Contingency Planning

California State Universities Mapping Critical Infrastructure As Part Of Business Continuity Plan

February 20, 2008

Planet Associates Inc. recently announced the California State University (CSU) system has implemented the company’s Planet IRM enterprise software in 11 of CSU’s 23 campuses and is planning to add it to at least three more campuses in 2008.

CSU has been using the solution as part of a massive system-wide upgrade of its network infrastructure. Planet IRM consolidates maps, drawings, asset information, cable connectivity, and other typically unrelated data into one relational database, enabling organizations such as CSU to visualize, analyze and manage critical infrastructures more efficiently.

The state’s Technology Infrastructure Initiative equipped campuses with miles of new fiber-optic cables, local area network routing and switching equipment and WAN access support services. Using the Planet IRM tool, CSU can keep track of all its cabling connections, making it easier to identify damaged or old cable and replace or add to existing cable.

In addition to easily identifying infrastructure, Planet IRM saves time and money by improving CSU’s operational efficiency and service levels, reducing disruptions and downtime, and providing the cohesion necessary for accurate and thorough critical system analysis across an enterprise.

“Ideally, we wanted a solution for our infrastructure upgrade that not only allows more accurate assessment of technologies needed for various installations but one designed to help the university system rebuild more easily should it ever face damage to a facility in the future,” said Charlotte Ferguson, CSU systems analyst/NIAMS project lead. “When it comes time to rebuild after a system disruption, or if someone inadvertently cuts a line, we should know instantly what it will take to get the campus back up and running. This is an important part of our business continuity plan.”

CSU campuses already in production with Planet IRM include Dominguez Hills, Chico, East Bay, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Pomona, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, San Marcos, and the Chancellor's Office in Long Beach. The CSU campuses that have been staged for a 2008 implementation are Fullerton, Bakersfield and San Francisco.

“The different templates and models in Planet IRM’s software creates a flexibility that campus IT directors appreciate. If a campus has a need to track telephones, it’s done with Planet, if they only choose copper cables, it can also be done,” said Ferguson. “Every campus has a unique design model and a unique need specific to that campus. As a bonus, Planet IRM also maintains a full audit trail for the process, which is important when reviewing configurations and performance as well as planning for new installations.”

An example of Planet IRM’s capabilities is its application on the East Bay campus. In addition to the usual implementations, the campus is using the product to prep for and manage the scaling down of a building which will take place in two phases.

The Warren Hall building sits directly on the Hayward fault, a major branch of the San Andreas Fault System, and is being leveled down to six floors and retrofitted to protect it against earthquakes. The project has recently broken ground and CSU personnel are using Planet IRM to quickly and efficiently track and re-route the important data on floors before it is destroyed. Phase 1 is scheduled to commence in mid-2009.

“We are proud to play a role in such an innovative, technological initiative that will bring so many new benefits to the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the California State University system,” said William Spencer, CEO and founder of Planet Associates.