University Technology Services Goals Horizon Projects

Transcription

1 University Technology Services December 1, 2008 University Technology Services Goals Horizon Projects OVERVIEW: This is the list of horizon projects. Such projects may take multiple years, with goals set annually toward the completion of the horizon project. Core Systems The following systems represent the operational core, and annual project relate to support. A full list of supported software is available from Operations. Enterprise System Learning Management System Learning Presentation System Network Authentication SunGard Banner Moodle Elluminate Bradford Networks TACTICAL AREA: Network Project Description 1 Develop a fiber ring with multiple network cores as a foundation for implementation of the 10-year network plan. (Plan available for review on request) 2 Implement IPv6 network topology. Appendix 2 3 Implement voice, video, and data network convergence. 4 Develop a broad Oakland / Macomb wide area network strategy. TACTICAL AREA: Learning Communities, Environments and Systems Project Description 1 Provide a strong teaching and learning culture supported by updated tools, including Moodle and Elluminate. 1

2 TACTICAL AREA: Enterprise Systems Project Description 1 Maintain a high quality enterprise systems environment operating SunGard Banner as the core through July 31, Complete the Active Directory Domain Consolidation and Redesign project including redesign of the Windows Active Directory structure and consolidation into a single domain. Appendix 1 TACTICAL AREA: Research Project Description 1 Support the growth of faculty research with hosting, a high-performance network, support for cyberinfrastructure, and connectivity to Internet2. TACTICAL AREA: Security, Risk Management and Compliance Project Description 1 Meet compliance standards from the Payment Card Industry. TACTICAL AREA: Managed Datacenter Environment Project Description 1 Redesign the NFH backup datacenter as a network communications hub. 2 Replace the Dodge datacenter UPS and operationally connect the datacenter to the campus generator. Electrical and cooling limits are 150 kvm. 3 Maximize server virtualization efforts in support of green and decreasing electrical draw initiatives. 4 Develop a backup datacenter at Merit / MITC. 5 Develop a secondary backup datacenter at another university location. GENERAL PROJECT AREA: Organization, Governance and Communications 2

3 Project Description 1 Support the university initiative to develop the Oakland Beaumont School of Medicine. 3

4 Appendix 1 Project Overview Statement Executive Summary Project Name: Department: Active Directory Domain Consolidation and Redesign UTS Technical Services Last Updated: 3/4/2008 Author: Michelle Oda, Dennis Bolton Project Manager(s): Michelle Oda, Dennis Bolton Project Business Case Project Overview The proposed project will consolidate Oakland University s current Windows multi-domain environment into a new single domain environment. The consolidation will require the following processes: Redesign of Windows Active Directory structure Migration of computers and users from ADMNET and OPENNET into a new domain Removal of domains: OAKLAND, ADMNET, and OPENNET Business Issue/Opportunity Although the multi-domain environment once served a purpose in keeping Administration and Academic environment separate, it is no longer necessary and adds complexity in management and security. Issue: Difficult managing departmental users and computers that reside in both ADMNET and OPENNET Issue: Difficult auditing user access and capability when it is not centrally managed through the Active Directory Opportunity: Implement a business logic design to allow delegated administration Project Goal The goal of this project is to design an environment that will increase manageability and security while reducing administrative overhead by utilizing consolidation and role-based management. 4

5 Primary Project Objectives Primary Project Objectives The primary objectives will be to streamline the core structure and improve management. Simplify reporting, auditing, and compliance Consolidate Active Directory to eliminate complex multi-domain structure Implement role-based management to answer the basic question: Who can do what and where? Project Benefits Project Benefits Three key benefits from implementing this project: Increased security Increased manageability Increased productivity Primary Project Phases Phase 1: Analysis Identify and organize the following information: Capabilities to manage resource collection, applications, updates, etc. Roles typically associated with those capabilities Exceptions needed to manage Data sources Current documentation on existing domain structure Phase 2: Design Establish consistent naming conventions Establish consistent process and create a Visio diagram of new workflow Create a sample Visio diagram of new domain structure with Group Policy links 5

