Your boss, coworkers, and customers (users) will measure the success of your directory service on the basis of how well it meets their needs and the needs of the entire organization. Whether this evaluation is formal (for example, part of a yearly performance review) or informal (for example, a casual conversation that takes place near the cappuccino machine), it will take place. The best way to meet everyone's directory- related needs is to gather and understand as many of them as possible up front, and to keep them in mind throughout the stages of directory design and deployment. Step 1: Analyze Your EnvironmentThe first step in gathering your directory-related needs is to understand the environment in which your directory service will be deployed. Environment is a broad term that covers a wide range of topics, including organizational structure and geography, computer systems, networks, application software, users, the directory deployment team, other system administrators, and any other people the directory serves. Later in this chapter you will learn how to analyze your own environment. Step 2: Determine and Prioritize NeedsWhen you have a good understanding of the overall environment, the needs and constraints that come from each area should be gathered and prioritized. The order in which you do this doesn't matter, as long as no stone is left unturned. Later in this chapter you will learn how to accomplish this task. In brief, you will want to look at each of these areas:
For each of these areas, you must gather information, produce a list of needs, and assign priorities to each item on the list. Step 3: Choose an Overall Directory Design and Deployment ApproachAfter you have gathered and prioritized all the different directory-related needs and constraints, it is important to choose an overall approach to directory design and deployment that fits your needs and situation. In this book we guide you through a design and deployment process that has served us well, but your personal philosophy and organizational realities may lead you to adopt a different approach. The amounts of time spent in the design stage, the piloting stage, and in deployment of the initial directory service all vary widely from organization to organization and from project to project. The most important thing is to choose an approach that will help you succeed with your directory service deployment. Later in this chapter you will learn how to make a good choice. Step 4: Set Goals and MilestonesThe fourth and final step in the needs definition process is to set some goals and milestones that will measure the progress of your directory deployment. This seemingly simple task is often overlooked, but it is well worth spending time up front to define goals and milestones. Most projects go more smoothly when people working on them have good targets to aim for. Good goals and milestones are easily understood , realistic, and significant enough to be worth celebrating. Later in this chapter you will learn how to set good goals and milestones for your directory project. The results of the directory needs definition process feed into the rest of the directory design process discussed in subsequent chapters. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to exploring each of the needs definition tasks in more detail. |