IT Consolidation Study @ CSUStatus Report – April 15, 2011

P. Burns, B. Carney, D. Carpenter, J. Folkestad, T. Hadley, A. Horn, E.

Peyronnin, R. Scott, and S. Wolvington

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Agenda

• Background & Benefits• Approach• Challenges• Areas of Study• Consolidation Opportunities• Next Steps

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Background and Benefits

• Began when we were planning for significant budget cuts, motivating a desire to retain faculty positions

• We expect, and other institutions are reporting:– Substantial cost savings– Freeing up of departmental IT staff to focus on unique,

discipline-specific needs, e.g. instructional technology, faculty support, research support, etc.

– Reduced risk– Better customer service

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Approach

• Engage via RFP an objective entity for analysis– Enter Adams-Gabbert, November, 2010– Exit Adams-Gabbert one week later

• Per Provost, continue analysis internally using:– Information gathered by campus for AG analysis– Huron Consulting report (Purchasing, 2010)– Facilities Management report on server rooms

• Report due to Provost March 15, 2011– A “framework for discussion”

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If at first you don’t succeed…

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Committee Members

• Pat Burns (VPIT), co-chair• Bryan Carney (Director, University Advancement)• Dave Carpenter (IT Director, CAHS)• Jim Folkestad (Faculty, CAHS)• Thom Hadley (Director, CVMBS)• Allison Horn (Director, Internal Auditing), co-chair• Ed Peyronnin (IT Director, CAS)• Rusty Scott (Assoc. Director, ACNS)• Stephanie Wolvington (Internal Auditing)

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Inherent Challenges

• The departmental view:– Loss of control, flexibility, agility

• Level of trust in central IT varies across campus• Can central IT ‘ramp up’ to support a higher level of

consolidated services?

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Areas of Study for Possible Consolidation

1. Data Center & Associated Hardware2. Applications and Licensing3. Web Design and Programming4. Identity and Access Management5. Purchasing6. Helpdesk & Desktop Support7. Networking and Networking Support

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Building a Framework for Discussion

• Theme: “Simplify the IT environment”• Consider savings, benefits, and risks at varying

levels of consolidation for each area:– Tight and/or tighter collaboration– Hybrid approach, some consolidation– Complete consolidation

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Narrowing the Scope

• Considering savings, value & risk to campus:1. Data Center & Associated Hardware2. Applications and Licensing3. Web Design and Programming4. Identity and Access Management5. Purchasing6. Helpdesk & Desktop Support7. Networking and Networking Support

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Data Center and Associated HardwareBackground

• Dozens of server rooms exist on campus today• Although there are a few excellent server

rooms, the environment for most systems would improve by accommodating them in the main Data Center.

• Consolidation would take advantage of– Central access controls, security, monitoring– Environmental controls (backup power, cooling)– High speed connectivity

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Data Center and Associated HardwareTight Collaboration

• Relocate hardware ‘as is’ to central data center• Benefits– Better overall control of physical environment– Recovery of space & facilities costs

• Risks & Constraints– Need adequate disaster recovery facility as well– Insufficient space in central data center

• Savings– Primarily facilities costs (cooling, power, etc.)– Projected at $200K/year

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Data Center and Associated HardwareHybrid Approach

• Migrate servers to central, virtualized environment• Benefits

– Same as ‘collaboration’ option, plus:– Very scalable (and greener!)

• Risks & Constraints– Same as ‘collaboration’ option

• Savings– Facilities costs, hardware economies of scale, staff efficiency– At 75% of servers, up to $700K/year– Requires initial investment of $110K?

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Data Center and Associated HardwareComplete Consolidation

• Migrate servers and storage to central data center • Benefits– Same as hybrid model, plus– Simplification of environment for users– Collaborative spaces, compliance for researchers

• Risks– Storage: ‘Eggs in one basket’, albeit a good basket

• Savings– Additional economies from storage– Up to $780K/year

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Data Center and Associated HardwareObservations

• Some server rooms on campus are very robust• Complete consolidation is inadvisable– For reasons of backup and disaster recovery– Units with well established, efficient data centers

could use central facilities for backup and DR• With some initial investment, substantial

improvements & savings are possible

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Identity and Access Management (IAM) Background

• Managing electronic identities and access to resources; an administrative simplification

• Centrally, this is ‘eID’• This has been an ongoing area of study• Campus has identified gaps in our IAM profile:– Some users need multiple systems to conduct campus

business– eID does authentication, not authorization– Need better support for external constituents– Increased need for federated logins– Support for Levels of Assurance (LoA)

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IAMTight Collaboration

• Communications campaign – Minimize confusion regarding multiple credentials– Assist in leveraging eID (CVMBS model)

• Benefits– Some simplification, less confusion & frustration

• Risks & Constraints– Does not address the problem of multiple credentials– Does not provide authorization services

