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Update Patches to Mule

Patch updates are cumulative releases that include the latest bug fixes and security enhancements to a specific patch (x.y.z) version, plus all previously released features and fixes for that patch version.

A patch update version appends an update identifier such as -20210622 to the release version, for example, 4.3.0-20210622 for the Mule 4.3.0 release. You can find release notes for monthly Mule runtime engine patch updates in MuleSoft Release Note Summary by Month.

For Mule 4.5 and later, the version naming convention for CloudHub, CloudHub 2.0, and Runtime Fabric changes following the schema for the new release channels, Edge and Long-term Support (LTS).

Major[numeric] . Minor[numeric] . Patch[numeric] : Build[numeric] Channel[e for edge, nothing for LTS]

Here are examples of the version numbers:

  • Edge: 4.5.0:1e

  • Edge: 4.6.0:1e

  • LTS: 4.6.0:1

In the case of Standalone (On-Premises), the Mule runtime versioning changes from date-based, for example, 4.4.0-20230317 to semVer as:

Major[numeric] . Minor[numeric] . Patch[numeric]

Here are examples of the version numbers:

  • 4.5.1

  • 4.5.2

  • 4.5.3

See Edge and LTS Releases for Mule.

Patch Update Schedule

For Mule 4.5 and Later Versions

Starting with Mule 4.5, MuleSoft introduces two new release channels, Edge and Long-term Support (LTS). Both release channels are available in all our deployment models: Anypoint Runtime Fabric, CloudHub, CloudHub 2.0, and Hybrid Standalone. Consider the following factors to determine the approach that best suits your requirements ahead of the Mule 4.4 End of Standard Support.

Channel Type Release Cadence Recommended Customer Profile Differentiators Support Coverage

Edge

Three times per year:

  • February

  • June

  • October

  • CloudHub and CloudHub 2.0

  • Includes new features on a frequent release cadence with shorter maintenance coverage.

  • Versions are not FedRAMP approved.

For versions 4.5 to 4.7:

  • 4 months of Standard Support

  • 4 months of Extended Support

For version 4.8 and later:

  • 5 months of Standard Support

  • 3 months of Extended Support

LTS

Annual:

  • February

On-premises:

  • Hybrid Standalone

  • Runtime Fabric

  • Includes new features introduced in prior Edge releases, along with new features introduced in the February Edge release. This release is maintained for an extended period over being the first to adopt new capabilities.

  • Versions are FedRAMP approved.

For version 4.6 and later:

  • 18 months of Standard Support

  • 6 months of Extended Support

In February, both Edge and LTS release with the same underlying version, including a minor Mule runtime version and new features.

For Mule 4.4. and Previous Versions

Each month, MuleSoft releases updates to selected Mule patch releases. In some cases, MuleSoft also releases updates outside of this timeframe, typically to expedite the delivery of more critical security updates.

Update strategies differ by product.

  On-premises (Standalone) Mule CloudHub Anypoint Runtime Fabric

On the first full week of the month, updates to Mule patches are available. MuleSoft provides updates only for patch versions that received bug fixes or security enhancements for the month.

Yes

Yes

Yes

You can continue to use a previous update to a Mule patch until the third full week of the month after the latest patch update is released.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Your new deployments require use of the latest patch update during the third full week of the month.

No

Yes

Yes

On the third full week of the month, MuleSoft automatically updates existing applications to the latest patch update of Mule.

No

Yes

  • Sandbox environments undergo forced updates Monday through Friday.

  • Production environments undergo forced updates Saturday and Sunday.

See the monthly update schedule in CloudHub Runtime and Operating System Patch Update Release Notes.

No
Managing Mule Runtime Patch Updates for Runtime Fabric

On-premises Mule, CloudHub, and Anypoint Runtime Fabric updates for a given Mule patch version receive the same Mule runtime engine fixes and enhancements. However, CloudHub and Anypoint Runtime Fabric patches can contain additional fixes and improvements that are specific to those products.

Apply Patch Updates

Before updating the patch version on which you are running your Mule applications, review the patch update schedule.

