Defining Pilot Scope

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Define the scope of the pilot by clearly stating which services and features will be included and which will not. When you list the services and features you plan to include in the pilot, also state how you expect them to perform. Describe the areas of functionality that the pilot implementation affects, and note to what extent they are affected, and in which situations they are affected.

Avoid the mistake of making pilot testing too easy. Test as many situations that might arise in production as you possibly can.

If certain technologies have particular requirements, include those specific requirements in your pilot. For example, if you are going to deploy Windows Server 2003 on an international scale in which users do not all speak one language, be sure to address international language issues in the pilot.

Do not expect to test every feature or service during the pilot. Focus on processes that present the greatest risk and events that are most likely to occur. Prioritizing the features to be tested in the pilot is particularly important if your team plans to conduct multiple pilots. When multiple pilots are planned, start small and gradually increase the scope of successive pilots.

If certain aspects of your design cannot be covered by the pilot, describe them. For example, if your organization plans to upgrade your domain using your existing architecture without any restructuring, and then restructure the architecture later, you might choose to exclude the restructuring process from the first pilot.

Also specify the duration of the pilot, in terms of either time or of the criteria to be met.

Be sure to describe how you expect to proceed after the pilot is complete. If you plan to keep some functions in place and remove others for the full production rollout, identify the features that will be removed. For example, if you are redesigning your namespace, you might want the option of changing it after the pilot concludes. Indicate how to back out features that will be removed.