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Windows 2000
Introduction
The process for deploying the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional operating system involves careful planning and a little common sense. You can develop your deployment plan by determining how the capabilities and features of Windows 2000 Professional best meet the requirements and needs of your enterprise. A simple method for developing a successful deployment plan includes the following stages:
 | Define the project scope and objectives. |
| Evaluate the current network and desktop environments. |
| Design the Windows 2000 Professional desktop configuration. |
| Conduct a Windows 2000 Professional pilot deployment. |
| Conduct the full-scale deployment. |
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Defining the Project Scope and Objectives
The first step in the deployment process is to define your project goals and objectives, ensuring that they are consistent with the:
| Long-term vision of your organization. |
| Needs of your company’s employees (types of features and applications they require, connectivity to the Internet, multimedia applications, and so forth). |
A project plan can clearly identify specific phases of your deployment process and provide a clear and functional outline, clarifying the scope of the project, the people or groups affected, and the time frame involved. When you document your project scope, you will define which features of Windows 2000 that you will deploy in order to meet your business objectives and overall goals.
Some of the things to consider when determining a project scope are:
| Deployment numbers (computers, departments, networks, locations). |
| Deployment scope (operating system upgrade only, application upgrades, server upgrades, hardware upgrades). |
| Existing or expanded functionality. |
| Desktop standardization, administration, and security initiatives. |
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Assessing the Current Network and Desktop Environment
Before you design your Windows 2000-based desktop environment, you need to thoroughly understand your current network operating systems, infrastructure, and conventions.
During the assessment process, you will gather and analyze information about your current desktop and network environments. At a minimum, you should assess and document the following information:
| Business organization and geographical requirements |
| Application requirements (includes inventory of software and hardware) |
| Technology architecture |
| Interoperability |
| Network and application standards--current and future |
| User Types (Roaming, Mobile, Remote, Task-based, Knowledge-based, and so on.) |
| Software standards |
| Hardware standards |
| Support issues |
| Naming conventions |