Assessing Your Existing Environment

Collecting information about the computers that support your network (for example, primary domain controllers and backup domain controllers) can be a time-intensive process; however, this process is necessary for you to plan a successful SMS deployment.

At a minimum, you need to gather the following hardware, software, and network information for each domain controller and file server in your network:

• Type and speed of the microprocessor (for example, Pentium 200)
• Amount of RAM
• Disk or array controller characteristics and how they are configured
• Devices and their characteristics, including size, megabytes of cache, and even the drive models and types are useful (for example, ultra-wide SCSI, 9 GB, 7200 RPM)
• Software applications located on each drive
• Network type or topology (such as 10 MB or 100 MB Ethernet) and any WAN connections, including speed

Use this information to create a network diagram. After you make decisions about the site structure and site system hardware requirements, you can determine whether any equipment upgrades or new systems are necessary for your SMS 2.0 deployment.

You will also find the network diagram helpful when you create a representative test environment for your pilot project.