Metacoda Plug-In for Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Management Console

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:	Metacoda Plug-In for Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Management Console is a platform used to manage, review, troubleshoot, document, test and audit user`s SAS environments. This technology functions as a space to review, test, and troubleshoot SAS metadata security implementations. This technology stores data on user`s proprietary 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 v24.4
Decision Date:	04/16/2024 at 15:23:35 UTC
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Metacoda

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
6.x	08/03/2016

Current Decision Matrix (04/09/2024)

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

CY2023

CY2024

CY2025

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

6.x

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 4, 5, 7, 8]

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Decision Constraints


[1]	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: Metacoda Plug-ins will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. Users should employ continuous scanning on the SAS Management Console and its client system to ensure that any Metacoda plugins that are installed do not introduce any vulnerabilities. Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Office (ISSO) 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. Users should ensure that they have the information necessary to register with the vendor for access to any necessary updates, support, or product documentation.

[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]	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.

[4]	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.

[5]	Browser plug-ins and extensions may only be installed by VA IT Operations (ITOPS) and must be used with official VA browser installation packages that are managed by ITOPS. For installation, contact the National Service Desk [Mail Group: National Service Desk - Austin]. Browser extensions must be kept up to date with security patches and enhancements.

[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 ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[7]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) 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.

[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 ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 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: Metacoda Plug-ins will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. Users should employ continuous scanning on the SAS Management Console and its client system to ensure that any Metacoda plugins that are installed do not introduce any vulnerabilities. Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Office (ISSO) 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. Users should ensure that they have the information necessary to register with the vendor for access to any necessary updates, support, or product documentation.

[10]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 6.2 R1 is the most current version, released 09/18/2023.

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
ACE Reviewer	Review the use of Access Control Templates (ACTs) – how they have been defined, where they have been applied, and how they have been protected.
ACT Reviewer	Review the use of Access Control Entries (ACEs) – the objects they have been applied to and the permissions they impart.
Auth Domain Reviewer	Review authentication domain information such as if it is in use, logins, connections and libraries.
Capability Reviewer	Review capabilities in SAS metadata – the roles that provide those capabilities and the members they provide those capabilities to, including all of the multiple membership and contribution paths.
External Identity Manager	Provides facilities to view, add, edit, delete, import, export and report on external identity metadata.
Group Reviewer	Review user groups that have been defined in SAS metadata including their members, group memberships, role memberships, the capabilities they provide to their members, and more.
Identity Sync	Import, check and synchronize identity-related SAS metadata with enterprise directories without the need to edit SAS code.
Internal Login Reviewer	Review any internal logins stored in metadata that are accessible to the current user.
Login Reviewer	Review any logins stored in metadata that are accessible to the current user.
Permissions Tracer	Easily discover the source of effective permissions on an object for a user or group.
Protected Object Reviewer	Review SAS metadata objects that have been explicitly protected through the use of ACTs or ACEs.
Role Reviewer	Review roles that have been defined in SAS metadata including their members, roles that they contribute capabilities to, roles they receive capability contributions from, and more.
Testing Framework	Protect the integrity of your current SAS metadata security implementation using tests and alerts (available in our Enterprise level license package).
User Reviewer	Review users that have been defined in SAS metadata including their group memberships, role memberships, the capabilities they have access to, accessible logins, and more.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Information Management Technologies Data Management	Database-Related Management Tools

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

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

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Management Console

Comparable Technologies:

No comparable entries have been identified.

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

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 integrates with Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Management Console and provides enhanced functionality.

Adoption Risks

The vendor for this technology is based outside the United States.
This technology contains Browser Plug-ins and Extensions.
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.
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.
This technology has a free trial period, which carries the potential for the disruption of service delivery and inaccurate financial planning.
Metacoda Plug-ins are not Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certified.
Metacoda Plug-ins rely on the SAS Management Console that they are loaded onto for security.
Metacoda offers an open source setup utility to help configure the Metacoda Plug-ins Batch Interface that is used to automate and schedule activities using Metacoda Plug-ins inside the SAS Management Console.
Access to Metacoda Plug-ins updates, documentation, and technical support requires a user id and password to their site.

Architectural Benefits

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

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/09/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

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 Benefits

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (04/09/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

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 Benefits

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