To address the NSW Government’s requirements for data computing and storage capacity, two new fit-for-purpose data centres have been built in Silverwater and Wollongong. Metronode (NSW) Pty Ltd was selected as the successful bidder to build, own, manage and operate these certified Tier III standard facilities, which are large enough to expand and accommodate all of the Government’s data centre and computer room infrastructure.

Agencies are encouraged to take early advantage of the benefits from the new data centre facilities.

Directions

All NSW Government agencies (except State Owned Corporations) are required to complete migration of their data centres and computer rooms into the new facilities by 30 August 2017, by subscribing to capacity through a tenancy agreement with the Department of Finance and Services.

There are four major triggers for an agency to migrate to the data centres:

• the lease on an existing building or data centre lease is ending
• there is a major equipment refresh due
• the current data centre is too unreliable or inefficient for future needs
• migration needs to commence in order to be completed by the 2017 deadline.

In order to facilitate coordinated migration to the data centres across government, by 28 February 2014 agencies are required to provide an undertaking that details their existing data centre arrangements, and the timing and capacity of migration - in each year and into which facility. Agencies are also required to provide an updated undertaking in February 2015, 2016 and 2017.

In planning for migration an agency can guarantee capacity by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DFS.  Again, in order to facilitate migration across government, the MoU must be signed at least six months in advance of migration commencing.  At this time, agencies must also submit a detailed migration plan and copy of the funded migration business case.

Further, to ensure a timely and coordinated approach, agencies may be required to provide to the Department of Finance and Services the following:

• copies of any existing contracts and leases with data centre providers or other such vendors or existing facility tenancy (for each location agency servers and computer equipment is held and/or managed)
• ICT equipment refresh timetable
• other relevant and accurate information to assist the co-ordination of agencies moving into the data centres.

The Director General, Department of Finance and Services, may issue directions to agencies to consolidate and manage data centre arrangements.

It will be important to understand the benefits, and lessons learned, from the data centre reform project. Agencies may be asked to provide information about their project to assist with this benefits analysis.

The Department of Finance and Services is pleased to assist agencies with migration planning. Information and assistance is available from the contacts below.

Further information can be found at GovDC.nsw.gov.au

Exemption

While agencies are required to migrate to the data centres in accordance with the published timetable, in certain circumstances an exemption may be provided by the Director General, Department of Finance and Services.

Agencies must obtain approval from the Director General before making alternative data centre arrangements such as entering into a new contract (or extending an existing contract, or taking any extension option) to acquire data centre capacity in any form, or designing or commissioning any capital works for a new or existing data centre.

Laurie Glanfield
Director General

The data centres are available to all government related entities. The mandatory requirements of this circular apply to all NSW Government agencies (including public sector agencies) and any body constituted by or under an Act. For State Owned Corporations and other bodies listed below, use of the facilities is encouraged but is not obligatory.