diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index a7e63e2..56340cd 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -129,12 +129,12 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.geode</groupId>
       <artifactId>geode-core</artifactId>
-      <version>1.9.0</version>
+      <version>1.13.2</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.geode</groupId>
       <artifactId>geode-dunit</artifactId>
-      <version>1.9.0</version>
+      <version>1.13.2</version>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
   </dependencies>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/common/geode/identity/LongIDGenerator.java b/src/main/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/common/geode/identity/LongIDGenerator.java
index 9aa935e..7616719 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/common/geode/identity/LongIDGenerator.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/common/geode/identity/LongIDGenerator.java
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 import org.apache.geode.cache.Region;
 import org.apache.geode.cache.execute.FunctionService;
 import org.apache.geode.cache.execute.ResultCollector;
-import org.apache.logging.log4j.util.Strings;
 
 import java.util.*;
 /**
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ public LongIDGenerator(final Long allocationSize) {
   
   public LongIDGenerator(final String sequenceRegionPath, final Long allocationSize) {
     super();
-    if (Strings.isBlank(sequenceRegionPath))
+    if (isBlank(sequenceRegionPath))
       throw new IllegalArgumentException("sequenceRegionPath is required");
     this.sequenceRegionPath = sequenceRegionPath;
     if (allocationSize == null)
@@ -58,6 +57,10 @@ public LongIDGenerator(final String sequenceRegionPath, final Long allocationSiz
       this.allocationSize = allocationSize;
     this.allocationsByName = new HashMap<>();
   }
+
+  boolean isBlank(String string) {
+    return string == null || string.isEmpty();
+  }
   
   /**
    * Return the number of identifiers that will be returned by
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/object/geode/GeodeObjectStoreIT.java b/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/object/geode/GeodeObjectStoreIT.java
index 758e472..e90bef0 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/object/geode/GeodeObjectStoreIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/object/geode/GeodeObjectStoreIT.java
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ public class GeodeObjectStoreIT {
   private GeodeObjectStoreDelegate storeDelegate;
 
   @Test
-  @Ignore
   public void testThatObjectStoreInsertsOneAndQueries() throws Exception {
     dispatcher.afterCompleting(1);
     final MockPersistResultInterest persistInterest = new MockPersistResultInterest();
@@ -123,7 +122,6 @@ public void testThatObjectStoreInsertsOneAndQueries() throws Exception {
   }
 
   @Test
-  @Ignore
   public void testThatObjectStoreInsertsMultipleAndQueries() throws Exception {
     dispatcher.afterCompleting(3);
     final MockPersistResultInterest persistInterest = new MockPersistResultInterest();
@@ -166,7 +164,6 @@ public void testThatObjectStoreInsertsMultipleAndQueries() throws Exception {
   }
 
   @Test
-  @Ignore
   public void testThatSingleEntityUpdates() throws Exception {
     dispatcher.afterCompleting(1);
     final MockPersistResultInterest persistInterest = new MockPersistResultInterest();
@@ -235,7 +232,6 @@ public void testThatSingleEntityUpdates() throws Exception {
   }
 
   @Test
-  @Ignore
   public void testThatMultipleEntitiesUpdate() throws Exception {
     dispatcher.afterCompleting(5);
     final MockPersistResultInterest persistInterest = new MockPersistResultInterest();
@@ -334,7 +330,6 @@ public void testThatMultipleEntitiesUpdate() throws Exception {
   }
 
   @Test
-  @Ignore
   public void testRedispatch() throws Exception {
     final AccessSafely accessDispatcher = dispatcher.afterCompleting(5);
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/object/geode/LongIDGeneratorIT.java b/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/object/geode/LongIDGeneratorIT.java
index cd2d5b9..5dd7024 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/object/geode/LongIDGeneratorIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/object/geode/LongIDGeneratorIT.java
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@
  * LongIDGeneratorIT
  */
 @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-@Ignore
 public class LongIDGeneratorIT {
 
   private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(LongIDGeneratorIT.class);
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/state/geode/GeodeStateStoreActorIT.java b/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/state/geode/GeodeStateStoreActorIT.java
index 6c10c73..f8e650e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/state/geode/GeodeStateStoreActorIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vlingo/xoom/symbio/store/state/geode/GeodeStateStoreActorIT.java
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@
 /**
  * GemFireStateStoreTest is responsible for testing {@link GeodeStateStoreActor}.
  */
-@Ignore
 public class GeodeStateStoreActorIT {
   private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(GeodeStateStoreActorIT.class);
   private final static String StoreName = Entity1.class.getSimpleName();