CLUSTER Model

(Taken from the Divisional Technology Assessment Report – January 24, 2005)

• Commonality
• Leverage Talent & Technology
• Uniform Delivery of Service
• Sharing of Information
• Technology Deployment Standards
• Education & Training
• Recovery Plans & Procedures
 
Information management and technology are clearly inseparable.  It goes without saying that technology is a benefit, and yet it can be a hindrance, as we are also faced with not being able to work without our technology.  Considering the amount of time, resources, and effort devoted to deploying and managing information and technology, is IT a distraction more than a benefit.  Is the intended solution or the preferred approach to control our technology resources without recognizing the unintended risks of such insular approach.  The CLUSTER model is a vision and a process by which the Division of Student Affairs can change the focus and enhance the delivery of information and technology services divisionally using standardization, uniform delivery of services, and shared access to resources.

CLUSTER is crafted to create a total IT services environment for the Division of Student Affairs.  Working with all Student Affairs departments and the University's other divisions, this approach will build a depth and robustness to technology services such that it is less of a burden to the individual units.  In practice, this model seeks to create standards that promote interoperability through baseline and enhanced capabilities across all departments.  CLUSTER seeks stability and confidence by developing a divisional staff of professionals that share a wide range of skills and provide back up expertise to ensure business continuity.  Ultimately, CLUSTER will deploy and support robust technological and information management solutions that can be shared divisionally, ending the status quo of "haves-and-have-nots".

Commonality
As individuals, and even departments, our natural tendency is often to differentiate what makes us different before we acknowledge how much is actually in common.  In the case of the Division of Student Affairs, our basic information technology is often different, redundant, and in some cases inefficient.  When technology and support resources are deployed with consistency commonality benefits everyone.  Most importantly, commonality can ensure compatibility by providing similar technical solutions across department, reducing the unnecessary complexities and removing barriers to assistance from multiple sources.  Inherently this approach builds stability through a larger support network and interconnectedness built on sharing information and technology solutions.

The following is a representative list of functions that are held in common and yet are currently resourced departmentally:

• Utilization, purchasing and replacement of personal computers
• Technical support, configuration, and updates of PCs
• Development of documents, databases, and presentation
• Data extraction, reporting and exchange
• File storage, sharing, and protection (backup/recovery)
• Technical and End User Training 
• PeopleSoft and access to student data

Leverage Talent & Technology
As individual departments, it is difficult to muster within one functional area all of the requisite technology and the skills to deploy and maintain PCs, servers, applications and databases. The need is for multiple areas of skill and technology deployed in proportion, and with a level of expertise, that meets a wide variety of requirements. Talent and technology are unfortunately deployed such that they underutilize their applicability; looking to the future the Division can leverage our resources so that they span multiple departments. 

The following is a representative list of technology and skills that would be clustered in order to leverage them for the Division and the individual departments:

PC/Server Support Group

• PC hardware configuration, purchasing, deployment, and support
• Windows XP expertise, security profiles, virus, updates, and best practices
• Microsoft Office support of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
  Microsoft Server purchasing, support and management

Applications and Database

• Applications and SQL programming
• Microsoft Access support and custom database development
• Primary and backup support of Medpro, Document Imaging, Housing, Odyssey, Sunridge, and T2
• Divisional Web and Content Management System

PeopleSoft Student Module Support Group

• Programmatically update/change student data
• Define and implement modifications
• Develop custom add-ons and data exchange interfaces
• Campus community support services
• Development of BroncoData custom reports

Uniform Delivery of Service
One of the realities of the Division is the unbalanced nature of IT support services delivered to or by each department.  This fact was acknowledged to varying degrees as the proverbial "have and have nots", or by way of numerous examples of the disparity of resources, support services and functionality.  Under this model all functional areas of the Division, by the very fact they exist, shall be afforded the same basic support functions. 

The following is a representative list of technology and skills that would be uniformly provided to all functional areas of the Division:

• Divisional PC inventory including balanced deployment and replacement
• Centralized file storage on Divisional network storage solution
• Unlimited access to PC support personnel
• Proportional access to application/database/reporting staff
  

Sharing Information
While the PC may be the hammer of the modern toolbox, information and data clearly are the nails. Without information, programs can not be built, managed, or even evaluated. It is clear that there are numerous examples of the need to improve the sharing and access to information as our services will in large part thrive to the extent that information is readily available.  Sharing of information to the greatest extent possible, while respective privacy and managing its use wisely should be amongst our highest IT goals.

The following is a representative list of shared resources:

• Access to PeopleSoft student data consistent with business functions
• Document Imaging (Singularity)
• Development of BroncoData custom reports
• Data exchanges between departmental databases consistent with business functions

Technology Deployment Standards
Where there is commonality the Division should deploy standardized solutions in both hardware and software. Standardization can be characterized as a one size fits all approach, but in the larger sense standardization is about offering consistent capabilities and enabling the deployment of support. If each department sets their own standards it makes it difficult to resource technical support on a flexible basis, as the provider may not understand the nuances of a particular situation or there may be a fear of damaging the hardware, database, or application. Generally speaking, technological standards should not set a barrier, but a direction to a known path to success.

The following is a representative list of standards:

• Personal Computer configurations (Divisional or University standards)
• Scheduled PC replacement program (25% rule)
• Coordinated purchasing at the Divisional or University level
• Mission critical server configurations (rack, redundancy, reliability)
• Database or application design (standards and best practices)
• Information management (University standards, privacy, protection)

Education & Training
During the assessment meetings not a single department shared a training plan, most noting that it was a function of funding. However, the never ending deployment of upgrades and complex systems such as PeopleSoft highlight the need for a training commitment. How can the staff remain effective providers of service to the student community without ongoing training? Fortunately for the Division's technical staff, the MS Server training is providing not only knowledge to the individual, but also a common understanding to the staff in general. Additional PeopleSoft and MS Office training are just the start of what could be facilitated internally by Student Affairs or through the University's I&IT Division.

The following is a representative list of training from the assessment meetings:

• Microsoft Office – basic and intermediate Word and Excel skills
• Microsoft Outlook – calendar, online meeting scheduler, advanced email
• Microsoft Access – building and maintaining databases
• Microsoft PowerPoint – creating presentations
• Customer service training
• PeopleSoft
• Adobe Acrobat forms and Illustrator
• Completion of Microsoft MCSE courses for IT staff

Recovery Plans & Procedures
The most basic job of any IT staff is the protection of data from theft, loss, or damage. Considering the fact that user files are stored on hundreds of personal computers, a greater liability is created. Through a network storage approach, files can be safeguarded for the protection of the user and the university. Currently file servers located throughout the departments use differing backup methods and media. A more unified approach should be developed that provides for multiple restore options. As important are personnel backups, as mission critical applications and databases require special skills and knowledge. Ultimately the focus should not just be on deploying systems, but providing backups to those systems in form of disaster recovery planning and multiple technical support resources.

The following is a list of representative tasks to be addressed

• Primary and backup staff for all mission critical applications
• Deployment of centralized network storage in secure locations
• Deployment of common backup software, hardware and media
• Deployment of redundancy RAID, VSS, DFS, FRS, SAN
• Offsite storage of Divisional media and recovery
  

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