Apache Flex BlazeDS

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:	Apache Flex BlazeDS is a server-based Java remoting and web messaging middleware that enables developers to connect to back-end distributed data and push data in real-time to Adobe Flex and Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) applications for responsive Rich Internet Application (RIA) experiences. Additionally, Flex BlazeDS is a Java application that runs within a Java Servlet container or a Java application server that intercepts all communication between a Flash application and a Java server, which can be managed using Java Management Extensions (JMX) agents. Flex-based applications cannot connect directly to a remote database, but can communicate with back-end servers using either direct socket connections or through Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). To integrate a Flex application with the Java Enterprise Edition (Java EE) security framework so that access to server-side resources is appropriately restricted, security information is added to the Flex BlazeDS configuration files. Then, a form is created to obtain login credentials from the user in the Flex application which gets passed to the server to be authenticated, and automatically passed with all subsequent requests.
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 v20.3
Decision Date:	03/20/2020 at 12:36:10 UTC
Aliases:	BlazeDS; Apache Flex Blaze DS
Introduced By:	ARB
Vendor Name:	Apache Software Foundation (ASF)

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
3.0	02/14/2008
3.0.1	05/15/2008
3.2	11/01/2008
3.3
4.0.1	05/24/2011
4.7.x	03/18/2015

Current Decision Matrix (03/17/2020)

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.

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Release

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Q1

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Q1

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3.2

Unapproved

4.0.1

Unapproved

4.7.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	The technology must remain properly updated and patched with all applicable updates and patches in order to mitigate known or future security vulnerabilities.

[2]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is protected properly in accordance with VA Handbook 6500 and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). Per VA Handbook 6500, FIPS 140-2 certified encryption must be used to protect and encrypt data in transit and at rest if Personally Identifiable Information/Protected Health Information/VA (PII/PHI/VA) sensitive information is involved. If FIPS 140-2 certified encryption in not used, additional mitigating controls must be documented in an approved System Security Plan (SSP). In addition, the technology must be implemented within the VA production network (not in a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)) unless the specific uses and instances of the technology are approved by the Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB). All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Hand Book 6500. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full ESCCB review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. 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. Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities identified for certain versions, not all versions are allowed. Please reference the Forecast Tab for additional guidance.

[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]	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]	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]	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.

Note:

Version 3.3 was never supported and has been omitted from the calendar year table for clarity.

At the time of writing, the current version of this technology is 4.7.3, which was released on March 31, 2018.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
There are no references identified for this entry.

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
Messaging Service	The Messaging Service lets client applications communicate asynchronously by passing messages back and forth through the server. A message defines properties such as a unique identifier, BlazeDS headers, any custom headers, and a message body.
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) services	The Remote Procedure Call (RPC) services let a client application make asynchronous requests to remote services that process the requests and then return data directly to the client.
Service Adapters	BlazeDS enables users to access persistent data stores and databases along with other data persistence mechanisms. A service adapter is responsible for updating the persistent data stored on the server in a manner appropriate to the specific data store type. The adapter architecture is customizable to let users integrate with any type of messaging or back-end persistence system.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Application Technology Integration Software	Messaging Oriented Middleware (MOM)

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:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a mature technology with a comprehensive set of documentation.
This technology can be acquired without cost to the organization through open source licensing and supports VA`s open source initiative.

Adoption Risks

There is one recent Common Vulnerability and Exposure (CVE) associated with this technology at the time of writing.
This technology has the potential to collect, store, or transmit Personally Identifiable Information (PII)/Protected Health Information (PHI), and/or other sensitive VA data.
Per system scans, this technology is not in use within VA`s network at the time of writing.
There are other supported TRM technologies with similar or duplicate functionality.
This technology relies on Java Runtime Environment (JRE) - Oracle, which has a rapid release and update schedule.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable across multiple VA-supported platforms.

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (03/17/2020)

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

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (03/17/2020)

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

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