Gathering Information About the Current and Proposed Environments

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

Before you begin designing your test lab, you need to gather detailed information about both your current and proposed environments.

For your current environment, you need:

  • The network design (logical and physical).

  • An inventory of existing hardware (servers, client computers, and portable computers).

You can use the hardware inventory that you conducted to assess your current IT environment, as described in "Planning for Deployment" in this book. Or, you can use SMS to collect this information.

For your proposed environment, you need to compile the following from the master project plan:

  • The proposed Windows Server 2003 design.

  • A list of features to evaluate and explore.

  • A list of hardware required for use with Windows Server 2003. Though this list might evolve during testing, you need a fairly complete list to equip the lab initially.

  • A list of administrative tools required (Windows Server 2003, third-party, and custom built).

  • A list of the upgrades, such as service packs, drivers, and BIOSs, that you need to install to be ready for a Windows Server 2003 deployment.

You also will need a high-level understanding of the Windows Server 2003 features and functions that you intend to include in your proposed design.