02 - Technology_Standards_and_Products_Guide.pdf

Technology Standards and Products Guide Version 7.18 ● 5/31/2024

Final

Technology Standards and Products Guide Revision History

Version: 7.18 2 5/31/2024

Revision History

VERSION DATE DESCRIPTION

1.0 November 2, 2001 • Provided general updates under TO 55.

2.0 January 25, 2002 • Reformatted document to align with the Department of Education Policy document.

• Updated document to reflect new standards and products.

2.1 February 12, 2002 • Updated document with client feedback.

• Renamed document title.

2.2 March 29, 2002 • Included updates from 1/15/2002 to 3/15/2002 in Federal

Student Aid standards, products, and policies.

• Added an Application Development section.

2.3 June 30, 2002 • Incorporated planned ITA upgrades

• Added an Executive Summary.

• Added Mobile Devices to Network Services section.

• Added External Connections to External Environment section.

• Updated several version numbers.

3.0 September 27, 2002 • Updated to include minor version number changes and other architectural changes. Reflects all updates through revision date.

3.1 April 1, 2003 • Updated to include minor version number changes and other architectural changes. Reflects all updates through revision date.

4.0 August 1, 2003 • Updated to include minor version number changes and other architectural changes. Reflects all updates through revision date.

4.1 August 2004 • Updated to include minor version number changes and other architectural changes. Reflects all updates through revision date.

• Replaced Consistent Data with Data Strategy section.

Reflects all updates through revision date.

4.2 May 2005 • Introduced the Metadata management category, added products to be provided with Advance and CSB contracts.

5.0

December 2005 • Populated the Metadata management category. Revised and added the software for ADvance and CSB contracts.

• Removed the Data Strategy section and all references to it.

• Updated the EDM text as well as Data Modeling.

• Removed the minimum PC Specifications and all references to it.

• Added a new Appendix A – Reusable Common Services

(RCS) and Portlets. Reflects all updates through revision date.

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5.1

February 2006 • Added “FileNet” as the Document Management Standard.

• Changed “WebSphere Application Server 6.0” to “WebSphere

Process Server 6.0”.

5.2 June 2006 • Updated DRM information.

• Updated web sites.

• Added in Common Operating Environment (COE) Diagrams, updated language.

6.0 July 2007 • Document renamed to Technology Standards and Products

Guide and re-organized to facilitate architecture understanding, re-categorized products and standards to align with FEA TRM.

• Removed version numbers from product listing to facilitate maintenance.

• Evergreen process will provide the current version of products in the environment.

7.0 Draft April 2012 • Updated draft document to incorporate the new Federal Student Aid Technology Classification Framework.

• Updated document based on stakeholder feedback.

7.0 Draft August 2012 • Incorporated feedback received through ECCB members.

7.0 Final September 2012 • Incorporated feedback received through ERB members.

7.1 Draft April 2015 • Updated References and Related Documents.

• Updated the following Technology Capabilities:

o Table 3: Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain Standards (Personal Productivity, Collaboration Software and, Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms) o Table 4: Application Environment Technology Domain Standards (Application Delivery Platform, Software Engines, Integration Software and, Database Management Systems) o Table 5: Hardware Devices and Systems Software Technology Domain Standards (Operating Systems and Utilities, and Storage) o Table 6: Network and Computer Accommodation Technology Domain Standards (Network)

• Table 7: Management and Control Technology Domain Standards (Systems Management and Security Management) http://thestartingline.ed.gov/cio/itaeaisa/Schedule/EvergreenSchedule.pdf

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7.2 September 2016 • Updated subsections 1.3 Intended Audience, 1.4 Document Organization and 1.5 References and Related Documents.

• Updated the following Technology Capabilities:

o Table 3: Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain Standards (Collaboration Software and, Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms) o Table 4: Application Environment Technology Domain Standards (Application Development Software, Application Delivery Platform, Software Engines, Integration Software and, Database Management Systems) o Table 5: Hardware Devices and Systems Software Technology Domain Standards (Servers, and Storage) o Table 6: Network and Computer Accommodation Technology Domain Standards (Network, and Bandwidth and Connectivity) o Table 7: Management and Control Technology Domain Standards (Systems Management and Security Management)

• Added Section 3 FSA Technology Standards that profiles the technology standards used to support the FSA enterprise architecture.

7.3 September 2017 • Updated draft document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

• Incorporated new classification of “Target Elective” to document technology standards in use by the Target ED infrastructure service providers.

• Created an acronyms reference in Appendix A.

7.4 September 2018 • Updated draft document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

• Refined the definition of Target Elective.

• Updated definition for Non-Relational DBMS.

7.5 April 2019 • Updated draft document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

• Made standard and target updates based on DCC Award

Technologies Recommended Mappings Workbook.

7.6 October 2019 • Updated draft document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

7.7 March 2020 • Updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

• Updated technology class definitions with current examples.

