Design, Implementation, and Management of Distributed Databases— An Overview - High-Performance Web Databases: Design, Development, and Deployment - page 352

The Installation and Implementation Phase
This phase consists of the installation and implementation of the envi-
ronment that provides basic software support for the distributed DBMS
application. The task of developing the distributed database application
could occur in parallel with the installation of the environment.
The Support and Maintenance Phase
The support and maintenance phase consists of support for the distrib-
uted DBMS environment and the support and maintenance of the applica-
tion. Although these support and maintenance tasks can be performed by
the same people, the nature of the tasks and responsibilities are quite dis-
tinct. For example, the distributed application may require modification of
report formats, while the distributed environment may require modifica-
tion to add more memory.
CORPORATION STRATEGY PLANNING
The main task during the strategic planning phase is to obtain the com-
mitment of senior management. The measure of this commitment is the
amount of resources — both personnel and equipment — necessary for
the development of a distributed DBMS. The factors that must be consid-
ered during the strategy planning phase are as follows:
• What are the objectives of the organization's next five-year plan?
• How will technological changes affect the organization's way of doing
business?
• What resources are needed to plan for the development of, and migra-
tion to, a distributed DBMS?
• What tools or methods can be employed to develop and implement
the plan?
• How will outcomes be measured relative to the impact on the organi-
zation's competitive position?
The corporate strategy plan must include detailed specifications of the
total system life cycle. It must also include a realistic timetable of sched-
ules and milestones. Important consideration must be paid to the alloca-
tion of cost for new acquisitions, training of personnel, physical space
requirements, and other tangible items.
During the strategic planning phase, information must be gathered on
the organization's business functions and goals, related constraints and
problem areas, and the organization's user groups. Only after the needed
information has been gathered is it possible to develop high-level informa-
tion categories and their interrelationships.
The process of developing the distributed database plan is iterative. The
activities involved are often performed by data administrators or information