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One test of SCON readiness -- how many post-cutover issues
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How do you tell if a server migration was well planned and executed? One indicator is the number of issues that surface after you switch over to new servers. Fewer problems, a pretty solid sign of thorough preparations, comprehensive user acceptance testing and precise carry through.
Using that measuring stick, the GETS server consolidation (SCON) teams -- that's the affected agency plus IBM, AT&T and GTA personnel -- scored high in August. For the GBI migration (a complex move by anyone's standards), less than 10 issues after the cutover. At DBHDD later in the month, the list topped out at seven. And in both instances, issues have been promptly addressed.
GETS agencies that have been through SCON start to finish appreciate the payoffs. And they absolutely understand what it takes to make it happen.
"Don't underestimate the complexity of the [SCON] project," counsels GBI Assistant Director Dan Kirk. "Whether you have one server or 200, when you start the process of building new servers and changing software, there are going to be problems."
Dan knows what he's talking about. Where you can anticipate problems, you can plan ahead for solutions. His team at GBI did that over months of work with the GTA / IBM / AT&T SCON team. It culminated in a successful migration of more than 40 servers and 100 or so applications.
The GBI team's recommendations for pulling it off -- involving all stakeholders from the outset, effective communication across the team, ready access to management decision makers, clear understanding of project scope and quick attention to issues that arise. Putting members of the broader SCON team on site for real-time collaboration proved a game changer too.
"And, test, test, test," Dan adds, having seen firsthand just how critical thorough user acceptance testing is ahead of flipping the switch on new servers.
At DBHDD the teams got it done with a successful migration in late August of 48 servers and 15 applications. DBHDD's take on success essentials? Clear lines of responsibility within the team, accountability, engagement and a readiness to work together to get the job done.
DBHDD CIO Doug Engle understood what he was up against. Now a two-time SCON survivor, Doug went through server consolidation earlier when he was CIO at DJJ. That experience made him a believer -- it's worth the effort. That didn't make things easy at DBHDD, but Doug and his team knew to focus on solutions, not obstacles.
I commend the teams for the care, collaboration and plain stamina that enabled these accomplishments at GBI and DBHDD. They're hard-earned victories, and meaningful for the state. SCON promotes improved performance of the agency tools that run on the servers. We track server uptime, and post-transformation it's consistently better, even dramatically better. Incidents are fewer. In the event of an outage, the increased standardization and better documentation allow more efficient incident management. SCON opens doors to new backup and recovery capabilities. It means the servers operate from the more secure setting of the state's North Atlanta Data Center.
This recent progress builds confidence we'll soon see success at DOAS, DPH and other agencies with SCON work pending. I recognize the level of work it requires from our partner agencies, and I appreciate your continued commitment.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Calvin Rhodes
State Chief Information Officer
GTA Executive Director
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Bringing the right IT service options to Georgia agencies
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Moving from procurement's early stage of request for qualified contractors (RFQC), to request for proposal (RFP) and on to eventual contract agreement, you get to know participating vendors' offerings and strengths well. That's certainly true in the ongoing Services Integration Initiative (SII). The work aims to ensure GETS IT services continue to align with Georgia agencies' evolving business needs, and that flexibility and innovation find a solid foothold in GETS offerings. Understanding a vendor's capability to meet the state's IT needs -- that's essential to bringing the right providers into the program. Through rigorous collaboration among GTA, GETS agencies and advisors, the SII is progressing.
Hosted Contact Center (HCC): Teams of GTA and agency partner representatives have evaluated responses from qualified service providers, and in August contracts were signed with HCC vendors AT&T, Interactive Intelligence, Mitel, NexxPhase and Platform 28. An agreement with Verizon is expected soon. Agencies now have multiple options when seeking hosted contact center services. As of late August, agencies can pursue quotes for service from any of the contracted providers and then select the solution that best fits their needs. Agencies will want to put new arrangements in place ahead of December 31, 2014, when the state's contract with the existing HCC provider will expire. At an agency's request, GTA will offer support in making selections. See HCC-related details on GTA's website.
Managed Network Services (MNS): In mid-August GTA released an RFP for voice services and for LAN/WAN services to the qualified service providers. This followed gaining valuable feedback from providers via a draft RFP circulated a few weeks earlier. When MNS RFP responses come back in October, GTA will look to align the state's MNS needs with the way the marketplace delivers such services today. Transitioning from receiving managed network services from a single service provider, as is done currently in GETS, to potentially several providers involves new considerations and new opportunities.
