GIS and SharePoint Integration with Enterprise Systems Recording

A recording of our February webinar is available online at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxj0od5Zk4o6Jvdf4mz0lTg 

Webinar: GIS and SharePoint Integration with Enterprise Systems

Please join us for an informative webinar detailing GIS Integration with SharePoint and Enterprise Software Applications.  The webinar will feature examples from the City of Elk Grove’s integrations with their code enforcement, building permit and work management software applications.  We will also demonstrate using SharePoint as a management dashboard to view important details from multiple software applications in one place.  Examples will focus on the important requirements related to hosted cloud systems such as Sungard's ASP and Esri's ArcGIS.com.

When: Feb 17th at 10:30am PT  Register Now

MISAC Oct 5 - 8th

Intewest is proud to sponsor the MISAC Conference Oct 5 - 8th in Garden Grove.  We are excited to be a sponsor of the California Adventure Park Theme Dinner - Stage 17 on Tues, Oct 7 at 8pm.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Interwest is hiring an IT Analyst in our Los Angeles Office

About Us: 
Interwest Consulting Group, Inc. provides professional consulting services to municipalities. Our areas of expertise are in city or county public works, engineering, and building services serving clients in Northern and Southern California. We offer an excellent benefit package to include medical, dental, vision, life, LTD, paid holidays, PTO, competitive salary and collaborative work environment. To learn more about Interwest Consulting Group, Inc. go to: www.interwestgrp.com

About You:
IT Analyst is responsible for providing a reliable, secure and resilient network environment. This environment includes both internal and external access to staff, contractors, vendors and members of the public as necessary. The network environment must provide all users with a means to manage data, access data and share data to complete their daily tasks and responsibilities. The IT analyst provides this in a secure manner adhering to all appropriate regulations. The IT analyst is also responsible for all phones systems – both analog and digital and user training and training development on appropriate IT tools.


1) Infrastructure Connectivity – Cisco infrastructure devices
2) Active Directory/Directory Services - AD, DNS, DHCP, WINS
3) Network/Data Security
4) Email Systems/Message Integration & Collaboration 
5) Server Management & Maintenance 
6) Backup Services 
7) Data Storage, Protection, Availability and Integrity Management & Maintenance 
8) VoIP Phone Services – Cisco Unified Communications System. 
9) Analog Phone Services 
10) Provide and Maintain Network Services - AntiVirus, Update Services, FTP
11) Help Desk Tickets
12) Staff Training 
13) Documentation – Network, User, Policy, Maps 
14) Network Emergency/Disaster Recovery Plan 
15) RFI Requests – Any email or electronic record requests submitted. 
16) Network Project Planning including network design and data center design 
17) Project Management, Research & Testing of New Hardware, Software and Infrastructure Changes 
18) Desirable certifications and knowledge:

• Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
• Management Services - MIS
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2010
• Cisco Unified Communications v. 6 & 9
• Unity Connections 8.5
• Cisco UCCX v. 5 & 8
• Cisco CCNP
• MCSE, MCITP
• Sunridge (RIMS) Police CAD RMS Software
• Springbrook Financial System
• Cop Link
• LA County JDIC

Send resumes to: careers@interwestgrp.com 

Virtualization and Shared Storage

When Interwest’s current technology upgrade was in the planning stage it quickly became apparent that, in order to provide new and improved resources to our staff and customers, as well implement an infrastructure that would scale as our needs grew, a better approach was needed.  Traditionally, a new physical server was added each time a new resource was needed.  With initial planning for five to seven new servers, the cost and space requirements would extend beyond the constraints of the budget and current data center rack space.

The Solution

Virtualization and shared storage

Virtualization allows one physical server to host multiple software or virtual servers.  These virtual servers function as individual servers, as if they were standalone physical servers, but they do not consume the space or energy of individual physical servers.

Shared storage allows multiple physical host servers to ‘share’ the virtual servers.  If a physical host server needs to be taken offline for maintenance, the virtual server can just be moved to another host without any downtime to the virtual server or its resources.

Interwest’s Implementation

After much research and hands-on testing, Interwest decided to implement two Citrix XenServer virtual hosts and an internally redundant, dual-controller NetApp Storage Area Network for shared storage to cover the initial five to seven virtual servers.

The Citrix XenServer hosts work together with the NetApp shared storage to provide redundant availability to the virtual servers they host.  The NetApp SAN has redundant controllers with their own redundant disks and redundant power supplies.

The solution scales well.  Adding one additional XenServer host has allowed the number of virtual servers to increase to 14 while maintaining the same level of redundancy. Three XenServers and one NetApp can replace 14 physical servers.

Advantages of Virtualization

The benefits of virtualization are numerous…a few key benefits are:

• more efficient use of resources, including CPUs, memory and storage
•  decreased energy consumption and space requirements
• easier server management
• fewer physical servers on which to maintain warranties

Advantages of Shared Storage

The benefits of shared storage are numerous…a few key benefits are:

• increased resource availability
•  more efficient storage via thin provisioning

GIS Integration Using Microsoft SharePoint

Interwest integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with key enterprise software applications public agencies utilize including permitting, utility billing, property viewers, Computer Aided Dispatch and citizen reporting systems. For the City of Elk Grove, Interwest created a custom intranet site using Microsoft SharePoint. The site pulls data from GIS into reports to give managers updated information on projects such as transit routes, trails, and ADA compliance updates.

INTEGRATION

Interwest pulls data from Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) to update the city’s CIP maps as the status changes from planning to completion. The City of Elk Grove receives weekly updates from the County with parcel ownership changes and foreclosure status. Interwest pulls this data into GIS through an automated workflow that also updates the management console created in SharePoint.

Updates flow both into and out of SharePoint. Interwest pulls data from GIS into SharePoint through automated scripts. The City’s Bridge Inventory is maintained in GIS. When a manager views the Bridge Inventory report inside the management console in SharePoint, it displays the latest attribute data from GIS ensuring the city reports the most recent changes to CalTrans.

DATA SHARING

Interwest integrates GIS data with many applications to streamline the sharing of information and ensure an agency’s maps are updated nightly with data pulled from other software applications. SharePoint is customized to each client’s unique workflow and integration requirements.

Interwest customizes SharePoint to help public agencies integrate their project tracking data with GIS.

Management Dashboard

Interwest creates solutions for public agencies to pull data from their various software applications into one centralized dashboard for managers. For the City of Elk Grove, Interwest created a custom intranet site using Microsoft SharePoint. The site’s management console contains reports from other applications all in one spot as well as shared spreadsheets that managers collaborate on.

Interwest’s IT team assessed the needs of each manager and created customized forms, reports, spread-sheets, and workflows for each need.

FINANCE

The Finance Department Manager’s snapshot pulls data from the permitting system to track accounts that are past due, active business licenses, delinquent payments from Community Facility Districts and development financing.

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

The Development Services Manager’s snapshot pulls data from the permitting system, utility system and hosts shared spreadsheets for tracking commercial and residential recycling programs. The console contains as City Wide section utilized by multiple department heads including GIS reports, ADA compliance tracking, parcel ownership changes, bank owned homes, vacant homes, rental homes and open con-tact management calls.

Interwest uses SharePoint to help public agencies save time by bringing together important content from multiple applications into a management console. Interwest tailored the console to each manager’s unique needs and the site is easily updated overtime as a manager’s priorities change.