6 Design standards for provisioning systems, applications, and resources Redesign existing tools that interact with Active Directory (i.e. Computer Creation web application) Phase 3: Migration Create new domain and establish trust with existing environment Create new Group Policies within the new domain structure Migrate OPENNET users and computers to the new domain Migrate ADMNET users and computers to the new domain Test new environment Remove OAKLAND, ADMNET, AND OPENNET Phase 4: Training Train key players on the new standards and Active Directory structure Train operators on the new Active Directory tools and workflow process Train and inform Helpdesk on how Active Directory structure changes impact clients Project Interdependencies Project Interdependencies The success of this project depends on the successful completion of the following projects: SBA domain migration to OU s new single domain Organization of unidentified computer accounts in Active Directory Project Conditions Project Assumptions Enhancements found in 2008 Server or later are not included in this document. Timeline has provisions for departments and/or schools completing steps for domain consolidation. It is assumed a "good faith" effort will be made to complete these steps. Project duration estimates were based on two trained Windows Systems Engineers as well as available student employees from the Helpdesk assigned to the project. Hours allocated or personal changes could impact these timelines. Project Risks 6

7 While risks are inherent to any endeavor, the plan by design minimizes them by utilizing a consolidate and move architecture instead of delete and recreate. Potential concerns are: Unanticipated down time or access issues during key phases (consolidations, moves) Domain Trust issues while migrating to new domain Application or automated script failure due to domain change Intermittent system communication failure Project Constraints Time constraints due to concurrent projects Limited available personnel Interdepartmental coordination Project Critical Success Factors Project Critical Success Factors Efficient domain design Accurate research Maintenance of quality Project Key Performance Indicators Project Key Performance Indicators Sustainability: Has the new environment provided the capability to easily continue managing the domain through transitions of personnel? Growth and development: Has the transition created a secure, dynamic environment that can grow with the needs of the university? Productivity: Has the implementation reduced administrative overhead, allowing key players to spend more time on other tasks? Project Duration Estimates Project Milestone Date Estimate Project Start Date 01/03/2008 Phase 1 Start Date 05/02/2008 7

8 Phase 2 Start Date 11/01/2009 Phase 3 Start Date 05/01/2011 Phase 4 Start Date 11/01/2012 Project End Date 03/01/ APPROVALS Prepared By Project Manager(s) Approved By Steve Glowacki, Director of Systems Engineering Terrie Rowe, Chief Information Officer, UTS 8

9 Appendix 2 IPv6: Report and Strategies University Technology Services - Network Communications Team Prepared: November 2008 Summary IPv6 is an Internet addressing technology that will replace IPv4 as the predominant way Internet connected computers locate one another. Oakland University is closely monitoring the development and use of IPv6 and is taking steps to follow the implementation of this protocol as appropriate. IPv6 is more than a technology upgrade; it is a next generation Internet technology with requiring new infrastructure components and dependent upon both local consideration and an awareness of industry and global political factors. Analysis i Internet Protocol version6 is, in its essence, a communication protocol used by computers, servers, and network equipment on the Internet to communicate with one another. It is generally considered to be the replacement of IPv4, the current technology that forms the glue of the Internet. Both IPv4 and IPv6 are the central component to how internet computers are addressed, and how addressed communication reaches the appropriate destination. IPv6 is technically defined as a network layer IP standard used by electronic devices to exchange data across a packet-switched internetwork. It follows IPv4 as the second most widely-used version of the Internet Protocol to be formally adopted for general use as the basis of the Internet. The primary driver for IPv6 is a potential looming Internet address shortage. The main improvement brought by IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is the increase in the number of addresses available for networked devices, allowing, for example, each cell phone and mobile electronic device to have its own address. IPv4 supports 2 32 (about 4.3 billion) addresses, which is inadequate for giving even one address to every living person, much less for supporting the burgeoning market for connective devices. IPv6, however, is capable of addresses; this is approximately addresses for each of the roughly 6.5 billion people alive today. 9

