Primary speakers:
Ashok 'Ash' Arokiaswamy, Cloud Solutions Developer, Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions, Information Technology Services
Christopher McCarthy, Assistant Director, Services & Systems, Arts & Science Co-op, UTSC
Additional speakers:
Frank Boshoff, Assistant Director, Technical Solutions and Architecture
Kelvin Shum, Data Analyst, Business Intelligence, Arts & Science Co-op, UTSC
Shakeel Jivraj, Data Analyst, Co-op Student, Arts & Science Co-op, UTSC
Description:
This session provides an in‑depth overview of the collaborative, multi‑unit process undertaken to build a business case and develop a new Azure Data Factory (ADF) pipeline to automate daily data extraction from Symplicity’s CSM Replica database. Delivered as a cross-team panel presentation, the session will walk attendees through the practical steps taken in partnership with Arts & Science Co‑op / UTSC, EASI, SSG and the Provost’s Office to design a modernized data infrastructure capable of supporting future integration with Microsoft Fabric and institution‑wide analytics environments.
The presentation will outline the full journey — from initial feasibility assessment to the creation of a functioning automated ADF pipeline — including architectural decisions, infrastructure planning, governance alignment and the cross‑departmental workflows that enabled the project’s success. Participants will gain insight into how this collaborative model accelerated problem‑solving, strengthened data governance and ensured that the emerging platform aligns with priorities shared across academic, technical and strategic domains.
A key component of the session will highlight the considerable benefits of establishing a direct, secure connection with Symplicity’s CSM Replica database. This new pipeline significantly improves data freshness and reliability, reduces manual processing and lays the groundwork for scalable automation that can ultimately be expanded to support all U of T Co‑op data extraction needs. The session will also explore how this architecture may be extended to other Symplicity products — supporting a unified, repeatable approach to data integration across Work‑Integrated Learning and Career Services systems.
Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of the steps taken, the progress achieved to date and the long‑term institutional value of building a scalable, cloud‑based automation framework. This session is designed for operational leaders, data practitioners and higher‑education professionals working to modernize their data ecosystems through strategic collaboration and thoughtful technical design.
