Alfresco Community Edition

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:	Alfresco is an enterprise content management system for Microsoft Windows or Unix-like operating systems. This technology is used to manage content and documents either in the cloud or behind a firewall. Alfresco Community Edition is the free Lesser General Public License (LGPL) licensed open source and open standards edition of the Alfresco Enterprise Edition product. Alfresco Community can be configured with Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and DB2 databases, and includes a content repository, a web portal framework for managing and using standard portal content, an interface that provides file system compatibility on Microsoft Windows and Unix-like operating systems, web content management, and workflow integration. The content repository is comparable to a database, except that it holds more than data. The binary streams of content are stored in the repository and the associated full-text indexes are maintained by SOLR indexes. The actual binary streams of the content are stored in files managed in the repository, although these files are for internal use only and do not reflect what you might see through the shared drive interfaces. The repository also holds the associations among content items, classifications, and the folder/file structure. The folder/file structure is maintained in the database and is not reflected in the internal file storage structure. By default, Alfresco Community stores nodes in a relational database management system (RDBMS) while content is stored in the file system. Using a database provides transaction support, scaling, and administration capabilities. Alfresco uses a database abstraction layer for interacting with the database, which isolates the storage engine from variations in Structured Query Language (SQL) dialect. This eases the database porting effort, allowing the certification of Alfresco against all the prominent RDBMS implementations. The file system stores content to allow for very large content, random access, streaming, and options for different storage devices. Updates to content are always translated to append operations in the file system, allowing for transaction consistency between database and file system. 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 NOTE: The technology website is available in the VA network with limited functionality. However, links within the website do not work due to VA firewall restrictions.
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.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.7
Decision Date:	07/19/2024 at 16:34:03 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Alfresco

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
3.4.b	01/01/2010	01/30/2011	01/30/2011
4.0.d	01/01/2011	12/30/2012
4.2.b	12/01/2012
4.2e	10/17/2013
4.2.f	03/24/2014
5.0.c	12/04/2014
5.0.d	03/23/2015
201605 GA	05/24/2016
5.1.1	07/20/2016
5.2.x
6.x (2019)	08/10/2018
7.x
23.x	11/15/2023

Current Decision Matrix (07/16/2024)

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

3.4.b

Unapproved

4.0.d

Unapproved

4.2.b

Unapproved

4.2e

Unapproved

4.2.f

Unapproved

5.0.c

Unapproved

5.0.d

Divest
[2, 3, 4, 5]

Divest
[2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Divest
[3, 4, 7, 8, 9]

Divest
[3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Unapproved

201605 GA

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 4, 5]

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 7, 8, 9]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Divest
[3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Divest
[3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12]

5.1.1

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 4, 5]

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 7, 8, 9]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12]

Divest
[3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12]

5.2.x

Unapproved

Divest
[3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12]

6.x (2019)

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12]

7.x

Unapproved

23.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	This is approved for the Community Edition ONLY as an open source alternative to commercial content management software. Implementers are prohibited from installing individual optional components of Alfresco Community Edition that enable use of Google Docs and other products and technologies which are not allowed on the TRM.

[2]	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.

[3]	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.

[4]	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.

[5]	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).

[6]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without an Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) approval. 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).

[7]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without the approval of the VA Enterprise Cloud Services (ECS) Group. 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).

[8]	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.

[9]	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).

[10]	This product can be configured with a MySQL Database which currently has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors must be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High Risk system. See the MySQL Database TRM entry for more details.

[11]	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).

[12]	This product can be configured with a MySQL Database, which at the time of writing has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors should be considered especially when an instance of this product will be considered a Moderate or High Risk system. Please refer to MySQL Database TRM entry for more details.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 23.1.1 is the most current version, released 11/15/2023.

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
Alfresco Explorer	Alfresco Explorer lets users browse the repository, set up rules and actions, and manage content and its metadata, associations, and classifications.
Alfresco Share	Alfresco Share provides content management capabilities with simple user interfaces, applications to search and browse the repository, content such as thumbnails and associated metadata, and a set of collaboration applications such as wikis, discussions, and blogs. Alfresco Share is organized as a set of sites that can be used as a meeting place for collaboration.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Collaboration Software	Content Management

Open Source

This entry is available as an open source technology.

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Apache Tomcat
JDK - Oracle Java Standard Edition (SE) Development Kit
LibreOffice
My Structured Query Language (MySQL) Database - Commercial Editions - (required for some configurations)
My Structured Query Language (MySQL) Database - Community Editions - (required for some configurations)
Oracle Database - (required for some configurations)
PostgreSQL - (required for some configurations)
WebLogic Server - (required for some configurations)

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a well-documented technology.
This technology is available at no cost through open-source licensing and supports VA's open-source initiative.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include development responsibilities.
This technology supports several industry standard file formats.

Adoption Risks

This technology can potentially use My Structured Query Language (MySQL) Database - Community Editions, an unapproved technology.
This technology relies on Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle, which has a rapid release and update schedule.
This technology can integrate with and alter database technologies.
This product can be configured with a PostgreSQL Database, which currently has TRM constraints limiting its use to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) only due to its many known security issues on other platforms.
This product can be configured with a MySQL Commercial Edition Database, which currently has TRM constraints limiting its use to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) only due to its many known security issues on other platforms.
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.
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.
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.
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.
There is no indication based on either the vendor documentation or the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 compliant.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.

Architectural Risks

This technology includes cloud-based functionality which has potential information security risks.

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General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (07/16/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (07/16/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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