Why Modernize?
The driver for modernization falls under three broad categories:
Consolidation
Current systems are highly complex. One was developed in-house and has grown organically over the past decades. The other is third-party software with limited insight into the source code.
Additionally, recent turnover has resulted in a critical loss of institutional knowledge of current systems.
Improvement
A modernized system will provide a simpler path for managing UT EIDs by implementing modern best practices.
Reduced technical debt allows technical staff to place more focus on adding new features.
The modernization program will provide value to the university by providing modern connectors for external systems such as Workday and Active Directory.
Modernization will also allow us to leverage automation tools to simplify and streamline support.
Community
Adopting InCommon software allows us to join a robust academic community.
This effort allows the university to make use of software and tools which are already widely adopted in, specifically designed for, and proven in higher education.
Expanding the university's InCommon software footprint provides valuable opportunities for cross-institution collaboration and partnership.
Milestones
The IGA Modernization program is expected to be a multi-year, multi-phase initiative. Each phase will have a single goal:
- Group and role management - Implement a group and role management (G&RM) strategy to support Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) at the university.
- Password management - Modernize the toolset used to create, update, maintain, and administer passwords.
- Identity management - Modernize the toolset used to create, update, maintain, and administer identities.
- Password store - Modernize the infrastructure used to store passwords and integrate with downstream systems.
- Employee Records Business Logic - Review and improve how the identity management systems consolidate, analyze, and process employee data.
- Other Business Logic - Review and improve how the identity management systems consolidate, analyze, and process all other identity data.
Impacts
The project team is dedicated to providing customers with the greatest benefit possible while minimizing disruption.
Campus partners will be engaged proactively to coordinate any necessary changes. Partners will be provided with reasonable flexibility for scheduling changes in order to support their business needs.
End users and other campus constituents will receive proactive communication regarding changes to ensure a smooth transition.