWT-based tooling and represents a fundamental shift in our approach to process modeling.

Key benefits of the new BPMN Editor:

  • Modern, responsive user interface
  • Improved performance and user experience
  • Better integration with contemporary web technologies
  • Enhanced maintainability and extensibility

Removal of Classic Editors​

As part of our commitment to modernization and Apache compliance, we have removed the classic BPMN and DMN editors. These GWT-based editors have been deprecated in previous releases, and their removal in 10.2.0 brings us one step closer to graduating.

Platform Upgrades​

  • Quarkus upgraded to version 3.27.2 (from 3.15.3.1)
  • Spring Boot upgraded to version 3.5.10 (from 3.4.3)
  • Java 21 support

These updates ensure KIE technologies remain current with the latest Java ecosystem advancements, providing improved performance, security, and feature sets.

Drools​

Rule Engine Enhancements​

  • Fixed critical issues with activation groups and agenda groups
  • Improved executable model generation with deterministic argument ordering
  • Enhanced memory management to prevent leaks in dormant matches
  • Better handling of custom operators in executable model
  • Resolved issues with rule firing after session restoration

Build and Tooling​

  • Improved Maven and Gradle build discovery
  • Enhanced kJar code generation with better error reporting
  • Support for Java versions 19+ in DRL compilation

DMN 1.6 Support​

Both the editor and engine now support the latest DMN 1.6 specification.

jBPM and Kogito​

  • Test Scenario engine modernized to use JUnit 5
  • Gradle 9.2 support for Kogito projects
  • Process Instance Migration (PIM) externalized to independent addon with improved functionality
  • User Tasks major performance improvements with reduced database queries, new indexes, and WS-Human Task Lifecycle support
  • Data Index new Spring Boot persistence addons (JPA and common), improved GraphQL queries, and custom UI support
  • Job Service enhanced reliability with better error handling, configurable retry scheduling, and custom collocated service support
  • Security improvements including OAuth2 token exchange, JWT token parsing, and secured task management API
  • OpenTelemetry support for process instance aware logging and distributed tracing
  • Cloud Events improved event handling with proper headers propagation and Knative eventing support
  • Spring Boot enhanced compatibility with new addons and improved transaction handling

SonataFlow Operator Enhancements​

  • Incorporates native Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA) support for SonataFlow workflows and Data Index service deployments
  • Incorporates native Pod Disruption Budget (PDB) support for SonataFlow workflows and Data Index service deployments
  • Incorporates the ability to configure leader lease parameters for improved operator reliability
  • Enhanced database configuration options for Data Index and Job Service PostgreSQL deployments
  • Improved catalog image management and platform configuration for air-gapped installations
  • Support for configurable Quarkus registry and offline dependency caching

Tooling Updates​

  • PatternFly v5 major UI framework upgrade across all editors and consoles
  • KIE Sandbox GitLab support, improved authentication, and enhanced DMN Runner with lenient/strict mode selection
  • Management Console read-only mode support, improved OpenTelemetry integration, and enhanced user experience
  • Build Tools Gradle plugin improvements, enhanced Maven plugin, and better build discovery
  • Various bug fixes and UX improvements across all tooling components

OptaPlanner​

  • Removed experimental optaplanner-operator to streamline the codebase
  • Documentation migrated to unified kie-docs repository

Acknowledgments​

We would like to extend a special thank you to Alex Procelli for his exceptional work in helping to deliver this release. His dedication and effort were instrumental in bringing 10.2.0 to completion in an accelerated timeframe.

We also want to recognize Tiago Bento for his contribution of the new and improved BPMN Editor. This work represents a major advancement in our tooling capabilities and will benefit the entire Apache KIE community for years to come.

Join the Conversation​

Have questions or want to connect with the community? We encourage all users to join the official user mailing list:

users@kie.apache.org
This is the best place to ask for help, share feedback, or discuss how you are using Apache KIE in your projects.

Download​

Apache KIE (Incubating) 10.2.0 is available now. Visit the official download page for the artifacts and to explore what's new.

We welcome your feedback and contributions. Thank you for being part of this growing community and supporting our journey toward a more modern, Apache-compliant future.