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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-15-1999 - 1ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 15, 1999 Action Agenda Item No. '~ SUBJECT: Y2K Readiness -Summary Report DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) N. o. , , BUDGET AMENDMENT: (Y/N) lYv - E; ATTACHMENT(S): Y2K Plan Outline (to be distributed 2/15/99) INFORMATION CONTACT: John Link or Rod Visser, ext 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To receive a preliminary report on Orange County's activities and plans for preparing for the Y2K issue. BACKGROUND: County staff are developing a written plan to guide the County's preparations for the potential problems that may develop if the performance of computers and other electronic devices is adversely affected by an inability to recognize the date January 1, 2000. County staff are working in teams to address major areas of concern including computer hardware/software; public safety; external agency interactions; and devices/systems with embedded microchips that may be date-sensitive. Staff will present an outline of the Y2K plan that is being prepared, and will review some of the steps that have been taken since 1998 to enhance the County's Y2K readiness. Major phases that have been/will be undertaken include Y2K awareness; inventory/assessment of equipment/systems for potential vulnerability; correction/replacement of non-Y2K compliant equipment where necessary, appropriate, and feasible; testing of equipment/systems; coordination with vendors/external partners; and contingency planning for continuation of critical services if external Y2K factors adversely affect County operations. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the report as information and provide direction as needed to staff. 1 DRAFT Orange County, North Carolina Outline of Plans/Work to Date County Manager's Y2K Task Force February 15, 1999 Orange Countv Y2K Responsibilities • Overall Management/Coordination -John Link • Assessment of County Functions Criticality Level -John Link/Y2K Task Force • IT Issues -Dick Taylor/Rod Visser -Computer systems, external IT interactions • Non-IT Issues • Public Safety -Pam Jones -Internal communications devices/Physical plant devices (environmental controls, power, telephone, etc.), public safety, external service provider interactions • Human Services Service Delivery-Albert Kittrell -continuity of operations; ability to provide emergency services to clients; external agency interactions • Embedded Chip Systems and Equipment -Paul Thames -equipment and systems dependent on microchips which may be date-sensitive Aspects of Y2K Planning and Response The following five aspects result in documentation and plan elements and require extensive record-keeping, thorough management commitment and oversight and allocation of resources from all departments. These phases are non-sequential, with multiple activities occurring simultaneously. • Awareness -Fall 1998 to March 1999 • Department Head Briefings and Discussions -Regular discussion topic at monthly department head meetings since mid-1998; briefing by LTNC Y2K Coordinator Ken Thorn took place on December 3, 1998; regular updates on IT activities at department head meetings • IT Committee Review and Advice -Regular discussion item at monthly IT Committee meetings since Summer 1998; review of IT Y2K status and plans, review of resource requirements • Y2K Task Force -Department head group, management leadership • Y2K Central Intranet Site -Documents and web sites of use in Y2K planning and response • Individual Research -Professional publications, associations, web browsing in rdepartment subject areas Page 1 DRAFT • Assessment -Early 1998 to March 1999 • Inventory of IT Hardware - Establish a correct and complete database of all County IT hardware such as mainframe systems, desktop systems, printers • Inventory of IT Software - Establish a correct and complete database of all County IT software including operating systems, mainframe applications, desktop software applications • Inventory of IT Network Assets - Establish a correct and complete database of all County IT network hardware and software • Inventory of IT External Interactions - Establish a correct and complete database of all County IT computer systems interactions with external organizations, including financial institutions, state and federal agencies and other entities • Inventory on Non-IT Systems and Equipment Interactions - Establish a correct and complete database of all County Non-IT hardware and software • Identification of Non-IT External Interactions - Establish a correct and complete database of all County Non-IT interactions with external organizations • Y2K Status of All Assets - Establish a correct and complete database of all County systems/equipment • Assessment of Criticality -Countywide definition of high, medium and low criticality, including assessment of risk should needs not be met • Resource Requirements -Staff, contractor, equipment, software, backup systems and other requirements • Renovation -Mid-1998 to Fall 1999 • Assessment of Criticality • Resource Requirements • IT Hardware Replacement/Upgrade • IT Software Replacement/CTpgrade • IT Network Equipment Replacement/Upgrade • Non-IT Systems and Equipment Replacement/LTpgrade • Plan for IT External Interactions • Plan for Non-IT External Interactions • Validation - Apri11999 to Fa111999 • Assessment of Criticality • Resource Requirements IT Hardware Testing • IT Software Testing • IT Network Equipment Testing • Testing IT External Interactions • Non-IT Systems and Equipment Testing • Testing Non-IT External Interactions t ~, Page 2 DRAFT Implementation -Summer 1999 to Winter 2000 • Operations Coverage • Contingency Planning • Disaster Management and Recovery • Assessment of Criticality • Resource Requirements Framework for Y2K Plan The draft framework provides some natural contrasts in assessing and responding to potential Y2K problems: • Critical/Non-Critical -All IT and Non-IT systems and equipment, internal and external interactions must be categorized as to how critical they are to County operations and service to citizens. The resources applied to solving Y2K problems, contingency plans and method of certification must all be based on a ranking of all County systems and services. • IT/Non-IT -Obvious Y2K issues exist with current Orange County mainframe, desktop and network IT technology. Resolving