Management & Finance
Information Technology Division

To provide state-of-the-art high-technology support for its offices and divisions, DNR operates the Information Technology (IT) Division to deliver a wide range of information services to internal-DNR employees, other state government agencies, and external private-sector users. Through IT, DNR possesses the ability to plan, implement and support complex information system projects, including its current major focus, the Strategic Online Natural Resources Information System - SONRIS.

DNR Information Technology has expertise in network design and operation, system administration, personal computer procurement and installation, Internet connectivity and security, large-scale database design and administration, Web server administration and Web content design, GIS systems and other sophisticated, state-of-the-art computing techniques.

Business Applications Development Section

This section provides a wide range of business application services, using a rapid application development methodology built around the Oracle Designer product line. Phases of development include:

• Detailed analysis
• Design
• Build
• Documentation
• Transition
• Maintenance

While support centers on automating the business functions of the department, heavy involvement and interface is accomplished with the GIS Development Team and the Imaging Project Team. A project team headed by a project leader in Business Applications Development support each of DNR's four offices.

Database Administration

This section is responsible for enterprise databases utilized by the Department of Natural Resources. Support is provided for DNR Oracle databases that reside on the IBM P670 AIX and Windows Servers on the DNR network.

Database performance monitoring and tuning is accomplished via sophisticated tools which enable the Database Administrator to control defragmentation, caching, rollbacks, etc. The Database Administrator also plays a key role in security management.

GIS Application Development

The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Section provides a wide range of complex computing support to all four DNR offices through the deployment of GIS hardware, software, and application programs. The DNR GIS supports LANDSAT satellite data processing, image processing, digitizing, and plotting. To support these activities, DNR uses a network of high-powered workstations running ARC/Info software from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).

Internal Management Consulting Section

The Internal Management Consulting (IMC) Section of IT provides a department-wide resource available to DNR management in a variety of highly-technical issues related to information technology. Support is also provided to other areas of the Information Technology (IT) Division on a project basis. Such support is used to complement IT staffs during peak work periods or during the building of organizational units, and provide specialized expertise needed for a given project.

Implementation and Production Management Section

This section is resonsible for the production system environment at DNR, and for the orderly and controlled transitioning of applications from the test environment into the production environment.

Specifically, this section is responsible for:

• Acceptance testing/end-user testing
• Product Implementation
• User follow-up
• User training, including SONRIS training and public workshops
• SONRIS Help Desk support

Technical Services Section

The DNR Technical Services Section provides a wide range of services for computer hardware, software, and networking systems.

Hardware platforms supported include database servers, Web servers, application servers, file servers, VPNs, routers, hubs, personal computers, plotters, printers and scanners.

Software supported includes operating systems such as Unix, Linux, and Windows Server, Novell Netware, the Oracle database engine, FileNet Panagon imaging products, ESRI GIS software, desktop application software, firewalls, etc.

Specifically, this section has these responsibilities:

• System Administration
• Network Administration
• Production Operations
• Desktop Maintenance
• I.T. Help Desk administration and operation

Support is provided to all four DNR offices via a Wide Area Network of 500 personal computers in seven Louisiana cities and in OMR sites in Texas.