Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Contract
Web-based Information System Support (WISS)
Phacil is the prime contractor on the MDA’s WISS Contract

Overview
Phacil is the prime contractor on the Missile Defense Agency’s Web-based Information System Support (WISS) contract. Phacil provides total engineering and 24/7 operation for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Unclassified MDA Knowledge Online (UMKO) portal. UMKO is an electronic Web Portal with associated web systems and activities related to the planning, design, development, implementation, operations, maintenance and training of new Web Portal capabilities across all users within MDA. Additional support entails the management of the content of the Web Portal applications and other information sharing systems. Phacil performs services across the MDA enterprise for numerous customers within the agency. We transitioned the portal from the National Capital Region to Huntsville, Alabama. Phacil invented custom “out-of-the-box” portal functionalities, so that we can quickly create new portlets to meet our customer’s requirements. Phacil engineers are transitioning the system to SharePoint. 

The Challenge
The Missile Defense Agency needed to re-locate its twenty-two servers from the National Capitol Region to Huntsville, Alabama, and at the same time, upgrade from legacy systems and increase the usefulness of its Web-based Information System.

Services Provided and Technologies Used
Phacil provides network and engineering services, ensuring that all portal server hardware and software meets or exceeds current security standards within DoD and MDA. We provide Tier 1, 2, and 3 user support for all aspects of the UMKO web portal; and requirements analysis, design, development, testing and support services. We create custom enterprise portal-based applications development, using .asp and .net, for projects integrated with the portal. We set up network links and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to new portal instantiation locations; conduct set-up for personnel approved for telework; configure MDA assets in accordance with security guidelines (SNAC/STIG); maintain security accreditations (e.g., audits, IAVA, updates, new authentications technologies); provide mobile device support; and support messaging integration.

Our personnel also work to support the Enterprise Information Management and Architecture Groups, and provide SharePoint integration. Phacil supports MDA Enterprise infrastructure upgrades; Information System Security; hardware/software products and upgrades; Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V); new technology evaluation; hardware/software maintenance; rapid prototyping; licensing; and software development. Phacil engineers improved remote management and administration. Our engineers use CAD, Visio, and network mapping tools in support of ongoing reengineering of MDA software and they make network improvements. Phacil uses CMMI principles, and our engineers and business manager use Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) for a range of solutions.

Benefits Thus Far
MDA evaluated Phacil as the “gold standard” (customer comment) for IT support. Notable benefits include:
----- 50% improvement in portal response time
----- Portal availability exceeds 99.9%
----- Added new custom collaboration capabilities

As part of our transition, Phacil has built backup suites and instantiated a distributed architecture, which facilitates the transition and speeds up the portal, increases availability, and creates an automatic backup for Continuity of Operations. We routinely create new applications and portlets to continually improve the usefulness of the system to users.

The server migration involved:
----- The physical re-location of the servers to Huntsville
----- Migrating of the portal to Oracle
----- Migration of BRAC War Management Team
----- Cutover Testing Data Migration
----- Dimensions Migration to a new tool
----- Preparing for portal migration from Oracle to SharePoint.

In spite of the complexity, the migration was flawless. In the words of the award the Missile Defense Agency gave to our team, “The entire migration was completed as transparent to the approximately 12,000 MDA users located world-wide; this is a never before accomplished task.”

Our team recently completed a technology refresh that included the design and specifications for all new hardware and software in the portal. This effort entailed building the servers in accordance with MDA and the DoD Information Systems Agency (DISA) guidelines, installation and configuration of all software, physical installation of the servers, and performing the upgrades and migration of existing data and applications from the legacy systems to the newly upgraded suite. The upgrades provide fail-over and redundancy capabilities that had not previously existed and significantly improved performance.

Maintaining the highest level of quality, and meeting an aggressive schedule, the portal team has optimized the information system for rapid response.  Phacil uses prototyping and spiral development approaches to meet evolving agency requirements.  As part of recent Knowledge-base initiatives, we developed a concept for consolidating agency-wide weekly status reports to enable senior management to view issues and progress by subject across the entire agency.  Phacil developed a concept for a “portalized” status-reporting tool that leverages structured status entry and search capabilities, using a database backend.

Further Information
For further information on this or other projects, please contact us directly at 703-562-4250 or by email at .