7.8 September 2020 • Updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

7.9 March 2021 • Updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

• Removed ED Standards

• Removed Elective and Target Electives as classifications

7.10 September 2021 • Updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

• Added AWS Technology Exceptions as Standards

7.11 March 2022 • Updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

• Added vendors to product names

7.12 April 2022 • Added Box as a Technology Standard

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7.13 September 2022 • Updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

7.14 May 2023 • Updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

7.15 August 2023 • Draft updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

7.16 February 2024 • Draft updated document to incorporate stakeholder feedback.

7.17 March 2024 • Added FedRAMP ID numbers to FedRAMP Authorized Cloud Service Provider products

7.18 May 2024

• Added SaaS Aqua Platform (FedRAMP ID: FR2330939028) and SaaS Tenable.io (FedRAMP ID: FR1814276801) as Standards, and updated Appian to Phase Out.

• Added Calabrio as a Standard and updated NICE\Cisco CTI integration software, NICE Engage (Quality Monitoring), NICE Nexidia, NICE Recording Compliance (PCI), and NICE Workforce Management to Phase Out.

Technology Standards and Products Guide Table of Contents

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Table of Contents

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. PURPOSE

1.2. SCOPE

1.3. INTENDED AUDIENCE

1.4. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

SECTION 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SECTION 3. TECHNOLOGY CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK

3.1. DESKTOP AND PRODUCTIVITY TECHNOLOGY DOMAIN

3.2. APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT TECHNOLOGY DOMAIN

3.3. HARDWARE DEVICES AND SYSTEMS SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY DOMAIN

3.4. NETWORK AND COMPUTER ACCOMMODATION

3.5. MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL

SECTION 4. FSA TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS

APPENDIX A - ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

List of Tables Table 1. Intended Audience Table 2. Reference Documents Table 3. FSA Technology Usage Classifications Table 4. Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain Standards Table 5. Application Environment Technology Domain Table 6. Hardware Devices and Systems Software Technology Domain Standards Table 7. Network and Computer Accommodation Technology Domain Standards Table 8. Management and Control Technology Domain Table 9. FSA Technology Standards Table 10. Acronyms and Abbreviations

List of Figures Figure 1. FSA Technology Classification Framework Figure 2. FSA Technology Classification Framework Hierarchy Example Figure 3. Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain Figure 4. Application Environment Technology Domain Figure 5. Hardware Devices and Systems Software Technology Domain Figure 6. Network and Computer Accommodation Technology Domain Figure 7. Management and Control Technology Domain

Technology Standards and Products Guide Introduction

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Section 1. Introduction

1.1. Purpose

The TSPG is a guide for Federal Student Aid architects, business stakeholders, project managers, system administrators, application developers, procurement personnel, and others who require guidance on implementing Federal Student Aid technology standards.

The primary purpose of the TSPG is to enable architects to identify opportunities to leverage technology, alleviate redundancy, and highlight instances in which technology overlaps limit the value of IT investments.

This guide addresses the fundamental technologies comprising FSA’s infrastructure, and it focuses on standards and products that promote managed services within a reliable and secure environment. The TSPG is a critical component of a comprehensive effort to align government-wide investments in information technology with the needs of Federal Student Aid.

The TSPG is not intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all products in use within Federal Student Aid. Rather, it is the set of identifiable current and target technology standards, aimed at supporting FSA’s Modernization Plan.

1.2. Scope

The TSPG lists the preferred technologies and products that promote transition from the current technical architecture to the envisioned technical architecture as described in the Federal Student Aid Modernization Plan.

The adoption of enterprise-wide standards promotes interoperability, scalability, and enables cost effective acquisition and development of systems and applications to meet Federal Student Aid’s business needs. The TSPG is intended to promote a smooth transition from current to future technologies, but it does not attempt to provide a prioritized, scheduled transition plan for moving toward a desired future state.

1.3. Intended Audience

This guide is intended for all FSA personnel, including current and potential vendors, who are involved in the management, development, and support of Federal Student Aid’s general support systems and, major and minor applications. This guide is intended to assist those individuals in understanding and applying relevant technology standards to their respective systems and applications.

The table below lists the intended users for the Federal Student Aid Technology Standards and Products Guide, the document sections most relevant for each type of user, and the purpose for which the users may use the information in this Guide.

