Chapter Summary
To effectively design an Active Directory infrastructure, consider the issues and questions presented in Table 3.1.
Table 3.1 Questions to Consider
Business Issue |
Question(s) |
Scope |
Which areas in the business will be included in design plans? |
Organizational model |
What is the organizational model: centralized, decentralized, or centralized-decentralized? |
Business processes |
What are the current processes (practices)? How will they be affected? |
Priorities |
What has the business laid out for itself in terms of short- and long-term goals? |
Client computing requirements |
What do clients require to perform their day-to-day tasks? |
LAN/WAN connectivity |
Which types of connections exist between the locations? |
Available bandwidth |
How much bandwidth is available over each connection? |
Server and workstation |
How are the servers and workstations currently distributed distribution throughout the network? |
User security needs |
Which type of security is currently in place for users in the organization? |
Local security needs |
What are the security needs of the various locations in the organization? |
Performance requirements |
What kind of expectations does the business and its employees have in regard to network performance? |
Existing systems and applications |
How will the systems and applications in use be affected by the rollout? Will any systems need to be upgraded? Do any unsupported applications exist that need to be tested? |
Technical support |
What are the current technical support requirements for requirements of the business? How will they be impacted by the upgrade? |
Upgrades and rollouts |
When should the upgrades occur? How can you keep employees informed about the rollout to lessen the impact? |