CenTrak Connect Core

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:	CenTrak Connect Core is a middleware application that runs alongside CenTrak Connect Pulse (formerly known as Global Monitoring System (GMS)) and consolidates Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag data from vendor-provided tags, maintenance/configuration of CenTrak infrastructure, and outbound data streaming. These asset tags seamlessly communicate with existing hospital Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), providing key data on the exact location and condition of medical equipment. CenTrak Connect Core does not store any data or utilize a database. However, this software operates with CenTrak Connect Pulse, which stores infrastructure-related maintenance information in an encrypted Microsoft Structured Query Language (SQL) Server database.
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 v22.9
Decision Date:	09/14/2022 at 19:24:11 UTC
Aliases:	CenTrak Onsite Platform
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	CenTrak

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
5.x

Current Decision Matrix (09/06/2022)

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

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

5.x

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

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 5, 6, 8]

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

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

Decision Constraints


[1]	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.

[2]	Users must ensure applicable VA wireless infrastructure standards and minimum baseline configuration for securing WLAN devices are in place.

[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]	Users must ensure applicable VA wireless infrastructure standards and minimum baseline configuration for securing Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) devices are in place.

[5]	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.

[6]	Users must ensure applicable VA wireless infrastructure standards and minimum baseline configuration for securing Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) devices are in place. Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework is implemented with VA-approved baselines. The CenTrak solution should not process, store, or transmit VA sensitive information without employing a validated FIPS 140-2 cryptographic module. In addition, privacy impact assessments (PIA) should be conducted to ensure proper handling of information collected by the system. CenTrak Connect Core must utilize the VA-approved version of .NET Framework. Ensure applicable VA wireless infrastructure standards and minimum baseline configuration for securing Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) devices are in place.

[7]	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]	New installations or major expansions of this technology that transmit data over the VA Wide Area Network (WAN) must complete a WAN impact review (yourIT Service Portal:[SNOW Service Requests]) prior to implementation to ensure proper compliance to VA network design and usage requirements.

[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]	Users must ensure that Microsoft .NET Framework, Google Chrome, and Adobe Acrobat are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’) Per the [Initial Product Review/Security Assessment Review], users must abide by the following constraints: The CenTrak solution should not process, store, or transmit VA sensitive information without employing a certified FIPS 140-2 cryptographic module. In addition, privacy impact assessments (PIA) should be conducted to ensure proper handling of information collected by the system. CenTrak Connect Core must utilize the VA approved version of .NET Framework. Ensure applicable VA wireless infrastructure standards and minimum baseline configuration for securing Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) devices are in place.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 5.14 SP24 GA is the most current version released.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description

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
Health Care Administrative	Health Delivery Support

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Windows Server - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a mature technology.
At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include clinical workflow utilizing medical equipment.
There are minimal other TRM-approved technologies that provide the same functionality.

Adoption Risks

The system is not Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant. An RTLS can be used to track devices, staff, and patients; the information transmitted by the system may contain Protected Health Information (PHI)/Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data.
The Centrak solution utilizes existing wired or Wi-Fi network to communicate information gathered from the source device to the location server. Misconfiguration of the Wi-Fi network could potentially expose Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sensitive information.
The system is not Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 certified. A RTLS can be used to track devices, staff, and patients; the information transmitted by the system may contain Protected Health Information (PHI)/Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data.
The vendor has indicated that CenTrak Connect Core can leverage .NET Framework versions starting at 3.5.
The Centrak solution utilizes existing wired or Wi-Fi network to communicate information gathered from the source device to the location server. Misconfiguration of the Wi-Fi network could potentially expose Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sensitive information.
There is a lack of publicly available technical documentation and support may be limited to specific forums.
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 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.

Architectural Risks

This technology is not portable as it runs only on Windows platforms.

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Decision Constraints

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Current Decision Matrix (09/06/2022)

Decision Constraints

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VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Risks

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