Table 1. Intended Audience

USERS USES

Federal Student Aid Executives / Federal Student Aid Business Owners & Technology Directorate Staff

Facilitates and communicates an organized, systematic way of classifying the information technology infrastructure

Federal Student Aid Architects Facilitates understanding of Federal Student Aid’s technology infrastructure and promotes reuse by identification of standards

Vendors Communicates the technology infrastructure and identifies standards, and technologies that support the construction, delivery, and maintenance of Federal Student Aid IT applications

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1.4. Reference Documents

Federal Student Aid’s Technology Standards and Products Guide was developed to support Federal Student Aid’s business operations in compliance with the laws, regulations, and guidance listed below:

Table 2. Reference Documents

DOCUMENT TITLE DOCUMENT VERSION

Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996: Requires agencies to implement IT management processes, integrate management and budget processes, inventory IT investments, and designate a Chief Information Officer

February 1996

OMB Circular A-11: Requires agencies to submit plans and progress on their enterprise architectures

July 2016

OMB Circular A-130: Requires that Federal agencies create Enterprise Architecture and notify OMB as significant changes are made

July 2016

OMB Circular A-119: Requires agencies to participate in the development and use of voluntary consensus standards and in the conformity Assessment Activities

February 1998

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995: Requires Federal agencies to be more responsible and publicly accountable for reducing the burden of Federal paperwork

October 1998

The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA): Requires agencies to leverage improved network technologies by improving electronic transactions

October 1998

The E-Government Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-347): Requires agencies to support e- Government projects and to leverage cross-agency initiatives to further e- Government. It also requires agencies to submit privacy impact assessments for all new IT investments using personally identifiable data from or about members of the public

December 2002

The Federal Records Act of 1950: Requires Federal agencies to establish and maintain a continuing program for the economical and efficient management of agency records. Electronic records created or received by the Federal Government must be managed as Federal records

September 1950

Government Performance Results Modernization Act of 2010: Requires that Federal agencies accurately employ performance metrics to measure and report performance results related to IT investments.

January 2011

Federal Information Security Management Act (44 U.S.C. 3544): Specifies standards and requirements for securely managing information and information systems, with guidance provided by the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

December 2002

The Common Approach to Federal Enterprise Architecture: Requires Agency Heads to develop and maintain an agency-wide enterprise architecture that integrates strategic drivers, business requirements, and technology solutions.

May 2012

Lifecycle Management Methodology: Federal Student Aid’s comprehensive end-to-end process for managing information technology projects from vision to retirement

March 2021, V2.2

Queensland Department of Public Works, ICT Policy and Coordination Office and Queensland Government Chief Technology Office: Queensland Government Technology Classification Framework, Final

April 2015, V4.0.1

The classification methodology utilized by the Technology Standards and Products Guide is based on the Technology Classification Framework developed by the Queensland, Australia Government. This technology framework was selected in order to classify the Federal Student Aid standards and specifications in an industry standard manner, by organizing them into Technology Domains, consisting of

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Technology Capabilities and broken down further into Technology Classes. Additional details are included in Section 2.

Technology Standards and Products Guide Executive Summary

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Section 2. Executive Summary The Federal Student Aid (FSA) Technology Standards and Products Guide (TSPG) provides an organized, systematic way of classifying technologies employed by Federal Student Aid and provides a basis for understanding the technologies supporting the development and maintenance of Federal Student Aid’s information technology (IT) infrastructure.

The TSPG identifies FSA technologies through a classification framework that categorizes FSA software, services, and hardware according to their primary capabilities.

The TSPG further augments its classification framework by denoting the products and services that will help Federal Student Aid achieve its Modernization Plan. The scheme identifies the status of each technology in the classification framework as follows:

• Standard -Technologies/products mandated and in use by FSA.

• Target -Technologies/products planned for use by FSA.

• Phase Out -Technologies/products that will be discontinued by FSA.

The adoption of enterprise-wide standards promotes interoperability, scalability, and enables cost effective acquisition and development of systems and applications to meet Federal Student Aid’s business needs. The TSPG is intended to promote a smooth transition from current to future technologies, but it does not attempt to provide a prioritized, scheduled transition plan for moving toward a desired future state.

Technology Standards and Products Guide Technology Classification Framework

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Section 3. Technology Classification Framework The objective of defining a Technology Classification Framework is to identify and classify standards and technologies that support the construction, delivery, and exchange of Federal Student Aid business and application components at a level of abstraction that allows principles and rules to be developed and/or followed without being confused by physical implementation details. The following graphic in Figure 1 illustrates the FSA Technology Classification Framework:

Figure 1. FSA Technology Classification Framework

Technology Domains are the topmost and define a coarse segmentation of technologies. Each of the Technology Domains is further segmented into several Technology Capabilities, which define a more focused set of technology functionalities. Technology Capabilities are further refined into finer classifications of Technology Classes.

Figure 2, below, illustrates how the FSA Technology Classification Framework categorizes Federal Student Aid’s technologies through the following hierarchy:

• Technology Domains, which are comprised of:

o Technology Capabilities, which are comprised of:

Technology Classes, which are comprised of:

• Technology Products and Services1

Figure 2. FSA Technology Classification Framework Hierarchy Example

1 Technology Products and Services are intentionally not depicted in the FSA Technology Classification Framework in order to preserve legibility of the diagram. These items are listed in their respective Domain Standards tables throughout this document.

