The Butterfly Initiative

Transcription

1 The Butterfly Initiative Executive Summary met-a-mor-pho-sis a profound change in form from one stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the caterpillar to the pupa and from the pupa to the adult butterfly. The Butterfly Initiative is an aggressive tactical plan to produce transformational change in the IT infrastructure at Metropolitan State University. Like the metamorphosis that occurs from caterpillar to pupa to butterfly, the IT environment will move from an outdated and slow-moving environment to a modern and more agile environment by way of a period of rapid and profound transformation. This cocoon stage is expected to take approximately 9 months before the new organism emerges. Organized into three project groups, the nine projects in the plan will (1) replace the existing Novell platform with a Microsoft solution, (2) replace the web platform with a new unnamed solution, and (3) upgrade the software on desktop systems to current versions. Replace Novell Platform User Account Database Service (faculty/staff) Service (students) Replace Web Platform Public Web Management Portal / NetDirect Upgrade Desktop Systems Desktop Management Windows Operating System Internet Explorer MS-Office 2010 With an estimated cost ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 this 9-month plan will provide a stable and reliable base suitable for a wide range of strategic initiatives beginning early in FY2012. Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 1

2 Projects Timeline Details Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 2

3 Projects Timeline Summary Novell edirectory Novell GroupWise Serena Collage Novell ZENWorks Office 2007 Microsoft Active Directory New CMS Solution SharePoint for Internet? Microsoft Exchange (faculty/staff) Hosted (students) Microsoft SCCM Office 2010 Windows XP Internet Explorer 7 Windows 7 IE 8 or 9 Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 3

4 Projects Summary PROJECT GROUP PROJECT TARGETS EST. COSTS IMPACT Replace Novell Platform Replace Web Platform Upgrade Desktop Systems User Account Database Service (faculty/staff) Service (students) Public Web Management Portal / NetDirect Desktop Management Windows Operating Sys (move to Windows 7) Web Browser (move to IE 8/9) MS-Office Package (move from 2007 to 2010) Commit Oct 1; Plan Nov 15; Implement Jan 1 Commit Oct 15; Plan Dec 31; Implement Mar 1 Commit Dec 31; Plan Mar 1; Implement Jun 1 Commit Dec 1; Plan Feb 1; Implement Apr 1 Commit Dec 1; Plan Feb 1; Implement Jun 1 Plan Nov 15; Implement Jan 1 Plan Dec 1; Implement Jan 1 Jun 1 $25,000 50,000 $40,000 75,000 $5,000 10,000 $50,000 75,000 $25,000 75,000 $5,000 15,000 N/A N/A N/A Rebuild all desktops to remove Novell User education for logon <24 hours offline User education, use of Outlook Phones reset for new hours outage User education, use of new interface and tools Periods of web outage User education, new tools, processes, and procedures Shared efforts for data migration Periods of portal outage User education, new tools, processes, and procedures Share efforts for data migration Instability parallel systems in operation for unknown period System rebuild (coincident w/ rebuild above) User education (delay to FY2012) System rebuild (coincident w/ rebuild above?) User education System rebuild (coincident w/ rebuild above) User education, minor changes Interrupted service during install (coincident w/ rebuild above?) User education, minor changes except for Outlook Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 4

5 Projects Overview User Account Database Description: Replace the existing Novell edirectory Services with Microsoft Active Directory. This system provides the usernames and passwords for the entire university system. Timing: Following a target commit date of October 1, the project will require 1-2 months of planning and approximately 1 month for implementation of the core server with a go-live date of Jan 1, The migration of faculty and staff computers to the new platform will take 2-3 months to complete. The target for turning off all Novell services is May 31, Implications: The implementation will require desktop and laptop computers in offices and labs to be rebuilt in order to remove the Novell software and to configure the computer in the new Microsoft AD environment. This process will take approximately one day per system entire labs can be migrating at the same time and multiple faculty/staff computers can be migrated on the same day. Users will be required to logon using a new procedure. Costs: This project will require investment in new server hardware (two servers required), an upgrade in our Microsoft licenses to Enterprise level, consulting services to assist with planning and implementation, and staff education. Estimated costs: $25,000 50,000. Service (faculty/staff) Description: Replace the existing Novell GroupWise services with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and Microsoft Outlook Timing: Following a target commit date of October 15, the project will require 2-3 months of planning (can proceed in parallel with the User Account Database project) and approximately 2 month for implementation of the core server (must follow the User Account Database project) with a projected go-live date of Mar 15, Simultaneous migration to Microsoft Office 2010 (with Outlook 2010) is required at the time a user mailbox is migrated. Implications: The implementation will require mailboxes and contact lists for each user to be migrated from the current system to the new system, taking several hours to complete. During this work, access will be offline for the individual user. Until all user mailboxes are migrated, some issues with calendar coordination will be difficult as will issues with address lookup due to potentially disconnected address books. Some content may not be able to be migrated in full. to/from Metro State should be unaffected. Changes in the interface and the application used to access will require end-user education and support. Existing BlackBerry users will need to have phones reset to use the new service. Users of other smartphones will require assistance to setup and connect to the new services. Costs: This project will require investment in new server hardware (two or more servers required), an upgrade in our Microsoft licenses to Enterprise level, purchase of Microsoft Exchange Server licenses, consulting services to assist with planning and implementation, and staff and end-user education. Estimated costs: $45,000 75,000. Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 5

