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Using Windows Server 2003 Planning Tools and Documentation • Chapter 1
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Plan to upgrade and/or migrate any existing technologies, including server oper-ating systems and routing protocols.In this section, we’ll discuss best practices and strategies for planning your networkimplementation.We’ll then look at the various tools that you can use for network planning,both from Microsoft and from other vendors.We’ll conclude with some fundamentals ofnetwork design that will provide you with a good starting point for designing a networkthat will best meet the needs of your organization and its users.
Planning Strategies
When designing a new network, you should first use the business requirements of yourorganization as the primary source of planning information.You’ll need to create a networkinfrastructure that addresses the needs of your management structure, such as fault toler-ance, security, scalability, performance, and cost.You’ll need to balance these requirementswith the types of services that your users and clients will expect from a modern network,including e-mail, calendaring, project collaboration, Internet access, file, print, and applica-tion services.After you’ve determined the business requirements of your network, you should thenanalyze the technical requirements of your organization.These requirements may apply toany applications that are already in use or that you plan to implement, as well as to theassociated hardware and operating system.You should carefully note all of these require-ments so that you won’t create any difficulties later on during the implementation process.Be sure to analyze and document the existing network, including any hardware, software,and network services that are already in place.This will make it easier to take the existingconfiguration into account when planning the new or upgraded network.Finally, any well-formed network plan should make allowances for future changes tothe organization, including support for new technologies and operating systems, as well asadditional hardware and users.Your organization’s business requirements can change—through a merger, an acquisition, or simple growth and expansion. Although it is impossibleto foresee all possible changes of this nature, a good network design will be flexible enoughto accommodate as many adjustments as possible.
Using Planning Tools
There are a number of tools available to assist you in developing a plan for your networkinfrastructure.The first and best of these, however, might be the simplest: pencil and paper.As we discussed in the previous section, you should begin your planning by determiningthe requirements of the business that will be using the network.The best way to do this isthrough face-to-face interactions, by interviewing relevant managers and staff members ofeach department, branch, or business unit. Not only does this allow you to construct acomplete picture of your network requirements, but it also involves stakeholders from thevarious departments.This sort of involvement is critical in ensuring the successful deploy-ment of any new or upgraded technology.
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