DESKTOP and

PRODUCTIVITY

T-1

Personal Productivity T-1.1

Collaboration Software

T-1.2

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

T-1.3

APPLICATION

ENVIRONMENTS

T-2

Application Development Software

T-2.1

Application Delivery Platform Software

T-2.2

Software Engines T-2.3

Integration Software T-2.4

Database Management Systems

T-2.5

HARDWARE

DEVICES and

SYSTEMS

SOFTWARE

T-3

Servers T-3.1

Desktops T-3.2

General Purpose Mobile Devices

T-3.3 Special Purpose Mobile Devices

T-3.4

Operating Systems & Utilities

T-3.5

Storage T-3.6

Printers and Scanners T-3.7

NETWORK and

COMPUTER

ACCOMMODATION

T-4

Network T-4.1

Bandwidth & Connectivity

T-4.2

Equipment Accommodation & Cabling

T-4.3

MANAGEMENT

and

CONTROL

T-5

Systems Management T-5.1

Security Management T-5.2

TECHNOLOGY

DOMAIN

T-1

Technology Capability T-1.1

Technology Capability T-1.2

Technology Capability T-1.3

Technology Class T-1.1.1

Technology Class T-1.1.1

Technology Class T-1.3.1

Technology Class T-1.3.1

Technology Class T-1.2.1

Technology Class T-1.1.1

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The TSPG further refines the Technology Classification Framework through the use of a Standards Classification scheme to help the reader identify FSA’s standards. This scheme identifies the status of technology products and services as follows:

Table 3. FSA Technology Usage Classifications

CLASSIF ICATIONS DESCRIPT ION

Standard Technologies/products mandated and in use by FSA.

Target Technologies/products planned for use by FSA.

Phase Out Technologies/products that will be discontinued by FSA.

3.1. Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain

The Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain covers those elements that are directly used by business users. This tier provides the structure and guidance for all Desktop and Productivity technologies and is composed of the following Technology Capabilities and Classes as depicted in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3. Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain

• Personal Productivity (T-1.1): This capability comprises all technology elements that support personal productivity including office suites, multimedia graphics and design suites, web page authoring packages, publishing packages and file viewers throughout Federal Student Aid.

o Standard Office Suites (T-1.1.1): This class describes a core desktop productivity system, which is made up of a number of tools such as a word processor and a spreadsheet. Some degree of integration usually exists between the separate tools. An example of a standard office suite is Microsoft Office, which contains the word processor Microsoft Word and the spreadsheet Microsoft Excel. The database tool MS Access, for organizing, accessing, and sharing information, is included under another capability ’Desktop DBMS’.

o Web Page Authoring (T-1.1.2): This class includes technologies that allow a document creator to mark up (that is, annotate in a machine-readable way) a document to allow the document content to be presented in a format suitable for the Internet. This class typically refers to standalone authoring suites. Authoring suites integrated into content management systems would normally appear in the content management class. The most common example is the marking up of a plain text document, using HTML, so that it can be displayed on a screen as hypertext (that is, a web page in HTML format). An example of a web page authoring tool is First Page (for HTML).

o Web Browser (T-1.1.3): This class includes software programs used to locate and display information on the Internet or on an intranet. Most browsers can display graphics, photographs, and text; multimedia information (such as sound and video) may require

DE

SK

TO

P an d

PR

O

DU

CT

IV

IT

Y T-

Personal Productivity T-1.1

Collaboration Software

T-1.2

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

T-1.3 Standard Office

Suites T-1.1.1

Multimedia and Graphics Design

Software T-1.1.4

Web Page Authoring

T-1.1.2

Desktop Publishing T-1.1.5

Special Purpose Clients and

Productivity Tools T-1.1.7

Web Browser T-1.1.3

File Viewers T-1.1.6

Real Time and Team

Collaboration T-1.2.2

Content Management

T-1.2.3

Data Mining Tools T-1.3.1

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

T-1.3.3

Data Quality Tools T-1.3.2

Business Intelligence Platforms

T-1.3.4 email and Calendaring

T-1.2.1

Version: 7.18 13 5/31/2024 additional software, known as plug-ins. Examples include Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox.

o Multimedia and Graphics Design Software (T-1.1.4): This class includes products that enable users to produce and edit content in a variety of presentation formats including sound, still images, video images and, animations. Examples include Adobe Photoshop and PhoXo.

o Desktop Publishing (T-1.1.5): This class includes software that creates high-quality publications combining text and graphics in a sophisticated layout following design standards.

Desktop publishing often allows a single individual to create publications that would have previously required expensive printing equipment and a full team of publishing staff. An examples of desktop publishing tool is Adobe InDesign.

o File Viewers (T-1.1.6): This class includes software products that enable users to open and display contents of files originally stored in a variety of formats including text as well as multimedia file formats such as sound, video images, photographic images, still images or animations. Examples of a file viewer is Adobe Acrobat Reader.

o Special Purpose Clients and Productivity Tools (T-1.1.7): This class includes out-of-the-box desktop productivity tools deployed to specific users to perform specific functions not already covered in the other desktop productivity categories. Examples include mind-mapping tools such as Mind Map. This class also includes special purpose clients, such as front-end GIS products.

