Minutes, ITANA Conference Call
August 10, 2007
 

 **Attendees**

Jim Phelps, University of Wisconsin-Madison (chair)

Paul Hill, MIT
Steve Kellogg, Penn State

Jim Leous, Penn State

Mark Poepping, Carnegie Mellon

Jim Hooper, St. Louis University

Dave Packam, University of Utah

Hébert Díaz-Flores, University of California-Berkeley

Steve Mullins, University of Alaska

Steve Olshansky, Internet2

Dean Woodbeck, Internet2 (scribe)

 

**Action Items**

 

[AI] Hébert will prepare a draft of a survey concerning data warehousing and share it with the group (either via email or a post to the wiki).

 

[AI]Jim will post the Wisconsin CMS RFP to the wiki.

 

[AI] Jim will email these pillars to Jim Phelps and/or the working group.

 

**Agenda, August 10, 2007**

 

NOTE:  There is a jabber chat room for the calls: itana@conference.mit.edu  
(0) Roll Call. Agenda Bash. 
   1. Accept minutes of last call
   2. Higher education institutional surveys of key enterprise IT capabilities (Hébert)
   3. Enterprise Architecture as Strategy and EA Facets (see EA Facets)
   4. SOA 
Items on the shelf: 
   1. Mellon ESB Assessment - goal? is there date on this? Mark get Chaz on the call
   2. EDUCAUSE Full-day seminar on Identity Management at EDUCAUSE 2007 (Request for case studies with different different vendor solutions) 
(99) Next steps, next call 
*********
**Survey** 
Higher education institutional surveys of key enterprise IT capabilities  
Hébert expressed an interest in survey information concerning key enterprise IT capabilities. There was a discussion about whether Educause core data might have appropriate information and whether there are other sources. One suggestion was to divide the information sought into different focus areas and ask ITANA members to volunteer to develop different parts of the survey. 
In an email, Hébert suggested these areas: 
- Business intelligence and data warehousing
- SOA
- Content management
- Collaboration tools
- Course management and student learning technologies
- Identity management
- Data center server and storage technologies
- Enterprise portal 
[AI] Hébert will prepare a draft of a survey concerning data warehousing and share it with the group (either via email or a post to the wiki). After learning from this experience, the working group will decide how to move forward with other areas.

 

Jim also mentioned that the common solutions group (CSG) discussed the proliferation of surveys and trying to reduce duplication. They gave consideration to a common repository for surveys, where people can see what's been done before. The CSG tabled a discussion about hiring someone part-time to manage such a process.

 

**RFPs**

 

Jim Phelps mentioned that the University of Wisconsin is about to send out an RFP on content management systems. He suggested that the working group post these on the wiki to benefit others who many be considering similar RFPs. [AI] Jim will post the Wisconsin CMS RFP to the wiki.

 

**Frameworks**

 

During the last call, Jim Hooper discussed a set of principles that guides the Architecture Review Board process at St. Louis University. Through this process, he has developed value chain materials, including 12 "technology pillars. This might be a start of a framework. [AI] Jim will email these pillars to Jim Phelps and/or the working group.

 

*"Enterprise Architecture as Strategy" and SOA***
 

Jim Phelps added a page to the wiki that provides a very brief overview (and links to more information) about the book, "Enterprise Architecture as Strategy). The page is here: https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/display/itana/Enterprise+Architecture+as+Strategy+and+SOA 
The book discusses four operational models, defined by the level of unified business process and the level of data. The book also outlines four stages of architectural maturity:* Business Silos "where companies look to maximize individual business unit needs"

  • Standardized Technology "providing IT efficiencies through technology standardization"
  • Optimized Core "provides companywide data and process standardization as appropriate"
  • Business Modularity "manage and reuse loosely coupled IT-enabled business process components to preserve global standards while enabling local differences" 
    There was a general discussion about these business and maturity models and the difficulties of implementing these in the atmosphere of silos, narrow focuses, and decentralized decision-making that result from some university budget models.  
    Jim P admits that his approach to the EA as S work is not following the book exactly.  He uses the various operational models as a way to identify areas to focus on (e.g. what things are "Unified"). 
    Mark Poepping stated that the EA as S approach is to find which operating model best fits the enterprise as a whole,  then optimize for that operating model. 
    Discussion about SOA: Migration to SOA is a difficult process -need to useSOA as a business model. It is agreed that it is not just an IT strategy. In trying to begin an implementation of SOA, one strategy is to not change everything all at once, but on a service-by-service basis. 
    **Project Tracking Tools**

 

Mark Poepping asked about the types of tools other institutions use to track architecture and design projects. He reported that Carnegie Mellon has a company making a presentation - he will provide a report during the next ITANA call.

 

**Next call: August 24 @ 2:00 pm (EDT)**

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