• Savings– Efficiency of users– Hard to quantify, but considered low

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IAMHybrid Approach

• Consolidate authentication• Extend existing IAM to include distributed authorization• Benefits

– Simplifies environment with single credential– Extends functionality for provisioning services– Minimize (or eliminate) child domain confusion

• Risks & Constraints– Normalization of rules & processes across campus

• Savings– Efficiency of users and IT staff– Hard to quantify, but considered MUCH higher– Substantial effort to implement (personnel)

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IAMComplete Consolidation

• Consolidate systems, operations and staffing related to IAM

• Benefits– Same as hybrid, plus;– Facilitates more consistent operations

• Risks & Constraints– Same as hybrid, plus;– Lack of agility and responsiveness to user’s needs

• Savings– Same as hybrid approach with incremental added efficiencies

for IT staff

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Identity and Access Management (IAM) Observations

• Making real headway in IAM will require initial investments in the areas of:– Aligning processes and policy space– Developing a mechanism for authorization

• However, this is considered to be highly important as a simplifying, ‘enabling’ technology improving efficiency, privacy, and security

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Purchasing Background

• Scope of analysis; Windows-based desktops and laptops

• Currently ‘distributed’ with some ad hoc aggregation efforts

• CSU has contracts with multiple vendors– $5M+ annual spend on desktops & laptops– 80% is for standard/administrative models

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PurchasingTight Collaboration

• Coordinated group purchases for admin. computers & ‘zero clients’• Benefits

– Group purchasing has greater efficiencies • simplifies purchasing processes• standardizes systems and support• achieve additional quantity discounts.

– Zero clients are• Cheaper than thin or thick clients• Less effort to manage• Less susceptible to technical obsolescence

• Risks & Constraints– Difficult to implement– Video and software licensing an issue with zero clients

• Savings– Approximately $400K/year

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PurchasingHybrid Approach

• Strategic business alliance with single vendor (SBA RFP)• Benefits

– Even greater efficiencies for purchasing and technical support– Scholarship & internship potential

• Risks & Constraints– Need a liberal exemption process for faculty, research, …– Specific product line issues could be significant– Service and support issues need to be considered and

specifically addressed

• Savings– Approximately $700K/year

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PurchasingComplete Consolidation

• Centralize ALL purchases, likely within Purchasing dept.

• Benefits– Single point of purchases– Simplify purchasing

• Risks & Constraints– Inflexible. Won’t respond to user needs.– Enforcement may be impossible

• Savings– Approximately $700K/year (?)

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Purchasing Observations

• Of all of the consolidation opportunities, likely the best hope for short-term savings– And the savings are substantial!

• The easiest to implement

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Networking and Networking SupportBackground

• ACNS currently responsible for:– Our connections to the ‘outside world’– Campus fiber & copper (wire) infrastructure– ‘Core’ network switches

• Building and distribution switches are the responsibility of distributed IT staff

• However, many are centrally operated and managed

– Life and safety devices attached to the network – Wireless network

• Network dependency on the rise– Life and safety devices– VoIP!

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Networking & Networking SupportTight Collaboration

• Formalize/enforce network operations, distributed management continues

• Benefits– Improves network availability– Clarification of responsibilities

• Risks & Constraints– Additional effort to communicate/coordinate/train requires FTE– Complexity of distributed model hampers management of life

and safety devices, VoIP

• Savings– Very low in $

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Networking & Networking SupportHybrid Approach

• Single unit responsible for switch operations– Non-central staff continue to make some changes in closets

• Rapid response time

– Central management is responsible for switch operation/mgmt.

• Benefits– Improves network availability (‘hardens’ the network)– Increases effectiveness and efficiency of network operation

• Risks & Constraints– Some inconsistencies may persist

• Savings– Efficiency savings, considerably higher than ‘collaboration’ and , may

significantly reduce liability risk

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Networking & Networking SupportComplete Consolidation

• Single unit responsible for switch operations including connections to the end user

• Benefits– Greatest possible network availability

• Risks & Constraints– Slow response time during high activity– Telecom -> Networking staff reallocation required

• Savings– Departmental staff are freed up from network

responsibility

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Networking and Networking SupportObservations

• As our dependency on the network grows– ‘Hardening’ becomes critical– We must move to a more effective and efficient

operational model– Should also explore models for funding edge

switch replacement from the monthly telephone chargeback as we deploy unified communications via VoIP

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Final Thoughts

• Areas of additional savings and greater efficiencies should be explored:– Consolidating in house or outsourcing faculty &

staff email– Outsourcing basic services, including virtual

platforms– Centrally supporting open source, dynamic web

services (LAMP infrastructure)– New models for delivering next gen telephony

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Feedback Solicited

1. Data Center & Associated Hardware4. Identity and Access Management5. Purchasing7. Networking and Networking Support