• Collaboration Software (T-1.2): This capability comprises all technology elements within Federal Student Aid that support group productivity and interaction between participants such as email, content management, file sharing, instant messaging, and team collaboration environments.

o Email and Calendaring (T-1.2.1): This class includes email tools to support electronic mail, including composing, sending, and receiving messages, managing messages, and managing electronic mail address lists. Calendaring tools provide support for the managing of calendars (diaries), creating appointments and events, and organizing and scheduling of meetings.

Examples include Microsoft Outlook and Google Gmail. This class also includes server components, for example, Microsoft Exchange.

o Real Time and Team Collaboration (T-1.2.2): This class includes tools to support people working together even though they may be separated physically and geographically. Workers can work with each other, with clients, or with partners from their desktop, swapping ideas, resolving ideas, sharing information, marking up files or collaborating with whiteboards.

Examples of real time collaboration tools include Microsoft Teams, a web conferencing tool for meeting with large or small groups in different locations, with each participant working from her or his desktop. Videoconferencing software such as Zoom, is another example of real time collaboration tools. An example of a team support tool is Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services.

o Content Management (T-1.2.3): This class generally refers to applications for managing content intended to be published, typically over the Web or to the processes and workflows involved in organizing, categorizing, and structuring information resources so that they can be stored, published, and reused in multiple ways. A Content Management System (CMS) is used to collect, manage, and publish content, storing the content either as components or whole documents, while maintaining the links between components. A CMS may include integrated authoring tools that support the design, creation, capture, editing, and integration of information from discrete multi-media components, often to produce a website. Examples of content management systems are SharePoint and Interwoven product suite.

• Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms (T-1.3): This capability includes software tools that allow the storage, access, and analysis of data in a data warehouse. They include online analytical processing tools (OLAP), data mining tools, executive information systems, data extraction, query and reporting tools, multidimensional tools, and decision support systems.

o Data Mining Tools (T-1.3.1): This class includes tools to support the process of extracting patterns and trends from data. Often it refers specifically to the processing of large amounts

Version: 7.18 14 5/31/2024 of data stored in specific data mining repositories or data warehouses. SAS Enterprise Miner is an example.

o Data Quality Tools (T-1.3.2): This class includes tools to support the analysis, cleansing and standardization of data to improve its utility for data mining by identifying and rectifying problems such as duplicate records, erroneous data, redundant data, inconsistent data, and different instances of names and addresses for the same data entity. Examples of data quality tools are IBM Quality Stage and SAS Data Quality Solution.

o Extract, Transform, and Load Tools (T-1.3.3): This class includes tools which support the conversion and transformation of data and its associated metadata from one source to another. Often used for migrations from an old system to a new one, or for moving data from an operational system to a data warehouse or other analysis repository. SAS Enterprise ETL Server and IBM DataStage are examples of an Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) tool.

o Business Intelligence Platforms (T-1.3.4): This class includes software that provides an integrated set of enhanced query, reporting, and possibly, OLAP tools. This includes the platforms on which the enterprise Business Intelligence (BI) capability is built. Examples of BI software includes SAS BI Suite, Cognos, Power BI, and MicroStrategy.

Table 4, below, identifies the products and services that comprise FSA’s current Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain.

Table 4. Desktop and Productivity Technology Domain Standards

TECHNOLOGY

CAPABIL ITY

TECHNOLOGY

CLASS

PRODUCT OR

SERVICE

CLASSIF ICATION CONTEXT

Personal Productivity

Standard Office Suites

Personal Productivity

Web Page Authoring

Web Browser

Multimedia and Graphics Design Software

Desktop publishing

File Viewers

Special Purpose Clients and Productivity Tools

DocuSign Cloud (FedRamp ID:

F1605027893)

Standard eSignature

Personal Productivity

Special Purpose Clients and Productivity Tools

Medallia (FedRamp ID:

FR1711262842)

Standard Customer Feedback Management

Collaboration Software

Email and Calendaring

Adobe Campaign Classic Standard High Volume Email Solution (~ 1.3B emails/annum)

Collaboration Software

Email and Calendaring

Postfix Phase Out Mail Server

Collaboration Software

Real Time and Team Collaboration

Smartsheet Target Collaboration and work management

Collaboration Software

Real Time and Team Collaboration

Box (FedRamp ID:

F1212191840)

Standard Document Management

Collaboration Software

Real Time and Team Collaboration

Microsoft Project Server Standard EBC Microsoft SharePoint Environment

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TECHNOLOGY

CAPABIL ITY

TECHNOLOGY

CLASS

PRODUCT OR

SERVICE

CLASSIF ICATION CONTEXT

Collaboration Software

Real Time and Team Collaboration

Microsoft SharePoint Standard EBC Microsoft SharePoint Environment

Collaboration Software

Content Management

Drupal Standard Public Facing

Collaboration Software

Content Management

Microsoft SharePoint Standard Internal/Employe e Facing

Collaboration Software

Content Management

WordPress Standard Blog Only

Collaboration Software

Content Management

OpenText TeamSite Phase Out Content Collaboration and Management

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools Cognos Query Standard Reporting and Advanced Analytics

