Chapter 16
Planning Technology Updates
In This Chapter
Updating hardware
Upgrading components, firmware, and device drivers
Timing software updates
An enterprise employs many types of hardware and software to provide services and functionality to its clients. This array of technologies is a lot like a garden; you can’t just plant it and walk away. Maintenance is critical if the systems (or tomatoes) are going to be as productive as you expect. Just like a garden, an enterprise needs continual upkeep, with outdated items removed to make way for new replacements.
This chapter examines several standard strategies for planning a technology refresh, and points out the uniquely useful aspects of each strategy.
Reviewing Hardware Update Strategies
You must update computing hardware, such as workstations and servers, regularly, implement emerging technology, and avoid age-related hardware failures if your enterprise is to remain agile. Planning, a critical first step in the hardware update process, helps minimize business disruptions. As you plan your strategy, you may find that update cycles will be affected by established criticality, function, or contractual obligations. Tech refresh is a commonly used term that refers to the periodic replacement of old technologies with new ones.
It can be said that there are almost as many different update strategies as there are enterprises. This statement may be an exaggeration, but determining how and when to upgrade technology is an issue of ...
