WDS Deployment Checklist

1

Read the WDS Administration Guide.

2

Ensure your corporate system standards meet or exceed minimum the WDS system requirements for the target platform.

3

Determine your users' indexing needs:

• What local, system level content should be indexed (Documents folders, cached e-mail, other folders)?
  
  
• What departmental or group information available on other network shares or sites should be indexed?
  
  

4

Determine your plan for indexing email (for example, cached versus uncached).

5

Determine which version of WDS best supports your organizations needs.

6

Define the user groups you need for WDS Group Policy settings:

• Which users should have access to each share or network resource?
  
  
• What should the default indexing scope be for each group?
  
  
• What high volume network resources should be restricted from indexing?
  
  
• What should your policy settings be?
  
  

7

Determine whether your organization requires international versions of Multilingual User Interface (MUI) Packs, and download if needed.

8

Identify any add-ins your users might need to index their data.

9

Determine the deployment mode you want to use (attended, unattended, Group Policy). If you deploy using Group Policy, write a deployment wrapper that contains the WDS executable file.

10

Plan a pilot test:

• Choose a controlled test environment using your company’s standard system image that includes the operating system and commonly installed software, resources, and back end.
  
  
• Select one department or a small group of users for the test.
  
  

11

Begin the pilot test and monitor the following for any problems or issues:

• Deployment methodology
  
  
• Network load
  
  
• Server loads
  
  
• Software conflicts
  
  
• User requirements and comments
  
  
• Any unexpected errors or issues
  
  
• User expectations of indexing
  
  
• Requirements for helpdesk and end-user training
  
  

Note
If the pilot test shows an abnormally high consumption of system resources or building the initial index takes a long time, your anti-virus software may be out of date. Consider updating your anti-virus software and re-testing, or re-test with the anti-virus temporarily turned off or Windows Desktop Search’s .exe excepted in a controlled, protected environment.

12

Plan enterprise-wide deployment:

• Document successes and challenges of pilot test.
  
  
• Resolve and document any outstanding issues.
  
  
• Revise your deployment methodology, policies, access to resources, and other items as required.
  
  
• Document a plan for enterprise-wide deployment.