Version 5.13.1 (build 3426, dated December 14, 2022) has been released. It can be found in the usual location on our ftp-server. New features and changes for this build include several new Manipula functions that can be used to read/update session data and modify data (fields only) as well as some functions that can help with the performance of Manipula under certain conditions. The Dashboard has been extended with a tab that shows Blaise Events. These Events have been added throughout the system and can be used to track everything that happens in the system. A new Event server role will handle these events. The Print functionality now supports pagination and the Appoinment control has been extended to make it possible to add all types of appointments
CMA has been updated to 2.601. It contains many improvements and some important changes. It also includes version 2.0 of the CMA Admin Tool.
Due to Atlassian dropping support for the products that we use as our helpdesk and tracking systems (the server versions of JIRA Service Management and JIRA) we are faced with having to migrate to JIRA Cloud.
This migration does however come with some changes, most of which are behind the scenes. In order to ascertain the impact of such a migration, an investigation was carried out by way of a Proof of Concept project. This POC has indicated that most things will work albeit at the cost of rewriting the automation that is used behind the scenes (this being because the internal process model is different between the two versions). The other things need to be rethought and some details still have to be finalized after which the migration process for the production system needs setting up.
Given that we have to migrate things (the current environment) and that things will then subsequently need to be altered (the automation, workflow definitions, groups etc.) we expect the helpdesk system to be off the air for around a week. This may seem like a long time but we are dependent on a number of external programs and processes over which we have no control and we are equally dependent on them working correctly. If they don't…
Once the migration is completed and the systems are publically available, we'll be keeping an eye on them to tidy-up any rough edges and also to handle the things that we must handle differently. This may lead to a few changes in how clients have to use the system but what these changes may be is unknown at the moment.
We hope to carry out this migration in August if all pre-requisites are satisfied (exact dates to be decided depending on availability of said previously mentioned other things). We will still be open for business via mail but any mails sent to us will not automatically create a JIRA SM ticket when the system is down.
We apologise for the inconvenience but the dropping of the products that we use has been presented to us as a fait accompli and if there's one thing we've learned over the last few years of JIRA usage it's that we (clients and Blaise group) can't do without it anymore!
There will be further updates on dates, availability and consequences when this information becomes known.
Version 5.12.1 (build 3236, dated June 30, 2022) has been released. It can be found in the usual location on our ftp-server. New features and changes for this build include performance improvements for the web, Quota definitions for Wave projects and new Error templates to make errors more accessible. CMA has been updated to 2.5. It contains many improvements and some important changes. It also includes a basic version of the CMA Admin Tool.
Version 5.11.1 (build 3025, dated December 16, 2021) has been released. It can be found in the usual location on our ftp-server. New features and changes for this build include Manipula and Cloud improvements. It now also supports Quota (Aggregate Definitions). CMA has been updated to 2.0. It contains many improvements and some important changes.
Regarding the Java library Log4j vulnerability we'd like to report that this Log4j-issue does not affect Blaise and its tools. Blaise does not use java at all. Java or the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) doesn't need to be installed, and thus it also doesn't use Log4j. Furthermore, the public web part is hosted on Microsoft IIS and not Apache/Tomcat (which have this problem with Log4j). One point of interest, however, may be any custom components you use. We have no control over that, so you will have to check that yourselves.
Due to the current pandemic, where most of us still work from home and travel is difficult or even prohibited, we have decided to offer our Blaise 5 Layout Course online via Zoom again. Normally, this course takes 4 days, but given that whole days on Zoom will be very exhausting as well as to accommodate as many time zones as possible, the course will be spread out over 8 half-days, from 9:00 to 13:00, CEST.
The dates for this course are 9, 10, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23 and 25 November and, as stated above, it will be presented, in English, via Zoom.