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools Crazy Egg Standard Web Analytics

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Standard Web Analytics

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools Python Standard Enterprise Data Warehouse

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools R Standard Enterprise Data Warehouse

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools Salesforce Einstein Analytics (FedRamp ID:

FR2003061248)

Standard Customer Relationship Management

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools SAS Standard Enterprise Data Warehouse

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools Tealium Standard Web Analytics

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Mining Tools Vanguard Software Standard Business and Predictive Analytics

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Quality Tools IBM InfoSphere Information Analyzer

Standard Data Management

Business Intelligence and

Data Quality Tools SmartyStreets Standard Address Validation

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TECHNOLOGY

CLASS

PRODUCT OR

SERVICE

CLASSIF ICATION CONTEXT

Data Warehouse Platforms Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Data Quality Tools IBM Information Governance Catalog

(IGC)

Phase Out Master Data Management and Data Dictionary

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

IBM Change Data Capture (CDC)

Target Replication and Data Migration

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

Amazon Athena (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Serverless, Interactive Analytics Service

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

Amazon AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Database Migration

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

Amazon AWS DataSync (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Database Migration

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

Amazon AWS Glue (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Data ETL Service

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Streaming Data Pipeline

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

IBM DataStage Standard Data Management / Data Quality Control

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Extract, Transform and Load Tools

Oracle Golden Gate Standard Replication and Data Migration

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

Alation Data Catalog Standard Application Development Software

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

Amazon OpenSearch Service (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Open Source, Distributed Search and Analytics Suite

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

Amazon QuickSight (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Cloud-native, Serverless, Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

Amazon RedShift (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Data Warehouse Analysis

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TECHNOLOGY

CLASS

PRODUCT OR

SERVICE

CLASSIF ICATION CONTEXT

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

Business Objects Standard Advanced Analytics

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

Cognos Suite Standard Reporting and Advanced Analytics

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

Galvanize ACL Robotics Pro

Standard Report and Data Extraction Automation

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

Pivotal Greenplum Standard Enterprise Data Warehouse

Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms

Business Intelligence Platforms

RedAsh Standard Data Visualization

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3.2. Application Environment Technology Domain

The Application Environment Technology Domain covers framework and other supporting software for the development and deployment of application software within Federal Student Aid. Products that service this domain typically offer significant bundled functionality but are not used directly by business end-users.

Figure 4. Application Environment Technology Domain

The Application Environment Technology Domain is composed of the following Technology Capabilities and Classes:

• Application Development Software (T-2.1): This capability comprises all those elements within the Federal Student Aid that relate to the specification, design, construction, implementation, and lifecycle management of software applications.

o Requirements Management (T-2.1.1): This class includes tools that support the requirements gathering phase of the application development life cycle, the purpose of which is to record the stakeholders’ requirements for the system which is to be developed. Tools may assist with the capture of requirements, management of requirements changes, tracing of the initial requirements to individual pieces of functionality in the final system, and management of the document lifecycle for requirements generally. IBM Rational DOORS is a requirements management tool.

o Analysis, Design and Modeling Tools (T-2.1.2): This class includes tools that support the analysis and design phases of the traditional software development life cycle. An example is SAP Power.

o Applications Development Tools and Environments (T-2.1.3): This class includes integrated sets of tools that enable software programming, packaging, testing, and distribution. These tools are used by software developers in building software applications in an integrated development environment. Examples include Borland’s Jbuilder, Microsoft’s Visual Studio, and Oracle Developer Suite.

o Software Change and Configuration Management (T-2.1.4): This class includes tools that provide automated support for managed change, configuration, or version control of software assets. An example is IBM’s Rational ClearCase.

o Software Testing Tools (T-2.1.5): This class includes tools that provide automated support for the software testing cycle and include such facilities as the management of the overall test

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T-

Application Development Software

T-2.1

Application Delivery Platform Software

T-2.2

Software Engines T-2.3

Integration Software T-2.4

Database Management Systems

T-2.5

Requirements Management

T-2.1.1

Software Change and Configuration

Management T-2.1.4

Analysis, Design and Modeling

Tools T-2.1.2

Software Testing Tools

T-2.1.5

Portal Server Software T-2.2.2

Web Server Software T-2.2.3

Application Server Software T-2.2.1

Messaging Middleware

T-2.4.2

Transaction Processing Monitors

T-2.4.3

Application Integration Platforms

T-2.4.1

Object-Oriented

DBMS

T-2.5.2

Desktop DBMS T-2.5.3

Relational DBMS T-2.5.1

Business Rules Engines T-2.3.2

Workflow Engines T-2.3.3

Business Process Management

Engines T-2.3.1

GIS Engines T-2.3.5

Search Engines T-2.3.6

Reporting Engines T-2.3.4

Embedded DBMS T-2.5.5

Database Replication and

Clustering T-2.5.6

Non-relational

DBMS

T-2.5.4

Application Virtual Machines

T-2.2.4

Applications Development Tools and Environments

T-2.1.3

Embedded Software Tools T-

2.1.6

Version: 7.18 19 5/31/2024 process, test development, capture/development of test scripts, replay of test scripts and test case generation for various kinds of testing including unit testing, system testing, regression testing, and integration testing. An example is HP’s Business Process Testing, and Functional Testing software.

