A Project Charter and a Statement of Work for the Future Technology Data Center
Scenario
Charles Parker, network administrator at Future Technology (FT), has been given the responsibility of relocating the large data center to a new office building. Careful planning is needed because FT operates in the highly competitive cellular industry. FT is one of four national software companies that provide an accounting and business management package for cellular service locations and sales distributors. A few years ago, FT jumped into the "application service provider" world. Their large data center provides clients with remote access to FT's complete suite of application software systems. Traditionally, one of FT's primary competitive advantages has been the company's trademark IT reliability. Due to the complexity of this project, Charles will have to use a parallel method of implementation. Although this will increase project costs, a parallel approach is essential if reliability is not to be compromised.
Currently, FT's data center is located on the fourth floor of a renovated old school building in downtown Mobile, Alabama. The company is moving to a new, one-level building located in the recently developed industrial complex at Mobile International Airport. On April 15, Charles is formally assigned the task by the Vice President of Operations, Marion Hassing, with the following guidelines:
· From start to finish, it is anticipated the entire project will take three to four months to complete.
· It is essential that FT's 315 clients suffer no downtime.
Hassing advises Charles to come back to the Executive Committee on May 1, with a presentation on the scope of the project that includes costs, "first-cut" timeline, and proposed project team members.
Charles had some preliminary discussions with some of FT's subject matter experts, managers, and directors from each of the functional departments and then arranged for a full-day scope meeting on April 19 with a few of the managers and technical representatives from operations, systems, facilities, and applications. The scope team determined the following:
· Four to five months is a feasible project timeline and first-cut cost estimate is $90,000-$100,000 (this includes the infrastructure upgrade of the new site).
· Critical to the "no-downtime" requirement is the need to completely rely on FT's remote disaster recovery "hot" site for full functionality.
· Charles will serve as project manager of a team consisting of one team member each from facilities, operations/systems, operations/telecommunications, systems & applications, and customer service.
Develop a Project Charter and a Statement of Work for the Future Technology Data Center relocation project. These documents will be submitted to Marion Hassing for acceptance.
Project Timeline (First-Cut):
- Project Start: April 15, 2024
- Project End: September 15, 2024 (estimated)
- Key Milestones (to be further defined in the project plan):
- New site infrastructure readiness
- Disaster recovery site testing
- Parallel operation phase
- Final cutover
- Decommissioning
5. Project Budget (First-Cut):
- $90,000 - $100,000 (inclusive of new site infrastructure upgrade)
6. Project Team:
- Charles Parker (Project Manager)
- [Team Member Name] (Facilities Representative)
- [Team Member Name] (Operations/Systems Representative)
- [Team Member Name] (Operations/Telecommunications Representative)
- [Team Member Name] (Systems & Applications Representative)
- [Team Member Name] (Customer Service Representative)
7. Assumptions:
- The remote disaster recovery "hot" site is fully functional and capable of handling 100% of FT's client load.
- Necessary permits and approvals for the new site are obtained in a timely manner.
- Key vendors and contractors are available as needed.
8. Risks:
- Potential delays in infrastructure readiness at the new site.
- Unexpected issues during the parallel operation phase.
- Difficulties in coordinating with the disaster recovery site.
9. Approvals:
Marion Hassing, VP of Operations
Statement of Work: Future Technology Data Center Relocation
Project Name: FT Data Center Relocation
1. Introduction:
Future Technology (FT) requires the relocation of its data center to a new facility at Mobile International Airport Industrial Complex. This Statement of Work (SOW) outlines the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and responsibilities for the project.
2. Project Objectives:
- Relocate the data center without any downtime for FT's 315 clients.
- Ensure a seamless transition by leveraging the remote disaster recovery "hot" site.
- Complete the project within four to five months and within the allocated budget.
3. Scope of Work:
The project includes the following tasks:
- Planning & Preparation:
- Detailed project planning, including a comprehensive timeline, resource allocation, and risk management plan.
- Coordination with the new facility for infrastructure readiness (power, cooling, network connectivity).
- Thorough testing and validation of the disaster recovery site's ability to handle full client load.
- Relocation Execution:
- Physical relocation of all servers, storage devices, network equipment, and other hardware to the new data center.
- Installation and configuration of all systems at the new location.
- Implementation of the parallel operation phase, where both the old and new data centers operate simultaneously.
- Regular monitoring and testing during the parallel phase to ensure stability and performance.
- Cutover & Decommissioning:
- Planned cutover to the new data center, with seamless failover from the disaster recovery site.
- Decommissioning of the old data center, including secure data erasure and equipment disposal.
- Post-Relocation Activities:
- Post-implementation review to identify lessons learned and best practices.
- Final project documentation.
4. Deliverables:
- Fully operational data center at the new location.
- 100% client uptime throughout the relocation process.
- Decommissioned old data center.
- Complete project documentation, including:
- Project plan
- Test plans and results
- Cutover plan
- Post-implementation review
5. Timeline:
- Project Start: April 15, 2024
- Project End: September 15, 2024 (estimated)
- Detailed milestones and task dependencies will be defined in the project plan.
6. Budget:
- $90,000 - $100,000 (inclusive of new site infrastructure upgrade)
7. Responsibilities:
- Charles Parker (Project Manager): Overall project management, coordination, and communication.
- Project Team Members: Execution of assigned tasks, reporting progress, and escalating issues.
- Marion Hassing (Project Sponsor): Providing overall direction, approving key decisions, and ensuring resource availability.
8. Acceptance Criteria:
- Successful cutover to the new data center with zero client downtime.
- All systems functioning as expected at the new location.
- Completion of all project deliverables.
- Project completion within the agreed-upon timeline and budget.
Project Charter: Future Technology Data Center Relocation
Project Name: FT Data Center Relocation
Project Sponsor: Marion Hassing, Vice President of Operations
Project Manager: Charles Parker, Network Administrator
Date: May 1, 2024
1. Project Goals:
- Relocate the Future Technology data center from its current location at 4th Floor, Old School Building, Downtown Mobile, AL to the new facility at Mobile International Airport Industrial Complex.
- Maintain 100% uptime for all 315 FT clients during the entire relocation process.
- Complete the relocation within a four to five-month timeframe.
- Stay within the estimated budget of $90,000 - $100,000.
2. Project Scope:
- This project encompasses all aspects of the data center relocation, including:
- Physical relocation of all hardware and software.
- Infrastructure upgrade and installation at the new site.
- Testing and validation of all systems at the new location.
- Coordination with the remote disaster recovery "hot" site for seamless failover during the transition.
- Decommissioning of the old data center.
- This project excludes:
- Enhancements or upgrades to existing hardware or software beyond what is necessary for the relocation.
- Training for FT staff on new systems (if any).
3. Key Deliverables:
- Fully functional data center at the new location.
- 100% uptime maintained for all clients throughout the relocation.
- Decommissioned old data center.
- Project documentation, including lessons learned.