This Discovery project will examine the impact and timing of Information System (IS) support for macOS. IS needs to understand questions and issues that various groups might have over the next six months to provide appropriate answers. We also need to understand vendor’s plans for application support and migration. This Discovery project will examine how IS should phase in support for macOS and how that support will impact IS teams.
Current Environment Review
- Review and document existing workstations, servers, peripherals and network hardware.
- Review and document existing shrink-wrap and custom software applications.
- Review and document current databases and how they are utilized.
- Review and document current workflow.
- Review and document competitive environment factors.
Analyze macOS Compatibility
- Analyze hardware and detail required upgrades.
- Inventory existing peripherals and document macOS driver status.
- Analyze network systems and detail required upgrades.
- Inventory software applications in use and document macOS compatibility.
- Analyze database utilization and upgrade paths.
- Analyze workflow and impact of migration to macOS.
- Develop phased migration plan and schedule.
Recommendation Categories
The Discovery Project will examine the following categories and make recommendations initially using web-based surveys and direct interviews with:
- IT Help Desk
- Vendors
- End Users
- Relevant Third Parties
- Network Administrator
- Development Teams
Environmental Scan
- What is the actual use of macOS and the demand for support among the various groups?
- Conduct staff survey or focus groups.
- What are the likely questions users will ask over the next six months?
- What plans do peer institutions have for supporting macOS?
- What plans do our vendors have for supporting existing versions of applications and for migrating?
Scenarios of how and when macOS support might be implemented
What level of support, if any, should IS have for the following technologies?
Those, which are imperative, with immediate support impact and possibly, impact on developers and maintainers:
Aqua (the macOS GUI) and standard Mac services?
Those which are imperative, but with less immediate support impact and possibly impact on developers and maintainers:
Applications native to macOS?
- Is there a combination of demand, stability, and native applications that we can identify as “critical mass” to guide us in adopting support?
- Should IS introduce support in phases? If so, how?
- What is needed to understand the various dependencies and the impact of introducing support in this way?
- Do we need separate release processes for major applications when native versions are released?
- What are the impacts of the underlying UNIX layer? How much, if any, UNIX functionality will support providers need to know for proper troubleshooting and maintenance?
- How much, if any, will users need to know for proper use and maintenance?
Examination of impact on IS with the introduction of macOS support including organizational impacts
- IS Process teams: Help Desk, Faculty Liaisons, Delivery/development, network, net-security
- IT Partners
- IT colleagues who develop, maintain, and support enterprise-wide site applications
Expected Outcomes
Environmental scan including the following:
Description of current customer use of macOS including anticipated requirements for support.
Description of macOS support status at peer locations.
Analysis of vendor plans for supporting existing versions and migrating applications to macOS.
Recommendation to sponsor for appropriate IS support of macOS.
IS support statement and target date for communicating statement.
Identification of support implications for each affected team or group including new resource requirements.
Suggestions for team / resource realignment, if necessary.
Plan for communicating the rollout of support.
Plan for communicating during the Discovery effort to groups and within IS.
Propose measures to assess the success of the Support Plan Project.