Regional Healthcare Provider Replaces Heart of Management System without Missing a Beat

When growth and time overtook the IBM mainframe processor and operating system (OS) that powered MeritCare's management operations, this major regional health care provider had to make some difficult decisions.

"Going in, there were some serious concerns... MSI's performance completely dispelled those fears and resulted in a virtually seamless transition from old to new. Our management is ecstatic." - Larry Bakken

According to Larry Bakken, head of MeritCare's IT operations, "We were constantly bumping up against the system's 100 percent utilization level, resulting in a string of performance issues. Overnight batch cycles were typically finishing at close to 7:00 am, the last possible moment before heavy daytime traffic began to absorb most of the processing power."

The processing needs of this fast growing healthcare provider were starting to overwhelm the capabilities of MeritCare's IBM 9672-R32 processor and OS/390 operating system. Management also wanted to deploy a new suite of administrative applications from Siemens that required more processing power than the current server could provide. It was time for a major hardware and software upgrade.

With two hospitals totaling 583 beds plus several walk-in clinics, MeritCare and its staff of over 360 physicians and nearly 5,700 support personnel are the primary source of healthcare services for large portions of North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota. It's an organization that can't afford any interruptions in the management systems that keep these vital medical facilities operating at optimum levels. So, it isn't surprising that MeritCare administrators viewed this transition with a great deal of concern.

Ensuring A Smooth Transition

The complexities of moving mission critical applications to both new hardware and a new OS environment at the same time became a major topic of discussion. Some managers advocated a two-step approach. Others thought it would be better to change both the hardware and software at the same time. Everyone agreed that MeritCare needed outside support from a systems integrator with extensive expertise and experience.

This project was considered critically important to the entire MeritCare organization. "Every level of management from the top down wanted a large comfort zone, when it came to expertise and reliability," noted Bakken. With that as a driving consideration, MeritCare turned to MSI Systems Integrators for advice.

MSI had installed the existing IBM processor and MeritCare managers were confident that the systems integrator had the expertise and experience to assure a flawless transition.

According to Bakken, "MSI had performed very well on previous tasks. We developed a rapport with them over the years that gave us a high degree of confidence in their abilities. We all knew that we could rely on MSI and its people to get the job done right." Several factors converged to heighten the need to move quickly on making the transition. System capacity and speed issues were cropping up more frequently. The existing OS was nearing "end of life" and would no longer be supported by IBM.

Deploying the new Siemens applications couldn't take place until the hardware was upgraded. And, IBM was offering some very attractive incentives to move to a new zSeries processor.

Discussions with MSI led MeritCare to opt for transplanting both the hardware and software at the same time. This approach enabled the healthcare organization to migrate to the latest IBM zSeries processor without the costly problems associated with continuing to run an unsupported OS. The new processor and OS, would also allow MeritCare to explore the capabilities offered by 64-bit processing, while continuing to run their legacy 31-bit applications.

According to Dennis Chytka, the MSI project manager, the tasks involved were well within the skills and experience of MSI personnel. "From our perspective, the real challenge was the aggressive schedule, which left very little time for testing prior to cut-over. We had to make absolutely sure everything was done right the first time," said Chytka.

Getting the Job Done

The entire project had to be completed within 90 days, so speed and accuracy were essential to success. Chytka installed and configured the new IBM zSeries 800 processor in an off-line set-up at MeritCare's IT facility in Fargo. He worked with Bakken to determine the physical requirements that had to be met, such as power connections, cabling needs, and other aspects crucial to assuring the new hardware infrastructure would support the client's processing environment. All physical I/O and network connections from the existing processor to the new one had to be carefully mapped. The new processor's microcode had to be matched with existing devices and configured to facilitate connections to the devices. The appropriate paths associated with those devices also had to be identified.

Other requirements included applying maintenance fixes to the new system; organizing the client's standards--such as naming conventions; and, evaluating existing software levels to determine where they stood just prior to the upgrade process. The new processor also had to be divided into three logical partitions or LPARs--production, development, and test.

