Chapter Sixteen Managing Network Design and Implementation

Objectives Describe the elements and benefits of project management Analyze the current status of a network Perform a needs assessment and recommend changes based on your findings Manage a network implementation project Design and test a pilot network

Introduction to Project Management Project management Practice of managing resources, staff, budget, timelines and other variables so as to achieve a specific goal within given bounds Practice of managing resources, staff, budget, timelines and other variables so as to achieve a specific goal within given bounds A project plan is the way in which details of a managed project are organized

Project Management Figure 16-1: View of a project in Microsoft Project

Common Elements of a Project Plan Task breakdown Dependencies Tasks that must be completed before other tasks can begin are called predecessors Tasks that must be completed before other tasks can begin are called predecessorsTimeline A Gantt chart is a method for depicting when projects begin and end along a horizontal timeline A Gantt chart is a method for depicting when projects begin and end along a horizontal timeline

Common Elements of a Project Plan FIGURE 16-2 Simple Gantt chart

Common Elements of a Project Plan Resources Staffing, materials, and money that a project requires Staffing, materials, and money that a project requires The owner of a task it the person/group of people responsible for completing that task The owner of a task it the person/group of people responsible for completing that taskMilestones Reference point that marks the completion of a major task or group of tasks in the project and contributes to measuring the project’s progress Reference point that marks the completion of a major task or group of tasks in the project and contributes to measuring the project’s progress

Project Participants Project participants A sponsor is a person in a position of authority who supports a project A sponsor is a person in a position of authority who supports a project A stakeholder is any person who may be affected by the project A stakeholder is any person who may be affected by the projectFunding Every project—whether it entails a simple hardware upgrade or an entire network redesign—requires funding Every project—whether it entails a simple hardware upgrade or an entire network redesign—requires funding

Communications Critical purposes for communications: To ensure a project’s goals are understood by participants, stakeholders, and sponsors To ensure a project’s goals are understood by participants, stakeholders, and sponsors To keep a project’s timeline and budget on track To keep a project’s timeline and budget on track To encourage teamwork among participants To encourage teamwork among participants To allow you to learn from previous mistakes To allow you to learn from previous mistakes

Communications Critical purposes for communications (cont.): To prevent finger pointing if a task is not completed correctly or on time To prevent finger pointing if a task is not completed correctly or on time To avoid duplication of efforts To avoid duplication of efforts To prepare stakeholders for the effects of change To prepare stakeholders for the effects of change

Process Management and Contingency Planning Process management Planning for handling the steps needed to accomplish a goal in a systematic way Planning for handling the steps needed to accomplish a goal in a systematic way Contingency planning Process of identifying steps that will minimize the risk of unforeseen events that endanger the quality or timeliness of the project’s goals Process of identifying steps that will minimize the risk of unforeseen events that endanger the quality or timeliness of the project’s goals

Contingency Planning Measures to help a network project’s implementation: Order more hardware components than you think you need Order more hardware components than you think you need Ensure that your hardware and software vendors have extra components on hand Ensure that your hardware and software vendors have extra components on hand Document each piece of hardware and software that you order for a project Document each piece of hardware and software that you order for a project

Contingency Planning Measures to help a network project’s implementation (cont.): Rely on a pilot network to test your project’s goals Rely on a pilot network to test your project’s goals If the technology required to implement the project’s is new to project participants, ask a consulting company to be available for assistance or questions if needed If the technology required to implement the project’s is new to project participants, ask a consulting company to be available for assistance or questions if needed

Testing and Evaluation A test plan should address the following questions: Was the change nominally successful? Was the change nominally successful? Did the change fully accomplish its purpose? Did the change fully accomplish its purpose? If the change did not fully accomplish its purpose, did it partially accomplish its goal? If the change did not fully accomplish its purpose, did it partially accomplish its goal? Did the change result in unexpected consequences? Did the change result in unexpected consequences? Did the change point to a need for additional changes? Did the change point to a need for additional changes?

