Some unicode characters prevent creating/editing pages using the Confluence Collaborative Editor

Summary

When attempting to use certain unicode characters (🐛🐜🐝🐞) the page fails to save and displays an error message.

Environment

• MySQL
  • Confirmed on both 5.6 and 5.7
• Oracle
  • Confirmed on 12c
• MS SQL Server
  • Confirmed on SQL Server 2014

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a new page
2. Paste these unicode characters: 🐛🐜🐝🐞
3. Save

Expected Results

The page saves and displays the characters as expected.

Actual Results

One of two results will happen:

• The page will fail to save and the below error is shown in the UI:

  Unable to communicate with server. Saving is not possible at the moment

• The page will save but unicode characters will be displayed as ?????

Notes

• This does not affect PostgreSQL
• Tested with character encoding parameter in JDBC URL and it still has the same behavior.
• The unicode characters that cause this behavior are not limited to the ones in this report, these are simply confirmed and testable.

Workaround

• Migrate to PostgreSQL