Normally, a system upgrade to the backend of ConnectCarolina is a big lift but uneventful. This time, though, it was anything but normal. In fact, it was a first for ITS Enterprise Applications.
A few months ago during a planned upgrade of the software, ITS found an issue while conducting final validation. Many people worked into the night and through the next day to try and resolve the issue, so the upgrade could move forward. The issue impacted users’ ability to use the system, and the system had to be stable, and ready for business on Monday morning. ITS decided that the system had to be rolled back to the prior version.
Contingency plans
While ITS has contingency plans to roll back after an upgrade, Enterprise Applications had never actually executed a rollback of this magnitude.
This is where the story becomes remarkable in terms of staffers’ collaboration, dedication and commitment. Even after working long hours over the weekend to do the upgrade, team members from across ITS including Data Reporting Environments & Application Middleware, Infrastructure & Operations and Enterprise Applications came together on short notice and rolled back the system to the prior version. Some team members were called in unexpectedly on the weekend to help and they were readily available. A successful rollback is a project milestone by itself.
Extraordinary effort
“People were exhausted working over the weekend, but they were also patient,” Project Manager Raju Penumatcha said. “Everyone wanted to see this go through and put in extraordinary effort to ensure the business did not get impacted. It was very good teamwork and communication across the ITS that made it possible on that weekend.”
When campus community members began their week Monday morning, ConnectCarolina was ready for them.
A month later, on another weekend, ITS staffers returned to the upgrade and deployment. This time they proceeded with no roadblocks.
“We even did it in a faster time,” Penumatcha said. “A rollback and a successful upgrade within a month’s time – that’s an accomplishment and a testament of the team’s resilience and dedication. Kudos to the teams for a successful upgrade!”