6 Service (students) Description: Migrate student from M+NetMail to a hosted solution such as Google s Gmail or Microsoft s Live@EDU. Timing: Following a target commit date of Dec 31, the project will require 3+ months of planning. Implementation may take several months to complete due to reliance upon student action to complete. To avoid serious disruption, it would be advisable to plan for implementation following Spring semester 2011 with a target total completion date of June 1, Implications: Each option introduces unique process variations into our environment that will have to be accommodated. The migration process will result in short periods of time (a few hours) when student access is not available. The successfulness of mailbox migration is dependent upon the option selected (Google or Microsoft). Costs: Most hosted solutions require no fees be paid for using the service. However, a local server must be installed to administer the service from the institution to the hosted provider. There may also be some staff time required for development (i.e. writing code that uploads student ID s). Estimated costs: $5,000 15,000. Public Web Management Description: Identify a new infrastructure system to manage and present web pages for the institution s public-facing web site. Replace the existing solution ( Serena Collage ) with a new product or a bestpractice model to effectively manage content. Timing: The project will require 2-3 months of analysis (most likely resulting in an RFP), 2-3 months of planning, and 2+ months for implementation with a target go-live date of April 1, The work must be coordinated to take into consideration the Novell to Microsoft transition and associated dependencies upon existing content and applications. Implications: Web content must be frozen during the transition, with exceptions for emergency communication and minor changes. Process changes must be developed simultaneously with a new system to determine accountability, access controls, and content management. A cut-over date will result in an instantaneous change from the current platform to the new platform. Costs: This solution will require at least one new server and may require additional servers (e.g. database system), license fees, and consulting expertise depending upon the solution selected. Estimated costs: $50,000 75,000. Portal / NetDirect Description: Replace the current portal with a new solution for controlled access, information dissemination, and share workspaces. Discontinue/eliminate use of the existing solution based upon Serena Collage. Timing: The project will require 2-3 months of analysis (most likely resulting in an RFP), 2-3 months of planning, and 3+ months for implementation. If the same solution is chosen for the Public Web Management project, work can proceed in parallel and will overlap. The work must be coordinated to Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 6

7 take into consideration the Novell to Microsoft transition and has serious implications for use of web browser to gain access to content in the current system. For some period of time, it is likely users will be required to access two portal (or Intranet) solutions, resulting in some confusion. New processes and access methodologies will be introduced to upload, post, and access content for the new solution. Significant time for education will need to be allotted to ensure proper use of this resource. Costs: This project will be dependent upon the solution chosen for the Public Web Management project. If the solution is identical, few additional resources will need to be purchased. A unique solution is expected to require a new server, new licenses, unique staff education, and unique consulting services. Regardless of solution chosen, significant staff time (several person-months) will be required to migrate existing applications to the new platform. Estimated costs: $25,000 75,000. Desktop Management Description: Move from Novell ZenWorks to Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). These services are used to manage the deployment of applications and updates, collect information about system data, and provide a framework for managing systems with other Microsoft products. There is a server portion and a client desktop portion that must be activated. Timing: Ideally, this project should be coordinated with the move to Microsoft Active Directory (the User Account Database project). The server can be deployed as soon as the Microsoft AD is available. The client desktop software should be installed during the client rebuild. Planning for the server will take 1-2 months with implementation less than 1 month. Deployment of the client can be coincident with an individual user move to Microsoft AD, so there should be no additional time or impact to the end-user as a result of this project. Implications: Initially customers will experience no impact from this service. As the service matures (during the next 1-3 years), features will be enabled that give the customer more access to install software or manage their own systems education will be required for these services. Costs: The service will likely operate as a virtual machine and will therefore not require new hardware. The project will require purchase of Microsoft SCCM licenses as well as investment in consulting services and staff education. Estimated costs: $5,000 15,000. Windows Operating System Description: Migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7. Timing: This project is dependent upon all previous projects and will be combined with the system rebuild during transition from Novell to Microsoft Active Directory. The process to complete all systems at the university will take up to 6 months, perhaps longer. Implications: Disruption of work will occur as staff adapt to a new Windows interface. Individual systems will be unavailable for approximately one day per system (rotation of a temporary system may be available) as the system is rebuilt. Some software designed for older versions of Windows may not operate properly or require additional work. Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 7

