Retiring legacy IT systems under the IG umbrella.

• Author: Phillips, John T.
• Position: CYBERSECURITY - Cover story

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When an information system is decommissioned, its data must remain usable--either in that system or in a new one to which the data is migrated--to meet retention requirements, as well as potential litigation or regulatory demands. This requires extensive, collaborative planning to ensure backwards compatibility of systems, software, and data formats.

The information technologies that enhance our daily lives--from those that drive the business processes we count on for our livelihoods to those we use for personal enjoyment--depend on hardware and software that have a life cycle.

In business, that life cycle often is extended through upgrades and enhancements, and when there is no funding for new application development, these systems often continue in use beyond what should be the ideal end of their life cycle. Because they represent "the way we've always done the work," they are referred to as legacy systems. They can still get the job done, but they are like dinosaurs approaching extinction.

Eventually, though, organizations realize that then legacy systems need to be superseded by more advanced and cost-effective technologies. This signals the end of their life cycle, and they are decommissioned, or retired.

It's likely that a system's legacy data will still be subject to records retention or other requirements. That is why effective information governance (IG) demands continuity of electronic records not only throughout the life cycle of the systems that contain them, but also after those systems are decommissioned.

Collaborating on System Changes

Information technology (IT) personnel have considerable incentive to support business processes with the latest computer technologies. Technical updates enhance user contentment, systems performance, and ease of maintenance over the long run.

This perspective also has special implications for decommissioning systems. When electronic records are archived, they must remain usable, and successful data migration and use of archived records depend on extensive planning to ensure backwards compatibility of systems, software, and data formats.

For that reason, when IT and users both participate in strategic planning for IT infrastructure standards, an important topic should be the long-term viability of electronic records and data. Collaboration is imperative to determining what data formats are the best choices for current and future use.

Leveraging Users' Expertise

A distinction must be made between decommissioning a system because it is no longer viable and decommissioning one because new technology can better handle that system's mission-related activities.

One of the ironies in today's business setting is that even though management typically delegates oversight of IT functions and operations to IT personnel, system users are the real experts in how well a system is working. This is because the heart of an IT system comprises the raw data and electronic records it produces and manages rather than the operational speed of its processors, disk drives, and networks.

If the electronic records and system reports are not working correctly, the users will know first. For this reason, IT system users should participate in system planning sessions and must pay close attention to a system's changes to ensure that it continues to meet workflow and data quality expectations.

Generally, as long as system users can get their daily work done, they are not concerned about infrastructure improvements, and they won't likely...