This chapter describes the key participants and activities involved in planning for and implementing a VSM 6 system.
The primary goals of the planning process are to:
Ensure the VSM 6 system meets the requirements of the customer, and that it is ordered, delivered, installed, configured, tested, certified, and turned over with a minimum of disruptions and problems.
Ensure the installation site infrastructure is equipped to handle the power, data-handling, and environmental requirements of VSM 6 system equipment, and that customer personnel are trained to assist with delivery, installation, configuration, testing, certification, and operation of the VSM 6 system equipment.
Successful implementation requires regular communication and coordination between customer personnel and the Oracle account team. This ongoing collaboration helps ensure that all factors critical to the implementation are identified and addressed before equipment is delivered to the site.
Once a sales proposal has been accepted, the customer service manager (CSM) should confer with customer-site personnel including the network administrator, data center manager, and facilities manager to identify which individuals who should be involved with implementation planning, site readiness planning, and delivery and installation planning.
Customer and Oracle personnel who participate in these planning teams jointly own and control the various processes, activities, and deliverables of those teams.
Once the team participants have been identified, one customer team member and one Oracle team member should be selected to act as coordinators for each team. Regular meetings should be scheduled to:
Define roles and responsibilities for all team members.
Define required implementation activities and task completion dates.
Identify and address issues that could impede delivery, installation, or implementation of system equipment.
Customer membership for the various planning and implementation teams should consist of:
Persons who will determine the configuration and location of VSM 6 system equipment, including but not limited to the data center manager, one or more network administrators, the facilities manager, and the site engineer.
Persons who will be directly involved with installation, testing, certification, and operation of VSM 6 system equipment, including but not limited to facilities personnel, system operators, and network/IT personnel.
Persons who will be involved with delivery and dock-to-data center transit of VSM 6 system equipment, including but not limited to the dock manager, dock personnel, and facilities personnel.
Oracle membership for the various teams may include some or all of the following: the sales representative (SR), the local customer services manager (CSM), a systems engineer (SE), a system support specialist (SSS), a technical support specialist (TSS), an Oracle Advanced Customer Services (ACS) consultant, and a customer service engineer (CSE).
The following activities should be completed during the time preceding delivery of VSM 6 system equipment to a customer site:
Define a system configuration that best addresses customer requirements.
Review site factors that present existing or potential safety and environmental hazards.
Review equipment transfer requirements and define a compliance plan as needed.
Review power supply and cabling requirements and evaluate compliance to requirements.
Review floor construction and load ratings and evaluate compliance.
Review data cabling requirements for the VSM 6 system configuration and evaluate compliance to requirements.
After completing reviews of power, environmental, flooring, and network connectivity requirements, schedule needed facilities upgrades to be completed before delivery of system equipment.
Create a floorplan/layout for all VSM 6 system equipment, and review it with the Professional Services consultant. A copy of the final floorplan/layout should be given to the sales representative to attach to the sales order.
Measure and record cable-layout distances between AC source power locations, host systems, network servers, remote support devices, and VSM 6 system hardware components.
Identify any special shipping requirements and reconfirm the scheduled system delivery date with the manufacturing facility.
Verify compliance of input power systems and power cabling in the data center.
Verify environmental compliance and HVAC systems readiness in the delivery, staging, and installation areas.
Verify floor loading compliance along the delivery path and at the data center installation location.
Identify which personnel will perform the VSM 6 system installation at the customer site.
Verify delivery dock and data center personnel and CSEs will be available to accept delivery of the system equipment, and assist in unpackaging, point-to-point transfer, and installation of system equipment.
Agree on firm dates and timeframes for delivery, installation, certification, and operational testing of system equipment.
A VSM 6 planning spreadsheet is available to the account team from Oracle VSM Support. Use the spreadsheet to record relevant account site and contact information, and to map and record details of the VSM 6 configuration. The spreadsheet also contains a sample configuration to use for reference during the planning process.