Government Technology - February 2008 - (Page 53)

green government C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 48 the agencies and their business cycles. It’s a tremendous saving of assets, as well as optimal use of power itself.” Oregon’s SAN puts data in a tier system, placing frequently accessed data in the top tier. As end-users access a piece of data less often, it drops to lower tiers until it hits the bottom and moves into an automatic tape library. The automatic tape library provides additional power savings. In the past, each group of four servers had its own tape backup system. Now, one library serves all data, “If it has to be customized for an agency, then it’s not a shared service. However, almost everything we do is at the utility end of the IT spectrum.” Mark Reyer, state data center administrator, Oregon PHOTOS PROVIDED BY OREGON STATE DATA CENTER Oregon centralized state computing resources and implemented changes in how it cools data center facilities. The changes improve equipment utilization and cut power consumption. using robotics to move data in and out of the library, saving IT workers the hassle of manually moving data to and from the tape library. Eventually that data travels to a statemandated, offsite data-archive facility. The data center also reduces power consumption by using Oregon’s temperate climate to cool the facility. The system sucks in cool air from outdoors, routing it through the floors supporting the servers. Warm air, in turn, is pushed out of the building. As a result, the facility uses its water chiller only 25 percent of the year, while most other data centers run their chillers year-round, Reyer said. “Oregon is a good place for data centers, given this climate,” he added. the infrastructure end of the IT spectrum, it can be shared. Storage, computers, networks, security — those don’t differentiate whether you’re providing transportation services or state police services to citizens.” Consolidation and standardization reduces Oregon’s need for specialized IT knowledge, which Reyer said was a relief given the projected exodus of baby boomers ready to retire. When agencies individually managed their data centers, the state worried it would need to train new employees on different systems. “Much of that fear has gone away because Windows Server administration is Windows Server administration,” he said. “There are not too many differences from agency to agency.” Keeping with the state’s energy efficiency goal, the data center also reduces power consumption in the office section of the building. “We built our office with a tremendous amount of natural lighting,” Reyer said. “The exterior and interior have metal louvers that actually take the light from the outside and direct it in.” 53 Join Our Growing Government Team Apply your government experience to a career with ESRI, a company known for innovation and growth in the geographic information system (GIS) software industry. Our dynamic sales, marketing, and consulting experts work together to provide strategic direction and leadership for federal, state, regional, and local government agencies. We are looking for energetic, articulate people who are enthusiastic about GIS technology and have expertise in government-related disciplines for the following positions: Learning to Share It took several years to persuade agencies to relinquish IT control to a centralized “shared services” model, Reyer said, adding that agencies worried a centralized model would ignore agency-specific needs. But leaders realized many of their IT functions were the same across the state. “If it has to be customized for an agency, then it’s not a shared service. However, almost everything we do is at the utility end of the IT spectrum,” Reyer said. “If it’s on These positions are based in our Washington, D.C., regional office and corporate headquarters in Redlands, California. Join the team dedicated to helping government agencies improve the quality of life for their constituents. Copyright © 2007 ESRI. All rights reserved. ESRI, the ESRI globe logo, and www.esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. ESRI is an equal opportunity employer. Learn more and apply online at www.esri.com/careers/govt. http://www.esri.com http://www.esri.com http://www.esri.com/careers/govt

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Government Technology - February 2008 Contents Point of View Big Picture The Last Mile On the Screen Products Four Questions for... CSI Effect Bad Medicine Making Health Care Personal Cashing In GIS for Less Nabbing Speedsters First Person: Records Management Chatter Box Oregon Data Centers Go Green Products Two Cents Spectrum Up Close Personal Computing signal:noise Government Solutions - Spring 2008 Power Play Double Duty Cleaning House Twice Prepared Smart Move The Path to Success Foundation for Service

Government Technology - February 2008

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