Local government's ad-hoc response to necessary IT services has resulted in server rooms sprawling with machines, devices and wires which, despite their unruly appearance, drive critical business processes.
This is according to Garth Francis, MD of Xepa Consulting. “Experience in the field has shown that for many municipalities, the server room is little more than a dusty cupboard. Space is at a premium, yet a sprawl of machines of varying ages generally crowds the room,” he explains.
Francis argues that advances in server and virtualisation technology mean most municipalities can gain a distinct benefit from the consolidation of their systems. “By introducing a combination of far more powerful, energy-efficient hardware with virtualisation software, all these machines can be replaced by two or more high-performance devices,” he suggests.
The benefits of such a configuration go beyond merely reducing clutter and administration required for supporting many machines, explains Francis. It also allows for the establishment of a second, remote site with an identical configuration to achieve better data protection.
“A recent flood at the Langeberg Municipality in Ashton provided a stark warning of the potential consequences of having all information and critical business processes centralised in one area.
“A disaster such as this could literally wipe out the municipality, destroying all its records of payments received, monies outstanding and much more. It could also severely restrict the ability of the organisation to continue delivering services,” states Francis.
While the floods didn't impact the server room, they did send a clear message, which the municipality has heeded. “From a server and database for each application, the municipality has moved to a consolidated, virtualised environment,” says Francis.
“All data is mirrored offsite, so if the primary site is in any way impacted by a physical disaster or even something as innocuous as a power outage, it has an instant failover to ensure its technology systems keep running,” he explains.
Beyond server virtualisation, Francis says desktop virtualisation is emerging as a useful parallel, following the same logic. “With desktop virtualisation in the municipal setting, information and applications remain in the server room; all the operator needs is a terminal, monitor, and LAN connection.
“We know municipalities are under pressure to achieve more with limited budgets. By consolidating and virtualising, licence fees are reduced, administrative costs slashed, and security receives a solid boost.
“Combine that with effective and affordable disaster recovery, and municipalities are equipped to bring their IT infrastructure up to the standards enjoyed by private business,” concludes Francis.
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