IT Y2K issues will require careful planning, resources and timely implementation. Other issues, however, related to such systems as telephone, radio communications, HVAC, systems with embedded microchips, emergency systems, must also be addressed. Resolving Non-IT issues will involve Non-IT skills, resources and suppliers. Different concerns, plans and resources will be involved in the IT and Non-IT areas of the Y2K plan. • Internal ControUExternal Interaction -Some Y2K systems issues, such as county developed mainframe software systems can, with appropriate resources, be addressed entirely in-house. Interaction of County systems, both IT and Non-IT, with outside systems and organizations, can be extensive. External interactions (e.g. electrical power and other utilities, transactions with financial institutions, or State computer systems) involving Y2K issues may not be directly controlled by the County itself. Dependence on outside certification and testing and associated contingency plans will have to be addressed. • Renovation/Contingency Planning -Upgrades, changes and testing will be required for IT mainframe and Non-IT systems and equipment. If there is uncertainty about the completeness or the correctness about the performance of critical systems as 1999 ends, contingency plans will be required that will allow the County to continue to provide needed internal and external services. • Examples of Systems, Equipment or Operations in this Framework: • Telephone Systems -Involves Non-IT systems, both internal control and external interactions, potentially highly critical to County operations, must be upgraded, Page 3 4 DRAFT contingency plan must be established for a least some communications among county organizations and outside agencies. • Animal Control Mainframe System - IT mainframe application, no external interactions, non-critical application, should be upgraded, no contingency plan required. • Business Systems - IT mainframe systems and Non-IT operations as well, mostly internal control, but extensive external interactions as well, some elements highly critical (e.g. payroll) to County operations, must be upgraded, contingency plan required for critical elements. • Human Services - IT mainframe systems for some areas and Non-IT operations, extensive external interactions, especially with State computer systems, some elements highly critical to citizen services (e.g. TANF, foster care nursing/family care homes), upgrade required, contingency plan for some elements. • Public Safety - IT and Non-IT elements, including specialized telephone, dispatch, and communications systems, vehicles, medical equipment, highly critical, extensive external interactions. Sample of Orange County Y2K Compliance Efforts to Date IT -Work begun in early 1998, inventory of hardware 90% complete, software inventory 75% complete, PC replacement IT Plan initiative 2/3 complete, network upgrade 90% complete, mainframe application upgrade 20% complete; County standard office software (MS Office 97) certified compliant through 2029 • Non-IT -Emergency Operations Center inventory and survey 90% complete; County phone system analyzed/upgrades scheduled Page 4 Date: February 15, 1999 To: Orange County Commissioners From: John B. Smith Chair, Information Technology Committee Subject: Y2K perspective The ITC wishes to make known to the Commissioners its concern for potential Y2K problems for the county and to offer several suggestions to help address those problems. Y2K has been a topic on the Committee's agenda each month since September, 1998. W~ endorse the actions taken so far by the Information Systems group, but as we move into the calendar year, the Committee strongly recommends that Y2K issues be raised in IS priority, just behind maintaining everyday operation of the County's basic computing infrastructure. We had hoped that the emphasis for the year could be on upgrading legacy systems, and while we hope that work can continue on such tasks where departments are ready to move, we have concluded that the emphasis should be placed, for now, on Y2K. The Committee sees three main areas of activity: 1) Update, as needed, PCs and Network Because most of the PCs and the network hardware and software are relatively new, few problems are anticipated here. However, these systems do require, in some cases, particular releases of software and/or the installation of particular "patches." As soon as possible, an inventory of the standard hardware and software components being used, as well as certain specialized components, should be compiled along with any updates that are required to make them compliant. Each computer and network device should then be checked and upgraded, as needed. This is a task for which outside help may be available. If so, appropriate consultants should be engaged and begin work on this task as soon as possible. Since many organizations will probably need outside help for similar tasks, the ITC believes it is imperative to move immediately on this and the other tasks listed below. 2) Implement immediately fhe IS plan to create a duplicate of the mainframe system, assess and fix problems on that version, then upgrade the production system. While we hope that mainframe applications, primarily databases, will require relatively few fixes, each such program must be checked and updated, as needed. The Committee concurs with the IS plan to lease a similar computer, install current software on that machine, and test and fix problems on the duplicate system before upgrading the production system. However, again, work should begin immediately. Since IS is currently short-handed in this area, locating an outside consultant who has experience with county software and who could supplement current personnel resources would be highly desirable. 3) Every department should be strongly encouraged to view potential Y2K problems as their problems, not just IS' problem, and begin making contingency plans. Each department can assist by compiling an inventory of all systems on which it depends, including not just county systems but systems in state and federal government, other counties, and the private sector. Having done so, each department should then prepare a contingency plan for how it can operate should one or more of those systems fail. The ITC will continue to discuss these and other issues with respect to potential Y2K problems at its regular meetings. It will be happy to assist the Commissioners in any way it can.