ITSS Roundup 11 September 2008 Groupware Project Mark Norman

Over the last few weeks… We made the decision to go with Exchange+MOSS on 4 July 08 Since then: –Consolidating our requirements –Engaging Microsoft –Engaging a Consultant (Internal Architect) –Active Directory fact finding –Recruitment plans –Reviewing budget –and more …

Hardware and architecture OUCS has been working hard on getting the info that we need and looking at basic options This will feed into our consultant (Internal Architect) as background Looking at issues of Disaster Recovery and Resilience –We have an ‘expectation’ of a 2 site DR architecture, but this is expensive, of course

Recruitment We have job descriptions for the following with central personnel: –Exchange/Sharepoint Project Technical Lead (Permanent but project funds 18 months) –Groupware Senior Systems Administrator (AD/Exchange Specialist) (Permanent but project funds 18 months) –Groupware Systems Administrator (Exchange Specialist) 2 year post –Groupware Section Member (Sharepoint and Web Specialist) Possibly one 2-year post (but we ideally need 2 people) –Temporary secondment post for AD work Hopefully from ITSS

Microsoft Engagement We have some Microsoft ‘investment’ in the form of a dedicated consultant/architect and a few other activities The Short-Listing Panel has attended a Sharepoint Capability Workshop OUCS and other University representatives are to attend –Architectural Design Session (next week) –and probably further activities around later Sharepoint options MS will be validating our (and our consultant’s plans)

Business decisions 2 site DR architecture –At which level (Dial tone restore, full resilience) Staffing: the budget is based on one Sharepoint professional – we have been advised we need two. Encryption, New networking, hand-held strategy Migration projects (GroupWise, Domino, other Exchange) Interface with Alumni system Gap analysis: what about the requirements that E+MOSS did not meet (well)? All of the above is probably subordinate (in terms of cost to the first bullet in the list) We had previously decided upon: –Equitable use of Groupware across staff and students –Sharepoint must be initially set up in order to meet the original basic requirements

Internal Architect (Consultant) Why? –Very important to get an experienced outside view, that is independent of Microsoft –OUCS skills need a boost for the ‘design’ We won’t have (trained) staff in place until Nov or Dec at the earliest

Schedule The design work is looking like 52 days, but these won’t be contiguous –Could mean that we are ready to procure the hardware at the end of November –Staff (hopefully) will start around this time (with the Technical Lead starting later) One early guess is: –Deployment and testing in December and Jan –Early adopters February –Many users March onwards –(Then we need a plan for main migrations, students etc.) –Probably Exchange first and then Sharepoint later