Serena Dimensions Oracle Patch Upgrade Policy.

Customers have raised a number of concerns surrounding Serena’s ability to apply Oracle security patches to existing supplied Oracle Runtimes in a timely manner. Serena would like to take the opportunity to clarify the situation in the form of a communication which represents our ability to meet these requirements.

1.                   Oracle Supplied by Serena

Serena has provided an embedded Oracle runtime with Dimensions for many years as a convenience. However, we are limited in our flexibility to maintain timely updates to the supplied Oracle runtime due to the nature and volume of subsequent Oracle security patches. The embedded runtime agreement with Oracle does not permit or allow the application of Oracle security patches outside of the Serena Dimensions application. Furthermore, in order to apply the security patch safely Serena needs to rebuild the Oracle runtime with the appropriate security patch components across all supported platforms with the result that we prefer to accommodate in a scheduled release vehicle.

Serena will react with appropriate sensitivity to Oracle patches but of necessity and by nature, the timing of such releases will always contain some lag.

2.                   Oracle Supplied by Oracle Corp

Since Serena Dimensions 8, we have supported the ability for customers to use their existing preferred database with their Dimensions CM application, including their own Oracle RBDMS.

Customers are able to install Serena Dimensions into their own preferred database, including Oracle. When and if they do, they will have sole responsibility for the administration and maintenance of their preferred database. Typically, the resident DBA will manage and maintain the configuration and maintenance of the underlying database, including the application of database patches from the database vendor. In such a configuration, the limitations with the embedded Oracle runtime are avoided, and database updates and upgrades are more flexible enabling timely alignment with corporate and IT policies and practices.

In Serena's experience, it is unlikely for any Oracle security patch to break or hinder an existing application relying upon that Oracle. If problems are encountered, the Oracle DBA would be expected to already have a backup/recovery strategy planned in the event that a critical business application no longer operates successfully.

In the event that a customer applies a security patch to their database that has not yet been included in the latest Serena Dimensions release, Serena support will provide commercially reasonable efforts to help the customer resolve the issue in the current release.