Scope and Applicability
The process described in this article applies only to dedicated tenants and does not apply to shared tenant environments.
If you are unsure whether this applies to your deployment, please contact the Technical Support Team for confirmation.
Overview
Riva delivers updates to dedicated tenants using a canary release model and release channels, allowing changes to be introduced in a controlled and predictable manner.
Riva performs four major releases each year. Each release progresses through defined release channels before being promoted to the final Release channel for dedicated tenant environments.
Dedicated tenants are upgraded on a fixed release schedule. If there is a valid reason to delay an upgrade, customers may request a deferral to the next release cycle by contacting their Account Manager. Dedicated environments may not remain more than one full release behind.
For a detailed explanation of release channels, production environments, and how maintenance notifications should be interpreted, refer to: Understanding Riva Release Channels and Maintenance Notifications.
Riva Cloud Component
Riva Cloud includes the following customer-facing components:
Riva Sync – The backend synchronization service that exchanges data between your email platform and CRM
Riva Web (rivacloud.com) – The web-based interface used to manage accounts and configuration
Riva Insight – A contextual CRM side panel that brings relevant CRM data directly into the email and calendar workflow
Each component follows the same release principles but may differ in timing and deployment sequencing.
Release Channels and Timeline
All dedicated tenant releases progress through release channels within production infrastructure.
Releases typically follow these channels:
Pre-Release – Early production rollout used for customer validation and testing
Release – Fully released and generally available version
Riva Sync and Riva Web (rivacloud.com) Release Process
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Eight Weeks Before Release
A release notification email will also be sent with a link to the release notes. -
Six Weeks Before Release – Pre-Release Deployment
The Pre-Release version is deployed to the customer’s dedicated environment. Customers may validate new functionality at this stage. If you have questions about this or need to confirm you have test accounts on the pre-release channel, please contact the Technical Support Team here. -
Two Weeks Before Release - Reminder
A reminder notification email will be sent ahead of the final release. -
Release
At approximately the 6-week mark, the final release is deployed to the release channel.
Example Release Schedule:
- April 10, 2024 - Deployment Notification published.
- April 24, 2024 – Pre-Release deployment.
- Generally, the release notes are available at this time.
- May 22, 2024 – A Reminder notification is sent.
- June 06, 2024 - Full release deployment.
Release Activities for Riva Sync and Riva Web (rivacloud.com)
The final Release phase is completed across two deployment days:
Day 1 – Riva Sync
Day 2 – Riva Web (rivacloud.com), where applicable
Some dedicated tenants do not include a dedicated Riva Web environment. In those cases, Riva Web is upgraded according to the Shared Tenant release schedule.
Customers can determine their data residency region and configuration pod by logging into Riva Cloud, navigating to My Account → Account Summary, and reviewing Data Residency Region / Configuration Pod.
Riva Insight Release Process
Riva Insight releases follow the same canary and release-channel principles but typically occur several weeks after the corresponding Riva Sync and Riva Web release.
Insight releases include:
Pre-Release (Preview) – Customer-accessible for validation
Release (Live) – Fully released and generally available
Example Riva Insight Release Schedule
- February 01, 2024 - Deployment notification published.
- February 15, 2024 - Pre-Release.
- Generally, the release notes are available at this time.
- February 29, 2024 – A Reminder notification is sent.
- March 14, 2024 – Full release deployment.
Scheduled and Emergency Maintenance
To ensure optimal performance, security, and reliability, Riva conducts both scheduled and emergency maintenance on its systems and services.
Scheduled Maintenance
Riva performs regular maintenance on its hosted infrastructure:
- Scheduled Maintenance Window for Production: Saturdays and Sundays between 9:00 PM and 11:59 PM EST.
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Scheduled Maintenance Window for lower environments: Tuesdays for Riva Cloud Sync, Wednesdays for Riva Web (rivacloud.com) and Riva Insight.
- Service notifications are not published for regular scheduled maintenance unless it is a critical hotfix.
- Maintenance outside this window may occur, with clients receiving at least 14 days' advance notice.
Emergency Maintenance
Occasionally, emergency maintenance is required to address critical issues. In such cases:
- Riva will provide a written notice at least four (4) hours in advance, detailing the maintenance time, affected services, and expected downtime (if any).
- In rare cases where immediate emergency maintenance is necessary, Riva will provide at least one (1) hour of advance notice.
- Whenever possible, emergency maintenance will be scheduled within the scheduled maintenance window to minimize disruption.
Additional Information
Each phase of the release and maintenance process is carefully managed to ensure compatibility, stability, and optimal performance for dedicated tenants.
For questions or assistance related to releases or maintenance, please contact the Technical Support Team or your Account Manager.