The update procedure and schedule differ by deployment environment, whether on-premises, CloudHub, or Anypoint Runtime Fabric. To perform the update, see:

Apply a Patch Update to an On-Premises (Standalone) Mule

For standalone Mule instances, which are hosted on-premises, you can use the Mule Upgrade Tool to automate the patching process or you can apply the patch manually to the instance.

MuleSoft typically releases monthly updates to the latest Mule minor versions and sometimes to earlier versions of Mule. Each Mule runtime patch update is posted to Release Note Summary by Month.

It is important to note that for on-premise deployments, a single instance of Mule can run one or more applications. When you patch an instance of Mule, the update applies simultaneously to all the applications deployed to that instance.

Standalone Mule installations do not undergo forced updates, but MuleSoft recommends that you apply the latest upgrades each month updates are available to benefit from the latest fixes and security enhancements.

For on-premises (standalone) Mule instances:

  1. Download Standalone Mule for On-Premises Deployments

  2. Install a Standalone Mule Patch Distribution

Download Standalone Mule for On-Premises Deployments

On the first full week of the month you can download new versions of updated Mule from your customer portal in the Help Center.

The portal provides links to patch updates and to full Mule distributions that apply the latest patch. The file names differ by type, though both contain an identifier, such as 202110622 to indicate which fixes and enhancements they contain:

  • Patch update files use the filename convention mule-ee-patch-x.y.z-YYYMMDD-MONTH-YEAR.zip (for example, mule-ee-patch-4.3.0-20210622-JULY-2021.zip). These files contain a cumulative patch distribution to use when updating an existing instance of Mule. The update contains all fixes and enhancements up to the specified month and year.

    To install a patch update, follow the procedure in Install a Standalone Mule Patch Distribution.

  • Installation files that follow the filename convention mule-ee-distribution-standalone-x.y.z-YYYMMDD.zip (for example,mule-ee-distribution-standalone-4.3.0-20210622.zip) are for new Mule installations, rather than updates to existing installations. These installations contain all fixes and enhancements up to the specified month and year.

    If you need to install a full instance of Mule instead of applying a patch update to an existing Mule instance, unzip the file, and set the MULE environment variable. For general guidance, see Download, Install, Configure, and Upgrade Mule.

Install a Standalone Mule Patch Distribution

MuleSoft releases cumulative Mule patches on a regular basis, typically once per month. The patch version specifies a Mule version and a patch identifier. Unlike the Mule upgrade process, which is for upgrades to a new minor version of Mule (version n.x to n.y) or to a new patch version (n.x.y to n.x.z), the cumulative patching process applies the latest bug fixes and security enhancements to a specific patch version of Mule. Installing a patch to the wrong Mule version can lead to instabilities and result in issues that are difficult to debug.

Note

Before applying the patch in a production environment, run your MUnit tests on new versions of Mule to validate the application’s behavior with that version.

The following procedure is for updating a patch version of an existing Mule instance:

  1. Stop your Mule instance.

  2. Extract the content of the ZIP file that contains the cumulative patch.

  3. Before proceeding with the installation, review the extracted README file to understand any version-specific steps for installing the patch.

  4. Back up the original content of the MULE_HOME/lib/patches and MULE_HOME/services directories.

  5. Remove any previous patch files from MULE_HOME/lib/patches.

    Important: Do not remove the patches within the MULE_HOME/lib/patches/mule-artifact-patches directory.

  6. Copy the new mule-ee-distribution-standalone-X.Y.Z-YYYYMMDD-patch.jar into MULE_HOME/lib/patches.

    Retain the following in the MULE_HOME/lib/patches directory:

    • mule-ee-distribution-standalone-{version}-patch.jar

    • MULE_HOME/lib/patches/mule-artifact-patches

  7. Starting at step 2 in the README file, complete the version-specific service patching instructions.

  8. Restart the Mule instance to pick up the patch.

For more guidance with the patching process, see the support article, How to apply patches to Mule 4.x.

CloudHub and Anypoint Runtime Fabric follow different patching processes.