Establishing Standards and Guidelines

Many organizations find that establishing Windows 2000 standards and guidelines can save time and money. This is because a standard environment reduces the potential for too many configuration combinations, making administrative and architectural workloads more efficient. Base these standards on how employees use their computers. For example, an employee doing computer-aided design has higher requirements than an employee using general office applications.

For best results, establish standard configurations for your clients and servers. Include guidelines for minimum and recommended values for CPU, RAM, and hard disks, as well as for accessories such as CD-ROM drives and uninterruptible power supplies.

Establish the standard software configurations that are used in your organization. Include operating systems and other application software and guidelines for how you distribute, support, and restrict the use of this software.

Establish guidelines for the network operating systems and protocols that are used in your organization. Include standard configurations for all network components (such as routers, hubs, and repeaters). Establish guidelines for supporting and maintaining these configurations.

Finally, establish the new standards and guidelines required by Windows 2000, including schema management and tracking, site design, and naming standards.

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