Assessing Your IT Environment
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Document the following key components of your IT environment.
Business organization and geographical requirements Conduct a site analysis of each physical location in your organization. Document the number of physical locations, the geographic distribution of locations, and the speed and reliability of network connections between locations. For each location, record the number of client and server computers, the function of the client and server computers, and the availability of support staff.
Information architecture Diagram your key business processes to illustrate how the information needed to make critical decisions will be available when needed. For example, are sales and marketing personnel able to confirm precise delivery dates for customer orders?
Administrative model By examining your existing administrative model, you identify the administrative tasks that IT personnel perform in all areas of your organization. This helps determine whether you need to change any aspect of the administrative operations design to accommodate the Windows Server 2003 features that you want to deploy. This also will highlight opportunities for improving administrative efficiency and security in your organization.
IT standards Over time, the network and application standards in many organizations become fragmented or obsolete. This is common in organizations that have merged with or acquired other companies. Disparate systems, built over time, designed by different people, and often geographically separated, are a potential risk to a successful deployment. Audit your existing systems to identify problem areas.
Active Directory design If your organization is planning to upgrade Active Directory directory service, be sure to document your directory infrastructure. For information about upgrading Active Directory to meet your organization’s growth and business needs see "Designing the Active Directory Logical Structure" in Designing and Deploying Directory and Security Services of this kit.
Security architecture Security issues, such as who has access to your network and to your databases and how your organization is protected from the Internet, are vital considerations in all aspects of your Windows Server 2003 deployment plan. For information about how to secure your Windows Server 2003 environment, see "Designing the Active Directory Logical Structure" and the security chapters in Part 2 of Designing and Deploying Directory and Security Services of this kit.