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| Welcome to what I call, Methodology in a Box 2.5. Version 2.1 is a minor revision packed with a few new sections and a lot of fixes and suggestion / clarification from all of you Over my years implementing and supporting networks, I have been fortunate enough to learn that deploying a solution is much more than just installing the systems and configuring the clients. It is and needs to be seen as a project and a project needs a plan and someone to manage that plan. My goal for this document is to explain, as best I can, how to plan, implement, rollout and manage a successful Citrix MetaFrame XP deployment. I have geared this guide toward small size deployments. It is meant to be a starting point to help the technicians and engineers who find themselves working in the trenches with no tangible plan for success. I know that I cannot possibly cover everything, but will try to touch on the points that I feel are the most important and have the biggest impact on the completion of a successful project. My intention is to pass on the base knowledge that is required while guaranteeing a successful outcome. I have also tried to write this document in the same framework that your project will follow and throughout this document, I have presented real world examples from my personal experiences in deploying MetaFrame and other software packages. To accomplish this I have created a fictitious consulting firm (D&D Consulting) and a customer called DABCC.COM to add a sense of realism to the examples. I have also documented systematic instructions on everything needed for a successful MetaFrame / NFuse deployment. My intentions are to make this a blueprint for a successful deployment! This is also a living document. In this project, you will find a lot of information but it is far from everything one would need and not even meant to be. It is meant to be a starting point, a process change to get you excited about the art of Project Management the way I am. I truly believe it can take you and your organization to the next level. Please, do not take the examples provided and plan on applying them as is to your environment. Each IT environment is unique, and as we all know, extremely complex. The timelines, procedural steps, and specific details will be different for each environment. Learning to accept and plan for these differences is called managing risk and no matter how much we might like to completely remove risk, that is not realistic. But, by applying some of the techniques presented here, as well as seeking professional services assistance at key points, you can minimize the risk factors and maximize the probability of success. I have assembled this document because I personally have learned the value of a measured, structured approach to projects. This approach may not come naturally, but can and must be learned by all IT professionals, and in particular professionals involved in SBC design and implementation. I believe in success, and have found that the closest thing to guaranteeing success is to employ a structured approach. Secondarily, I have found that seeking help, even outside the organization, can and will save time, money, and effort. The best manager is often the one that can clearly understand and articulate what he/she doesnt know and actively seeks expertise.
Finally, this guide is my attempt to give back a little to the community that had taught me so much. When I try to thank everybody who has helped over the years, I was asked to carry the word to others, the way they did for me. Therefore, to all you who have been a help and given so much to my growth, this document is for the next question boy, coming from you, through me Thank you and enjoy, 
Douglas A. Brown, MCSE, CCEA Founder DABCC, Inc. dbrown@dabcc.com |