Developing Migration Documentation

If migrating from existing security infrastructure, or from previous versions of ISA, it is wise to produce migration documents at the same time or shortly after the design documentation to provide a roadmap of the ISA Server 2004 migration.

NOTE

The results of testing the design in a prototype lab 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 an example of the table of contents from a typical ISA Server 2004 migration plan:

 ISA Server 2004 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 Summary of Migration Resources Project Scheduling ISA Server 2004 Training Administration and Maintenance 

Creating Project Plans

A project plan is essential for more complex migrations and can be useful for managing smaller projectseven single-server deployments.

Tools such as Microsoft Project facilitate the creation of project plans and enable the assignment of one or more resources per task and the assignment of durations and links to key predecessors. 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" " create: Simply add resources to more complex tasks or cut out optional steps to see the effect on the budget.

Note that it's a good idea to revisit the original project plan after everything is completed (the baseline) to see how accurate it was. Many organizations fail to take this step and miss the opportunity of learning from the planning process to better prepare for the next time around.

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 ISA Server 2004 environment or project and its impact are included in the test plan.

Numbering Server Migration Procedures

High-level migration procedures should be decided during a design and planning process and confirmed during a prototype/testing phase. The initial migration document also should focus on the tools that will be used to migrate data, users, and applications, as well as the division of labor for these processes.

A draft of the document can be put together, and when the process is tested again, it can be verified for accuracy. When complete, this information can save a great deal of time.

The procedures covered can include the following:

• Server hardware configuration details
  
  
• Service pack (SP) and hotfixes to install on each server
  
  
• Services to enable or disable and appropriate settings
  
  
• Applications (such as ISA add-ons) to install and their appropriate settings
  
  
• Security settings
  
  
• Steps required to migrate functionality to the new server(s)
  
  
• Steps required to test the new configuration to ensure full functionality
  
  
• Steps required to remove old servers or firewalls from production
  
  

Establishing Migration Checklists

The migration process can often be a long process, based on the amount of security functionality that must be migrated. It is very helpful to develop both high-level and detailed checklists to guide the migration process. High-level checklists determine the status of the migration at any given point in the process. Detailed checklists ensure that all steps are performed in a consistent manner. This is extremely important if the process is being repeated for multiple sites.

The following is an example of a ISA Server 2004 server build checklist:

 Task:                                Initials        Notes Verify BIOS and Firmware Revs Verify RAID Configuration Install Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition Configure Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition Install Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 Install Security Patches Install System Recovery Console Install ISA Server 2004 Standard Edition Install ISA Patches Install ISA Add-Ons Configure ISA Networks Configure ISA Firewall Policy Rules Install and Configure Backup Agent Set Up and Configure Smart UPS Configure MOM 2005 Agent Sign off:                            Date: