A presentation from Networkshop46.

1. The infrastructure
review process and
aggregated results
Rohan Slaughter,
Subject specialist
(network, technologies
and infrastructure), Jisc

2. > Jisc's infrastructure review is an inclusive service available to
members and provided by the enterprise infrastructure team of
subject specialists.
> This session looks at what is involved in the process, which
doesn't just check the physical infrastructure elements, but also
addresses the true value of the wider IT infrastructure.
> This session presents aggregated observations from circa 70
reviews over the past 18 months. Further addressing the ongoing
value the review has brought to organisations.
> Contributing to the pursuit of excellence
> Speaker: Caroline Cooke, AECC University College.
> Keeping FE on track and progressing
> Speaker: Rob Rawlinson, Calderdale College.
Jisc infrastructure reviews of member sites

3. >Most of the work of the enterprise infrastructure team of
subject specialists centres around infrastructure reviews for
member sites, consultancy that is offered as member
inclusive practical support.
>This activity involves member site staff who shape, deliver
and manage the many essential components of
infrastructure that enable the success of their organisations.
>Infrastructure review is welcomed by members as a useful
friendly assessment and serves as a vehicle to introduce
additional Jisc services.
Summary

4. > Our aims
> To give members an independent review of their infrastructure
> Gives Jisc improved ‘deep insight’ into the needs of members
> Jisc Account Managers have found the reports useful for
designing their account engagement moving forwards
> Identifies the (significant) pressures on members
> Allows us to signpost to other Jisc products and services, where
relevant
> IR was developed as a service based on member demand
> Members were requesting this service for a range of reasons:
> Change in staffing, change in service or due to other internally
identified need for a review.
Purpose

5. >Initial engagement, focusing on review overview document
>Confirm review, agree dates, assign staff (two from team)
>Arrange scoping online chat 4–6 weeks before visit date
>Obtain any available relevant documentation and prepare
>Meet range of member site staff during visit (at least one day)
>Methodically discuss structured set of infrastructure related
areas
>Prepare review report, check draft with member, publish
How we go about it

6. Areas covered
1. Strategic considerations
2. IT support team
3. Networks
4. Servers and storage
5. Core enterprise services
6. Enterprise applications
7. Device management
8. Security
9. Governance

7. Preparation

8. Structure of discussions

10. The report
Executive
summary
Key
points
Next step
recommendation
s

11. What are we learning…

12. > Welcomed by member representatives, with strong engagement
> Emerging benchmark metrics, e.g. IT support staff to users ratio
> Identifying funding, staffing and leadership pressures on members
> We can mediate effectively between parties at a member site
> Often a group wants objective confirmation of what they know
> Well endowed server room resources exist and also the opposite
> Opportunities for Jisc “match-making”, member savings and DR
facilities
> Some uncomfortable realities uncovered
> Poor security, inadequate backups and disaster recovery
arrangements
General observations from ~70 reviews

13. > Server room resources
> We have seen some outstanding data centre provision in FE
and HE
> We feel that there is the potential for Colleges and Universities
to offer up their ‘spare’ data centre resources to other Jisc
members
> There may be the potential for two sites to host each other’s DR
> We have suggested that Jisc could produce a template
agreement that members could use to form their own
agreements
> There is the potential for Jisc staff to identify where the ‘spare’
resources may be
General point

14. >Resources are highly constrained
>Many IT Teams are too small
>Difficult to maintain refresh schedules
>Project work constantly delayed or not initiated
>Strategic thinking takes a “back seat”
>In some cases leading to high organisation viability risk
>A large number of dedicated and highly skilled colleagues
>Often working under substantial pressure
>A little data warehouse “development” can go a long way
Specific Further Education points

15. >Smaller organisations have similar issues to FE
>Larger scale organisations usually have larger IT teams
>Organisational structures often do not match systems use
>There are significant cyber-security concerns
>Managed desktops not as common as in FE
>“Academic freedom” often cited as reason to not operate
securely
>Universities have central IT, but often departments run
their own systems
Specific Higher Education points

16. Concluding considerations
Interaction with the
right people
Solutions in context
Ideal basis for
ongoing
meaningful
relations
Significant value to
member and Jisc
Infrastructure review

17. Contact details:
Enterprise infrastructure sub team of Jisc subject
specialists
enterpriseinfrastructure@jisc365.onmicrosoft.com