Area Processing Center Migration Project

A Success Story: Rock Island Arsenal

Successful Area Processing Center (APC) implementation provides valuable knowledge base for future initiatives.

The Challenge

The Army currently has a variety of networks operated by several commands in various installations with multiple entry points into the Global Information Grid (GIG). The current technology environment is difficult to navigate and creates resource management challenges at every level.

The Solution

A recent consolidation initiative at Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) simplified the technology network infrastructure by migrating the site to an Area Processing Center (APC). The APC minimizes entry points into the GIG and creates a platform for uniform service delivery and configurations. APC capabilities include information assurance, service desk, network operations, and consolidated services such as email management, remote access, and patch management.

Dell Services and the Army Successfully Team Up
Working with Army contacts in NETCOM, ISEC, ESTA, and PM NSC, Perot Systems Government Services, now Dell Services Federal Government, led efforts at RIA to migrate to the APC. The project included establishing a single Directorate of Information Management (DOIM) to support all tenants at the installation. We met frequently with ISEC and prepared and executed a strategic plan to implement the single DOIM construct along with the APC migration.

The combined initiatives at RIA were the first of their kind and created a process blueprint for future installations. Although there were significant challenges along the way, the migration resulted in a more standardized operating environment with fewer entry points enhancing the information assurance posture.

The Dell Services APC Migration Process
The up-front considerations managed at RIA included: establishing rule sets, creating centralized control of firewalls, configurations, architecture changes, technology requirements and policies, documentation, compliance requirements, reporting capabilities, remote access, maintenance windows, and project accountability. Identifying every port and protocol on the network along with sources, destinations, and security protocols for each were also key factors for success. In addition, the joint team worked to minimize the impact of outdated legacy applications through replacements or upgrades and, in some cases, by isolating them from the main network.

The APC migration process at RIA included hard drive re-imaging of more than 5,000 workstations. This re-baselining process reduced the risk of viruses and other operating system issues. The next step was migrating the network to the Army enterprise. Email was migrated from the local or installation server to the APC server. During the migration at RIA, our team simultaneously worked with the DOIM and multiple tenants to consolidate services.

In addition, we managed additional workstations, servers, and users while maintaining service levels with a more efficient staffing structure. We worked side by side with affected organizations to ensure we understood their business needs and to establish consistent service levels for all tenants. As a final step, we stood up geographical subject matter experts to learn organizational business requirements even further and to act as the go-to resource for technology issues at Tier II.

Success Factors

During the RIA project, our team collaborated closely with Army stakeholders at every step regarding the implemented technology designs, funding, and organizational change. We attended multiple technology conferences and worked closely within the Army hierarchy to accelerate the learning curve. Along with the DOIM, we worked with tenants for buy-in, prioritization, and scheduling. We distributed presentation documents to inform stakeholders along the way and serve as a source for training instruction. We also stood up one website to provide program information, and a second site to provide migration project status reports to leaders.

The Result

Throughout the project, Dell Services Federal Government called on our experience consolidating data networks along with a drive and passion to ensure that individual missions were addressed along the way. The project at RIA included all of the levels required for successful implementation:

• High-level meeting organization and information dissemination
• Organizational technical PoC coordination
• Collaboration at multiple levels
• Tiers I-III field implementation and coordination
• Off-site, on-site, and remote Army collaboration with NETCOM, ISEC, ESTA, OED, C-TNOSC, and 7th Signal
• Experience in design, configuration, implementation, and collaboration among government civilian personnel, military, and both direct and third party contractors.

Update: New Contract Awarded

In January of 2010, Perot Systems Government Services, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Dell, Inc. (Dell Services Federal Government), was awarded a five-year agreement to provide command, control, communications, computer and information management (C4IM) services to RIA. Under the new contract, we will continue to provide network operations, desktop services, email, information assurance, telephones, and connectivity to long-haul communications.

Dell Services Federal Government Adds Value to Your IT Initiatives

We have extensive experience implementing IT solutions both in the government sector and commercial enterprises. Our processes are precise and disciplined within ITIL-based methodologies using a phased approach. Situational flexibility is built-in to proactively address emerging issues, meet changing site demands and provide innovation. To help ensure success for infrastructure and application initiatives, our core capabilities include:

• Data center management (GOCO and COCO)
• Enterprise computing (mainframe, servers, AS400, VMS, SAN, and more)
• End user computing (service desk, desktop, and messaging)
• Enterprise network (data, voice, and convergence)
• Consolidation and migration projects (IT, networks, servers, applications, and more)
• ITIL implementation programs
• Information security
• Benchmarking
• Legacy modernization (including custom applications for integration)
• Application management and testing
• Cloud computing and virtualization technologies

For more information about any of our service offerings, please contact your Dell representative or visit dell.com/services.