Background:

In support of NESDIS Integrated Information Services (NIIS), GAMA-1 (via Team ActioNet) provides LAN/WAN Engineering, SAN Administration, Engineering and Systems Admin, Information Security Planning and Operations, Combined Service Desk, Web Applications Systems Development/Maintenance, Cloud Management, and Operations. We provide a full range of IT Support (Planning, Design, Testing, O&M, Troubleshooting, and Refresh) to NESDIS’ Enterprise services.

Solution:

GAMA-1 accepted the challenge and designed, implemented, and managed major infrastructure modernization projects and sub-projects. For each of these projects we worked with the customer to identify the AS-IS and TO-BE architectures providing the engineering services, ingenuity, innovation, best practices and in-depth expertise.  

Projects included:

1.  The installation, integration and operations of a consolidated data center environment that leveraging VMware’s private cloud capabilities, 
2. The upgrade of the VOIP from the antiquated and disparate analog PBX telephony system, 
3. In preparation for future SaaS Cloud Computing environment we deployed a thin-net Private Cloud solution using the PaaS Private Cloud delivery model, and lastly 
4. We developed and integrated a redundant, fail-over for data management and hosting utilizing distributed file systems. 

Operationally, GAMA-1 installs, configures, and maintains 370 Windows & Linux servers on a SAN Environment, Blade Systems, Disk Storage Systems, Tape Systems, Cisco Routers, Firewalls, and Switches, VPNS, IDP, and Intrusion Detection Sensor (IDS) in a variety of development, test and production environments.  Most operating systems include Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL 6/7), CentOS Linux, Debian Linux, SUSE Linux, VMWare ESX 5.5, CISCO IOS, and Arista EOS. 

GAMA-1 orchestrates and executes the NESDIS Enterprise VTL (Virtual Lab) which establishes a single IT test lab supporting Proof of Concept (POC) testing for NESDIS mission and administrative systems, to include HIGH and Moderate Risk Systems such as:  GOES-N, GOES-O, GOES-P, Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES), Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), JPSS-1(J1), JPSS-2 (J2), Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), and their Ground Systems.

Our team maintains 6 separate systems infrastructure operations providing isolated and shared services throughout the disparate systems. Interconnectivity is achieved across the WAN via telecommunication circuits and fiber mediums traversing a secure Cisco backbone utilizing routers and switches. We maintain hundreds of servers at these sites including stand-alone and virtual servers. Our talented team maintains and ensures connectivity, IA, and data integrity. 

We administer and maintain the LAN/ WANs. In addition, we install new and maintain the existing network routers, switches, firewalls, intrusion detection, load balancers, and authentication servers and install system-specific network partitions. We provide inter-connectivity support to ensure users at each of the disparate LANS have full and secure access to the internet, intranet, and extranet. We continually monitor the health, performance, availability, and capacity and include network devices, network services (DNS, LDAP, and WWW), and host-level monitoring. Monitoring includes the use of SNMP traps, Syslog, NetFlow, iPerf, and s/ flow. Our comprehensive maintenance program promotes an accurate inventory, granular monitoring, provides trend analysis for early identification of anomalies, and improves availability and system reliability. We provide operational visibility and reports on utilization, capacity, and performance management.

Outcomes:

GAMA-1 successfully transformed the NESDIS complex system and network architecture environment comprised of disparate client server legacy to meet the requirements & objectives of the NIIS contract for their desired one Unified Office” system infrastructure and service model. This project incorporated the migration of disparate NESDIS offices (NSOF, Asheville, NC, SSMC-1 and 3, Boulder, CO, NCWCP, Stennis, MS) into a single system (NESDIS Admin LAN). Major accomplishments include support for the NIIS “one Unified Office” System infrastructure and service model, upgrade of their VOIP infrastructure, and significant improvements to the NESDIS IT Security footprint.   GAMA-1 supports the NMITS Strategic outcome to sustaining and improving Enterprise mission and business capabilities, IT operations and infrastructure, cyber security, data management, and information sharing while effectively balancing risk versus cost.