The "Guts" of the Network Migration Workbook

I have found with the books I've written that I have to tell people why they really want to buy the book. They think they know why, but it's not the real reason they should buy.

For example, with Service Agreements for SMB Consultants, people think they want to get the text of some service agreements so they can get up and going right away.

You get that, of course. But the real reason you want to buy the book is the subtitle: A Quick-Start Guide to Managed Services. You see, the meat of your business is not in your service agreements. Many people have operated for years without service agreements.

Your business is defined by how you operate, who you sell to, and the nature of what you sell. When you figure all that out and formalize it, you have yourself a service agreement.

Anyway . . .

I'm going through the same kind of thing now with The Network Documentation Workbook.

People think they want the click-by-click instructions on doing a Zero Downtime Migration. And yes, you do want that. But the meat that makes this process successful is the process.

As I mentioned in the earlier discussions of the book outline here and here, you need to look at the project as a project. You better never plan to put in the DVD for SBS 2008 and click Start. That's the road to misery and unprofitable behavior.

Modern SBS migration involves touching every important system in the client's office. Mission critical data storage. Mission critical email. Mission critical databases. Mission critical SharePoint. etc.

You could plan to just take the client offline, put your head down, and brute force your way through every migration, doing it different every time. But, to be honest, that's stupid and you won't make any money.

Network Migrations Should Not Be a Loss Leader

I think some people lose money on every migration and make it up by having a client "tied" to them for life because no one else can figure out the magical system they've build.

It doesn't have to be that way.

SOP: Standard Operating Procedures make every migration project profitable. They also result in consistent systems that are easier to maintain and more profitable in the long run.

The part of our new book that everyone thinks they want is the Appendix. If you're migrating to SBS 2003, you'll want Appendix A. If you're migrating to SBS 2008, you'll want Appendix B.

Those are the click-by-click instructions for "The Big Checklist." But before that, you'll want to read Chapters Five and Six to address strategies and techniques.

The Network Migration Workbook
Zero Downtime Migration Strategies for Microsoft Networks

Karl W. Palachuk
Manuel L. Palachuk

Table of Contents

• 5. The Migration Checklist Explained
  
  • The Checklist As A Living Document
    
  • What The Checklist Is and Isn't
    
  • Best Practices and Core Philosophies
    
  • A Good Rule: Use a Troubleshooting and Repair Log
    
  • A Note About Microsoft-Centric Habits
    
  • Checklist Management
    
  • Build the Binder
    
  • A Good Rule: Zenith Infotech Is A "Best Practice"
    
  • Profiles and Exchange
    
  • Focus on Profiles
    
  • - Understand Directories
    
  • - Copying Profile Pieces
    
  • - The Good News
    
  • - The User State Migration Tool
    
  • Focus on Exchange
    
  • - Outlook and Profiles
    
  • - Back to the Skills Discussion
  
  
  
• 6. Strategies for a Successful Zero Downtime Migration
  
  • Buckets
    
  • Create Your SRs
    
  • The Strategy Begins
    
  • Storing, Printing, and Using the Checklist
    
  • Build the Binder
    
  • The Big Picture on Timing: From Sales Cycle to Project Completion
    
  • The Realities of Time and Money
    
  • Picking Your Strategies
    
  • Major Work Before the Server Move
    
  • Moving the Major Components
    
  • Desktop to Desktop Procedures
    
  • The Golden Hours
    
  • Sidebar: Focus on Exchange
    
  • Sidebar: Focus on Databases
    
  • A Low-Stress Process That Can't Fail
    
  • Fine Tuning, Spinoff Projects, and a Final Reminder About Closed Loop Processes
    
  • Project Completion
    
  • Project Retrospective
    
  • Concluding Thoughts
  
  

:-)

Presales of The Network Migration Workbook start August 1st. Only $199 at the presales price. MSRP will be $299.95. Now Available: Introduction to Zero Downtime Migrations Seminar on MP3 Download All attendees of the October 1st Seminar in Las Vegas will receive a free copy of the book included in their registration.