Kalinga's Tech Makeover

style="font-size: 13pt;" size="3">Putting
up an entirely new data center is never easy, and that too for a
state government implementation under the NIC, is even more
noteworthy. Printlink Computer and Communication (PCC), however, took
the challenge of putting up the show for Odisha by successfully
setting up the first state data center (SDC) under the directorate of
IT (DIT).

style="font-size: 13pt;" size="3">Although
Wipro continues to be the state consultant for SDC in Odisha, Mumbai
based Spanco won the tender which was floated around the end of 2009.
Thereafter, Spanco delegated the implementation of the hardware part
to PCC with a 5-year service contract. “We already have experience
in completing SWANs and related government projects in the state.
These orders are usually in bulk and the volume itself is always a
challenge,” said Rajesh Dora, director, PCC.

style="font-size: 13pt;" size="3">Even
as PCC took up the challenge of entirely new construction, the
company was quick enough to set up a dedicated team to analyze the
situation at bay and setup a working time frame. Electrical and
ancillary construction of more than 4,000 sq ft area began around
November, 2010 and PCC had the liberty of optimizing the space as
well as speed-test new technologies as it was an entirely new
deployment. However, PCC completely adhered to the DIT guidelines
under the watchful eyes of Spanco and Odisha Computer Application
Center (OCAC). To ensure that any data is not lost during disasters
like fire and crashing of systems, the SDC was connected with
National Data Recovery Center.

style="font-size: 13pt;" size="3">As
part of its initiative to establish vertical connectivity, the state
government had already linked its offices at state HQ in Bhubaneshwar
with all district and block- level HQs under SWAN which was linked to
the SDC after its completion. “The need for the SDC was felt to
connect 37 departments of the state government and provide an optimal
data support and usage across various divisions. At the initial
stage, we began by accumulating data along with creating successful
back-ups so that there would
not be any issue concerning data loss,” said Dora.

style="font-size: 13pt;" size="3">After
the phase, PCC went ahead with setting up of ancillary structures
completing the power and electrical solutions. Thereafter, 40 IBM
blades on the x86 network were deployed and tested; next came in the
biggest task of setting up the network and provide for back-up and
cooling. “It was not just a deployment of some servers and storage
devices; the tender and the issuing firm (Spanco) wanted us to set up
the SDC completely adhering to the DIT directives and also test it
for usability,” added Dora. Under the SDC contract, the data
centers will consolidate services, applications, and infrastructure
to deliver government-to-government, consumer and business services.
The same was applicable for Odisha, too. As far as implementation in
the initial phase is considered, PCC did not face any major
roadblocks as it was a new set-up. However,in phase 2 of the project,
which encompasses linking the 37 state departments with the SDC, PCC
is likely to come across major hurdles. “Although OCAC had issued
directives to link all the departments and ensure data migration, it
takes time to convince all the divisions to go for the same. Not only
that, we also need to consider the time frame and their availability
to go for such solutions. I think phase 2 (date migration and
consolidation over the network) will take time,” said Dora.

style="font-size: 13pt;" size="3">The
SDC project was implemented in Odisha at an investment of Rs 75 crore
and the amount was entirely funded by the central government. From
the total amount thereby sanctioned, the hardware and component parts
amount to around Rs 30 crore of which, PCC has taken the entire
chunk. On the migratory part, PCC will be charging an amount ranging
anywhere between Rs 2 to 20 lakh for migratory projects. “The
amount (for data migration) depends entirely on the size of the
department; while some may be small and easy to migrate, others may
be large and require subsequent monitoring. One can not expect to
migrate the data project across all departments at the same rate,”
added Dora.

style="font-size: 13pt;" size="3">According
to PCC, as part of the central government's initiative to digitize
India through the e-governance projects, the data center will be able
to provide various hosting options for the state (coming this year),
standardize technologies with guaranteed service levels and
high-quality support, operation and monitoring of departments'
applications. Besides, Dora said that the completed SDC (once aligned
with 37 departments) will centralize network management and
operations capability, facilitate centralized management of
enterprise client-server systems and provide back-up and archival
services with customized security options and levels. Besides, it
will pave the way for comprehensive disaster recovery and business
continuity plans for the state government.

style="font-size: 13pt;" size="3">Considered
to be the most ambitious project by the central government in Odisha,
the SDC was completed in October, 2011. “Now, we are in phase 2 of
the SDC project and in the process of migrating data,” concluded
Dora.