Click Here!
home account info subscribe login search My ITKnowledge FAQ/help site map contact us


 
Brief Full
 Advanced
      Search
 Search Tips
To access the contents, click the chapter and section titles.

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

Bookmark It

Search this book:
 
Previous Table of Contents Next


  What networks and systems (hardware and software) do CIS currently support?
  What is the current telecommunications/WAN topology? (That is, where are the facility locations and are they interconnected via telecommunications or WAN services?)
  What are the corporate inter- and intratelecommunications links?
  Which documents describe your existing networks and systems?
  What networks and system links are planned for the future?
  What tools are currently used for systems and network management?
  What are the company’s requirements for information security?
  What functionality do you envision the company’s information system providing in the future? How does this differ from the vision of users and executive management?
  What are the company’s business plans that might affect the network architecture? (That is, future staffing, geographical coverage, and so forth.)
  What is the company’s budget to deploy this system?
  Are any documents available for review that describe user and organization requirements for information systems?
  What policies do CIS have for deploying networks and systems?

Also, if the manager will be a user of the system, be sure to ask the questions for users.

Reviewing System Documentation

When determining requirements, the project team should review current documentation that provides an accurate description of existing systems. For instance, review the concept of operations to examine system-level functionality, operational environment, and implementation priorities for an organization’s information system. Also, review the strategic information system plan, which provides a long-term vision and the general procedures necessary to manage the efficient evolution of the corporate information system. This review provides policies and standards the design team may need to follow. In addition, the organization may have other plans, such as business and employee projections, that the team can consider. Business plans describe the future markets and strategies the company wishes to pursue and are useful when determining the types of applications and services the users might require.

Reviewing the Environment

To determine environmental requirements, consider the conditions in which the network will operate. Gather information by interviewing the company’s facility manager and visually inspecting the area.

Here are questions you will need to answer for wireless network implementations:

  What is the physical building made of?
  What devices in the area might cause interference?
  Are there any trees that might block the transmission of line-of-sight radio waves?
  Does the area occasionally experience severe snow, rain, fog, or smog?
  Where is it possible to install access points within the building?
  Where is it possible to install directional antennas on top of the building?

The obvious unseen hindrance to a radio-based wireless network is interference. Thus, in addition to talking with the facility manager about potential interference, consider using a radio-based site survey tool to evaluate radio wave activity within the part of the radio spectrum your components will operate. Most wireless LAN vendors include these site survey tools with their products. You can use a spectrum analyzer to measure the amplitude of signals at various frequencies.

If your project also includes wired network components and systems, perform the following activities to determine environmental requirements:

  Investigate the capability to run cables throughout the facility. Be sure to check above the ceilings to determine whether there is enough room to run the cabling, as well as locate and assess all vertical cabling conduits.
  Evaluate the electrical system. An electrical evaluation provides information on whether the building’s electrical system can support the network components. Check to see if adequate building power for the new components is available and whether the building has experienced power outages. If problems with the electrical system exist, recommend appropriate corrective action.
  Investigate server and communications room locations. If applicable, determine locations for the system servers and network hubs. Be certain the room(s) has adequate power, air-conditioning, and space for future expansion.

Defining Requirements

After gathering information, you’re ready to define the requirements that will provide the basis for the design. To define the requirements, perform these steps:

  Determine potential requirements
  Validate and verify the requirements
  Baseline the requirements

Determining Potential Requirements

The first step in defining requirements is to identify potential requirements by using the information gathered during interviews, review of documents, and inspections. You can accomplish this by:

  Conducting a Joint Application Design meeting
  Assessing constraints
  Documenting requirements

Conducting a Joint Application Design Meeting

An effective method for drafting requirements is to conduct a series of team meetings using Joint Application Design (JAD) techniques. With JAD, all the active participants work together in the creation of requirements. As illustrated in figure 6.3, JAD is a parallel process, simultaneously defining requirements in the eyes of the customer, users, sales, marketing, project managers, analysts, and engineers. You can utilize the members of this team to define requirements.


Figure 6.3  Joint Application Design—a parallel process.

The goal of JAD is to reach a consensus on requirements among all team members, especially the customer and developers. JAD ensures the early definition of accurate requirements, minimizing later rework.

JAD is extremely effective for defining requirements because the customer becomes a partner in the development project, allowing an effective customer-developer team, which breaks down communications barriers and increases levels of trust and confidence. Because JAD helps you to determine requirements quickly, developers can start prototyping earlier. Prototyping is important because it provides a vision of the system for the users, fueling the refinement of requirements. JAD also keeps the customer accurately informed on what can and can’t be done because engineers can validate the requirements as the customer states them.


Previous Table of Contents Next


Products |  Contact Us |  About Us |  Privacy  |  Ad Info  |  Home

Use of this site is subject to certain Terms & Conditions, Copyright © 1996-2000 EarthWeb Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of EarthWeb is prohibited. Read EarthWeb's privacy statement.