Overview

Background

The existing corporate applications infrastructure is reaching end of life and exhibits signs of stress running the current business services. Support for this infrastructure is very costly and cost savings will be achieved migrating to an enhanced infrastructure (such as an x86 based infrastructure similar to the new database tier). Support for the physical infrastructure may expire from the hardware supplier. Significant performance improvements will be achieved moving to an enhanced infrastructure.

The project will evaluate the current applications infrastructure and provide recommendations on the strategy for application tier implementations moving forward to ensure services operate on a more up to date, supportable infrastructure.  The project will define how cost savings and performance improvements will be measured.

Scope

The project will review the shared infrastructure for corporate application tier services provided through Ardvreck and Chrichton.

The project will not carry out the migrations.  The migration work will be done as part of future projects across a number of portfolios and programmes.

Objectives

The objective of the project is to produce a strategy document detailing the options for migrating applications from the current infrastructure.  The outcomes of the document will be used to inform the relevant business areas about the need to migrate their applications to the new infrastructure.  It is crucial that this is done in time for the forthcoming Annual Planning exercise for 14/15 projects, so that the migration activity can be incorporated into the programmes of work for 14/15.

Deliverables

Strategy document covering the following points:

• Current application infrastructure (residing on Ardvreck and Chrichton)
• Types of technology running on the current infrastructure
• Whether any technologies (e.g. Solaris) should be deprecated
• Recommendations for using virtual infrastructure
• Recommendations for new infrastructure technology (e.g. moving from Unix to Linux, x86 based)
• Recommendations for bringing Windows and Unix application infrastructure into alignment
• List of applications by business area that need to be migrated
• Ensuring VM infrastructure is future proof, detailing maximum capacity
• How the cost savings and performance improvements will be measured

Benefits

The tangible benefits (e.g. performance improvements, cost savings) will be delivered during follow-on projects, however this project will provide some intangible benefits such as:

- Providing a clear strategy for the applications migrations. - Clarifying the current position of the applications infrastructure. - Providing recommendations for aligning Unix and Windows application infrastructure. - Establishing a plan for moving to up-to-date technology.

Success Criteria

• Strategy and recommendations detailed in the document are agreed by key stakeholder groups.
• All business applications needing migrated have been identified in time for the 14/15 annual planning exercise.
• Cost savings and performance improvements have been identified, and plans for how they will be measured have been agreed.