Level Up Your Jakarta EE Apps with Payara 7 and New Docker Images

We’re excited to share major updates around the Docker image story for the Payara Platform Community, aligned with our November 2025 release. As always, our aim is to make containerised Java and Jakarta EE deployments smoother, more secure and future-ready. Here’s what’s new – and what you need to know.

What’s new with Payara Platfrom Community 7

With the release of Payara Platform Community 7.2025.1, we enter the world of Jakarta EE 11 support and set the foundation for the future.

Key highlights include:

• Full support for Jakarta EE 11 (Platform, Web and Core Profiles) and MicroProfile 6.1
• Updated Docker images shipping with JDK 21.0.9 (and appropriate earlier JDKs) for container deployments
• A clean slate to start building next-generation enterprise Java applications inside containers.

Docker image story: what’s changed & what you should do

First‐time public release of Payara 7 images

For the first time, Payara Platform Community 7 Docker images are publicly available via Docker Hub – enabling developers and teams to pull, develop and test with Payara 7 in containerised environments with ease.
This is a big step forward for container adoption of modern Jakarta EE standards.

Phase-out of Payara 6 images

In tandem, images for Payara Platform Community 6 will be discontinued going forward. That means:

• While the 6.2025.11 release is available and supported, we encourage migration to version 7.
• New feature development, Docker image refreshes and long-term community image support will focus on Payara 7.
• Teams still on Payara Platform Community 6 who cannot upgrade to should consider migrating to Payara Platform Enterprise 6 – our long term supported runtime that supports Jakarta EE 10.

What this means in practice

For teams operating in containerised environments, here’s a quick checklist:

• Start pulling and experimenting with payara/server-full:7.2025.1-… (or whichever tag your setup uses) from Docker Hub via the payara namespace.
• Update any Dockerfiles or orchestration manifests (Kubernetes, Docker Compose, etc) to reference Payara 7 as the base.
• Validate your applications against Jakarta EE 11 and any deprecated features from 6.x.
• Plan to stop building new Payara 6-based images; migrate those pipelines to Payara 7.
• Maintain production stability by finishing 6.x projects with the current image, but schedule their upgrade.

Why this matters for your container strategy

Here are some reasons why the shift is important:

• Security and modern JDKs: The refreshed Docker images ship with JDK 21.0.9 (and other updated JDKs) which give you the latest security patches and performance improvements.
• Future-proof architecture: By migrating to Payara Platform Community 7, you align with Jakarta EE 11 and the next generation of the enterprise Java platform.
• Operational consistency: Official images from payara on Docker Hub reduce build complexity and help standardise across dev/test/production environments.
• Lifecycle clarity: With the phase-out of Payara Platform Community 6 community images, your roadmap is clearer – you won’t get stuck on old images without updates.

Getting started: How to pull and test the new images

Here’s a simple example of how you might pull and run the new image:

docker pull payara/server-full:7.2025.1 docker run --name payara7-server -p 8080:8080 payara/server-full:7.2025.1

You can then monitor logs, verify application startup and test your existing application for compatibility. For production use, integrate with your CI/CD and orchestration stack (for example Kubernetes, “docker compose”, or other container platforms).

Migration path: From Payara Platform Community 6 to 7

If you’re moving from Payara 6 to Payara 7, consider the following:

• Inventory your applications: check for any deprecated APIs or Jakarta EE features you rely on.
• Run existing app tests using Payara 7 image in a non-production environment.
• Update Dockerfiles and container orchestration manifests to reference Payara 7.
• Stage rollout: keep production on Payara 6 for a short time if needed, but set the deadline for switching.
• Ensure your team is aware that future community image updates will focus on Payara 7 – so locking into Payara 6 community images long-term may risk falling behind.

Summary

With the November 2025 release, Payara Platform takes a major leap forward in container support and image lifecycle management. The availability of Payara 7 Docker images on Docker Hub, combined with the phase-out of Payara 6 community images, sends a clear message: the future is Jakarta EE 11 – and we’re ready for it.
If you run containerised Java applications today, now is the time to pull the new images, test your setup, and plan your migration. It’s an opportunity to upgrade your runtime foundation, simplify your deployment pipeline, and align with the future of enterprise Java.

We’re excited to see what you build with Payara 7 in your container ecosystem!