As DataMiner continues to evolve, we are strengthening the foundations of its internal communication architecture. The goal is clear: higher reliability, better security, and simpler operations. As part of this evolution, there is an important change you need to be aware of: BrokerGateway-managed NATS is a hard prerequisite for upgrading to DataMiner 10.6.0.
If you are planning to move to 10.6.0, this blog post explains what BrokerGateway is, why it matters, and what actions you need to take before upgrading.
NATS in DataMiner: a quick recap
Since DataMiner 10.1.1, DataMiner has relied on NATS, an open-source messaging system, for inter-process communication. NATS enables efficient and reliable communication between DataMiner processes and Agents within a DataMiner System.
This communication runs through a dedicated NATS client library called MessageBroker, which is used by various DataMiner processes and protocols to connect to NATS.
When NATS is enabled on a DataMiner Agent, the NATS and NAS services are installed automatically. When enabled across all Agents, these services form a single NATS cluster. This clustered setup significantly improves system stability and performance, especially in multi-Agent environments.
Because NATS relies on dedicated ports for communication, clustering, and monitoring, correct firewall configuration has always been an essential part of a healthy DataMiner deployment.
Introducing BrokerGateway: a major step forward
Starting with DataMiner 10.5.0, NATS can be upgraded and managed by a dedicated DxM called DataMiner BrokerGateway.
BrokerGateway replaces the legacy SLNet-managed NATSCustodian solution with a more robust and future-proof approach. With BrokerGateway, you get:
- A single source of truth that keeps the NATS cluster aligned with the DataMiner cluster.
- Improved reliability and more carefree NATS communication.
- Automatic TLS configuration for improved security.
- A newer version of NATS, delivering better performance and simpler upgrades.
This architectural change lays the groundwork for a more secure and resilient DataMiner platform.
Migrating to BrokerGateway-managed NATS
To take advantage of BrokerGateway, a one-time migration is required from the legacy NATSCustodian-managed NATS to BrokerGateway-managed NATS.
There are a few key points to keep in mind. All DataMiner Agents must be migrated at the same time — mixed environments are not supported. SLNet-managed NATS and BrokerGateway-managed NATS cannot coexist, as they use the same network ports but rely on different credentials.
The good news? The migration is completely safe and designed to minimize impact.
It can be performed at runtime, does not require a DataMiner restart, and is executed by simply running a custom upgrade package.
During the migration, the upgrade package:
- Verifies that no protocols or processes are still using an obsolete Messagebroker.
- Confirms that all DxMs are up to date.
- Performs the migration if all checks pass.
If an issue occurs at any point, the system automatically initiates a rollback. This restores the original NATS configuration on all Agents and returns the cluster to its previous state. While a restart is not required, we strongly recommend restarting DataMiner after the migration to ensure everything runs optimally. Alternatively, upgrading your DataMiner also fulfills this requirement.
Rollback considerations
If the new BrokerGateway-managed NATS cluster causes unexpected issues, you can still roll back to the legacy NATSCustodian-managed NATS — as long as you remain on DataMiner 10.5.0. The migration process does not remove any legacy configuration, allowing for a controlled fallback if needed.
🚨 Important: BrokerGateway is mandatory for DataMiner 10.6.0
Upgrading to DataMiner 10.6.0 requires BrokerGateway-managed NATS. If the legacy NATSCustodian-managed NATS is still running, the upgrade will abort.
With 10.6.0, we are enforcing the use of this more secure and modern NATS architecture. Once you upgrade, BrokerGateway-managed NATS must be installed, and rolling back to the legacy NATSCustodian-managed NATS is no longer possible. To revert to the old NATS setup, you would first need to downgrade to DataMiner 10.5.0
What should you do next?
Are you planning to upgrade to DataMiner 10.6.0? Then make sure you migrate to BrokerGateway-managed NATS while you are still on 10.5.0, validate system stability after the migration, and only then proceed with the upgrade.
Taking these steps ahead of time ensures a smooth upgrade path — and lets you benefit from a more secure and reliable DataMiner platform right away.