Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) update, Vol. 3, Issue 12 (Dec. 5, 2011)

Georgia Enterprise Technology Services (GETS) Update

Volume 3, Issue No. 12

December 5, 2011

In This Issue

GETS assessment recommendations taking
shape

Work begins on state IT roadmap

Server virtualization at Two Peachtree reduces footprint
and costs

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Picking up the pace on transformation activities
Significant progress has been made recently in our work to modernize the IT infrastructure supporting critical business operations in full-service GETS agencies. We are also following through on our commitment to greater agency involvement in decision making and governance.
GTA has authorized the resumption of server migration and e-mail consolidation at the state-of-the-art North Atlanta Data Center following a comprehensive assessment of the hosting environment located there. As part of modernizing the state's IT environment, application servers are being relocated from state agencies, and the number of those servers is being reduced. Separate e-mail

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systems in 12 agencies are being consolidated on a single platform.
Problems with the reliability of the hosting environment initially surfaced when email systems from the Office of Planning and Budget and the Department of Juvenile Justice were migrated to the data center. GTA decided to halt further migrations until the underlying causes were identified and remediated. Working closely with IBM, we have validated that e-mail servers in the hosting environment are now ready for migrations to resume. In mid-November, a pilot migration began at the Department of Driver Services in preparation for its agency-wide migration, and planning for a pilot migration began at the Department of Revenue.
Meanwhile, CIOs from the 14 full-service GETS agencies chose three of their peers to take part in ongoing technical discussions related to the migration of application servers and e-mail systems to the data center. At a recent meeting of CIOs from the full-service agencies, a new schedule for migrating agency application servers was reviewed and approved by the entire group. The new schedule calls for migration to take place in waves through 2013. In addition, we are changing our approach to e-mail consolidation to make up for lost time. The revised approach calls for two tracks to proceed at the same time: one for agencies using Outlook and one for agencies using Novell GroupWise. The original schedule called for a single track. CIOs from the full-service agencies approved the new approach.
These developments are good news for agencies. At the same time, the resumption of transformation activities and greater involvement by agencies in decision making and governance also mean we will rely even more on the participation and assistance of chief information officers and other IT staff in fullservice agencies. Only with agency involvement can we succeed in bringing the full benefits of a modern IT infrastructure to each agency.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Calvin Rhodes State Chief Information Officer GTA Executive Director

GETS assessment recommendations taking shape
After KPMG conducted an assessment of the GETS program several months ago, GTA asked the consulting firm to assist in addressing gaps that came to light. Many of the assessment's initial findings confirmed what GTA knew: The program needs more effective communication with agency customers, greater agency involvement in decision making, and clarification of roles and responsibilities.
GTA's Tom Fruman and his team in Enterprise Governance and Planning have been overseeing the work KPMG is doing. The work is to be completed next month, but here is a brief overview:
q The GTA leadership team is reviewing a Communications Messaging Guide. This tool is aimed at aligning communications across all parties involved in GETS and helping to refresh the communications plan for GETS. It also will include process templates designed to clearly define the route that messages should take for development, approval and distribution.
q Charters for the Business Management Committee and IT Management Committee have been drafted and are under review. Revising the structure of governance committees is part of efforts to include agencies in the decision-making process.
q KPMG also is developing an approach to help delineate lines of responsibility for functions and activities within GTA and the service providers. In plain terms, the goal is to eliminate any uncertainty about who is responsible for what.
Soon, more information will be available about other ongoing efforts, including those to improve management of service requests from agencies. Because many people are often involved in meeting agency requests, it is important to ensure that customers receive a prompt, more coordinated response. Separate from KPMG's work, GTA is exploring ways to improve the Request for Solution (RFS) process.

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Work begins on state IT roadmap
During a half-day workshop last month, CIOs from state agencies came together to develop a roadmap for the use of technology in state government over the next three to five years. Almost 30 CIOs participated in identifying key focus areas for the state's IT roadmap.
The workshop included an overview of the state's current technology environment and its challenges, breakout sessions led by agency CIOs, and a discussion and feedback session to set priorities for future activities. Helping to plan and facilitate the workshop was a CIO working team that included John Barmann (DOAS), Charles Fleming (GRTA), John Martin (DNR), Tony Mazza (P&P), William Rutherford (DCA), and Terry Wolf (OPB).
It is important to note that while GTA is coordinating work on the IT roadmap, agencies are making the decisions about priorities and direction, all aimed at building a shared vision for state IT. Working together helps to ensure that technology supports the business operations of all state agencies and the valuable services that communities and citizens need from their state government.
CIOs who attended the workshop represented agencies that receive their IT infrastructure services through GETS and those that do not. It became clear that whether an agency is inside or outside GETS, all are struggling with common problems, especially budget cuts and maintaining day-to-day operations. Collaboration among agencies offers a better chance of solving those problems.
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Server virtualization at Two Peachtree reduces footprint and costs

Full-service GETS agencies with servers in the data center at Two Peachtree Street faced two key business problems: over-consumption of power and a high risk of server hardware overheating. IBM led a server consolidation project to bring together multiple teams, including AT&T, GTA and the Georgia Building Authority, to solve the problems. Early stakeholder buy-in and communication enabled the project to be successfully completed in three months.
The use of virtualization technology allowed for the reduction of 91 servers to just 10. An additional 12 servers were decommissioned. This effort reduced the total hardware footprint in the room by 93 pieces of hardware, thereby increasing efficiency, redundancy, protection and stability. The project is estimated to save the state an additional $1,100 per month by decreasing the consumption of power.
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We welcome your comments about service delivery, the state's IT transformation and related topics.
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