Design and Planning Documentation
Parts I, “Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Overview,” and II, “Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Messaging,” of this book focus on many planning and designing aspects for Exchange Server 2003. Whether you're planning a migration, an entirely new environment, or a specific project, design and planning documentation is critical. All projects, regardless of size, are more successful if they have a well-developed design and migration plan.
Documenting the Design
As outlined in Chapters 4, “Exchange Server 2003 Design Concepts,” and 5 “Designing an Enterprise Exchange Server 2003 Environment,” the first step in the implementation of an Exchange Server 2003 environment is the development and approval of a design. Documenting this design contributes to the success of the project. The design document records the decisions made during the design process and provides a reference for testing, implementation, and support. Typically, a design document includes the following components:
The goals and objectives of the project
A summary of the existing environment and the background that led to the project
The details of the new Exchange Server 2003 environment
The details of the migration process
Documenting the goals and objectives of the project helps ensure that the project team and stakeholder interests are in alignment. The goals and objectives of the project should be as specific as possible, because after the goals are defined, they help shape design decisions.
Summarizing the existing environment creates a snapshot of the preimplementation environment, which provides a reference point for development of the new design and a historical record should a rollback be required. Including the background behind the decision to implement Exchange Server 2003 further defines the historical record and supports the goals and objectives.
The following is an example of a table of contents for a design document:
Exchange Server 2003 Design Document
Project Overview
Design and Planning Process
Existing Environment
Network Infrastructure
Active Directory Infrastructure
Exchange Topology
Backup and Restore
Administrative Model
Client Systems
Exchange Server 2003 Architecture
Goals and Objectives
Exchange Server 2003 Mailbox Server Placement
Public Folder Servers
Connector Servers
Front-end Servers/Outlook Web Access
Global Catalog Placement
Administrative Groups
Server Sizing and Loading
Active Directory Connector
Administrative Model
Application Considerations and Integration
Exchange Server 2003 Clients
Appendix A: Existing Environment Diagrams
Exchange Server 2003 Design
The Exchange Server 2003 design details the decisions made with regard to the end-state of the Exchange Server 2003 environment. These decisions include server configuration information, database design, messaging policies, and more.
The level of detail included in the document, high-level or more specific configurations of each server, depends on the document's audience. However, the design document should not include step-by-step procedures or other details of how the process will be accomplished. This level of detail is better handled, in most cases, in dedicated configuration or training documents.
Creating the Migration Plan
After the end-state or design is developed and documented, the plan on how this state will be implemented can be developed. A migration plan outlines the high-level tasks required to test and implement the design. The development of a well-constructed migration plan helps avoid mistakes and keeps the project on track.
NOTE
The results of testing the design in a prototype or pilot might alter the actual migration steps and procedures. In this case, the migration plan document should be modified to take these changes into account.
The following is a table of contents for an Exchange Server 2003 migration plan:
Exchange Server 2003 Migration Plan
Goals and Objectives
Approach
Roles
Process
Phase I – Design and Planning
Phase II – Prototype
Phase III – Pilot
Phase IV – Implementation
Phase V – Support
Migration Process
Active Directory Preparation
Exchange Server 2003
Summary of Migration Resources
Project Scheduling
Exchange Server 2003 Training
Administration and Maintenance
Outlining the Project Plan
A project plan is essential for more complex migrations and can be useful for managing smaller projects, even single server migrations. Developed from the high-level tasks and outlined in the migration plan, detailed tasks and subtasks are identified in the order in which they occur. The duration of these tasks will vary but it is recommended that they be no less than a half-day duration, because a project plan that tries to track a project hour by hour can be hard to keep up to date. Of course, the size of the project also dictates the project plan's level of detail.
Tools such as Microsoft Project facilitate the creation of project plans (see Figure 20.1). Using Microsoft Project enables the assignment of one or more resources per task and the assignment of duration and links to key predecessor tasks. The project plan can also provide an initial estimate of the number of hours required from each resource and the associated costs if outside resources are to be used. What-if scenarios are easy to create by simply adding resources or cutting out optional steps to determine the effect on the budget and resources.
Figure 20.1. A sample project plan.
Developing the Test Plan
Thorough testing is critical in the success of any implementation project. A test plan details the resources required for testing (hardware, software, and lab personnel), the tests or procedures to perform, and the purpose of the test or procedure.
It is important to include representatives of every aspect of the network in the development of the test plan. This ensures that all aspects of the Exchange Server 2003 environment or project and its impact will be included in the test plan.
Test plans, although they will vary within each environment, should consider using a framework such as this:
Summary The purpose of this document is to outline the testing strategy for the migrationto Exchange Server 2003. Before Exchange Server 2003 is deployed, the design must be