SHAINA NOELLE P.

AMANDORON BSA 2B

Assignment 1 - THE ARMY RECASTS ITS IT INFRASTRUCTURE

The U.S. Department of Defense spends more on information technology than any other organization in the
world—$34.1 billion in fiscal year 2013, to be exact. With the entire U.S. federal government under pressure
to reduce spending, the military has been ordered to cut its IT infrastructure budget by 30 percent.

First, the Pentagon must reduce the number of the data centers (sites dedicated to computer processing, data
storage, and networking) it maintains. The number of federal government data centers has mushroomed, up
from 423 in 1992 to 2094 in 2011. Experts believe that many of these data centers are underutilized and over
budget, with only 27 percent of their capacity actually utilized. All U.S. government data centers spend about
$450 million on electricity alone. The Office of Management and Budget identified 800 data centers to be
closed by 2015, saving a projected $3.5 billion annually.

The Army was ordered to close 185 of its data centers, with other branches of the military required to close
some of their data centers as well. In addition to reducing the number of data centers, the Army’s
management has been instructed to eliminate 50 percent of existing software applications. The Army had
been running about 10,000 applications on an estimated 24,000 servers, although this is only what it knew
about.

There might be more. The Army is to consolidate and optimize its numerous networks and make information
technology purchases more economical by using enterprise-wide licenses and deals shared with all the other
branches of the military and the entire Department of Defense. What’s more, all of these information
technology infrastructure costs are supposed to be reduced without diminishing the military’s information
technology capabilities, response time, and security.

This certainly sounds like a tall order. How can this be accomplished? Where to begin? First of all, the Army
needs to start counting. It needs to locate and identify all of its data centers and all of the computing
equipment they contain. It also has to identify each of its software applications, and figure out where they
reside, who is paying for them, and which ones can be eliminated. Once that’s done, the Army must determine
which applications it should host and maintain locally, which are meant for the entire Defense Department
enterprise, and which should be hosted by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).

The DISA provides IT services to all the branches of the military, including a private cloud service capable of
hosting servers, operating systems, and software applications. The Department of Defense’s “DISA first”
strategy requires all of its branches and agencies to go to the DISA first and try to have it host an application
and data if at all possible. Army only data centers will be a last resort.

For applications being hosted locally, the Army will try to use virtualization, which makes it possible for
multiple applications to run on the same server. In the past, a separate server was often deployed for a single
application, so that the server used only a fraction of its capacity. With virtualization, fewer servers can be
used to accomplish the same amount of work.

The military’s new IT infrastructure includes commercial mobile devices. The Department of Defense is
experimenting with over 50 mobile pilot programs, including equipping military officers with iPads and
smartphones on the battlefield. Security is a major challenge. Mobile devices and operating systems need to
be secure enough so that they can safely access classified networks and be used to operate mission command
systems. The Army is in the process of evaluating mobile device and operating system security along with
authentication techniques such as facial and fingerprint recognition.

For the Army and the entire U.S. military, the end result should be fewer systems to manage and maintain,
dramatically lower costs, more enterprise-wide systems serving the entire Department of Defense, and more
information-sharing across all branches of the military—the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. The U.S.
military and its IT budget may become smaller, but all of its infrastructure improvements could make it a more
enabled fighting force.

A. Answer the following questions:

1) How did the Army’s IT infrastructure affect its ability to operate?

 The Army’s IT infrastructure is still in its process of improvement to lower its costs, while also managing
and maintaining fewer systems. With the new development of its foundation, it would provide
convenience to the military while accomplishing more enabled fighting force. The use of commercial
mobile devices would also help the military with command systems and perform their duties effectively.

2) How are other branches of the military benefiting from the Army’s infrastructure improvements?

 Other branches of the military would be of benefit when it comes to management and cost. With the
improvement of its infrastructure, it is to anticipate that they would be able to manage fewer systems.
Through virtualization, it would be possible for multiple applications to run on the same server, and this
would help them organize data and use it.

B. Provide the existing components for the IT infrastructure and Information System using the format
below (example is given):
 Case: The Army Recasts Its IT Infrastructure
IT Infrastructure Specific Item Problems Solutions
Components
1) Data Management Data Centers  Underutilized – only 27 Locate and identify all of its data
Technology / percent of their capacity centers and the Army was
Storage Technology actually utilized ordered to close 185 of its data
 Over budget - spend about centers, with other branches of
$450 million on electricity the
alone military required to close some
of their data centers as well
2) Hardware Virtualization In the past, a separate With virtualization, fewer
(hardware server was often servers can be used to
trend) deployed for a single accomplish the same
application, so that the amount of work.
server used only a
fraction of its capacity.
3) Software Private cloud The Army had been running  The Army’s management
service about 10,000 applications on has been instructed to
(software an estimated 24,000 servers, eliminate 50 percent of
trend) although this is only what it existing software
knew about. applications.
 The Army must
determine which
applications it should
host and maintain
locally, which are meant
for the entire Defense
Department enterprise,
and which should be
hosted by the Defense
Information Systems
Agency (DISA).

4) Networking and Commercial  Mobile devices and  The Army is in the

Telecommunications mobile operating systems need process of evaluating
Technology devices to be secure enough so mobile device and
that they can safely operating system
access classified security along with
networks and be used to authentication
operate mission techniques such as facial
command systems. and fingerprint
recognition.
5) Technology Services DISA  Requires all of its  For applications being
branches and agencies to hosted locally, the Army
go to the DISA first and will try to use
try to have it host an virtualization, which
application and data if at makes it possible for
all possible. multiple applications to
run on the same server.
 Case: The Army Recasts Its IT Infrastructure
Information System Components Specific Items
1) People / Organization Department of Defense
2) Data Military’s information technology capabilities,
response time, and security.
3) Technology:  Hardware Trend- Virtualization
 Hardware  Networking- commercial mobile devices
 Computer  Technology services- Defense Information Systems
 Data management technology / storage Agency (DISA)
technology  Computer- server
 Networking and telecommunications  Technology services- Defense Information Systems
technology
Agency (DISA).
 Technology services
 Data management technology / storage
technology- Data Center
4) Procedures / processes  The Pentagon reduces its number of data centers
(sites dedicated to computer processing, data
storage, and networking) that currently maintains.
 The Army consolidated and optimize the various
networks and make some of the information
technology purchases more economical by
utilizing an enterprise-wide licenses and deals
shared with all the other branches of the military
and the entire Department of Defense.
 The Army needs to start counting. It needs to
locate and identify all of its data centers and all of
the computing equipment they contain. It also has
to identify each of its software applications, and
figure out where they reside, who is paying for
them, and which ones can be eliminated.
 The Army must determine which applications it
should host and maintain locally, which are meant
for the entire Defense Department enterprise, and
which should be hosted by the Defense
Information Systems Agency (DISA).
5) Information  The Office of Management and Budget