Applications
Assessing the applications usage requirements is a good place to start as this will help determine how the network is going to be used. A network is only as good as the work it helps people to accomplish, and people work most directly using application software.
Most networks have common applications, department specific, or user specific applications. Many organisations meet the common applications requirements through a suite of desktop office tools such as Microsoft Office. Common applications include;
- Word processor
- Spreadsheet
- Presentation graphics
- Database
- Web browser client
- Personal Information Manager
- Virus protection software
The first thing is to determine a number of thinks about the common applications, for example;
- Do all users need to have the full suite installed?
- How often users plan to use the different applications
- How large will the files be?
This information will assist in determining the storage and bandwidth required for the system
Users
Network Services
Security and Safety
Growth and Capacity Planning
