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| Here is a checklist of some things to be aware of
before attempting a new system implementation
Network Infrastructure |
| Does the network infrastructure (cable, hubs,
routers, etc.) have enough throughput capacity to handle the new
load of the new system in addition to the current load? You need
to know how much traffic your new system will generate and how
much traffic there is currently on the network. |
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| Server Isolation |
| It's a good idea to deploy the system on its own
server(s). That way, you can isolate performance problems. The
same may go for network segments, depending on network design.
If you have a high transaction volume, you may want to update
host tables in batch, rather than on-line. Otherwise, you may
overload your host machine and affect the performance of other
applications. |
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| Desktop Infrastructure |
| Do the desktop computers have enough capacity
(CPU, RAM, available disk space)? Do you have provisions for
multiple types of desktop computers (e.g. DOS, Windows 3.1,
Windows 95, Macintosh, UNIX)? |
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| Support |
| You need a complete escalation procedure. Someone
has to be designated first point of contact for user problems.
They then have to determine if the problem is application,
operating system, hardware, network, host, etc. The support
groups for all those system have to buy into this. |
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| Training |
| During installation is a good time to train
end-users. Also, don't forget to train the support people. |
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| Contingency Planning |
| How far you go on this depends on how critical
the system is. Simple data backup with off-site storage is a
minimum. And, of course, never trust tapes or disks to a fireproof
safe. (If there's a fire, they won't burn in the safe, but they
will melt.) Redundant disk arrays reduce the annoyance of one of the
most common problems -- disk failure. You can have complete
redundant servers if you can't tolerate any down-time. |
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| Security |
| How much security you need depends on how
sensitive your data is, and who is trying to get it. Most
systems have user-name and password based security. In many
cases this is enough. Some environments have multiple passwords
(PC, LAN, application, host). This provides less security, not
more, because it encourages people to write down their
passwords. Any of the single-sign-on products can take care of
this.
If the data is very sensitive, you need to encrypt it -- not
only between desktop and server, but on the server's hard disk
too. Eighty five percent of security violations are "inside
jobs", and many corporate IT staff can bypass password
security and read data directly off the wire. Also, when a
failed hard disk is replaced, sometimes the old one is not
reformatted. You never know who's reading it.
If you have a LAN connection to the Internet, you need a
firewall. Keep in mind that any user who dials out to the
internet with a modem represents a hole in your security. If you
have remote users dialing in, you need challenge/response remote
access control, and if they come in through the Internet, you
need end-to-end encryption. |
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