U.S. General Services Administration
Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) Year in Review
A summary of GSA's progress helping agencies to modernize the federal government’s data centers.
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Supported by the recent extension of key provisions in the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), GSA’s DCOI Program Management Office (PMO) continues to provide guidance, training and solutions to help federal agencies meet data center optimization targets. Our partnership with the White House Office of American Innovation (OAI) to lead the Infrastructure Optimization Center of Excellence means it’s a great time for federal agencies to join forces with the DCOI team. Working together, we’re developing IT modernization strategies, networking with industry experts and sharing challenges and best practices. Here’s how the DCOI PMO team furthered IT modernization in 2017:
Rapid Deployment and Infrastructure Support team (RDIST) Project
We participated in a pilot program to deploy GSA teams to help agencies meet IT modernization goals. These rapid deployment teams include technical and financial subject matter experts who work on-site at an agency to provide advice and guidance that pushes modernization efforts forward. The RDIST supports GSA’s work in the Centers of Excellence initiative. To this end, our team will be working with the Department of Agriculture to develop a rapid deployment methodology that supports architecture assessments, optimization planning, network consolidation, data center consolidation and colocation.
DCOI – Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC) Working Group Sessions
On March 15, 2017, the DCOI PMO office and ATARC hosted a joint Working Group Session. These technical working groups consisted of government, academia and private industry thought leaders, collaborating on topics of interest to the federal cloud and data center community. The goal was to help the federal government increase efficiency and reduce costs using cutting-edge cloud and data center solutions. After nearly a year of work, the project teams are merging into one overarching working group, to develop more comprehensive solutions.
DCOI Technology Resources Summit
Following the success of the DCOI-ATARC Working Group Session, DCOI and ATARC partnered to host the DCOI Technology Resources Summit in November 2017. The summit brought together government and industry vendors to learn about trends in federal data centers, cloud adoption and infrastructure modernization. The day began with a fireside chat with Acting Federal CIO Margie Graves, who shared insights on how agencies should prioritize DCOI efforts and focus funding. Following the chat, attendees participated in panels on data center infrastructure management (DCIM), the current status of DCOI according to CIOs, and the top five data center innovations. Attendees also engaged with 34 vendors, who demoed products and services for DCIM, cloud, colocation and energy efficiency. Throughout the day, attendees networked with peers, gained insight into how agencies are addressing common DCOI challenges, and learned about new industry products and services.
White Papers and Community Support
The DCOI team provides a forum to facilitate industry and government engagement, and share information on modernizing data center operations. Once a month, the team hosts the DCOI Community of Practice, a member-driven forum that offers news alerts and collaborative discussions with agency staff. The team also provides customized guidance, research assistance and support based on each agency’s specific needs, and has developed a library of white papers and other resources, including:
- Federal Data Center Central Chilled Water Systems and PUE Guidance [PDF]
- Standard DCIM Configuration Template [PDF]
- Maturing the Data Center: Data Center Infrastructure Management Evolves [PDF]
- Data Center Metering and Resource Guide [PDF]
Join Us!
Join the DCOI Listserv and stay up-to-date on opportunities with DCOI. Anyone with a “.gov” or “.mil” email address may join.
Visit the Acquisition Gateway Knowledge Portal for the latest news and technical guidance on improving acquisition government-wide.
Throughout 2018, we look forward to continuing the work of the RDIST pilot, hosting more working group sessions, and working closely with agencies to further FITARA implementation and IT Modernization efforts. If you have questions, or want to learn more, please email us at dcoi@gsa.gov.