When you upgrade a deployment, check compatibility, or troubleshoot a defect, you need to understand how Realtime Compute for Apache Flink versions its engine. Realtime Compute for Apache Flink runs on Ververica Runtime (VVR), an enterprise-grade engine built on Apache Flink. This topic explains the VVR version scheme, what compatibility each part of the version number guarantees, and how to respond when defects are found.
Version format
VVR uses a three-part version number in Major1.Major2.Minor format.
| Part | Meaning | When it increases |
|---|---|---|
| Major1 or Major2 | Tracks new features, defect fixes, or significant changes to VVR, corresponding to the X or Y part in the upstream Apache Flink version | When the scale of changes warrants a major version bump |
| Minor | Tracks compatibility features and defect fixes, corresponding to the Z part in the upstream Apache Flink version | For each batch of fixes or incremental improvements |
Examples:
| Scenario | Version change |
|---|---|
| Significant new features, or a major Apache Flink version jump | 4.0.1 to 5.0.1, or 4.0.1 to 4.1.1 |
| Defect fixes and minor improvements within the same major line | 4.0.1 to 4.0.2 |
Compatibility commitments
Major versions
Alibaba Cloud does not commit to compatibility between different major VVR versions. When the major version changes, your SQL syntax, class library interfaces, and program logic may behave differently.
Alibaba Cloud makes every effort to preserve compatibility of SQL syntax, class library interfaces, and program logic across major versions, and publishes documentation or after-sales service notifications when incompatibilities exist.
Minor versions
Within the same major version, Alibaba Cloud commits to compatibility for:
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SQL syntax
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Class library interfaces
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Engine framework
Compatibility is not committed for business logic and data processing behavior. To stay within the compatibility boundary, update to the latest minor version of your current major version.
Defect handling
When a defect is discovered, update to the latest minor version of your current major version:
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Identify your current engine version and the latest available minor version in the same major line.
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Update to the latest minor version to get the fix. For example, if your deployment uses VVR 6.0.5 and the latest VVR 6.X release is VVR 6.0.7, update to VVR 6.0.7.
For major emergency defects, Alibaba Cloud releases an emergency version that resolves the issue without perceptible impacts on your business.
To stay informed about new versions and known issues, check the release notes in Announcements and Updates in the Realtime Compute for Apache Flink documentation.
What's next
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Release notes — version history, VVR-to-Apache Flink version mappings, and release dates
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Service types — service options, release status, and selection guidance