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Wireless Networking Handbook
(Publisher: Macmillan Computer Publishing)
Author(s): Jim Geier
ISBN: 156205631x
Publication Date: 09/01/96

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CHAPTER 9
Planning the Support of a Wireless Network

Before turning the new system over to users, you need to make sure you’ve planned and prepared for how you’re going to support the network. The goal with this phase of the project, which can be accomplished in parallel with the design phase, is to make certain the system continues to operate effectively during its production phase. This chapter discusses the following elements of support you should prepare prior to implementing the system:

  Training. Training provides users, system administrators, and maintenance staff the know-how to effectively operate and support the new system.
  System administration. System administration is the liaison between the system and its users. With a network, a system administrator manages the network operating system.
  Help desk. The help desk is a central point of contact for users needing assistance with utilizing the network and its resources.
  Network management. Network management provides a variety of elements that protect the network from disruption and provide proactive control of the configuration of the network.
  Maintenance. Maintenance staff members perform preventative maintenance on the network and troubleshoot and repair the network if it becomes inoperable.
  Engineering. Engineering assists system administrators, the help desk, and maintenance staff in troubleshooting difficult network problems.
  Configuration control. Configuration control procedures make certain proper control procedures exist for making future network changes.

Training

Training is an important aspect of any activity, from flying the space shuttle to changing baby diapers. With networks, users need to know how to access network resources and run applications, and the system administrator needs to understand how to manage the network operating system. The implementation of proper training significantly increases the effectiveness of a new system because users have less of a learning curve, minimizing the drop in productivity normally encountered with new systems. Also, the users require less support from system administrators and the help desk.

When preparing for the delivery of training, perform these two steps:

1.  Determine training requirements.
2.  Create course materials.

The following sections explain each of these steps.

Determining Training Requirements

The analysis of training requirements is similar to defining requirements for the overall system—you determine what people need to learn. Here are some steps you should perform when determining training requirements:

1.  Interview a sample of potential students.
2.  Develop a draft list of learning objectives.
3.  Develop a training plan.
4.  Review, edit, and approve the training plan.

As with the initial system requirements determination phase, you should interview a representative sample of potential students to determine learning objectives for that particular group of users.

These learning objectives identify what the student is supposed to know after receiving instruction. For user training on new applications, be sure to ask questions related to the students’ experience with other applications and what parts of the new application they will be using. For system administrators, you should determine what experience and past training they’ve had with the chosen network operating system.

After interviewing the students, list the learning objectives of the users, system administrators, and any other support staff requiring training. In general, users need to know how to log in to the network operating system and run applications. System administrators need to learn how to set up user accounts, configure printers, run backups, execute disaster recovery procedures, and perform troubleshooting.

Part of determining training requirements is developing a training plan that indicates, as shown in figure 9.1, the learning objectives, course descriptions, and the schedule of course offerings, as well as the source and location of training. Be sure to have upper management and/or the customer representative review the training plan before proceeding with the acquisition/development and delivery of the training courses.


Figure 9.1  The elements of a training plan.

Generally, it is cheaper and easier to acquire off-the-shelf training from training vendors. Many training companies, for example, offer system administrator training on Novell NetWare and Microsoft NT Server at less expense than developing and delivering the courses internally (unless you’re training a thousand people and have an effective training staff). You may need to develop your own custom courses, however, preferably through someone with the right experience, for new applications.

Creating Course Materials

If you decide to develop your own training program, you need to perform the following tasks to create course materials:

1.  Develop lessons, exercises, and visual aids for each course.
2.  Identify and develop precourse materials.
3.  Create an instructor guide for each course.
4.  Develop student course books.
5.  Instruct an initial pilot offering of each course.
6.  Modify the course if necessary.

The development of effective training courses requires someone who understands the learning objectives. It is also beneficial if the course developers are able to teach the course as well. This reduces the amount of effort in developing the instructor guide and shortens the preparation time of the instructors because they have first-hand knowledge of the course materials.


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