Multisourcing Service Integration (MSI): Qualified potential MSI service providers submitted solution and pricing proposals in August. Clarification sessions followed, providing an opportunity to build understanding of service provider proposals. Service providers will submit any appropriate written clarifications in September. Progress is on schedule for selecting a multisourcing service integrator vendor. Once in place, the MSI will coordinate service delivery among multiple GETS service providers and will promote standards, processes and operating level agreements to guide performance of those GETS vendors.
Incorporating feedback from the marketplace is a key part of the procurement process for new service options. Conducting MSI clarification sessions and collecting provider response to the draft MNS RFP aid in further aligning the state's needs with industry trends and best practices.
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Georgia a finalist for NASCIO State IT Recognition Awards
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For the second consecutive year, NASCIO has selected a technology project from the state of Georgia as a finalist for its Annual State IT Recognition Awards. These prestigious awards, sponsored by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, honor outstanding technology achievements in the public sector.
Named as a finalist is GeorgiaVIEW Brightspace, an integrated learning platform system implemented by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG). USG submitted the project for the GTA-sponsored Technology Innovation Showcase 2014, and GTA in turn nominated it as one of Georgia's projects for NASCIO recognition.
USG's implementation of GeorgiaVIEW Brightspace stands among 33 finalists chosen by NASCIO from more than 100 nominees in 11 categories. Technology projects and initiatives from all U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia were eligible for nomination. NASCIO released the list of finalists in August and will announce winners at its annual conference in Nashville on September 29.
The GeorgiaVIEW Brightspace system (earlier known as Desire2Learn) offers 160,000 courses to 310,000 students at 28 of the USG's public, higher education institutions. It provides a central location for accessing all courses and related materials using a desktop, laptop or mobile device. GeorgiaVIEW Brightspace experiences more than 250,000 user logins and 50 million hits daily and growing. Faculty have created 42 terabytes of educational content for the system, which is deployed using the USG's PeachNet private cloud.
Congratulations to the GeorgiaVIEW Brightspace team on this national recognition. They will also be recognized along with other Technology Innovation Showcase 2014 honorees by GTA at the Georgia Digital Government Summit, September 18-19, in Atlanta. See event details below.
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Windows 7 upgrade bolsters GETS enterprise security
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Allowing for a very few straggler PCs, the Windows 7 upgrade is complete. Across the GETS IT enterprise, that means computers numbering in the tens of thousands upgraded to a more current operating system. Importantly, it means an operating system supported by Microsoft with regular attention to needed security and performance updates.
If you want to make an information security professional (or anyone who appreciates the risk) uneasy, just mention running computer systems or software tools that are "out of support." The GETS-wide Windows 7 upgrade steered us clear of that kind of anxiety. By updating aging Windows XP operating systems (no longer supported by Microsoft) to Windows 7, the project helped ensure routine fixes will be applied to protect all GETS PCs against ever-changing security threats. And while that doesn't buy immunity, it's a critical defense.
That strong interest in protecting GETS agencies' computer systems and information motivates an IT policy provision. Beginning September 22, 2014, only computers operating Windows 7 (or more recent) operating systems will be authorized to connect to the GETS computing environment. Exceptional circumstances will require discussion and approval from the GETS technical team. |
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Summit to emphasize business innovation, shared solutions
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With the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget joining GTA as co-host of the annual Strategy Summit this year, the emphasis will be on identifying innovative approaches to business challenges common across multiple state agencies. The event will bring together business, strategy and technology leaders from Georgia agencies to pool their thinking on new ways to better serve Georgians.
The 2014 summit, set for October 27 at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center in Atlanta, will also carry a refrain from previous GTA-hosted Strategy Summits: crossing organizational boundaries, within and between agencies, to introduce shared solutions that best serve the state.
Why shared solutions? Taking steps that enable multiple entities with the same solution means costs are shared across participating agencies. And, returns are multiplied.
Effective business solutions, including technology-enabled solutions, cannot thrive if isolated in the IT department's domain, or any other single department. This basic tenet will flavor the summit approach by OPB and GTA, with the full day's activities keyed toward effective collaboration across functional teams to produce solutions that succeed.
