Evaluation

It is essential that you establish the scope of the evaluation pilot project. The project s scope can range from demonstrating mul tiple concurrent users running the corporate applications to ad-dressing issues such as optimum hardware configuration, server/application tuning, client software distribution (and automatic updates), ongoing maintenance, and disaster recovery. As you conduct an evaluation, keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Set up a test environment that emulates field conditions.
  
  
• Use the client and server hardware and software configurations that will actually be deployed.
  
  
• Agree on a prioritized set of things you want to evaluate, such as applications that need to be tested, printing requirements, authentication and security mechanisms, event logging, auditing, and reporting requirements; and set up success criteria for each, such as acceptable per-formance results based on clearly defined benchmarks.
  
  
• Select several users who can help you streamline the client software distribution and configuration process, and maintain a log that records common questions and problems.
  
  
• Set up a contingency plan in the event of system failure (for example, failure of server hardware, communication lines, modems, or power).
  
  
• Try to limit the scope of the evaluation to the most mission-critical applications. Once the power of WinFrame be-comes apparent, you might be asked to provide support for additional applications. Evaluating these could slow down the evaluation process and move the focus away from the critical applications.