Having gone through all of the steps of producing a design document, you are perhaps beginning to wonder what one would look like. No two will be identical, but Table 1-1 provides an outline of a typical design document that you could expect to see emerge from the design process.
Table 1-1. Sample Design Document Components
Design Document Component
Description
Networking Solution Design Objective
A paragraph or two defining what the solution will accomplish for the business.
Incorporates the solution's capabilities and expectations from the stakeholders, mostly at the strategic business level.
Overview of the Current System
Describes the current system to be integrated with the proposed solution in the framework of system availability, scalability, and performance.
A functional description of the current system, addressing areas of network asset management, topology, network addressing, security, Internet access, user support, and any other aspects of the system that come to the fore during the identification of the user requirements stage.
Functional Requirements and Priorities
The heart of the design document.
Includes the distilled functional requirements that will be fulfilled by the solution. Requirements should be assigned priorities.
Can mirror the “Overview of the Current System” section in terms of how the proposed solution will impact system availability, scalability, and performance.
Clearly states the impact of the solution on all stakeholders.
Addresses areas relating to network asset management, topology, network addressing, security, Internet access, and user support.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Includes all of the relevant equipment and labor costs.
Details any relevant financial analysis relating to cost savings and/or TCO for the business resulting from the solution's implementation.
Implementation
Addresses issues related to the solution's implementation.
As appropriate, includes sources of implementation expertise, project management, performance testing, documentation, and training.
Signatures and Dates
A design document requires a degree of consensus, whether it's one individual making all of the decisions on behalf of the business or a representative from each stakeholder group.
Obtain the necessary signatures (they should be dated) signifying agreement to the proposed design.
