Late this summer I am responsible for moving a data center to a new building. I've already begun planning for the move, meeting with vendors, etc. However, never having done this before, I am looking for notice of pitfalls I won't think of until I'm falling into them. Any suggestions? Is there a MSProject template for this, or does someone want to share theirs with me? Any help appreciated. Saving Changes...
We are a small consulting firm and have done several data center moves, office environment moves / updates, and migrations from Oracle 8i to Oracle 10g type of projects.
Major Failure points the jump to mind include:
1) physical plant / electrical / engineering * takes at least three passes to get this optimized on really complex projects * what others said about electrical and phone is accurate but limited - no space here to elaborate.
2) upgrade during move / migrate to next version during move - scope creep and charter / calendar / resource allocation issues almost always come up.
3) security - floor to ceiling or slab to slab is seldom up to snuff in office buildings, and conduits between floors can be problematic - there is a failure point at the interface of security and engineering planning activities. 4) current configuration is almost never as advertised - during the move you will uncover every skeleton, kludge and undocumented capability you can imagine and alot you cant.
While not the wbs structure you were seeking, we do offer a free data center move guide on our website: http://www.e-oasis.com/sr-dcguide.html which covers the basics. The next version of the guide will be released in a few months.
The MPP wbs plans remain the property of our clients which is probably why you don't find many readily available.
I see that I'm not the only one seeking a project plan that I could modify to my specifics and use as a template to submit to my PMO Office for approval in a Data Center Relocation Project. With the multiple requests for this information that have been posted, has anyone received any useful plan template that was approved by your PMO Office that you would be willing to share with me? I'd be forever greatful for such help! Thanks, [email protected] Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I had asked for some help in obtaining an approved PMO template regarding a data center relocation project but no-one to date has offered any assistance. I am now well into the project and it wasn't so bad after all. My PMO Director is great and has guided me as necessary, and recently I have not any contact with her except monthly, so I guess I'm finally on the right track. It's not that I'm in-experianced with relocation projects (I'm an expert at that) it was the PMO paperwork I was concerned about. Having overcome the so called red tape and bureaucarcy of PMO I would be so very happy to offer assistance as best I can to anyone needing it in this specific area. Contractors have to network in order to keep working and as we all know "contracts do come to an end" and we have to accept that. I hope this forum will continue to help those in need and lend aid to those who request it.
[email protected] Thanks
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Anonymous
There is no 1 WBS everyone can use. WBS have to be determined on the work event and the people doing the work. I suggest you do a breif check on what needs to be done. 1) What is moving? (this is to include Backup tapes, racks, etc.) 2) What vendors will need to be in volved and to what level (Maintenance contracts - do not want to void). 3) How good is the documentation do you have on the existing data center environment. 4) Outage time (SLA) 5) how far are you going to move. I can be of assistance if you need a small contract firm with expertice. [email protected] Saving Changes...
Anonymous
We are moving on multiple phases, starting with data warehousing. Can someone explain to me what this means? I am a software PM and really puzzled about certain terminologies, but I am catching up. I would just like to know if my understanding is correct. Saving Changes...
arlene trimbleAssistant IT Director| Local GovernmentAlamo, Ca, United States
Thank you everyone for your very useful and timeless best practices and lessons learned. They are checklist-ready. Saving Changes...