Email questions to Joe.Coberly@gta.ga.gov.
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Georgia making news with its state IT direction
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IT direction in the state of Georgia earned attention in August in two media outlets. Government Technology magazine highlighted Georgia's push to accommodate mobile traffic to state technology systems. And, StateScoop reported online that Georgia's IT strategic plan released earlier this year places focus on opportunities to serve multiple Georgia agencies through shared IT innovation and investment.
Georgia's determination in 2012 that better than half of all traffic to the state's child support services website came from mobile devices sparked a change. Georgia adopted a "mobile-first" strategy. As state CIO and GTA executive director Calvin Rhodes explains in the July/August 2014 issue of Government Technology, that means Georgia now designs its technology and systems for mobile access, as well as access by personal computer. According to the article, Georgia stands among a growing list of states including California, Colorado, Texas and others emphasizing mobile technology. And for consumers of state services, it shows that Georgia and others are paying attention and responding to how constituents prefer to interact with their government.*
Mobile technology also ranks among six key areas of Georgia's IT strategic plan as described in an August 4 StateScoop article. Highlighted in the plan alongside mobility are innovation, managing data as an asset, citizen access to services, technology as a service and evaluating business models. Across all areas there are opportunities, as Calvin is quoted, for steps benefiting multiple agencies. Assembling the plan in conjunction with Georgia agencies allows a look beyond day-to-day operational issues to the bigger picture. What emerges are shared challenges spanning agencies -- challenges that might be met in part by shared IT investment and innovation. The plan maps a path to a more mature Georgia IT enterprise, closely aligned with state agency business needs.
*In addition to mobile access enhancements described in the article, Georgia has laid the groundwork on its GeorgiaGov platform websites for improved access by visually impaired site visitors.
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- In increasing numbers, Georgians go online to connect with state government services. And when they do, more and more they use mobile devices (e.g., phones, tablets). That has GTA's GeorgiaGov Interactive team working with state agencies to convert GeorgiaGov platform websites to mobile-friendly format using an approach called responsive design. Among the sites recently converted by the team are Georgia's Department of Public Safety (DPS), Pardons and Paroles (PAP) and Office of the Governor (GOV). The work work readies sites to display in a readable, accessible format regardless of device type (PC, tablet, phone) a site visitor may use. Have a look at any of the referenced sites on a mobile device to see the visual clarity and ease of use. Conversions continue through the fall months.
- In coordination with GETS full-service agencies, GTA has put in place the AirWatch mobile device management (MDM) system. With AirWatch, participating agencies can more readily track and manage which mobile devices are used to access state email accounts. Agencies can also use AirWatch to enable additional security controls that protect their data on mobile devices, and monitor compliance with agency policies. To date, GTA and its partner agencies have enrolled more than 3,000 mobile devices in AirWatch MDM, and enrollment continues.
- In close collaboration with GETS full-service agencies, GTA, IBM and AT&T conducted the annual GETS disaster recovery exercise the first week of August from an IBM facility in Boulder, Colorado. With each successive DR test GETS recovery capabilities mature. From the range of systems and applications tested, to the rigor of the test environment, to network connectivity, and on to mechanics as mundane as tester access credentials and test scheduling. This year's exercise again produced progress. With seven GETS agencies participating and alternate arrangements in the works for several others, the DR extended team made gains toward ensuring recoverability for the state's IT enterprise. Along with security and reliability, recoverability remains a pillar of the GETS program as it has been since the outset.
- Domain name services (DNS), dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) services and IP address manager (IPAM) may not mean much to folks outside IT. Suffice it to say they're important considerations in managing network performance and stability. In the GETS environment, AT&T has already done much to stabilize, simplify and ensure monitoring of these network considerations. Through its Common Services network consolidation work (75 percent complete) ongoing now, AT&T continues to streamline and optimize the environment, capitalizing on common network pathways for more efficiency.
- With the planned introduction of Office 365 email, cloud email service is on the near horizon for GETS agencies. It comes in direct response to what agencies made clear suits their evolving business needs, and it signals commitment to capitalizing on innovative technology to serve the state's needs in new ways. Work continues on a timeline for deploying Office 365 email at GETS agencies. Sessions will be arranged to acquaint agency contacts with Office 365 elective services such as Lync instant messaging, cloud-powered Microsoft Office suite and more.
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