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23 <br /> Server Replacement Projects <br /> Significant strides have been made in addressing the County's server <br /> equipment. The average age of our servers is now 3 years. This upgrade of <br /> our server equipment has resulted in more reliable infrastructure, increased <br /> availability of critical programs and better performance of server programs. <br /> Recommendations for servers include: <br /> • Server replacement <br /> It is critical that Orange County continue to follow its server replacement <br /> program, for reasons similar to the PC replacement program. Server <br /> replacements are perhaps even more critical than for desktops, as server <br /> outages can have profound adverse affects that would be largely avoided by <br /> a regular schedule of retirement. <br /> • Server consolidation <br /> Some of the newer releases of software allow for greater consolidation of <br /> users onto a single server. In the case of email, past restrictions on the <br /> numbers of supported users per server no longer exist. It is imperative that <br /> OCIT pursue server consolidations. These provide for greater efficiency of <br /> support as well as freeing up useful server hardware that can be used to <br /> replace aging equipment <br /> • SAN expansion <br /> • The County's implementation of a Storage Area Network has <br /> yielded significant benefits in managing the County's growning data <br /> needs. The SAN is an enterprise level data respository that many of <br /> the County operations use to store and maintain data. The SAN <br /> allows the County to respond to storage needs on a more timely <br /> basis, while reducing costs of server implementation. <br /> The County should continue to expand the SAN as storage needs warrant. <br /> Data Retention <br /> See "Data retention" for information on data backup and recovery. <br /> Security Initiatives <br /> Orange County IT needs to develop a comprehensive network security plan. <br /> While critical components are already in place, including: <br /> • Firewall protection against intruders and inappropriate use <br /> • Secure login policies with enforcement <br /> • Spam filtering <br /> • Email filtering of viruses <br /> • Desktop virus protection <br /> • Desktop controls and monitoring <br />