Planning

Proper planning helps you place your server and identify the unique needs for your server.

Good planning is essential for the successful setup and use of your server. It ensures that you have everything you need and that you have met all the prerequisites for your server. This will minimize errors during install and allow for a quicker upgrade or install. The planning information in this topic helps you place the server, plan power and environmental needs, and prepare for unique configurations based on how you will use the server (for example, clustering of servers, Internet connections and rack mounting).

Planning scenarios that you are responsible for include:

A new server installation
A model upgrade
Hardware modifications (feature additions, removals, conversions, or relocations)
Software modifications (additions, removals, updates, or other changes)

To ensure that planning is completed successfully, you should assign a planning project manager who will provide a documented plan that includes:

A timeline for the activities to be performed
Each major activity phase and the desired outcome
A list of responsibilities and the person assigned
A current system diagram and configuration listing, including all hardware content, software content, cabling, and other pertinent configuration items (if this is a modification to an existing system)
An end-system diagram showing hardware content and configuration details, including cabling
Note: Give special attention to disk units, clustering, and logical partitions (LPAR) system configurations
A key contacts list, including off-hours contact information for all key task or activities participants
A plan for communicating appropriate elements of your plan with key personnel (for example, seller, installer, management)