Challenge

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF-E) required an efficient, standardized and secure business systems infrastructure that could provide the case and inspection analytics needed to increase the efficiency of all ATF Field Agents and allow them to better complete their mission.

Strategy

In order to modernize ATF’s business systems and infrastructure, EDC formulated a three part plan:

• Design a strategic Enterprise Architecture roadmap to best leverage the strengths of Oracle’s industry-leading Fusion Middleware (FMW) technology.
• Develop an enterprise security model to withstand unauthorized intrusions, natural disasters and incidental user error.
• Deliver the systems with an attractive and intuitive user interface designed to display relevant analytics quick and easily.

Execution

As the Architectural Roadmap was developed, EDC deployed technical teams to develop a best-in-class security model, enterprise reporting and cloud computing infrastructure in the following manner:

EDC designed an enterprise security model based on Oracle. Our technical team implemented the baseline which was the first of three deliverables using an Agile development approach where application deployment for modules was performed in multiple sprints after numerous design sessions were completed. EDC completed the second deliverable while implementing Service Oriented Security (SOS) which enabled ATF to realize key capabilities such as Single Sign-on (SSO), and PIV Card integration.

EDC used Oracle SOA suite and Virtual Manager to create both Platform as a Service (PAAS) and Software as a Service (SAAS) platforms. As part of the first phase, EDC designed and created three environment structures (production, test and development) and created a gold template virtual machine (VM) that contained the server    hardware and LINUX operating system which became the PAAS structure distributed to ATF project teams. During the second phase, EDC designed and created Fusion Middleware templates, and SAAS, that was also distributed to ATF project teams. Our technical team created high-availability templates for analytics, OBIEE and ODI, and identity management, OVD, OID, OAM, and OHS.

EDC developed a best-in-class Business Intelligence (BI) solution based on Oracle’s Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) data warehouse solution. This includes the full life cycle development of the enterprise infrastructure necessary to support initiatives such as intelligence driven policing, mobile data dashboards and analytics. This included enterprise master data management, and other ad-hoc end user capabilities. The process included leveraging the new infrastructure environment while making use of key components such as OBIEE and ODI to create a data warehouse and OBIEE analytics. EDC also imported and integrated ATF’s key functional areas such as criminal investigations, industry inspections, case management, frontline assessments, geospatial solutions and Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

Results

EDC delivered to the ATF a state-of-the-art Oracle Fusion Middleware system and infrastructure that is modern, efficient, standardized and secure. EDC also delivered the case and inspection analytics to allow Field and Inspection Agents to operate more efficiently and to better and more effectively complete their mission.