Hach WIMS, review scope of work, 2025 05-May 21

Date: 2025 05-May 21

Attendees:

• Lori Franklin
• Andre Armstrong
• Henry Nakayama
• Peter Gabor
• John Abrera
• Bruce Lee
• Julie LaVoice
• Jennifer Nimako
• Richard Barlow
• Eric Boyd
• Matthew East
• George Clayton Bennett
• Brittany Jones

Eric Boyd: Purpose of meeting: Discern scope of project

• Purchase two servers for Benjamin Hooks Library

Henry:

• Henry is the project manager
• At the user level, the project should: ...
• Stantec has expertise for software and hardware
• We generate a lot of data every day
  • Laboratory (x-lims)
  • Emerson Ovation DCS/SCADA system -> historian is purposefully air gapped
  • Microsoft Access database (WIMS) - really slow, because there is so much data in it.
• With Hach WIMS and (Rio) Aquatic Informatics, we want to
  • produce reports
  • experience a digital twin
  • process modelling
  • queries
  • cloud based system
  • SQL server
• ---> We only need one server for both plants

Eric:

• Does a scope of work document already exist?
  Henry:
• Yes, an outline exists - expect it in an email after
  Matthew East:
• Will these be physical servers or do we want virtualized servers? Windows servers, much like the EDS servers.
  Andre Armstrong:
• One physical server. Though the vendor says a virtual server may suffice.
  Matthew East:
• What licenses are necsssary? One Windows license and one SQL license?
  Andre:
• Yes, one Windows license and one SQL license
  Bruce:
• Bruce wants to see a direct ask for server IT. He has seen options. Does it meet or match the architecture.

Pete:

• Explains the Hach WIMS architecture.
• The WIMS SQL database and the WIMS apps server can both live on the same machine.

Bruce:

• Specifications for consolidated server: recommended two terabytes - what is the outlook for data consumption?
• Uncontrolled data growth is a concern.

John Abrera:

• There is a factor of safety of three or four for expected data usage, based on vendor specs.

Bruce:

• Bruce advocates for a physical box, so that there is no uncontrolled growth issue in a virtual environment with shared resources.

Eric Boyd:

• Concur. Does the vendor have remote access to manage the storage?
• What is the expected growth.
• Backup schema will be impacted.

Pete:

• The software allows for offsite back up occasionally. However can data effectively be recalled from a backup for delayed analysis?

Henry:

• Expect upgrades to the plant for the next 10 and 20 years.
• Regulations will increase, ergo work will increase.
• Disinfection is costing $15 million per year. All of this analysis is necessary to streamline the system.

Eric:

• We will have to implement the Hach WIMS software?

Andre:

• Who will be designated as administrator.

Matthew East:

• It's mostly a question of process.
• How often do you need to get in the box? If rarely, it could be handled with tickets.

Andre:

• How will outside vendors be able to provide support and updates?

John Abrera:

• Yes, the vendor will provide updates.

Matthew:

• Will City IT be required to do regular maintenance on your SQL server? Or is it done by the vendor.

John Abrera:

• The City will need to be involved to some degree.

Eric Boyd:

• Is a security assessment necessary?

Richard Barlow:

• Yes there should be a security assessment.

Eric Boyd:

• Good, please provide a contact to the vendor.
• What is the budget?

Henry:

• Around half a million

Andre Armstrong;

• For the physical server, around $3,000.

Eric Boyd:

• Please provide all costs and budget information.
• SOW's.
• One month is a reasonable timeline to sort out details.

Henry:

• Key issue now is hardware purchasing, to avoid delays down the line.

Eric Boyd:

• The IT Finance Manager says that IT won't be able to purchase a server, it'll be up to Public Works to do purchasing.
• Enough bandwidth from the project team should be available by early June.

Bruce Lee:

• This cannot be done with the IT budget for the time being.

Henry:

• We can purchase this ourselves.

Bruce:

• We do not mind picking out the right device. We just need to fully understand the requirements that dictate which equipment you need. And then once we can get a quote, does it meet the needs of the project.

Eric:

• Please submit the SOW.
• Eric will reach back out to Henry and Andre.
  Henry:
• Stantec should assess the expected data consumption rate.