o Embedded Software Tools (T-2.1.6): This class includes software development tools that manage the embedded software development lifecycle: analyzing, designing, documenting, writing, compiling, debugging, testing, optimizing, and verifying software. An example is the multi-embedded software development environment from Green Hills Software Inc.

• Application Delivery Platform Software (T-2.2): This capability includes the essential software infrastructure products that enable the running of business applications. Types of application delivery platform software include application server software, portal server software and web portal software.

o Application Server Software (T-2.2.1): This class includes system software used to host the business logic tier of applications, or to host application services. BEA WebLogic Server and IBM WebSphere Application Servers are examples.

o Portal Server Software (T-2.2.2): This class includes software to support the development, deployment, and operation of a portal environment, supplying aggregation and presentation capabilities that enable users to see relevant information and personalize their environments to best meet their needs and facilitate ease of use. It provides such capabilities as centralized identity services that manage users, roles, policies, and aggregation and presentation capabilities. IBM WebSphere Portal and Microsoft SharePoint are examples of portal server software.

o Web Server Software (T-2.2.3): This class includes servers that centrally host and serve web pages. The web server software uses the client/server model and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and serves the files that form web pages to web users (whose computers contain HTTP clients that forward their requests). An example is the Apache HTTP Server.

o Application Virtual Machines (T-2.2.4): A process Virtual Machine (VM), sometimes called an application virtual machine, runs as a normal application inside an Operating System (OS) and supports a single process. It is created when that process is started and destroyed when it exits. Its purpose is to provide a platform-independent programming environment that abstracts away details of the underlying hardware or operating system and allows a program to execute in the same way on any platform. A process VM provides a high-level abstraction

– that of a high-level programming language. This type of VM has become popular with the Java programming language, which is implemented using the Java virtual machine. Another example is the .NET Framework, which runs on a VM called the Common Language Runtime.

• Software Engines (T-2.3): This capability includes software that enables the delivery of components of an application system through a software engine that interprets configuration information (sometimes created through an associated development tool like a business process modeling tool associated with a business process engine) in order to provide the functionality required for the application.

o Business Process Management Engines (T-2.3.1): This class includes servers that centrally host and serve web pages. The web server software uses the client/server model and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and serves the files that form web pages to web users (whose computers contain HTTP clients that forward their requests). An example is the Apache HTTP Server.

o Business Rules Engines (T-2.3.2): This class includes software engines used to record, track, manage and revise enterprise business processes, without having to modify the software application itself. Rules are set to stipulate and outline processes and the Business Rule Engine (BRE) externalizes these rules for quick and easy modification.

BREs (also known simply as rule engines) are tools that manage the rules that define processes. BREs can be used in conjunction with other business-oriented tools such as Business Activity Monitoring (BAM), workflow engines and Business Process Management (BPM) tools.

Version: 7.18 20 5/31/2024

Examples include ILOG’s Business Rule Management System (BRMS) and Blaze Advisor.

o Workflow Engines (T-2.3.3): This capability includes software engines that support workflow management which can be of two types:

Internal and external process integration – a workflow approach that allows for the definition of business processes that span applications, including those that come from different vendors. This usually requires a standards-based commercial workflow development environment.

Workflow engines automate, manage, and execute business tasks and processes and events by executing a defined sequence of tasks which can include saving, modifying, or generating files, sending, responding, and receiving emails, and escalating or progressing approvals.

Enhydra Shark is an example of Open Source workflow engines written in Java.

o Reporting Engines (T-2.3.4): This class includes software engines for the generation of reports. Reports are usually defined through a report modeling tool and their execution can be triggered either through direct interaction with the reporting tool or through an Application Programming Interface (API) call from other software in which the engine is embedded. An example of a reporting engine is Crystal Reports.

o GIS Engines (T-2.3.5): This class includes server and desktop engines that combine relational databases with spatial interpretation and produce outputs in the form of maps.

Geographic Information System (GIS) engines capture, store, integrate, analyze, and display data that is spatially referenced.

o Search Engines (T-2.3.6): This class includes tools to support both searching and indexing capabilities. A search engine is a tool used to help find information on the Internet, intranet or in databases and file servers. Each search engine has its own way of gathering, classifying, and displaying information to the user. Examples of indexing search engines are Google Search and SharePoint Search.

