Project Delivery Process D875

Blog: Biz-Performance, David Brown

D875 – Establish Conversion Processing Environment

DEFINITION

Set up the systems environment in which data conversion will take place. Transport and check the conversion software that will be used.

SUMMARY

The purpose of this task is to:

Identify the need for additions or changes to the technical and physical environment in order to perform the conversion according to plan
Take steps necessary to meet these requirements.

Provide for the availability of technical and physical resources required by the conversion plan.

determine adequacy and availability of conversion platforms
determine adequacy and availability of conversion software
determine availability of appropriate technical support personnel.

PATH PLANNING GUIDANCE

This process is optional – where a separate environment is required for data conversion.

DEPENDENCIES

Prerequisites (Finish-Start):

Data Conversion Strategy (D180)

Prerequisites (Finish-Finish):

Review technical environment and plan installation (D110 or D111)
Finalise data conversion routine design (D604 or D600) and corresponding construction tasks (D650, D656, D658)
Plan, prepare and conduct technical tuning and volume testing (D810)
Define, plan and agree handover / cutover (D830)

Dependent procedures (Finish-Start):

Load start up data (D880)

RECEIVABLES

Site technical and operations documentation
Vendor technical documentation
Facilities policies and procedures
Operations and facilities management
Technical Plan (D110 or D111)
Data Conversion Strategy (D180)
conversion software design (D604)

DELIVERABLES

Conversion environment

TOOLS

(none)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TASKS

The Environment

The establishment of a separate conversion environment may be required for the testing, programming and running of interface and conversion routines. The primary reason for setting up a separate data conversion environment is to take account of the abnormal systems loadings that occur during data conversion. It may also be used during the development of conversion routines so that the customising and configuration team can continue their work without interrupting others.

The timing of the transport from the configuration/customising environment will have to be coordinated with the other teams so that all the teams agree with delivery of the new settings for the conversion environment.

This environment will include the following information:

transported customising and configuration data from the development environment,
sample manually loaded conversion data.

Abnormally high volumes are encountered during conversion. The conversion environment may be set up on a temporary basis to include far greater capacity than the normal live environment.

The conversion environment may become the production environment as modules are complete and have been tested. Alternatively, the loaded data and systems may themselves be migrated into a live environment.