• Assess the existing data center environment. It's difficult to articulate valid measures of improvement until the existing environment is clearly defined and understood.
• Develop a comprehensive enterprise architecture. Our team defined an end-to-end, flexible architecture that allows us to quickly build and enhance applications that meet each state agency's business needs. Virtualization has been a significant enabler of this agility, in addition to the green benefits of reduced power consumption.
• Set standards and streamline early. Standardizing on hardware and software, defining business processes, and limiting vendors was critical to the success of our data center consolidation project. I encourage CIOs and IT decision makers not to be afraid to make those decisions.
• Choose strategic partners carefully. We chose to partner with vendors that had proven expertise in large-scale consolidation projects and with a view to future requirements. The collaboration among vendors and the Oregon team was fundamental to the project's success.
• Pay close attention to the human factor. Consolidation projects typically represent significant changes in staffing, so keeping communications lines open is vital. I engaged staff in the process, providing an environment conducive to learning new technical skills and collaborating with other technologists.
Oregon Goes Lean, Mean, And Green