Agriculture Management Information Center (AGMIC)
Overview
The Agriculture Management Information Center (AGMIC) is responsible for providing information technology related services to all Divisions and Offices of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Major areas of responsibility include being an information services provider and establishing and maintaining the necessary infrastructure to support the Department's information technology environments. AGMIC provides and/or supports a centralized computer facility; data, voice, video, and wireless communications; distributed computing environments; electronic mail service; geographic information system coordination; Help Desk services; an Information Technology Life Cycle (ITLC); a Data Administration Program; a Department Information Resource Security Program for data and information technology resources; Web services; and local and wide area networks. AGMIC is comprised of the following five long range program planning (LRPP) activities.
- Administrative Services
- Application Development / Support (Enterprise Integration)
- Computer Operations (Enterprise Platforms)
- Desktop Support
- Network Operations
Administrative Services
- Administrative Support
Administrative support is provided for all activities related to providing information technology related services. Included in these support activities are accounting, budgeting, cost allocation and recovery, disaster recovery services, information technology security activities, management, personnel, strategic and long range planning, purchasing, and enterprise resource management reporting.
- Disaster Recovery Administration
The Disaster Recovery Administration function coordinates the development of the Department's disaster response strategy in accordance with State Statutes. Key responsibilities include plan development, maintenance, documentation, testing, training, and risk assessments. Other responsibilities include preparing and evaluating bid specifications and bid responses for disaster recovery services; coordination with disaster recovery contractors; assisting the Divisions in the creation and maintenance of risk assessment activities; coordinating with the Divisions for the testing of mission critical applications; validating the disaster recovery plan testing and revising the plan as needed; preparing and executing the risk assessment for the Department' s Central Computer Facility; and coordinating risk assessment training for the Division Information Officers.
- Information Resource Security
The Department's Information Security Manager (ISM) is responsible for ensuring an adequate level of security for all data and information technology resources of the Department. To carry out this responsibility, the ISM shall administer the Department's Information Resource Security Program for data and information technology resources; conduct and periodically update a comprehensive risk analysis to determine the security threats to the Department's data and information technology resources; develop and periodically update written policies and procedures to ensure the security of the Department's data and information technology resources; implement appropriate cost-effective safeguards to reduce, eliminate, or recover from the identified risks to the Department's data and information technology resources; ensure that periodic internal audits and evaluations of the Department's Information Resource Security Program for data and information technology resources are conducted; and ensure appropriate security requirements are included in the written specifications for the solicitation of information technology resources.
Inherent in these responsibilities are researching and recommending information technology resource security technologies to be used within the Department's infrastructure including, but not limited to, Anti-virus software, Firewalls, Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems, Email security and Anti-spam software, Automated Patch Management Systems, Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Remote Connectivity Software and Solutions, and Vulnerability Assessment Tools. Responsibilities also include serving as the Team Leader of the Department's Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) and researching, reviewing, planning, designing, recommending, and implementing information technology resource security additions and modifications to the Department's Local Area Network (LAN), Municipal Area Network (MAN), and Wide Area Network (WAN) infrastructure.
Application Development / Support (Enterprise Integration)
- Information Technology Life Cycle (ITLC)
The ITLC provides general process guidelines and support for application development which is the responsibility of each of the Divisions. The ITLC primarily provides the framework that encourages enterprise integration by defining the standard mechanisms for connections between Department processes and applications. ITLC responsibility also includes facilitating the implementation of the Change Management approval process to ensure enterprise functionality of infrastructure and applications persist.
- Data Administration Program
The Data Administration Program promotes the consistency and standardization of data throughout the Department by developing and maintaining the Application Development Standards in cooperation with the Operational Steering Committee, and through the chairing of the Enterprise Standards Committee. The Data Administration Program is responsible for the development and maintenance of the Department’s Application Inventory, the maintenance and patching Oracle Forms and Reports Runtime tools on the production servers, and the Oracle Designer Repository.
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Coordination
The GIS Coordination function is responsible for leveraging GIS data and services to provide the core elements of the spatial location based data integration issues, including planning and implementing Department-level coordination of GIS activities; developing and implementing GIS and locational data standards; and providing guidance and assistance to Department users on the acquisition and use of GIS data, hardware, and software products. The GIS coordination function is deployed through the administration of the enterprise GIS library and the dissemination of enterprise map and locational data services.
