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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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July 20, 2005 - Rumors
Q1. We keep hearing over and over that DAS employees have been guaranteed jobs at the State Data Center. Don't they have to go through the same recruitment process as other applicants?
DAS employees will follow the same process for recruitment as all other applicants. The hiring process will include multi-agency interview panels to help ensure objectivity and fairness for all applicants. DAS employees have no “edge” over other employees simply because they work for DAS and the new State Data Center will be a division of DAS. DAS employees who want to apply for State Data Center positions must submit the required application and/or resume; there is no special treatment. Although the DAS Personnel office provides staffing to manage the recruitment and hiring process, the CNIC Steering Committee is very involved in development and oversight of that process. A key goal of the Steering Committee is to provide a fair and objective process for all.
Q2. There has been a lot of discussion in agencies about the Mainframe Work Group, its architecture recommendation to the Steering Committee, and the Steering Committee’s ultimate decision regarding mainframe. Could you explain how the process worked and why the Steering Committee made its decision?
Deliverables: One of the deliverables of the Mainframe Work Group was the recommendation of a mainframe architecture. During a series of meetings the work group developed two scenarios for consideration. The work group was also tasked with identifying which of the scenarios they preferred.
Two recommendations: The recommendation to the CNIC Steering Committee consisted of two scenarios:
The first scenario consisted of two computers configured for *Sysplex implementation in the 2008-2011 time frames with each of the two computers being upgraded over the course of the next few years to meet expected capacity and performance needs. The two-computer scenario would also provide fail over capability prior to implementation of the Sysplex features.
The second scenario involved one large computer with Sysplex capability being included for the implementation of Sysplex during the same time frame mentioned above. The one large computer would be upgraded over the course of the next few years for expected capacity and performance needs.
Consensus model: The majority of the work group recommended the first scenario for consideration to the CNIC Steering Committee. Using the consensus model an Accenture representative and one of the project managers of the group recommended the second scenario.
Steering Committee recommendations: The CNIC Steering Committee considered both scenarios and rejected both of them. The committee indicated that they could find no business case for the two-computer scenario. The committee felt the cost of having either fail over or Sysplex capability was not warranted at this time.
Additionally, the committee felt there was no business case for the necessity of Sysplex capability on the single computer scenario.
The Steering Committee asked the work group to provide a scenario with one computer that did not include Sysplex capability. The committee also had the group include in the new scenario a re-evaluation of the need for Sysplex (within two years).
*Sysplex: IBM’s feature that provides the ability for one IBM computer to take over the processing of another IBM computer. This feature transfers the executing applications between computers without an interruption of the executing applications. There is no impact to the online or batch programs running. The users see no interruption of service.
Q3. There is a rumor going around now that the three large agencies (DAS, DHS and ODOT) will all be moved/consolidated into the State Data Center at the same time.
All projects involve development of various scenarios for the consideration of decision-makers. This has been the case with CNIC in regard to which agency should be moved to the data center first. There have also been discussions regarding pre-consolidation activities – work that could be done now instead of during or after the move. And discussions in the network area have included the concept of consolidating the networks of the three largest agencies (DAS, DHS and ODOT) at the same time. However, the lift schedule for CNIC has not been finalized; it is a product of the current stage (Detailed Design). Once the CNIC Steering Committee finalizes recommendations coming from technical work groups for Detailed Design, the lift schedule will be communicated. Those actions are expected in the mid-August timeframe.
Q4. We're told that Stage Two - Detailed Design is being wrapped up. Remind us again what that means and how it differs from the next stage which is called "agency implementation planning."
The definition of Detailed Design for the CNIC project was for the individual work groups (Server, Storage, Mainframe, etc) to take information that was collected from the inventory effort, provide more detail to the high level architecture developed by each of the work groups in Stage One (architecture), then deliver a design of the “target” or “go to” infrastructure that will reside in the SDC. The Detailed Design will also provide the rationale behind the design so the Steering Committee can understand the logic developed by the agency experts. The gaps between Detailed Design and what resides within the agencies today is the next phase -- agency implementation planning.
The next phase will flush out the remaining details on how the agencies will move from their existing environments to the new infrastructure that is being built at the SDC. Implementation planning will include tasks such as development of a project plan to a level of detail that addresses each server, each switch, each router, for each application that is currently being delivered and supported by each of the agencies. Current tasks include review from an enterprise viewpoint by taking each of the work group Detailed Designs and identifying gaps that may exist between work groups. There are many more details that need to be addressed by each of the agencies. The agencies will continue to utilize the expertise from the previous work group membership. The project office is formulating planning and development documentation for presentation to CNIC agencies so that we can all move forward into the implementation planning phase in a standard and synchronized fashion. More information related to implementation planning will be presented at a CNIC All Hands meeting August 17.
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