Erie 1 BOCES builds a powerful portal with IBM WebSphere, System z and Linux

Erie 1 Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), based in West Seneca, NY, is one of 37 service providers that deliver quality, cost-effective educational services to the school districts of New York State. Its Technology Services division houses the Western New York Regional Information Center (WNYRIC), which delivers a high-speed fibre network linking schools and other BOCES across 100 districts.

The WNYRIC provides outsourced IT services to client schools, districts and BOCES, and is funded directly by the schools themselves, so it is crucial for Erie 1 BOCES to demonstrate a high level of competence in service delivery. Its existing architecture provided services via several different Web sites, as well as relying on e-mail, telephone and paper-based communications.

“We envisioned a new solution which would change the way we do business, providing all these services, plus access to applications like Lotus Notes, through a single, simple interface,” says Carol Troskosky, Chief Information Officer of Erie 1 BOCES.


Mainframe-powered Java

Erie 1 BOCES was already running financial applications and student management systems on the IBM System z platform and was keen to leverage the existing mainframe skills of its in-house team. The WNYRIC therefore looked for a solution that would make efficient use of its enterprise-class hardware while delivering an effective Web-based interface for its customers.

Erie 1 BOCES engaged GlassHouse, an IBM Business Partner, to plan a solution. GlassHouse recommended IBM WebSphere Portal Extend, which would run under SUSE Linux in IBM z/VM partitions on Erie 1 BOCES’ existing System z mainframe.

“We chose WebSphere because we knew it was an enterprise-level software platform which would fully leverage the capacity of our System z hardware,” explains John Milleville, Co-Director of Infrastructure and Operations at Erie 1 BOCES. “We considered a Microsoft .NET solution but felt that the Java™ capabilities of WebSphere would help Erie 1 BOCES collaborate with other BOCES—enabling them to use applications we have developed, and vice versa.”

The IBM portal provides intranet-based access to a range of applications for users at Erie 1 BOCES, with an extranet enabling other BOCES and school districts to use selected services.

“We have built a Java application to handle registration for events,” says Carol Troskosky. “Users simply log in to the portal and register electronically; the application then sends e-mail reminders automatically, which saves manual processing for the organizer and ensures that the right information goes out to the right people at the right time.

“Districts and BOCES can also now sign up for services online, which used to be a paper-based process,” she adds. “This reduces workload for our staff and improves data integrity by helping to eliminate repetitive data entry. We have had very positive comments from users about the system, and by saving paper it helps reduce Erie 1 BOCES’ printing overheads.”


Consolidation, virtualization, automation

By running the portal on System z hardware, Erie 1 BOCES has extended its investment in the IBM mainframe platform, which it has been using since 1965. The portal runs on nine instances of Linux in z/VM partitions, side by side with existing financial and student information systems.

“Using the System z for multiple systems means we avoid unnecessary investment in additional server hardware,” says Carol McGowan, Coordinator of Data Center and Systems at Erie 1 BOCES. “With z/VM virtualization technology, we can run multiple Linux servers simply and cost-effectively from a single point of control, and backups are simplified too.”

Erie 1 BOCES has also deployed IBM Tivoli® Identity Manager and IBM Tivoli Access Manager to automate user management, helping to reduce staff workload and improve responsiveness. The organization recently upgraded its System z hardware and added a second dedicated Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) engine, helping to boost portal performance.


Simple support, lower licensing costs

Using an IBM System z platform to run WebSphere Portal Extend gives Erie 1 BOCES a clear path for technical support, since both products come from a single vendor. “IBM support has been excellent, and the systems are all highly reliable,” adds Rob Warchocki, Senior Systems Analyst at Erie 1 BOCES.

A key benefit of using the System z platform to run WebSphere was the potential to keep licensing costs to a minimum. WebSphere software is licensed per processor, and using two powerful IFLs on the System z platform gave Erie 1 BOCES ample processing power at low cost. Achieving the same result without virtualization would have required nine separate physical servers, considerably increasing the licensing costs as well as the complexity of the infrastructure.

Most importantly, the combination of IBM hardware and software provides users of the WNYRIC with all the functionality they require via a single, simple interface, helping to improve the customer experience. Leveraging the open standards of Java and Linux should make it easier for Erie 1 BOCES to collaborate with other BOCES in New York State on software development and help to improve service levels further in the future.

“Basing our whole infrastructure around IBM hardware and software has really paid off for Erie 1 BOCES,” concludes Carol Troskosky. “With WebSphere on the System z platform, Erie 1 BOCES has a highly automated, scalable and cost-effective solution which can support growth and promote development, providing a higher level of service to our customers.”