Proactive health checks can ensure your Geographic Information System (GIS) is engineered for growth and future demand.
Regular health checks are a part of life. Intercepting problems early results in better health, better performance and greater peace of mind. The same applies to your GIS.
I recommend periodic GIS health checks to keep your platform performing well and confirm that its capacity and capability is adequate for your business demands.
Over time, as users, applications, data, technology and business objectives change, you may find that your GIS platform’s ability to support your organisation has also changed. A health check will ensure this doesn’t take your business by surprise at a crucial time.
A GIS health check identifies and assesses hardware and software configuration, performance and integration issues. The prognosis delivers an action plan for optimising the current configuration within resource and budget limitations.
This optional service can be implemented on a regular basis – for example, to monitor how new or changed processes, applications or systems settle in – or on-request, as a technical diagnosis of a configuration at a point in time or in response to a particular issue.
Applying the knowledge of a qualified expert proficient in the technology areas relevant to your business can help prepare for most eventualities and probabilities, along with managing current capacity requirements.
A regular, thorough GIS health check can give you a report into:
-
Load testing
-
Capacity planning
-
Upgrade readiness
-
Cloud readiness
-
Performance optimisation
-
Comparison to best practice
Examples of GIS health check outcomes
Scenario: Upgrading a fully integrated GIS
A large utility using an older version of ArcGIS integrated with third party software wanted the latest ArcGIS capabilities. The GIS Health Check outlined all the implications of an upgrade, both effort and advantages. With that information, the utility went ahead with the upgrade knowing that there would be no nasty surprises.
Scenario: Merging departments or organisations
When two large government departments merged, the need arose to gain accurate performance analysis and load testing. The GIS Health Check load-tested the system and ensured that the new department’s platform would successfully incorporate the existing database.
Scenario: Shifting data
A government agency was required to move from its own server environment into a government data centre, as part of a state government initiative. The move prompted the implementation of architectural changes, while also reviewing the system for best-practice compliance. The GIS Health Check outlined the best approach for change and integration.
Taking a proactive approach to the health of your GIS platform will ensure you’re primed for optimal geospatial performance.
Could a GIS health check could benefit your organisation?
To find out, send us an email.
