As new versions of VisibleThread—formerly known as VT Docs—are released, we recommend upgrading your customer-hosted instance to:
- Access the latest features
- Apply security patches
- Receive performance and stability improvements
Important: Test the upgrade in a non-production environment before upgrading your production system. Take a backup or server snapshot before proceeding.
License requirement for VisibleThread 7+
VisibleThread 7+ requires a newly formatted license file.
After completing the upgrade, email support@visiblethread.com to request the new license file.
Include the following information in your request:
- Operating system: RHEL 8, RHEL 9, OEL 8, OEL 9, etc.
- VisibleThread version: 7.2.1
Prerequisites
Before starting the upgrade, confirm that your environment meets the following requirements.
System requirements
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Processor: 2 vCPUs
-
Disk space: Approximately 100 GB available for
/var/ -
PostgreSQL: Version 16 or later
To check your current PostgreSQL version, run:
psql --version
If your PostgreSQL version is lower than 16, follow the guide below to upgrade PostgreSQL on your RHEL-based system: How to Upgrade PostgreSQL to Version 16+ for VisibleThread 7+ on Red Hat 9
You MUST upgrade to PostgreSQL 16 before proceeding with the upgrade.
Backup requirements
Take a snapshot of the server before proceeding.
We also recommend creating a database backup by running the following commands from an elevated Windows Command Prompt:
cd /opt/visiblethread/VisibleThreadTools" vt-backup.sh
Important: Confirm that the backup completed successfully before continuing with the upgrade.
Download the installers
Download the following RPM packages directly to your RHEL-based server.
VisibleThread 7.2.1
MD5 checksum:
7883e15251988d84a6f810cd2aa9f59d
VTAPI
MD5 checksum:
00da16f4ba72598b5d10829b3853efa7
VTRAG
https://visiblethread.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/public/download/vtrag-1.0.7-1.x86_64.rpm
MD5 checksum:
a37477a057c8737b2264e3a1bfa825aa
You can use the checksums to confirm that the downloaded file has not been corrupted or modified.
Install the upgrade
Install VisibleThread 7.2.1
From the directory containing the downloaded RPM file, run:
sudo yum install -y visiblethread-docs-7.2.1-1.x86_64.rpm
Wait for the installation command to complete successfully.
Monitor application startup
After the installation finishes, allow VisibleThread 7+ to start before proceeding with the remaining upgrade steps.
A database version migration runs automatically during the first startup after the upgrade. The time required depends on the size of the existing database.
Monitor the application log by running:
tail -f /opt/visiblethread/tomcat/logs/catalina.out
Wait until the log displays a line containing:
'application startup'
Note: Application startup may take 5–10 minutes or longer, depending on the size of the existing database. Do not proceed with the remaining upgrade steps until startup has completed.
After confirming that the application has started, press Ctrl+C to stop following the log. You can also verify startup is completed by navigating to your VT web server: https://myserver.example.com and seeing the login page.
Install VTAPI
After confirming that VisibleThread has started successfully, install the VTAPI package.
From the directory containing the VTAPI RPM file, run:
sudo yum install -y visiblethread-api-1.0.10-1.x86_64.rpm
Configure and provision VTAPI
After installing the VTAPI package, open the provisioning script:
sudo nano /usr/share/vtapi/setup/provision.sh
In the script, locate and comment out only the following lines:
java_install db_install
The updated lines should appear as:
# java_install # db_install
Important: Do not comment out or modify any other lines in the provisioning script.
Save the changes and exit Nano:
- Press Ctrl+O, then press Enter to save.
- Press Ctrl+X to exit.
Run the provisioning script:
sudo /usr/share/vtapi/setup/provision.sh
Wait for the script to complete successfully before proceeding.
Install VTRAG
Install the VTRAG package.
From the directory containing the VTRA RPM file, run:
sudo yum install -y vtrag-1.0.7-1.x86_64.rpm
Configure and provision VTRAG
After installing the VTRAG package, open the provisioning script:
sudo nano /opt/vtrag/setup/provision.sh
In the script, locate and comment out only the following lines:
java_install db_install
The updated lines should appear as:
# java_install # db_install
Important: Do not comment out or modify any other lines in the provisioning script.
Save the changes and exit Nano:
- Press Ctrl+O, then press Enter to save.
- Press Ctrl+X to exit.
Run the provisioning script:
sudo /opt/vtrag/setup/provision.sh
Wait for the script to complete successfully before proceeding.
Verify the upgrade
After the installer completes:
- Open a supported web browser.
- Navigate to:
https://myserver.example.com
- Confirm that the VisibleThread sign-in screen loads.
- Verify that the expected version number, such as 7.2.1, appears on the sign-in screen.
- Sign in and confirm that the application is operating normally.
Bypass SSO for system administrator access
If Single Sign-On prevents you from accessing the standard sign-in screen, use the system administrator login URL:
/#/systemAdminLoginFor example:
https://myserver.example.com/#/systemAdminLoginSign in using an authorized VisibleThread system administrator account, then verify that the upgraded application and administrative features are working correctly. If you do not have any System Admin credentials, you can create a new set by following this guide: How to Create System Admin Logins with Back-end scripts.
Request the new license file
After verifying the upgrade, email support@visiblethread.com and request a VisibleThread 7+ license file.
Include:
- Your organization name
- The deployment operating system: RHEL 8, RHEL 9, OEL 8, OEL 9, or Other
- The installed VisibleThread version: 7.2.1
After receiving the new license file from VisibleThread support, apply the new license file by clicking Upload License under the System Admin > License tab.