• Integration Software (T-2.4): This capability includes platforms and other software for integrating the Federal Student Aid applications and systems.

o Application Integration Platforms (T-2.4.1): This class includes middleware products (also known as an Integration Broker Suite or IBS) that combine the core functionality of an integration broker (an engine that provides message transformation and intelligent routing services) with additional features to deliver comprehensive integration capabilities. These additional features may include various interface and integration adapters, communication middleware, orchestration, choreography, business process management and message warehousing. This class also includes adaptors and connectors that combine design tools and runtime software that link applications to the enterprise messaging infrastructure, and ORBs (Object Request Broker) that allow objects to communicate with other software. An example is the Oracle/BEA WebLogic Integration Suite.

o Messaging Middleware (T-2.4.2): This class includes integrated Message-Oriented Middleware (MOM) that covers applications that manage the asynchronous delivery of messages and message replies. This differs from other forms of program-to-program middleware, which are connection oriented and synchronous in nature. MOM receives messages and then ensures the delivery to the appropriate receivers independently of the message originator. IBM WebSphere MQ is an example.

o Transaction Processing Monitors (T-2.4.3): This class includes applications that manage transactions end to end, ensuring integrity and performance usually in complex distributed environments. They are often used to monitor information processing that must occur within a defined, predictable and near real time manner. Examples include Oracle/BEA’s Tuxedo and IBM’s CICS.

• Database Management Systems (T-2.5): This capability includes different types of database management systems and related technologies within the Federal Student Aid.

Version: 7.18 21 5/31/2024 o Relational DBMS (T-2.5.1): This class includes Database Management Systems (DBMS) in which the data is organized according to relationships between data entities as defined in a relational data model. Relational DBMS systems normally support a Structured Query Language (SQL) application programming interface. Examples are Oracle’s 11g and Oracle 19c.

o Object-Oriented DBMS (T-2.5.2): This class includes DBMS that apply an Object- Orientated (OO) paradigm to the storage, retrieval and management of data and are usually used to support object-oriented programming languages. ObjectDB is an example.

o Desktop DBMS (T-2.5.3): This class includes DBMS that run on a desktop operating system such as Microsoft Windows. To be classified as a desktop DBMS, a product would need to be designed for single-user access only and not for remote access. An example is Microsoft Access.

o Non-Relational DBMS (T-2.5.4): This class includes any DBMS that is not a relational DBMS as defined above including noSQL. It may, for example follow the hierarchical or network database models. Examples are Cassandra and MongoDB.

o Embedded DBMS (T-2.5.5): This class includes software that is embedded within an application or a device and acts as a component of that application or device. Typically, embedded DBMSs are high-performance, have a small footprint and require no administration. The DBMS is transparent to the user, and customers for the embedding application or device do not have to purchase a separate DBMS license. An example is Oracle Berkeley DB.

o Database Replication and Clustering (T-2.5.6): This class includes DBMS architectures that support high-availability and fault-tolerant systems. In general, clustering means that multiple servers are arranged to access a single copy of the database. Each server is able to carry part of the application workload – if one fails, the workload is shared across the remaining servers. Replication achieves similar objectives by implementing multiple instances of the database; database objects are copied and maintained in multiple databases that make up a distributed database system. An example of a system that implements replication and clustering is Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC).

Table 5, below, identifies the products and services that comprise FSA’s current Application Environment Technology Domain.

Table 5. Application Environment Technology Domain

TECHNOLOGY

CAPABIL ITY

TECHNOLOGY

CLASS

PRODUCT OR

SERVICE

CLASSIF ICATION CONTEXT

Application Development Software

Requirements Management

IBM Rational DOORS Standard Requirements Management Tool

Application Development Software

Analysis, Design and Modeling Tools

CA Technologies erwin Standard Data Modeling

Application Development Software

Analysis, Design and Modeling Tools

Oracle SQL Developer Standard Integrated Development Environment

Application Development Software

Analysis, Design and Modeling Tools

Quest TOAD (Query) Standard Database Management Toolset

Application Development Software

Applications Development Tools and Environments

Angular CLI Standard Command-line interface tool for Angular

Application Development Software

Applications Development Tools and Environments

AWS Image Builder Standard Build Virtual Machine and Contain Image

Version: 7.18 22 5/31/2024

TECHNOLOGY

CLASS

PRODUCT OR

SERVICE

CLASSIF ICATION CONTEXT

Application Development Software

Applications Development Tools and Environments

AWS SDK Standard Develop applications on

AWS

Application Development Software

Applications Development Tools and Environments

Perl Standard Extraction and Reporting Language

Application Development Software

Applications Development Tools and Environments

Spring Boot Standard Set up, configure, and run Spring apps

Application Development Software

Application Development Tools and Environments

Amazon AWS CodeBuild (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard Build Service

Application Development Software

Application Development Tools and Environments

Amazon AWS Step Functions (FedRAMP ID:

F1603047866, AGENCYAMAZONEW)

Standard AWS Function Development

Application Development Software

Application Development Tools and…