Overview

Background

ASTA Teamplan and Timesheet, recently re-branded as ASTA Powerproject, is the resource management tool used within IS Applications. The application is critical for recording and monitoring project, service and overhead resources across the department. 

During 2012 the service has been significantly impacted by issues causing unexpected downtime. It has been agreed that the current server infrastructure is now at end of life and the intention is to move the service to a suitable virtual environment. ASTA Development have confirmed that all components of the software are now supported in a virtual environment.

During 2012 new releases of both Teamplan and Timesheet were made available. 

Scope

1. Determine and recommend the best approach to the upgrade and the level of input required from ASTA with consideration of costs. Options are (1) ASTA onsite for full TEST and LIVE Upgrades, (2) ASTA remote support for full TEST and LIVE upgrades, (3) ASTA onsite for TEST upgrade only with either remote or no additional paid support for LIVE upgrade, or (3) Upgrade with no paid support from ASTA.

Discussions so far agree that ASTA should be brought on site. The decision now is how should the TEST and LIVE upgrades be planned so to be satisfied from the TEST upgrade that the LIVE service will not be impacted without incurring disproportionate consultancy costs. During the previous upgrade, as there were no technical issues, some of the time was used to provide an overview of new functionality and to discuss better use of existing functionality with the ASTA consultant. 

2. Agree and deliver the new virtual environments for TEST and LIVE ASTA instances. The TAD will need to be updated and as no operational document currently exists this should be now created for the service. 
3. The project will be responsible for undertaking all preparatory work required to enable to upgrade. This includes progressing discussions with ASTA on how to unlink tasks from timesheets and to archive data from years 09/10 and 10/11. 
4. Upgrade ASTA Teamplan to v12 and Timesheet to v6 on new infrastructure.
5. Move ASTA License Manager to the new infrastructure. Since moving to ASTA license manager in 2012 the license component can now be relocated to the same server as the application. 
6. Re-communicate functionality to user community by republishing users guides and other related resources. Consideration will also be made as to whether some formal refresher training should be provided to users of teamplan. 

Objectives and Deliverables

Objective 1 - Improve reliability of ASTA service by replacing the current infrastructure

1. Updated TAD and Operational Documentation, including recommendation for replacement infrastructure based on discussions with ASTA
2. New TEST and LIVE infrastructure
3. Load and DR Testing

Objective 2 - Upgrade ASTA Powerproject to provide from improved performance

1. Prepared LIVE database (tasks unlinked from timesheet and years 09/10 and 10/11 archived using the ASTA Archive Manager Functionality)
2. LIVE database copied and sent to ASTA for pre-upgrade install steps
3. Upgrade ASTA Teamplan on new infrastructure
4. Upgrade ASTA Timehseet on new infrastructure
5. Migrate ASTA License manager to new infrastructure

Objective 3 - Maintain all current ASTA Functionality

1. Test upgraded Teamplan and Timesheet
2. Reapply any configuration required to maintain functionality currently provided to all users

Objectives 4 - Refreshing Knowledge

1. Review existing documentation and update if required as a result of the upgrade
2. Review access to user documentation and, if required, create WIKI site for central access to all guidance
3. Republish documentation for Timesheet users (general users, Project Managers and Resource/Team Managers)
4. Republish documentation for Teamplan users
5. Review and, if agreed, deliver refresher training for Teamplan users

Benefits

Improved reliability of service that can cope with peak loads

Archiving of two years data will improve performance

It is assumed that migrating the license manager manager to the same infrastructure as the database and application that this improve performance. 

Remove the need for ITI Networks to update a functional group with users IP addresses to allow them to access ASTA. 

Success Criteria

The service is successfully migrated and upgraded into a virtual flexible infrastructure, it is hoped this will lead to improved reliability and performance. Currently unplanned outages are occurring on a weekly basis during peak timesheet submission periods. Therefore the target is for a reduction in unplanned outages to less than 5 per month

legacy data for 09/10 and 10/11 is archived successfully, reducing the operational dataset, it is hoped that this will improve service reliability and performance.

Following the upgrade all existing functionality is maintained and operates successfully, all new features of the upgraded product also function correctly

ASTA timesheet user base are better aware of functionality available through web client