Managing Network Implementation Significant steps in implementation process: Determine whether the proposed change is feasible Determine whether the proposed change is feasible If deemed feasible, identify the specific goals for a project If deemed feasible, identify the specific goals for a project Assess the current state of the network Assess the current state of the network Assess the requirements as expressed by stakeholders Assess the requirements as expressed by stakeholders Create a project plan that includes tasks and subtasks, dependencies, resource allocations, timeliness, and milestones Create a project plan that includes tasks and subtasks, dependencies, resource allocations, timeliness, and milestones

Managing Network Implementation Significant steps in implementation process (cont.): If possible, build a pilot network based on your recommendations If possible, build a pilot network based on your recommendations If the pilot network shows promise, begin to implement changes on a larger scale If the pilot network shows promise, begin to implement changes on a larger scale If possible, release changes to a hand-picked group of users to evaluate the success of your network changes If possible, release changes to a hand-picked group of users to evaluate the success of your network changes If the evaluation indicates the changes were successful, release the changes to all users If the evaluation indicates the changes were successful, release the changes to all users Update network baseline documentation Update network baseline documentation

Determining Project Feasibility and Setting Project Goals Feasibility study Outlines the cost and benefits of the project and attempts to predict whether it will result in a favorable outcome Outlines the cost and benefits of the project and attempts to predict whether it will result in a favorable outcome Setting project goals Once deemed feasible, a project team should define a project’s goals Once deemed feasible, a project team should define a project’s goals

Baselining Details to address as part of a baseline assessment: Physical issues Physical issues Logical topology Logical topology Protocols Protocols

Baselining Details to address as part of a baseline assessment (cont.): Devices Devices Operating systems Operating systems Applications Applications

Assessing Needs and Requirements A needs assessment is the process of clarifying the reasons and objectives underlying a proposed change Possible questions to ask in a needs assessment: Is the expressed need valid, or does it mask a different need? Is the expressed need valid, or does it mask a different need? Can the need be resolved? Can the need be resolved? Is the need important enough to allocate resources to its resolution? Is the need important enough to allocate resources to its resolution?

Assessing Needs and Requirements Possible questions to ask in a needs assessment (cont.): If fulfilled, will the need result in additional needs? If fulfilled, will the need result in additional needs? Will fulfilling the needs satisfy other needs? Will fulfilling the needs satisfy other needs? Do users affected by the need agree that change is a good measure? Do users affected by the need agree that change is a good measure? What kind of resolution will satisfy them? What kind of resolution will satisfy them?

User Requirements Questions to ask when addressing user requirements: What do you need? What do you need? What makes you think this need should be addressed? What makes you think this need should be addressed? How quickly do you think this need must be addressed? How quickly do you think this need must be addressed?

User Requirements Questions to ask when addressing user requirements (cont.): Can you suggest at least three ways we can meet this need? Can you suggest at least three ways we can meet this need? What kind of priority would you place on this need? What kind of priority would you place on this need? Are you willing to ignore other needs to have this need met? Are you willing to ignore other needs to have this need met?

Performance Requirements Questions to ask when addressing performance requirements: Where do current performance bottlenecks exist? Where do current performance bottlenecks exist? Why do they exist there? Why do they exist there? What kind of performance is optimal? What kind of performance is optimal? Compared with other projects, what priority would you assign to improving network performance? Compared with other projects, what priority would you assign to improving network performance?

Performance Requirements Questions to ask when addressing performance requirements (cont.): What measures can bring current performance levels to your recommended level? What measures can bring current performance levels to your recommended level? How will performance improvements affect access, availability, customer needs, security, and scalability? How will performance improvements affect access, availability, customer needs, security, and scalability? How will you ensure that measures taken to improve performance are successful? How will you ensure that measures taken to improve performance are successful?

Availability Requirements Questions to ask technical staff when clarifying their availability requirements: Where do current availability flaws or vulnerabilities exist? Where do current availability flaws or vulnerabilities exist? Where are the network’s single points of failure? Where are the network’s single points of failure? What kind of availability is acceptable? What kind of availability is acceptable?

Availability Requirements Questions to ask technical staff when clarifying their availability requirements (cont.): Compared with other projects, what priority would you assign to improving availability? Compared with other projects, what priority would you assign to improving availability? What measures can boost current availability to your recommended percentage? What measures can boost current availability to your recommended percentage? How will availability improvements affect access, performance, customer needs, security, and scalability? How will availability improvements affect access, performance, customer needs, security, and scalability?

Availability Requirements Questions to ask management staff when clarifying their availability requirements: What is the cost of one hour of down time during business hours? What is the cost of one hour of down time during business hours? What is the cost of down time during off- hours? What is the cost of down time during off- hours? What is your ideal availability percentage? What is your ideal availability percentage?

Availability Requirements Questions to ask management staff when clarifying their availability requirements (cont.): What part of the application or access is most important to keep available? What part of the application or access is most important to keep available? Compared with other projects, what priority would you assign to improving availability? Compared with other projects, what priority would you assign to improving availability? How much are you willing to spend to ensure that the network or system remains available for your ideal percentage of time? How much are you willing to spend to ensure that the network or system remains available for your ideal percentage of time?