10 While early forecasts had indicated the need for more addresses early in the 21 st century, other technologies including NAT (network address translation) and CR (classless interdomain routing) have relieved the immediate global pressure for additional address space. This, in turn, has slowed the global drivers for IPv6. Other improvements beyond the address shortage driving IPv6, include: Stateless autoconfiguration of hosts Multicast Jumbograms Faster Routing Network-layer security Mobility Each of these brings added benefits to the current Internet, but no single improvement has produced the incentive for organizations globally to adopt IPv6 in a wholesale fashion. While widely deployed in Asia and mandated for use by some U.S. governmental agencies, IPv6 is only starting to make major inroads into mainstream production networks in education or commercial markets. In 2003, when Oakland University UTS staff began tracking IPv6, Educause and the Burton Group published a study entitled IPv6: Years in the Making, Years Before Full Adoption -- a study that affirms that IPv6 will have very slow adaptation in production network infrastructure. While still a topic of discussion at Educause meetings and conferences, it is peripheral to other technology trends such as grid or cloud computing and cyber-infrastructure, also indicating that its importance is secondary to other national networking issues in higher education. In , an informal survey of networking managers and directors for 4 year state universities by Oakland University networking staff revealed that only one is currently running IPv6 on their production network, and this is in a test or beta mode. Also, a non-scientific survey sent to the Educause Network Managers national forum including network directors and managers and Universities nationally -- returned wide and varied responses, from incredulity to appreciation for IPv6 deployment. No response returned revealed a widely accepted, clearly defined roadmap to IPv6 deployment. By early 2008 there had been an uptick in the number of networking managers and directors who were exploring or were prototyping IPv6, indicating a trend toward adoption, however there are no metrics that indicate a critical mass. One significant point of note resulting from the research is that those organizations and institutions needing to use IPv6 immediately are most typically tunneling this protocol through existing IPv4 infrastructure, requiring less change than a full IPv6 implementation. This is has some technical limitations, but usually serves as an adequate middle-step for networks where IPv6 is required but only IPv4 is implemented. While not an imminent technology at this point, it is emerging, and Oakland University has prepared for IPv6 in the following way: 10

11 Registered IPv6 address space with our regional area network provider, MERIT Network All new network equipment is purchased with IPv6 protocols and technologies embedded or considered. Continues to be involved in regional and national forums where IPv6 is discussed and researched, including MERIT network and Internet2. Considered how faculty and research requests for IPv6 might be accommodated. This could include tunneling, limited small scale IPv6 deployment in a room or building, or direct connection to MERIT network points where IPv6 is natively supported. Evaluates, on an annual basis or more often, the progress of IPv6 in the industry and marketplace and makes plans to implement the technology where appropriate. Additional obstacles that need to be overcome both locally and within the Internetworked community include (but are not limited to): An agreement for DHCP and address assignments for local campuses A mature national and international DNS (Domain Name System) for IPv6 Limitations of hardware that run both IPv4 and IPv6 systems concurrently and hardware that runs IPv6 natively and not only in software. A national infrastructure capable of IPv6 technologies for intercommunication The need for applications that drive a wholesale change to IPv6, including telephone or video applications. Security considerations and the impact that this architecture has on current security practices. The cost of training, staff resourcing, and maintaining an infrastructure that supports IPv6. These costs are unknown due to the slow moving and emerging nature of the technology. The geo-political factors, including but not limited to national programs or regulations for IPv6, ownership of the IPv6 address space, adoption of the protocol by the technical and standards organizations. Also, in 2009, Oakland University UTS staff will be piloting early production IPv6 tests with an IPv6 website or Internet connected IPv6 computer. Conclusion IPv6 is an important technology that could become increasingly prevalent if driven by academic or market needs. Oakland University technical staff continues to be aware of the IPv6 trends and tendencies and is following the industry in implementing technologies that are IPv6 enabled. The trend toward adoption is slow moving, but continues to gain momentum. While costs should be contained to normal cyclical upgrades, they could increase if Oakland University would need to acquire new hardware, software, or staffing necessary to operate an IPv6 enabled network. In 2009, Oakland University UTS is on target to prototype an IPv6 enabled test website or Internet connected computer and will continue to enable its network for the IPv6 protocol. 11

12 i Statistics and information were gathered and quoted from Wikipedia, IANA, EDUCAUSE and MERIT Network.