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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

Puppet Enterprise

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:	Puppet Enterprise is an information technology automation software product that provides the ability to automate repetitive tasks, deploy applications, and proactively manage infrastructure, on-premises or in the cloud. The technology can be used in any stage of the infrastructure lifecycle including discovery, provisioning, operating system and application configuration management, orchestration, and reporting. 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 v23.4
Decision Date:	04/10/2023 at 02:59:39 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Puppet Labs

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
3.0.1	08/15/2013
3.3.x	09/09/2014
3.8.x	05/26/2015	12/31/2016
2015.2.x	07/28/2015	03/31/2017
2015.3.x	12/08/2015	03/31/2017
2016.1.x	04/07/2016	03/31/2017
2016.2.x	06/21/2016	04/30/2017
2016.4.x	10/20/2016
2016.5.x	12/13/2016
2017.3.x	10/09/2017
2018.1	05/01/2018
2019.0	10/09/2018
2019.x	10/09/2018
2021.x	06/24/2021
2023.x	02/07/2023

Current Decision Matrix (03/31/2023)

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

CY2020

CY2021

CY2022

Future>

Release

3.0.1

Unapproved

3.3.x

Unapproved

3.8.x

Unapproved

2015.2.x

Unapproved

2015.3.x

Unapproved

2016.1.x

Unapproved

2016.2.x

Unapproved

2016.4.x

Unapproved

2016.5.x

Unapproved

2017.3.x

Unapproved

2018.1

Unapproved

2019.0

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13]

Unapproved

2019.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 6, 8, 10, 13, 14]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 6, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 6, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20]

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 6, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21]

Divest
[3, 6, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23]

2021.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 6, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23]

2023.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	Version 3.3.0 or higher are required due to a number of Common Vulnerability and Exposure (CVE`s), which exist for earlier versions and the software must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines.

[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]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based versions of this product are not permitted without a waiver signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD based upon a recommendation from the Architecture and Engineering Review Board (AERB). In addition, cloud based features of this software may not be used without an Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) approval to ensure that confidential organization and/or PII/PHI data are not compromised (ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513). Use of public cloud storage requires documented Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance and a Memorandum of Understanding / Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU/ISA) between the vendor and VA prior to ESCCB review.

[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]	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.

[7]	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).

[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]	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).

[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]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

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

[13]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the Project Special Forces (SPF) team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[14]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Ensure that PE is installed on operating systems that are configured in FIPS 140-2 mode. PE may use a standalone PostgreSQL database. Only VA approved versions of PostgreSQL may be used. PE must be added to the list of monitored software to ensure that vulnerabilities are identified and remediated in a timely manner. The VA should only consider solutions with similar functionality if the current approved solutions do not meet all of VA’s needs or requirements. Users must ensure that PostgreSQL is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[15]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Ensure that PE is installed on operating systems that are configured in FIPS 140-2 mode. PE may use a standalone PostgreSQL database. PE must be added to the list of monitored software to ensure that vulnerabilities are identified and remediated in a timely manner. The VA should only consider solutions with similar functionality if the current approved solutions do not meet all of VA’s needs or requirements. Users must ensure that PostgreSQL is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[16]	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.

[17]	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).

[18]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the Project Special Forces (SPF) team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[19]	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. If PostgreSQL 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 PostgreSQL Database TRM entry for more details.

[20]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the Project Special Forces (PSF) team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[21]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the VA OIT Product Engineering team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[22]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. Users must ensure that PostgreSQL is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) Users must not utilize the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, as it is unapproved for use on the TRM. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Puppet Enterprise will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. Puppet Enterprise may use a standalone PostgreSQL database. If the unmanaged database option is used, the administrator must use a TRM approved PostgreSQL database and follow the VA baseline. Puppet Enterprise must be added to the list of monitored software to ensure that vulnerabilities are identified and remediated in a timely manner. The VA should only consider solutions with similar functionality if the current approved solutions do not meet all of VA’s needs or requirements. Administrators must ensure Puppet Enterprise is only installed on approved versions of the supported server software.

[23]	This technology has received one or more VA security bulletins that provide specific guidance on vulnerability patching and mitigation. It is the responsibility of VA system owners to ensure that the appropriate mitigations are taken to address all known and future discovered vulnerabilities with this product. See the Reference tab for more information on security bulletins related to this product.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 2023.0.0.7.21.0 is the most current version, released 02/07/2023.

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
Facter	Facter gathers basic facts about nodes (systems) such as hardware details, network settings, Operating System (OS) type and version, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, media access control (MAC) addresses and Secure Shell (SSH) keys. These facts are then made available in the Puppet manifests as variables.
MCollective	This product installs, configures, and manages MCollective agents, clients, and middleware of an MCollective cluster. This product is supported by the Puppet community and no longer by Puppet.
Puppet Agent	This service may be run as a daemon, run periodically using cron (or something similar), or run interactively for testing purposes.
Puppet Code Manager	The Code Manager allows for managing infrastructure as code across dynamic environments, and apply continuous delivery practices. It can quickly review, test and promote Puppet code from development to test to production. It also accelerates the deployment of infrastructure changes in a stable, testable and programmatic way.
Puppet Compile Masters	Puppet Compile Masters are used in large environment installations to provide quicker, more efficient compilation times as multiple masters can share request load when agent nodes run.
Puppet Database (DB)	PuppetDB collects data generated by Puppet. It enables advanced Puppet features like exported resources, and can be the foundation for other applications that use Puppet`s data.
Puppet Enterprise Console	The console is Puppet Enterprise`s web Graphical User Interface. It can be used to: Manage node requests to join the Puppet deployment; assign Puppet classes to nodes and groups; view reports and activity graphs; trigger Puppet runs on demand; browse and compare resources on the nodes, view inventory data; invoke orchestration actions on nodes; and, manage console users and their access privileges.
Puppet Module Tool	The Puppet Module Tool (PMT) is the command-line interface to the Puppet Forge, an online repository for re-usable Puppet modules. As of Puppet 2.7.14 and Puppet Enterprise 2.5 PMT is no longer a separate product; it is now part of Puppet Core. It performs the following functions: search the Puppet Forge from the command line; list, upgrade, and uninstall modules; and, automatically resolve and install module dependencies.
Puppet Node Manager	This program is a rules-based node classifier that groups nodes based on key characteristics. It allows for more simply managing large volume of frequently-changing systems.
Puppet Server	Puppet Server is becoming a core component of the Puppet Enterprise stack. Puppet is Service-oriented architecture based and is written in Clojure, and is built on the open source Trapperkeeper framework.
Razor	Puppet Enterprise with Razor automates every phase of the Information Technology (IT) infrastructure lifecycle, from bare-metal to fully deployed applications. Razor provides unique capabilities for managing hardware infrastructure, including: Auto-Discovered Real-Time Inventory Data; Dynamic Image Selection; Policy-Based Provisioning; Open APIs and Plug-in Architecture.
Role Based Access Control	This gives the ability to have role-based access control (RBAC) to manage user permissions. Permissions define what actions users can perform on designated objects.


Systems Management Systems Management Tools	Data Center Automation Software

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (04/10/2023 at 02:59:39 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

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Current Decision Matrix (03/31/2023)

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References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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Comparable Technologies:

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General Analysis

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