Enterprise System Design Planning Tools

System design planning contributes to implementation success. You have a choice in what tools you would like to use in building your GIS. Capacity planning tools developed and shared by Esri Professional Services can be used to automate your system design analysis.

Our System design process is described in Chapter 1 of the System Design Strategies wiki site. Both the Capacity Planning Tool and/or System Designer can be used to automate the system architecture design analysis. A full understanding of the System Design Strategies content is important when using either of these design tools. The System Design Strategies Preface provides an executive overview of the system architecture design content and how the system architecture design process can be used to complete a system design. Capacity Planning Tool updates are provided for download at the beginning of the Capacity Planning Tool appendix. The Capacity Planning Tool appendix shows how to use the Capacity Planning Tool.

System Designer was developed by the Esri Implementation Services team for use in standardizing our Professional Services system architecture design service offerings. System Designer provides a shared repository for collecting requirements, defining architecture, doing analysis and creating outputs. System Designer represents a “living” document for both GIS and IT teams to use to work together and collaborate in building enterprise GIS system design solutions. A copy of System Designer is available for review and evaluation. System Designer includes an internal help system along with tutorials to demonstrate its use.

Each design tool has its advantages. The Capacity Planning Tool is ideal for training and demonstrating the system design concepts introduced in the System Architecture Design Strategies training course. System Designer is used for Professional Services engagements, providing a more structured methodology for working through the design process. Design templates, integrated system monitoring and test tools, and a series of standard deliverables are included with the System Designer design package. These same tools can be used with the Excel Capacity Planning Tools.

"Both tools are maintained and shared to promote GIS implementation success."