Case Study 1
Large scale MSI Packaging

Case study 2
Migration & Staff augmentation

Case Study 3
Large scale Windows 2000 Migration

Case Study 2
Migration & Staff augmentation

Background
Employment & Human Services Departments (EHSDs) across the entire state of California were going through a sweeping modernization process, and each county was responsible for its own situation. For Contra Costa County’s EHSD, a number of areas needed help. The county’s welfare eligibility software was hitting the 30-year mark, and much of the HP server hardware was nearing the end of their life cycle. The hardware warranties were all expired, and HP was phasing out active support for these systems. Existing network services, such as Active Directory, WebSense, and Microsoft ISA, had to be migrated.

Problem
Because of these issues, modernization – hardware procurement and data migration – was going to be a hefty task. However, the potential benefits were extremely high. By updating the hardware and software, Contra Costa County offices would not only run faster, the new level of connectivity would revamp procedures, paper usage, and deliverable time. The issue remained: how to get there from here?

Solution
Coalition Networks was brought as an IT multi-tasker for the Contra Costa County EHSD. The EHSD had its own existing IT department; however, they did not have the resources or means to effectively modernize, migrate, and develop everything on their own. Because the IT department experienced such heavy demand on limited resources, communication and effectiveness were a problem. Coalition Networks, with a fresh perspective and the latest resources, came in and acted as both a technical resource and project manager to get the job done.

Coalition Networks started by setting up meetings between the various departments to determine the scope of the project and a strategic approach. From there, a structured project plan was developed with defined goals, milestones, and processes. By implementing a rigid, standardized structure, Coalition Networks was able to help the EHSD recover some control over communication and process.

With a plan in place, Coalition Networks looked at the figurative nuts and bolts of the project. When it came to hardware, the new systems had to handle the best of both worlds: modern server capabilities as well as legacy applications. Coalition Networks analyzed the EHSD’s hardware needs based on application and network requirements, as well as budget. Once that information was reviewed, a new hardware strategy was produced, and the implementation process involved a three-step approach. First, the proposed new hardware and network systems were lab-tested to verify that it met all of the EHSD’s needs. As the pre-pilot phase ran, small issues were resolved and the strategy was tweaked in order to optimize both the systems’ capabilities and the overall process. With everything running at full steam, Coalition Networks went to the next pilot phase, before ramping up into full implementation. All servers that provided network services (DHCP, WINS, DNS, etc.) were migrated to a new hardware platform in a transparent process. Operation servers (SMS 2003, Active Directory, ISA 2004, etc.) were also migrated to a new hardware platform, all executed with a plan that ensured transparency and no user downtime.

Coalition Networks also assisted EHSD on implementing the welfare eligibility application in parallel with the testing and migration process. Coalition Networks developed vb scripts to aid in automation of the migration and testing process.

Results
In just over five months, Coalition Networks was able to transform the Contra Costa County EHSD offices into a modernized hub of technology with fast servers, an effective network, revitalized applications, and streamlined processes. By putting so much into planning, Coalition Networks got the job done without any disruption of business. In addition, all of the carryover legacy applications were completely compatible with the new setup. This accomplishment was only possible through proper planning, a thorough understanding of the EHSD business processes and needs, and extensive lab-testing.

Part of Coalition Networks’ deliverables was to prepare documentation to help out IT and EHSD staff when issues such as hardware crashes and implementation problems came up. Coalition Networks remained on call during this process to give the IT department the necessary support

Overall, the EHSD experienced a faster, smoother IT process: new systems, new standards, quicker processing, minimal errors and crashes, and a cost-effective strategy that resolved issues without burdening the resources of the existing IT staff. "(Coalition Networks) has been instrumental in assisting EHSD technical staff with the completion of multiple critical projects in a timely fashion," said Ralph White, EHSD Network Analyst. "With (Coalition Networks') assistance, (EHSD staff) has become more productive and knowledgeable about our network and network management/administration in general."