The services provided within the Communication Services Line provide both the underlying network infrastructure, voice, and video technology needs.
Service Description
ITS provides specifications, vendor guidance, and maintenance for high speed data circuits to all Field Service Center Agencies. This includes handling any/all hardware installation and maintenance such as CISCO routers and LAN/WAN accelerators. Internet Access and WAN is provided via the Data Circuit Vendor working with ITS, and ITS providing and maintaining the network hardware. ITS provides network traffic monitoring and consultation with the circuit vendors to provide adequate capacity for offices and network needs change.
Services Provided
Local Area Network (LAN)
Service includes installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of wiring and network equipment items such as switches.
WAN
Service covers the management of Wide Area Network (WAN) circuits across the ITS managed portions of the USDA (Universal Telecommunications Network - UTN). These circuits connect USDA Service Center Agency offices. Internet Access through the USDA UTN is a required USDA Enterprise Service and is provided by the Telecommunications Services Organization (TSO). Service also covers the management and troubleshooting and maintenance of WAN accelerators, routers, the management of firewalls, and network capacity monitoring.
Internet Access
Internet Access through the USDA UTN is a required USDA Enterprise Service and is provided by the Telecommunications Services Organization (TSO). Service also covers the management and troubleshooting of WAN accelerators, the management of firewalls, and network capacity monitoring.
Remote Access/VPN (Virtual Private Network)
VPN allows remote clients the ability to access their files and other resources in a secure network connection while not having to be directly connected to the USDA backbone. Implementation of the enterprise VPN system will result in changes to the service and the performance targets will not apply at that point.
Performance Matrix & Targets
| Service Type |
Service Measure |
Measurement | Perform. Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAN | Availability |
LAN Availability = [Total Time – (∑Total Outage] / ∑Total Time Router +Switch availability will be measured by SolarWinds |
99% |
| WAN Connectivity | Availability of logical circuits between UTN node pairs | Rolling average over the previous 12 months as reported by the network monitoring tool SolarWinds.. | 99.5% |
| Internet Access (TSO) | Availability of TSO + ITS Internet Gateways (UTN) internet access for connected offices/end users |
Reported by AT&T (UTN vendor), monitoring tools (subject to vendor contract limitations) + ITS monitoring the UTN connections via SolarWinds network monitoring. |
99.9% |
| VPN Remote Access Service | ACS Server + VPN Concentrators + Internet Gateway |
VPN Concentrator = [Total Time – ∑Total Outage] / Total Time Reporting will be accomplished via HP Openview, January, 2012. |
99% |
Download the Communication Services - Network page from the ITS Service Catalog.