Encore May 2026 (6.6) Release Notes
The Encore May 2026 Release went into general release on May 11, 2026.
If your library uses Single Sign On (SSO) with Encore please see this Solution before requesting an upgrade: Encore 4.7+ and SSO.
The Sierra May 2026 Release (6.6) is now the required version of Sierra and must be installed prior to the upgrade of Encore 6.6.
Encore 6.6 System Change
| Description | Recommended Pre-Upgrade Action | Recommended Post-Upgrade Action |
|---|---|---|
| None | None | None |
Release Notes
Release notes include software behavior changes introduced in the update (some may have implications for training or data review prior to upgrade), any actions library staff should take prior to or just after updating the system, and notification of new features and other enhancements included in the update.
Known Issues
No issues have been resolved in Encore 6.6. For a complete list of existing Known Issues from Encore 4.6 through the present release, see Known Issues for Encore (4.6-6.6).
Preparing to update your system
System Requirements
To upgrade to Encore 6.6, your library must meet the following requirements:
Your library must be running on Sierra 6.6 as the system requirement. If upgrading an INN-Reach central Encore server, please do not install Encore 6.6 until Sierra 6.6 is installed on the central server.
In addition, your library should have completed a full backup on the Encore server within the last 24 hours.
Your Encore server must have 24 GB of available memory. The system must also be 64-bit with at least 8 cores. If you are a hosted customer, please open a ticket via the Support Center to schedule your upgrade with Discovery staff.
Pre-upgrade Preparation
If you are upgrading from Encore 4.2 to Encore 6.6, determine what Patron Page functions to offer your Encore users. If you are upgrading from Encore 4.3 or higher to Encore 6.6, you will not be prompted to determine Patron Page functions to offer to your Encore users. To configure Patron Page functions, see Customizing Patron Page Functions in the Encore Staff Guide.
Actions staff must take
The Upgrade Manager is a web application developed for performing self-upgrades of your Encore system, available in Encore 4.1 and later Encore releases.
Your library's upgrade process consists of two phases: preparation and commit.
To schedule an upgrade for your Clarivate-hosted Encore system, please submit a ticket via the Support Center.
Starting with Sierra 5.0, a change was made to allow for all software upgrades to use signed URLs for software downloads. You will see a new passkey validation prompt during the prep phase of the upgrade. You can obtain the passkey from CSDirect using your login credentials.
Preparation phase
During the preparation phase the Upgrade Manager will run multiple checks on your system, download the necessary software for Encore 6.6 and prepare the software for the commit phase. There is no expected downtime during the preparation phase. Clarivate recommends running the preparation phase a day or two before the commit phase.
Using a web browser, connect to the Upgrade Manager:
https://[your Sierra application server]/iii/upgrademgr
When prompted, log in with your usual admin application credentials.
If running Sierra 6.6, you will see a “Enter Passkey” box. You can obtain the passkey from CSDirect using your login credentials.
Respond to the backup question and continue with the upgrade.
The application displays an "End of preparation phase" message when the preparation phase is complete.
Log out after the preparation phase is done.
Please contact Customer Support immediately if your browser closes, the process appears to be stalled, or you encounter an error message of any kind. Your upgrade may still be running as expected. Customer Support staff can quickly determine whether the upgrade is still running and advise you how to proceed.
While the self-upgrade process has been extensively tested, we recommend that you plan to complete the commit phase during Clarivate’s regular business hours.
Commit phase
Once the preparation phase has completed successfully, you will be ready for the commit phase.
You can expect up to 15 minutes of Encore downtime while the current application shuts down and the upgraded version starts up. In the final stage of the upgrade, the Encore application should automatically resume, running Encore 6.6.
Log back into the Upgrade Manager:
http://[your Sierra application server]/iii/upgrademgr
You will be prompted to enter the Passkey again. The Passkey may change between the time the Prep and Commit Phases are run so please obtain the passkey from CSDirect using your login credentials.
Confirm that you are prepared to resume.
Please feel free to share any feedback you have on the application or the self-upgrade process in general. Please submit a ticket through the Support Center.
After the Upgrade
The default location for the Administration Application is on the Sierra application server:
Sierra: http://[your Sierra application server]/sierra/admin/
Your username and password remain the same.
Due to variations in system architectures, some customers may find their Encore Administration Application remains on the Encore Server.
