Project Phases

In moving to Active Directory and Windows 2000, there are distinct phases we recommend to minimize the impact to your organization. This generic approach can be used in any migration to Windows 2000. Later in this chapter, details on migration from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000 are described.

The phases for migration are as follows:

• Discovery phase

• Design phase

• Lab phase

• Pilot phase

The first phase is the discovery phase. The discovery phase provides for understanding your current environment with the intention of migrating to Windows 2000. Although you are probably familiar with the architecture and operations of your environment, it is a good practice to kick your project off with a clean look at your current Windows NT 4.0 environment in the context of moving to Active Directory and Windows 2000.

In conjunction with your Windows 2000 and Active Directory discovery phase, you should create a requirements and discovery document. This document is a reference as you move through the other phases and can help in determining trade-offs should you need to eliminate capabilities during Phase 1 of the implementation.

The design phase is the phase in which you develop how you are going to implement to meet the requirements as defined in the requirements and discovery document. A product of the design phase is the Windows 2000 and Active Directory design document for use as a reference in the implementation. This document contains the configuration approach and standards defined for your organization. A simple example of a standard is the naming convention to be used for user objects or the location of DCs in your enterprise WAN. The design document defines the end-point for Phase 1 of your implementation.

The lab phase is the phase in which you validate your design. This is where you apply the design information to the expected use of the environment. As part of the lab phase, you should create a test plan and validation document that includes the results of the tests implemented.

Following the lab phase, which might include some changes to the design and redefinition of the features available in the Phase 1 implementation, is the pilot phase. The pilot phase typically includes two parts: a controlled pilot phase that is a small group of users using the new system in a production mode, and later a larger group that is representative of the user population.

Following the pilot phase is an upgrade phase. The critical step in the upgrade phase is creating a document that clearly outlines the procedures for implementing the upgrade.