Integration and Scalability Requirements Questions to ask the technical staff in addressing scalability and integration needs: How and where is the network’s growth currently limited? How and where is the network’s growth currently limited? What needs to change to accommodate growth or new hardware/software? What needs to change to accommodate growth or new hardware/software? In what ways do you expect the network to grow over the next two years? In what ways do you expect the network to grow over the next two years?

Integration and Scalability Requirements Questions to ask the technical staff in addressing scalability and integration needs (cont.): How will improving scalability and integration affect customers, performance, security, and availability? How will improving scalability and integration affect customers, performance, security, and availability? How would you prioritize your suggested measures for accommodating growth? How would you prioritize your suggested measures for accommodating growth?

Integration and Scalability Requirements Questions to ask the management staff in addressing scalability and integration needs: In what ways do you expect the network to grow over the next one to five years? In what ways do you expect the network to grow over the next one to five years? Which of these growth directions is your top priority? Which of these growth directions is your top priority? What type of hardware and software do you expect to adopt in coming months and years? What type of hardware and software do you expect to adopt in coming months and years?

Integration and Scalability Requirements Questions to ask the management staff in addressing scalability and integration needs (cont.): How much are you willing to spend to optimally position the network and systems for growth? How much are you willing to spend to optimally position the network and systems for growth? Would you place a higher priority on positioning the network and systems for growth or on improving network security, availability, usability, or performance? Would you place a higher priority on positioning the network and systems for growth or on improving network security, availability, usability, or performance? Would you place a higher priority on facilitating better network and systems integration or on improving network security, availability, usability, or performance? Would you place a higher priority on facilitating better network and systems integration or on improving network security, availability, usability, or performance?

Security Requirements Questions to ask technical staff when identifying needs for improving network security: What type of security must be improved? What type of security must be improved? Why does security need to be improved? Why does security need to be improved? Based on the reasons underlying the need for improved security, to what extent does security need to be improved? Based on the reasons underlying the need for improved security, to what extent does security need to be improved?

Security Requirements Questions to ask technical staff when identifying needs for improving network security (cont.): Will the improvement require extra staff, hardware, software, or consulting services? Will the improvement require extra staff, hardware, software, or consulting services? Compared to other needs, what is the priority of security improvements? Compared to other needs, what is the priority of security improvements? How will security improvements affect network access, performance, or scalability? How will security improvements affect network access, performance, or scalability?

Using a Pilot Network Pilot network Small-scale network that stands in for the larger network Small-scale network that stands in for the larger network Tips for creating a more realistic and useful pilot network: Include at least one of each type of device that might be affected by the change Include at least one of each type of device that might be affected by the change Use the same transmission methods and speeds as employed on your network Use the same transmission methods and speeds as employed on your network

Using a Pilot Network Tips to creating a more realistic and useful pilot network (cont.): Try to emulate the number of segments, protocols, and addressing schemes in your network Try to emulate the number of segments, protocols, and addressing schemes in your network Always implement the same server and client software and configurations on your pilot network as found in your current network Always implement the same server and client software and configurations on your pilot network as found in your current network Once you have established the pilot network, test it for at least two weeks to verify that its performance, security, availability, or other characteristics meet your criteria Once you have established the pilot network, test it for at least two weeks to verify that its performance, security, availability, or other characteristics meet your criteria

Preparing Users Among the things to explain to users: How their access to the network will be affected How their access to the network will be affected How their data will be protected during the change How their data will be protected during the change Whether you will provide any means for users to access the network during the change Whether you will provide any means for users to access the network during the change Whether the change will require users to learn new skills Whether the change will require users to learn new skills

Chapter Summary Project management is the practice of managing resources, staff, budget, timelines, and other variables so as to complete a specific goal within given bounds A project plan describes how the details of a managed project are organized Process management involves planning for and handling the steps required to accomplish a goal in a systematic way Contingency planning involves identifying steps that will minimize the risk of unforeseen circumstances endangering the quality or timeliness of the project’s goals Once a milestone is reached, verify that you are on the right path

Chapter Summary In addition to being specific, project goals should be attainable Baselining includes keeping a history of a variety of network factors Needs assessment is the process of clarifying the reasons and objectives for proposed change A good technique for beginning to clarify user requirements involves user interviews Have technical staff answer a number of question to clarify performance requirements

Chapter Summary To best determine availability requirements, interview both technical and management staff Integration and scalability needs may drive network changes, though they are less likely to be the primary reason for changes than are customer, performance, or security needs Like user or performance needs, security needs must be clearly defined before a project commences In almost every instance, it is advisable to notify users of changes