• IT systems: – Management applications – LAN/WAN considerations
• IT processes: – Change control procedures – Implementation rollback plan – Testing, monitoring and troubleshooting – Backup/recovery plans – Data security
• IT staff: – Who will manage storage? – Need to assess staff readiness – Training should be part of the project plan
New applications can impact existing IT systems: Existing storage and enterprise management tools LAN/WAN bandwidth and topology (particularly if NAS is part of the solution)
New capabilities impact enterprise planning processes: Prioritized, documented change control procedures An implementation rollback plan Testing, monitoring and troubleshooting procedures Backup, recovery and business resumption plans Data security and access control procedures
New technologies impact IT staff:
New operational support procedures mean that new IT skill sets will be required to administer the storage infrastructure IT staff readiness should be assessed prior to deployment Training is a critical success factor