Before you begin checklist

Before you begin an VMware Smart Assurance deployment, you must meet the requirements described in Before you begin checklist . Each chapter in this guide includes a checklist. Appendix A, “Design and Deployment Checklists,” contains all available checklists.

Table 1. Before you begin checklist

Complete	Requirement	Description
	Possess an understanding of the architecture and capabilities.	At a minimum, you must understand the concepts and architecture described in the following documents: VMware Smart Assurance Service Assurance Manager Introduction VMware Smart Assurance Service Assurance Manager Configuration Guide VMware Smart Assurance Service Assurance Manager Adapter Platform User Guide VMware Smart Assurance System Administration Guide VMware Smart Assurance Installation Guide for SAM, IP, ESM, MPLS, and NPM Managers that accompanied your product VMware Smart Assurance user guides related to the underlying domains in your deployment
		To improve your understanding, attend training courses offered by VMware Education Services and Development. Typically, deployment requires the knowledge equivalent to what is provided in the training courses on: Global Manager VMware Smart Assurance Service Assurance Manager Adapter Platform Any underlying VMware Smart Assurance domain that will be part of your deployment.
	Obtain contact information for the deployment team.	The contact list should include titles, responsibilities, and contact methods for all team members.
	Get non-disclosure requirements and negotiate an agreement.	Be aware of the requirements of the non-disclosure agreements that are in place for the deployment.
	Develop schedules and set milestones for early deliverable.	Scheduling a software deployment varies based on the size and scope of the deployment and the organization’s requirements. Typical milestones might include: Initial project meeting to define the deployment scope Purchase of VMware Smart Assurance software Project development begins Installation in test environment complete Testing complete Installation in production environment complete VMware Smart Assurance goes live Additional information on scheduling is beyond the scope of this guide.