While work on the processor installation and configuration proceeded in Fargo, an MSI Customized IPL-able System (CIPLS) was being created at the Technology Enablement Center in Omaha. Essentially a pre-built version of the new OS, the CIPLS was being customized by system engineer Oscar Villegas to fit the Meritcare's general specifications and operating environment. Once the processor installation was complete, the CIPLS strategy enabled MSI to overcome before the onslaught of activity on Monday morning.

Teams of hardware and software engineers and technicians had been set-up to handle problems around-the-clock. They were scheduled to be on stand-by for an expected problem period lasting several days. Late Saturday night the old system was shut down and the cut-over process began. By 5:00 am, the cut-over was complete and the new system was up and running. "By 9:00 am we released the teams, because there were no problems that needed to be resolved,"stated Bakken. Bakken went on to praise MSI performance, saying, "They didn't hesitate to work long, arduous days and nights to assure that everything was just right. They really know their business. Our confidence in them was rewarded time and again throughout the project." Bakken also said that MSI provided exceptional guidance and management throughout the project. "We felt that the knowledge transfer which took place during the period of performance was tremendously beneficial. Even now, I can pick up the phone and immediately get the support I need."

When asked about system performance, MeritCare's IT chief enthusiastically points to a dramatic increase in speed and productivity. "Those overnight batch cycles, that barely made it within their allotted window, are now typically completed by 1:00 or 2:00 am. Our response time is extremely fast. Our performance has increased dramatically. Going in, there were some serious concerns about changing both the hardware and software at the same time. MSI's performance completely dispelled those fears and resulted in a virtually seamless transition from old to new. Our management is ecstatic," says Bakken. And, the entire project was completed in 2-1/2 months...well within the desired timeframe. quickly restore and IPL (Initial Program Load) a basic version of the new system in the test LPAR. The system could then be further customized onsite to incorporate the applications software. "The MSI Customized IPL-able System approach saves about two weeks of on-site time compared to creating a system from IBM's distribution tapes, and that translates into a substantial cost savings," said Chytka.

Once the basic system was up and running in the new processor's Test LPAR, MeritCare's IT staff and MSI system engineer Paul Bohannon worked together to develop a migration plan that was used to quickly incorporate all of the IBM and third party applications. The migration process and some basic systems testing were completed on a Saturday evening. Everything appeared ready to move actual operations to the new system. The efforts of both the MeritCare IT staff and MSI would now be tested in real-time operations. The early hours of Sunday morning typically saw little traffic and a reduced load day, so everyone was satisfied that any major problems could be overcome before the onslaught of activity on Monday morning. Teams of hardware and software engineers and technicians had been set-up to handle problems around-the-clock. They were scheduled to be on stand-by for an expected problem period lasting several days.

Late Saturday night the old system was shut down and the cut-over process began. By 5:00 am, the cut-over was complete and the new system was up and running. "By 9:00 am we released the teams, because there were no problems that needed to be resolved," stated Bakken. Bakken went on to praise MSI performance, saying, "They didn't hesitate to work long, arduous days and nights to assure that everything was just right. They really know their business. Our confidence in them was rewarded time and again throughout the project." Bakken also said that MSI provided exceptional guidance and management throughout the project. "We felt that the knowledge transfer which took place during the period of performance was tremendously beneficial. Even now, I can pick up the phone and immediately get the support I need." When asked about system performance, MeritCare's IT chief enthusiastically points to a dramatic increase in speed and productivity.

"Those overnight batch cycles, that barely made it within their allotted window, are now typically completed by 1:00 or 2:00 am. Our response time is extremely fast. Our performance has increased dramatically. Going in, there were some serious concerns about changing both the hardware and software at the same time. MSI's performance completely dispelled those fears and resulted in a virtually seamless transition from old to new. Our management is ecstatic," says Bakken. And, the entire project was completed in 2-1/2 months...well within the desired timeframe.