InterBase

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	InterBase is a multi-platform relational database management system (RDBMS). This technology provides functionalities like built-in encryption, disaster recovery, log-less replication, and alert notification functions. It does not require an administrator to operate. This technology comes in five different editions: IBLite, InterBase ToGo, InterBase Desktop, InterBase Server, and a free Developer Edition. This entry covers InterBase Desktop and InterBase Server editions. This entry covers the Desktop Edition of this technology and not any mobile versions. Please note that the implementation of mobile technology applications that operate on Mobile Operating Systems must be reviewed and approved by the Mobile Technology and Endpoint Security Engineering Team: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITMT/SitePages/MTHome.aspx The TRM decisions in this entry only apply to technologies and versions owned, operated, managed, patched, and version-controlled by VA. This includes technologies deployed as software installations on VMs within VA-controlled cloud environments (e.g., VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC)). Cloud services provided by the VAEC, which are listed in the VAEC Service Catalog, and those controlled and managed by an external Cloud Service Provider (i.e., SaaS) are not in the purview of the TRM. For more information on the use of cloud services and cloud-based products within VA, including VA private clouds, please see the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) Portal at: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITECSO
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has been assessed by the Section 508 Office and found non-conformant. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov. Please see reference tab for more information concerning product versions.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.7
Decision Date:	07/15/2024 at 19:50:16 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Embarcadero Technologies

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1
5.2
7.1
7.5
XE7	05/30/2017
2017	03/31/2017
2020	11/01/2019
2020.x	11/01/2019

Current Decision Matrix (07/09/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2017

CY2018

CY2019

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

XE7

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[7, 9, 10, 11]

Divest
[5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12]

2017

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Approved w/Constraints
[7, 9, 10, 11]

Approved w/Constraints
[5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12]

2020

Unapproved

2020.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	Per VA Handbook 6500 (Appendix F) all systems with a Moderate or High risk assessment are required to use a FIPS 140-2 compliant DBMS solution to protect information at rest or have mitigating controls documented in an approved System Security Plan (SSP) for the system. It is the responsibility of the system owner to ensure that an appropriate DBMS technology is selected or that mitigating controls are in place and documented in the SSP. Only instances of this technology that have been deployed may continue to use this technology. No further expansion or use of this technology is permitted without a waiver from the Architecture and Engineering Review Board (AERB) and expressed authorization from the Assistant Secretary/Chief Information Officer or the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Information and Technology.

[2]	Configuration and deployment standards for databases and their host server images are defined and maintained by the Core Systems Engineering organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering (ESE) and must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. Detailed information can be found at the following location: https://vaww.sde.portal.va.gov/svcs/sma/BCM/SitePages/Home.aspx VA has ELAs in place for preferred RDBMS technologies (Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle DB). Customers should get their licenses through these channels, not via independent, uncoordinated small procurements. Detailed information can be found at the following location: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/TIPO/default.aspx

[3]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[4]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[5]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[6]	If trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Configuration and deployment standards for databases and their host server images are defined and maintained by the Core Systems Engineering organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering (ESE) and must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. Detailed information can be found at the following location: https://vaww.sde.portal.va.gov/svcs/sma/BCM/SitePages/Home.aspx VA has ELAs in place for preferred RDBMS technologies (Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle DB). Customers must get their licenses through these channels, not via independent, uncoordinated small procurements. Detailed information can be found at the following location: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/TIPO/default.aspx

[7]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[8]	If trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Configuration and deployment standards for databases and their host server images are defined and maintained by the Core Systems Engineering organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering (ESE) and must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. Detailed information can be found at the following location: https://vaww.sde.portal.va.gov/svcs/sma/BCM/SitePages/Home.aspx VA has ELAs in place for preferred RDBMS technologies (Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle DB). Customers must get their licenses through these channels, not via independent, uncoordinated small procurements. Detailed information can be found at the following location: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/TIPO/default.aspx

[9]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[10]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[11]	If trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Configuration and deployment standards for databases and their host server images are defined and maintained by the Core Systems Engineering organization within Veterans Affairs (VA) Enterprise Systems Engineering (ESE) and must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted. Detailed information can be found at the following location: https://vaww.sde.portal.va.gov/svcs/sma/BCM/SitePages/Home.aspx VA has ELAs in place for preferred Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) technologies (Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server and Oracle Database (DB)). Customers must get their licenses through these channels, not via independent, uncoordinated small procurements. Detailed information can be found at the following location: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/TIPO/default.aspx

[12]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without the approval of the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO). This body is in part responsible for ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

Note:

At the time of writing, version 2020 Update 6 (Build 14.6.0.899) is the most current version, released 05/01/2024.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
Drivers	InterBase comes with ActiveX Data Objects (ADO.NET), Java Database Connectivity (JDBC), and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) installed when using the InterBase Installer.
InterBase Console	The console allows the administrator to manage server security, back up and restore a database, perform database maintenance, and view database and lock manager statistics.
InterBase Manager	InterBase Manager is used to choose the server startup mode, change the path to the server, or change how InterBase Server operates.
License Manager	The License Manager allows the user to view available InterBase add-ons and licenses for their system.
Service Manager	The Service Manager allows the user to backup and restore files within the database.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Information Management Technologies Data Management	Relational DBMS	Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle DB are the preferred Relational DBMS platforms in VA. Per ELT decision, all future requests for Relational DBMS technologies will be Unapproved.	1/13/2015 12:00:00 AM

NOTE: This entry has been mapped to one or more Locked categories.

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Open Secure Socket Layer (OpenSSL)

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology will allow for general users to perform database related tasks with no additional training.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include built-in encryption, disaster recovery, log-less replication, and alert notification functions.
This is a well-documented technology.

Adoption Risks

This technology may transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN).
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
This technology can potentially use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), an unapproved technology.
The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
This technology has a free trial period, which carries the potential for the disruption of service delivery and inaccurate financial planning.
There are other approved solutions that provide similar functionality available on the TRM. The use of several similar solutions may increase organization requirements for support and maintenance.
Although this vendor utilizes Federal Information Processing (FIPS) 140-2 encryption, there is no indication based on the vendor documentation or the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 certified.
There are known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) associated with this technology. Please see <a href = "https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search" target="_blank">https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search</a> for more details.
This technology can integrate with and alter database technologies.
The technology requires the purchase of licenses from vendor, which could potentially lead to vendor lock-in.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.
This technology supports AES Encryption. (Ensure that Advanced Encryption Standard is under Supported Standards in Category tab)
This technology is compatible with virtual machines, therefore consistent with the enterprise Server Virtualize First Policy (VAIQ 7266972 08-27-2012). (Add Virtualization and Consolidation of Servers (Server Virtualize First) to Supported Standards)

Architectural Risks

This technology does not use a VA-preferred database to store data.
This technology includes cloud-based functionality which has potential information security risks.

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References

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VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

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Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

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VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

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Architectural Benefits

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