8 Costs: This project will require significant investment in staff time to complete. Systems not meeting the minimum specifications for Windows 7 will need to be replaced. There will be no fees for licenses, servers, or consulting (other than that combined with the SCCM project). Estimated costs: N/A. Web Browser Description: Upgrade from Internet Explorer 7 to Internet Explorer 8 (or 9). Timing: This project will be combined with the Windows Operating System project. Implications: Users of IE8/9 may experience problems accessing the current web environment or managing content within Serena Collage. The upgrade will introduce a small number of new features and operational changes that will require education or explanation. Costs: Nothing beyond the Windows Operating System project. MS-Office Package Description: Upgrade from Microsoft Office 2007 to Microsoft Office Timing: This project likely will be combined with the Windows Operating System project. Implications: Users will experience a significant change of features that will require education or explanation, but few major changes will be introduced. Office 2010 is considered a minor upgrade for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Outlook, the client, has dramatic change from Costs: Nothing beyond the Windows Operating System project is expected. Estimated costs: N/A. Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 8

9 Talking Points There is existing momentum and expectation for change. Delaying change will only increase dissatisfaction and decrease the opportunity for success. The current IT environment is fragile and prone to frequent outages. There is little the IT staff can do to stabilize these systems without changing the underlying technologies. Changes must be made to create stability in order to pursue more strategic IT initiatives. Anecdotally, many of the daily tasks in the IT department are break-fix jobs to patch the current unstable environment. Changing to a new platform will remove this demand and allow focus on more productive tasks that add value to the institution. Microsoft is the market leading platform for directory services and infrastructure and the most logical choice for a new, stable platform. All but a few MnSCU schools have already migrated away from Novell (to Microsoft). Many Microsoft products are included in the MnSCU-wide license agreement and many others are available at drastically reduced prices (as compared to retail). A migration from Novell to Microsoft is a well-documented procedure and expertise is easy to find. The technology configuration is easy. Avoiding adverse impact to the environment (i.e. minimizing downtime) is difficult. The current web platform ( Serena Collage ) is dead-ended. The product is no longer being sold and there is no longer any support available. A catastrophic failure may result in the loss of all web content. Both the public-facing web and the Portal use Serena Collage. Metro State cannot upgrade to Windows 7 (and Internet Explorer 8/9) because of dependencies upon the current web platform. Consumer systems have been selling Windows 7 for months. A Microsoft platform will allow better integration of Apple products (Mac, ipad). Funding has been allocated in FY2011 to pursue this work. It is advantageous to complete the migration from Novell by the end of this fiscal year to avoid paying Novell license fees in FY2012. Microsoft can offer financial assistance for certain projects of this initiative during the current fiscal year only. This initiative is mainly tactical in nature in order to create a stable base from which to work. A separate strategic process is expected to begin yet this Fall. Pursuing an aggressive plan will help to develop a new paradigm within the IT department. Many related and supportive systems will be upgraded or replaced during this initiative. Only the key constraints are being communicated as individual projects. Projects will overlap in some cases and constrain progress in other cases. Three key projects are required before proceeding with other projects (1) User Account Database must be operational before other projects in the group can be completed, (2) A web platform must be chosen before the projects in the group can be pursued, and (3) Desktop Management must be operational before the other projects in the group can be implemented. Projects will use Best Practices (commonly accepted ideal configurations) for implementation and will include current security considerations, performance measures, and documentation plans. Butterfly Initiative September 24, 2010 P a g e 9