With the availability of both RSA Archer Release 6.5 and Release 6.4 SP1 Patch 3 in a relatively close timeframe – Oct. 23 and Oct. 31, respectively -- you may be wondering which version is the right one to install for your organization.
A bit of an explanation regarding RSA Archer releases:
- Major/minor releases (e.g. Release 6.5): You can expect two major/minor releases per year for the RSA Archer Platform and various use cases. The scope of a major/minor release typically includes some combination of new and updated use cases, new features, improvements to existing features, architectural updates, and bug fixes.
- Cumulative patch releases (CPRs) (e.g. Release 6.4 SP Patch 3): We also schedule monthly cumulative patch releases, which contain resolutions for customer reported issues. CPR releases are maintenance releases and do not contain feature enhancements.
In the months that we issue a major/minor release, we also release a CPR. However, not all items included in the major/minor release can be found in the patch release, and vice versa. This is due to major/minor release architectural requirements, as well as code freeze cut-off dates for both major/minor releases and CPRs.
The first key consideration in your selection of Release 6.5 vs. Release 6.4 SP1 Patch 3 is Microsoft SQL:
- Release 6.5 includes the addition of support for SQL 2016 SP1 and SQL 2017, as James Griffith detailed in his blog last month.
- Release 6.5 does NOT support Microsoft SQL Server 2014 and Microsoft SQL Server 2016 (with the exception of SQL Server 2016 Enterprise Edition).
- Due to these architectural requirements, the new and enhanced capabilities available in Release 6.5 are NOT available in the 6.4 SP1 Patch 3 code set.
Secondly, Release 6.5 does NOT include fixes that are available in Release 6.4 SP1 Patch 3. This is due to different dates for code freeze in development for these two releases. Release 6.5 had a code freeze date in September, while Release 6.4 SP1 Patch 3 had a code freeze date in mid-October. New capabilities or additional defect corrections are not allowed past those freeze dates in order to complete quality testing. The next CPR release, 6.5 Patch 1, will include the fixes from release 6.4 SP1 Patch 3.
Lastly, it’s important to note that RSA Archer Release 6.4 SP1 Patch 3 will be the final CPR planned for Release 6.4 SP1.
So which release is right for you? We recommend that you:
- Review the Release 6.5 materials to determine if the new and updated enhancements and functionality will benefit your organization.
- Review the RSA Archer 6.5 Platform Installation and Upgrade Guide
- If you determine that Release 6.5 will require additional time, planning and/or testing, please review the Release 6.4 SP1 Patch 3 release notes for an overview of the fixes that are available with this release.
There are several resources to help you in your evaluation:
- Release 6.5 materials include:
- Product Advisory
- Release Notes
- What’s New Guide
- Full documentation set on the Release 6.5 subspace on RSA Link
- Free Friday Tech Huddle on Friday, November 6, 2018 (registration is required)
- Release 6.4 SP1 Patch 3 materials include:
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