Overview

Background

It is increasingly difficult to hire and retain staff who have sufficient expertise in working with ColdFusion.  While the product is still active in North America, the UK market share is dwindling and is now considered to be a niche technology.  This impacts our ability to develop and support both the infrastructure and software aspects of our enterprise ColdFusion platform.

As a result a web languages review (APP004-25) was undertaken which identified Python as the preferred web development language to replace ColdFusion, and Django as the preferred web application framework to use with Python.  (note: further references to Python in this document assume Python and the Django framework)

This project builds upon the review and will deliver the Python web development platform to replace ColdFusion.

Scope and Objectives

To establish an enterprise production-quality Python web development platform:

• Suitable for use as a replacement for our existing ColdFusion web development platform
• Which is in step with our Division’s automation strategy

To ensure we have a solid core of trained staff who can:

• Create and maintain the infrastructure quality, reliability and availability.
• Design, develop and support the software and services hosted on the infrastructure.
• Incorporate source control and automated deployment solutions.
• Act as change agents to spread enthusiasm, knowledge and experience more widely across the Division.

Deliverables

• Infrastructure components
• Software (including the Django framework) and deployment components.
• Establishment of DR and resilience, patching and EOL characteristics
• Establishment of any ongoing licensing and server costs.
• User Training
• Proof of concept / demonstrator to confirm that the new platform is operational.  Note that this will be confirmed later in the project.

The product backlog which lists the user stories are recorded in the JIRA website.  Delivery of release 1 will achieve the minimum viable product:

Project Boundaries / Exclusions

We are not porting our existing ColdFusion applications into Python.

We are not decommissioning or otherwise modifying the ColdFusion platform.

We will train a core group of people across the Division as part of the project to ensure that we have a genuine Python capability in our Division from the outset.  We are not paying for or arranging Python training for the whole Division.  The core group of people will spread the knowledge, and further training needs can be met via the staff development model and/or the project model.

Benefits

The core benefit is that we will be able to continue to offer a modern, effective web application development capability required to achieve the IS strategic vision.

Success Criteria

The single measure of success is that we must develop and deliver centrally developed web applications on this new platform.  No new application will be developed on the ColdFusion platform after the final delivery deadline (4.2).

In achieving this success we should additionally deliver:

• Automated creation and configuration of infrastructure.
• Automated deployment and configuration of software.
• Ensured that Production Management have sufficient capability to support both platform and the applications running on it without needing to rely on Development staff.
• Proof of concept / demonstrator (as per note above)