Project Management

Introduction

This research seeks to develop a data center for Ghana Technology University College/Coventry University graduate school. This project will outline the historical perspective of student portal at the graduate school, details of the project scope with regards to management planning tasks, scope of management plan, the statement scope and the work breakdown structure (WBS). In addition, the project will outline the need for the development of the student portal at the graduate school of Ghana Technology University College/Coventry University, the constraints and the expectation of the project.

Project overview

Ghana Technology University College is a private tertiary institution in Ghana established in 2005 by the Ghana Telecommunication Company. The university, for the past decade of existence has expanded its wings to the provision of both bachelor’s degrees and graduate programs. The university has particular focus on Telecommunication Engineering and Information and Communications Technologies. The company open its business school program in January, 2009, where it offer business and administration courses. Since it existence in the tertiary education sector, the university has partner with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Coventry University, Aalborg University, University of Hertfordshire among others.

However, in spite of the growth of the university for the past decade, the university does not have a data center. Due this, students particular those at the graduate school are unable to have effective access to the university’s portal to have access to books and other electronic learning platforms. In respect to this, the project seeks to build a data center that will consolidate the university’s data center facilities and the IT infrastructure services. The development of data center facilities for the university campus will consolidate the learning experience of students, as there will not be any need for the purchase of books outside the campus. Also, the development of the data center for the university will reduce the cost of administrative expenses, as well as improve the operational efficiency of the university.  

In addition, the IT Planning Department of University have focus on a comprehensive strategy to enhance the learning experience of students in the university, and this has been one of the main reason for the development of a data center facility for the University. This development is to ensure that the University achieves its objectives of becoming one of the best Engineering and Technology Private Institution in Ghana and beyond.

Scope and objective of the project

Objectives

The main objective is to build a data center IT infrastructure for Ghana Technology University/Coventry University graduate school. This development focus on creating, delivery and managing large scale of IT infrastructure services that will define the infrastructure level of the university, build a Coventry University capability that will effectively and efficiently utilize institutional IT services and to rationalize the current IT infrastructure of the university by means of consolidating, standardizing and integration of the University’s current IT infrastructure.

The project scope

The project scope for the development of a data center and infrastructure service will be based on the evaluation of the opportunities that will be able to consolidate the expansion of the IT infrastructure of Ghana Technology University College/Coventry University graduate school. The will ensure that the university’s IT facility is centrally coordinated, so as to enhance a share IT services among the graduate students and to provide a fundamental foundation of the university’s IT capability.

The scope of the IT infrastructure

The main components of the IT infrastructure for the development of the data center for Ghana Technology University College/Coventry University are made of the following;

• A facility for the data center, room and closets that already exist at Coventry University and possible facility for the expansion of a data center containers
• The scope of the IT infrastructure will be made of a share computing platform that will made of hardware and software that will be used to virtualized the environment of the server, the sharing of a storage arrays, peripherals, management of the data base and monitoring and management of the computer system. Also, there will be evaluation of the university’s IT infrastructure and leverage any cloud-computing opportunities
• The application of middleware and services which is will be made of a share solution that will have the capability of identifying and access any data warehouse that will serves as a collaborative network to leverage the accessibility of students and staff of the university to the data center facility
• In addition, the scope of the IT infrastructure will provide IT human resources that will facility the provision of knowledge, skills, experience and capabilities that will be able to convert the technological components of the university into a share platform, where students can have access to vast publications for their learning purposes.

In addition, the components of the IT infrastructure that will be excluded in the scope include the network communications, calendar and desktop assistance. However, the management of the university’s IT application will be included in the scope of the IT infrastructure.

The University’s scope to data center facility

The scope of the data center for the university IT infrastructure will platform that will support research, educational, e-learning activities and administrative activities that will facility an effective development of the learning skills of students.

Principles to the development of a data center facility at the University

This principles will outline how the IT planning for the development of the data center facility at Ghana Technology University College/Coventry University graduate school. However, these principles will illustrate a beginning point where the various stakeholders to the development of the data center facility will be engaged. The delivery of the IT infrastructure will include the following;

• The development of the data center will be align with the University’s IT infrastructure , as this will serves as a significant tool for the students to enhance their learning capability and research purposes. This will enable the University to be able to achieve strategic objectives through the adoption of technological innovations
• The development of the data center will facilitates the exploration of consolidated opportunities that to the university. Also, this will enhance the support cost of the university and mitigate any challenges within the university
• There will be exploration of any opportunity that will consolidate the services of data center facility in the university. This is due to the fact that redundant provision of services in the university will results in an increase costs which will leads to an uneven services at the university and inhibits effective service delivery in the university
• The development of the data center IT facility will ensure that there is no an automation of the centralized IT infrastructure of the university. There will be choices on the enterprises perspective and justification of the value that the IT infrastructure on the data center will generate
• There will be autonomy IT infrastructure, and this will facilitates research and lecturing at the university. This will also facilitates effective IT innovations among students of Ghana Technology University College/Coventry University graduate school.
• The development of the data center IT facility will enhance effective cost optimization and this will enhance the long term benefits of the university. This will ensure that, any initiatives of the university are effectively executed.

The expected benefits of data center development at Ghana Technology University College/Coventry University graduate school

The development of the data center IT infrastructure at Ghana Technology University College/Coventry University will provide several opportunities that will that will enhance the effectiveness of the university. In this project, the possible quantitative and qualitative benefits of the project will be linked to the consolidation, integration and virtualization of the IT infrastructure of the university.