Update failure

Software updates deliver new functionality, bug fixes and security patches. If an update fails or is interrupted, however, the system could be left in an unstable or insecure state. In a regulated environment this can compromise traceability and the validity of evidence used for compliance work.

Hazardous situation: The system becomes unstable or insecure following an unsuccessful software update, putting subsequent regulatory activities at risk.

• Validated release process. Every release goes through Flinn's documented release and validation pipeline before being deployed. The full process is described in Flinn Release & Validation Process, and the validation methodology is covered in How is Flinn conducting software validation?.
• Version traceability. You can always confirm which version of Flinn is currently in use. See Where can I find my software version? and How does the software release work? for details. The complete history, with release notes for each version, is available in Release Documentation.
• Rollback capability. If a deployed update causes problems for your organisation, a previous version can be restored. The procedure is described in Can I rollback to a previous version?.
• Update policy. Customers are not forced to apply non-critical updates immediately. See Am I forced to update to the latest version? for the policy and its implications for your validation status.
• Incident reporting. If you suspect that an update has introduced instability or a security issue, please Report a problem or a bug so we can investigate and, where appropriate, roll back.

These controls together ensure that no update is deployed without prior validation, that you can always identify the version in use, and that a safe state can be re-established if anything goes wrong.