Transcript Technology Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

GWSD
Technology Review
Board Presentation
Mitchell and Company
February 10th , 2014
Presented by:
Kelley Mitchell
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Agenda
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Review purpose of meeting
Consulting Process To-Date
Board Comments/Questions For Work To-Date
Key Issues
Overall Summary and Next Steps
Questions and Answers
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About Mitchell & Company
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17+ years IT services company
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Diverse Skill Set to meet wide variety of customers needs
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Offices in Carbondale and Edwards CO
Principal 25+ years diverse technical experience
Heavy Microsoft, Cisco, Sonicwall & Meraki and other certifications
at the Consultant levels
Microsoft Silver, Cisco Premier, Sonicwall Silver & Meraki Silver
specializations at Company level
Resources - 13 employees with average tenure of 8+ years
350+ customers with strong technical skills in specific vertical
markets to include public sector and K12
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Consulting Engagement
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November 2013 GWDS asked Mitchell and Company to provide a
very targeted assessment and audit
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Review infrastructure – IT assets typically in the closets
Make a determination of the appropriate level of vendor maintenance and
support contracts to maintain
Define an action plan to ensure a sound technology environment
Ensure that all software licensing is legally compliant
Review to-date activities with technology audit
Assessment quadrants
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IT Governance
IT Management
Technical Infrastructure
Applications
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Stated Project Goals
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Conduct a general review of IT to uncover any visible risks with
strategies and action plans to reduce risk
General accounting and inventory of equipment that the District is
not currently familiar with
Define strategy for vendor maintenance contract coverage and
determine appropriate level of coverage for equipment
Define appropriate technology infrastructure replacement cycles
and appropriate annual budget outlook
Define related projects, action items and cost estimates
Review all software licensing and identify where out of
compliance and necessary costs to become compliant
Uncover and make recommendations for any other items of
concern
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General High Level Objectives (MaC)
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Improving student learning through technology
 Improving educator teaching capability through
technology
 Providing equitable access to technology for all
stakeholders
 Committing to a 21st century technology vision,
mission and plan.
 Building and maintaining a 21st century technical
foundation for connectivity and content delivery
 Ensuring safe, secure and protected systems.
 Ensuring sustainability in supporting technology.
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General Process - Assessment and Audit
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Review documentation, conduct interviews, site and facility visits
Evaluate current IT governance
Assess IT management, organization and service delivery
Review technology infrastructure and applications
Organize and correlate findings to standards and best practices
Document Key Findings and develop recommendations
Conduct recommendation validation
Prepare Executive Summary document
Deliver final presentation
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Assessment Structure
Technical Infrastructure
-Reliability
-Optimization
-Connectivity and Communication
-Security
Applications
- Software Application Portfolio
- Licensing
Governance
Management
-Vision and Direction
-IT Decision Making Process
-Budget and Spending Management
-Results and Measurements
-Staffing and Resource Allocation
-Organization and Service Delivery
-Service Management
-IT Workforce Management
-Service Sourcing Decision Criteria
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Summary of Key Findings
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K12 schools on the western slope of CO typically
are faced with the following challenges:
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Building out a computer network infrastructure that equallywell serves administration, faculty, staff, students and guests.
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Being able to attract and retain local technical staff that are
able to support a diverse set of technologies.
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Having an IT staff and administration that understands that
the ultimate goal of technology in the school system is to get
technology into the classroom and into the hands of educators
and students.
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Summary of Key Findings
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The District has done an admirable job keeping the focus on
getting technology into the classroom.
A number of vendor maintenance contracts have lapsed over the
last several years, putting continuity and productivity at risk.
Data backup systems of critical servers need to be improved.
There are several network equipment items that are approaching
end of service / support status (per vendor no longer supporting
the aged equipment) and needing to be replaced.
We are unable to substantiate whether or not several Microsoft
software licenses are in compliance (proof of active licensing).
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Recommendations - Governance
Recommendations – Governance
G1
Establish a Tech Committee, adopt guiding principles, set the agenda, begin
scheduling regular periodic meetings and work from a single Technology Plan with an
accompanying high level budget document.
G2
Adopt and implement an updated Information Security Plan to ensure adherence to
best practice for internal procedures and technologies to adequately safeguard data
and confidentiality. Mitchell and Company has provided GWDS a baseline
Information Security Plan document that provides a security management roadmap.
G3
Update purchasing guidelines to include appropriate checks and balances to ensure
separation of responsibilities for individuals issuing POs, ordering equipment,
receiving and deploying technology assets and incurring expenses. Implement a
vendor qualification process within the procurement process.
G4
Develop more robust and formalized business continuity and recovery plans in
conjunction with a “next-generation” backup system.
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Recommendations - Management
Recommendations – Management
M1
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Recommendations – Technical
Recommendations – Technical Infrastructure
T1
Implement next generation backup system that supports imaging and virtualization
technologies (rapid recovery). Use existing backup hardware and repurposed OCS
archive servers.
T2
Begin general consolidation of servers using virtualization technology consistent
with backup system. Start by migrating existing Exchange Server – Mailbox server.
T3
Upgrade and consolidate Unified Communications environment :
• Phone system (Cisco Call Manager) – upgrade software to current version and
maintain vendor maintenance contract for at least the next three years. Begin
reviewing phone system and Exchange Server alternatives in two years.
• Video Conferencing / Messaging (Microsoft Office Communications Server
(OCS)) – turn off existing four on premise servers and migrate to Microsoft’s
online (cloud) Lync system.
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Recommendations – Technical
Recommendations – Technical Infrastructure
T4
Consolidate two Exchange Servers (UM and Mailbox) into a single virtual server.
T5
Replace Lake School core network switch and retain existing end of service switch
as a spare network switch (look at community 4503 swap out).
T6
Replaced firewall [DONE IN 2013]. Optional purchase and install a secondary
firewall to provide equipment failover redundancy.
T7
Windows domain management improvement
• Monitor key servers to provide visibility into key asset health and enhance
manageability.
• Configure workstations for Windows domain server membership (only for
administration, faculty and staff) for improved security and policy management.
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Recommendations – Technical
Recommendations – Technical Infrastructure
T8
Finish WiFi rollout, in-fill dead or weak areas. Move existing Crested Butte wireless
equipment and consolidate / in-fill weak coverage areas in Gunnison Community and
High Schools. Start transition to Cisco’s Meraki equipment in Crested Butte.
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Follow budget replacement worksheet for network core switch replacement and
maintenance cycles.
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Replace four to six non-core network switches each year to parallel technology
improvements.
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Budget every other year to replace a portion of obsolete wireless equipment to
parallel technology improvements and classroom needs.
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Recommendations – Applications
Recommendations – Applications
A1 Turn off Microsoft Office Communication Server (OCS) systems (currently four
servers). Evaluate Skype versus Microsoft cloud-based Lync (which is provided at
no charge to public school faculty and staff).
A2 Bring all known Microsoft software licensing into compliance. Identified licensing:
Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange Server and
CALs. Allow all other to come under compliance by attrition and replacement.
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Next Steps With Assessment
• Questions and Comments on Assessment
• Get Tech Committee started
• Licensing Compliance
• Phone system vendor maintenance contract reinstatement
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Questions?
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