Exercise solutions


Exercise 1: Possible Solution

Here is a completed worksheet that demonstrates the possible answers for the WBS process. Your chart may be slightly different from the answers presented here.

Question

Answer

Are there any major deliverables within this project?

Yes, there are three major deliverables.

What are the deliverables you see?

The three major deliverables are The installation of the network infrastructure The installation and configuration of the Windows 2003 Servers The installation and configuration of the Windows XP workstations

In what order should the phases take place, and does it matter at this point of the WBS? Why or why not?

The phases would logically follow the installation of the network infrastructure, the servers, and then the workstations. There are multiple parts to each phase that could be simultaneously completed with the other phases. During WBS creation, however, activity sequencing is not crucial.

Which components are within the first deliverable ?

The first deliverable has many requirements to produce the desired results: the creation of a network topology to map out the path for each network cable and drop; the installation of a suitable and speedy network cable that follows installation code, such as plenum-grade cable, installation hooks, and wall jacks ; the termination and testing of each cable to ensure reliability; and the installation of patch panels, switches, and connections between the network elements.

Which components are within the second deliverable?

The second deliverable requires five primary components: the planning and implementation of the Windows 2003 Server operating system on all five of the servers; the planning and implementation of the Windows 2003 Active Directory infrastructure; the planning and installation of the Exchange Servers and their role within Active Directory; the planning and implementation of the Windows 2003 user names and auto-configuration of the associated Exchange Server mailboxes; and domain security, policies, group creation, and access permission to resources such as home folders, printers, and data.

Which components are within the third deliverable?

The third deliverable requires these work units: the planning and implementation of delivery of Windows XP to each workstation; the configuration of the Windows XP workstation for network access, applications, and user profiles; and the development, testing, and implementation of a system to automate the rollout of the Windows XP Professional environment to each workstation.

How do you break down the components within the first major deliverables you ve identified into work packages??

The installation of suitable network cables, plenum installation procedures, and the creation of wall jacks could be broken into three separate work packages.The installation of patch panels, switches, and connections between the network elements could be broken down into three separate work packages as well.

Do your work packages conform to the 8/80 Rule?

The WBS work packages should not take more than 80 hours to complete; if they do, the work packages should likely be further decomposed.

Can you identify activities from each of the deliverables that can happen in tandem with other work packages?

The primary tasks of planning and configuring the Windows XP Professional environment may be done in tandem with other work packages. Other team members can easily complete this work while the servers are being installed and configured. In addition, the team members responsible for creating a method to roll out the Windows XP image to the clients can develop a plan of attack for this work unit as well. However, activity sequencing is not really a concern of the WBS creation.

What method(s) can you use to roll out the Windows XP OS to the workstations?

Windows administrators can use unattended methods to install the operating systems. There are also third-party packages such as Ghost or DeployCenter to push the operating system to the workstations.

Which task needs to be completed first: the installation of the workstations or the installation of the servers?

The servers need to be completely installed prior to the installation of the workstations.

Why?

The servers will control the security, access to data, and access to printers. Without the centralized administration of the servers, the network won t be functional.

How long would you estimate the entire project will last?

Once the hardware is physically on site, phase 1 could take seven days, phase 2 could take five days, and phase 3 could take five days. A coordinated effort could complete the project in three weeks optimistically, five weeks pessimistically.

How many team members are required to complete this installation. Why?

Six to eight would be an adequate number of IT professionals working on the project. In phase 1, all eight individuals could pull wire, terminate cables, and install the wall jacks based on their experience and ability. In the second phase, only two administrators are needed for the Windows 2003 Server implementations , though a third, an Exchange Server expert, could work with the other administrators to coordinate the efforts between Exchange and Active Directory. In the third phase, two individuals could work together to create and test an image for the Windows XP installation. Two or three additional team members could test and document each image and how the applications fare on the installation.

What method would you use to communicate with your team members?

Weekly meetings, daily interactions, e-mail updates, and an open door policy for team members to speak with me.

What method would you use for your team members to report their progress to you? Why did you choose this method?

For this project, Microsoft Project Server could allow the team members to chart their progress online. Another acceptable approach would be e-mail updates or meetings each week. Given this project s implementation is somewhat short, an overextended reporting process isn t really required.

Exercise 2: Possible Solution

This exercise required the use of Microsoft Project 2000 to create the first phase of WBS for a network upgrade. At the completion of this first phase of the project, your Gantt worksheet should look like the file called Exercise 2 solution located within the CH5 folder on the CD-ROM.

Exercise 3: Possible Solution

Exercise 3 required you to complete the first phase of the WBS by assigning resources to tasks. At the completion of this phase, your Gantt worksheet should look like the file called Exercise 3 solution located within the CH5 folder on the CD-ROM.




IT Project Management
IT Project Management: On Track from Start to Finish, Third Edition
ISBN: 0071700439
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 195

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