- Web Services
The Web Services function is responsible for the development of enterprise web services and portal solutions that integrate processes and data throughout the Department's program areas and databases. The Web Services function assists Department staff, consultants, and management in designing and developing modifications and improvements to existing web-based applications; including training, promoting awareness to improved methods, and disseminating standard code libraries and core web services. The Web Services function is also responsible for the development and maintenance of the Department's Internet and Intranet web servers, including the posting of web content, establishing accounts for the Division web developers, establishing user identification names and accounts for the Division web developers, and assisting Division web developers in creating electronic forms.
Computer Operations (Enterprise Platforms)
- Computer Operations
The Computer Operations activity is responsible for the processing of all on-line transactions, batch jobs, printing and distribution of reports, performing data and software backups, disaster recovery activities, routing backup media to and from the off-site storage facility, and supporting and operating the application servers and database servers housed within the Department's central computer facility. The central computer facility is available/operational seven days per week, 24 hours per day except during scheduled maintenance activities.
- Data Base Administration
The Data Base Administration function is responsible for the technical support of both the windows database applications and the Unix-based relational database applications housed in the Department's central computer facility. Support includes user account and application administration, application performance monitoring and tuning, database reorganizations, user assistance, and database backup and recovery procedures.
- Production Control
The Production Control function is responsible for the receipt, setup, scheduling, processing, quality control activities, and distribution of the batch computer jobs that are processed in the Department's central computer facility. This includes maintaining the tape library systems and tape inventory and ensuring an adequate inventory of paper and printer supplies are on-site.
- Enterprise Platform Administration
The Enterprise Platform Administration function is responsible for the technical support (configuration, installation, troubleshooting, backup, recovery, etc.) of all vendor supplied software products (operating systems, communications software, compilers, data base management systems, client emulation, utilities, etc.) executing in the Department's central computer facility.
Desktop Support
- Help Desk
- Support for microcomputer hardware and software,
- Support for technical "How To" processes,
- Centralized data collection activities,
- Problem tracking and request tracking activities,
- Managing problem escalation activities,
- Change management notification procedures, and
- Coordinating user desktop training activities.
- Information Technology (IT) Equipment Inventory
- Receipt and property tagging of Department computer hardware,
- Receipt of surplus information technology property, and
- Maintenance of the microcomputer maintenance services contract.
The Help Desk function is a centralized "one-stop shopping" for all Department personnel. All Department calls related to information technology support or service must be routed through the Help Desk. Services provided include
The IT Equipment Inventory function is a centralized receiving and distribution center for all Department computer hardware. Services offered include
Network Operations
- Network Administration
The Network Administration function has the sole responsibility for the planning, design, implementation, support, maintenance, monitoring, control, and management of the Department's data communications network and associated infrastructure. Administration of domain servers is the responsibility of the Network Administration function regardless of the location of the domain servers or who purchased the domain servers. This responsibility, which is performed both locally and remotely, includes
- Infrastructure maintenance and support;
- LAN/MAN/WAN maintenance and support;
- Server installation, administration, maintenance, and support;
- Switch, router, and hub installation, maintenance, and support;
- Management of the Department's Microsoft Enterprise Licensing Agreement; and
- Hardware configuration and pricing services for Department personnel.
- Desktop Support
The Desktop Support function is responsible for local (Tallahassee area) 2nd level desktop support which is by definition that level of support that requires on-site visits for equipment installation or relocation, maintenance, and support.
- Email Administration
The Email Administration function is responsible for the Department's electronic mail, calendaring, and certification software and servers, including the operating systems and utilities software.
- Enterprise Backup
All enterprise data stored in any domain member server or De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) server is backed up on a daily basis by the Enterprise Backup. Backups are performed in accordance with established policies and procedures.
- Firewall and Internet Services
The Firewall and Internet Services function maintains the appliance based firewalls across the Department. Firewall policies and guidelines are developed by the Department's Information Security Manager and maintained by the Firewall and Internet Services function. The Firewall and Internet Services function provides network administration duties to the area designated as the DMZ, which is a network segment where any Internet facing server must reside. Access to these servers is controlled through firewall policies and guidelines developed by the Department's Information Security Manager.
- Centrex and Siemens Telephone Support
The Centrex and Siemens Telephone Support function supports the Centrex and Siemens telephone systems located in the Department. The support includes problem reporting and resolution, additions, changes, and deletions to the existing system; hardware and software upgrades; configuring, programming, and setup of new handsets and Private Branch Exchanges; and support for the Automated Call Distribution (ACD) functionality.
The function is responsible for the preparation and submission of the Communication Service Authorizations (CSA's) and Communication Purchase and Lease Authorizations (CPLA's). The function has been assigned the role of administrator for Department generated CSA's and CPLA's.
