North Dakota upgrades data center strategy to enhance cooling and security

In a recent meeting of the North Dakota House Appropriations - Government Operations Division, lawmakers discussed critical upgrades to the state’s data centers, emphasizing the need for improved infrastructure to ensure public safety and operational efficiency.

The conversation centered around a proposal to allocate one-time funding aimed at addressing significant vulnerabilities in the state's data management systems. Craig Valkley, Chief Technology Officer, highlighted two major issues: the cooling systems at both the primary and secondary data centers are at risk of failure. This concern is particularly pressing given a past incident where a power outage in the Capitol Building led to a data center shutdown, underscoring the potential risks to state operations.

To mitigate these risks, the plan includes shutting down the existing data center in Mandan and transitioning to a managed service provider. This move is intended to enhance security and redundancy by relocating critical data to a more reliable colocation facility. Valkley noted that this strategy would not only improve the resilience of the state's data systems but also streamline operations by reducing the number of state-owned servers.

Lawmakers expressed the need for clarity in the funding proposal, suggesting that the language used in budget documents should accurately reflect the transition to a cloud-based data center rather than merely indicating upgrades to the cooling system. Representative Bosch and other committee members emphasized the importance of tracking budget impacts, whether they result in increases or decreases.

As the state moves forward with these plans, the focus remains on ensuring that essential services are maintained and that the infrastructure supporting them is robust enough to handle future demands. The discussions from this meeting highlight a proactive approach to safeguarding state operations and enhancing the technological framework that supports public safety and service delivery.