Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
follow in going through their daily work routine. In the IT environment, the methodolo-
gies are the activities carried out based on the defined policies.
Policies govern how an organization will create its procedures and go about its work. For
example, a Japanese company might value cleanliness and orderliness in the workplace, so
they make it a policy that the workplace must clean, orderly, and clear from distractions. It
follows that the procedures are built around this policy, so the company might implement a
“no talking in the hallway” rule or require a specific uniform, or employees may be required
to bow to any superior who happens to pass by, as is prevalent in Japanese custom. Maybe
there is a prescribed time for employees to tidy up their own workspace so that everybody
does it at the same time and no one leaves before 6 p.m. These procedures and methodolo-
gies are made with direct regard to the policies and morals the organization holds.
On the other side of the world, in the United States, policies and procedures may be
entirely different. One policy, for example, might be to ensure that employees are happy as
possible because studies have shown that a contented and happy employee is less likely to
quit, taking valued skill sets with him. Distractions, decorations, and horsing around might
be encouraged to foster creativity.
The same goes for an IT organization that may be thinking of deploying a cloud com-
puting solution. For example, if the organization has a customer-focused policy, then it will
follow that most of its procedures and methodologies will be centered around the happiness
and satisfaction of the customer.
Planning the Documentation of the Network and IP
A network and IP planning document is rarely found, or sometimes even nonexistent, in
most organizations. Network engineers and experts rely on theories and principles cou-
pled with the simplicity of hardware setup, so most have not found the need for a formal
document. What you will find will usually be just a few detailed network diagrams and a
checklist of what to implement. The closest to a full document might be a few pages with
lists and diagrams and notes on what and how everything will be set up. People have sim-
ply been winging it most of the time. But for a cloud infrastructure to be successful, there
must be a proper network and IP planning document, if not simply for reference on future
upgrades and changes.
Network and IP documentation is considered a good idea but not an absolute neces-
sity, but we cannot stress enough how important it is, especially for service providers.
Documentation can benefit the service providers too; documenting their customers'
networks can make a world of difference when it comes to troubleshooting. It makes
root-cause analysis easier when you can simply look at a diagram and a bunch of proto-
cols being used and immediately discover a few suspects. These documents will also help
the providers spot some inefficiencies and areas in a customer's network that need to
be updated or upgraded, earning them some more positive points or even more revenue
streams. Also, good network and IP planning documentation will prove that you are
following good industry standards and practices and serve as a defense against network-
related complaints and litigation.
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