Hazelcast In-Memory Data Grid (IMDG)

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:	Hazelcast In-Memory Data Grid (IMDG) is an in-memory data grid based on Java. Hazelcast allows for horizontal scaling both in terms of available storage space and processing power. Backups can be distributed in a similar fashion to other nodes to protect against single node failure. This technology is available in three editions which include HazelCast IMDG Professional Support, Enterprise, and Enterprise High Density (HD). This assessment covers all three editions. 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 not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. 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 v24.6
Decision Date:	06/26/2024 at 16:14:51 UTC
Aliases:	Hazelcast
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Hazelcast

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 Desupport Date
3.x	10/03/2013
4.x	02/04/2020	09/04/2024
5.x	03/01/2022

Current Decision Matrix (06/21/2024)

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.x

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 2, 3]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 2, 4]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 2, 5]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 2, 6]

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 6, 7, 8]

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10]

4.x

Unapproved

5.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period.

[2]	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.

[3]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[4]	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).

[5]	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).

[6]	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).

[7]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. New installations or major expansions of this technology that transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN) must complete a WAN impact review (contact VA e-mail: OIT ITOPS SD Engagement Requests) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements.

[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]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Users must ensure the use of a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic module to secure VA sensitive data in applications and devices. Due to potential information security risks, software as a service (SaaS) must complete the veterans-Focused Integration Process Request (VIPR) process where a collaborative effort between Demand Management (DM), Enterprise Program Management Office Information Assurance (EPMO IA), Project Special Forces (PSF), Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and stakeholders determines the SaaS/PaaS category during the Discovery Phase. All SaaS and Non-AWS/Azure (VAEC) PaaS assets are routed to EPMO IA for Analysis and Approval to Operate (ATO) with technical oversight, acquisition, production and sustainment provided by PSF. If Hazelcast is considered for use within the VA, it is strongly advised that the VA invest in one of the Hazelcast Enterprise Editions to ensure assistance directly from a Hazelcast solutions architect, ensuring swift resolution of issues with minimal delay and that all available security features are provided in a timely manner. The database administrator must refer to a VA Secure Configuration Baseline for guidance when implementing Hazelcast within the VA environment; only VA approved databases are allowed. Further, users must abide by the following security measures which will help ensure that the data is secured and protected: Leverage two-factor authentication (2FA) provided by the product or VA-approved 2FA solution. Ensure connections between the web browser and web server are encrypted using SSL or TLS. Deploy a VA-approved web application firewall (WAF) and database firewall to add layers of security to the database. Perform end-to-end security testing of Hazelcast and all its components to ensure security holes are addressed prior to implementation. Continuous vulnerability scanning, monitoring, and auditing of the database system and associated components.

[10]	New installations or major expansions of this technology that transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN) must complete a WAN impact review (contact VA e-mail: [OIT ITOPS SD Engagement Requests]) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 5.4 was the latest version, released 04/17/2024.

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
No components have been identified for this entry.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Application Technology Development Tools	Application Development Tools

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

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

No comparable entries have been identified.

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include application performance optimization and monitoring.
This technology is available at no cost through open source licensing and supports VA`s open source initiative.
This is a well-documented technology.

Adoption Risks

This technology can potentially use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), an unapproved protocol.
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.
Hazelcast uses Transport Layer Security (TLS)/Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption between cluster members, between cluster members and clients, and between the cluster members and the management center (in other words, for all connections). It also provides a security suite in the Enterprise product that utilizes the OpenSSL library. Hazelcast allows for different security providers to be configured, so the use of a FIPS 140-2 compliant library is possible with appropriate configuration. The vendor can provide documentation on how to configure Hazelcast in a FIPS 140-2 compliant manner, but it is not Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certified.
Hazelcast may be deployed as a cloud based solution, but it does not provide any Cloud Service Provider (CSP) agreement. If Hazelcast is deployed through a cloud provider such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP) other than being deployed through its own Hazelcast Cloud service, the vendor can provide a CSP agreement.
Hazelcast offers two support services: the community and commercial support. Community support is provided through the Mail Group and Stack Overflow web site and professional support for the open-source core of the product. Commercial support is bundled as part of the contract for Hazelcast Enterprise and Hazelcast Enterprise HD products. Details of Service Level Agreements (SLA), etc. are provided online with links provided in the resources section.
In most use cases, Hazelcast leverages other database products, such as Hibernate Level 2 cache or as a JCache provider in cases where the application works with Hibernate or JCache. In other cases, the developer will write code to load the Hazelcast cache from the system of record and write changes back. This is usually done through the Hazelcast MapLoader/MapStore Application Programing Interfaces (API). Another option is to use the third party Striim Hot Cache product which provides a Change Data Capture (CDC) capability to keep Hazelcast in sync with the system of record automatically.
A vulnerability exists, CVE-2023-33265, for previous versions of Hazelcast IMGD.
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.
As open-source software, this product may be left without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
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 relies on Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle, which has a rapid release and update schedule.
This technology has a free trial period, which carries the potential for the disruption of service delivery and inaccurate financial planning.
This technology may transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN).

Architectural Benefits

This technology is compatible with virtual machines, therefore consistent with the enterprise Server Virtualize First Policy (VAIQ 7266972 08-27-2012).
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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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (06/21/2024)

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 (06/21/2024)

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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