Performing a Site SurveyChapter 2 How to Plan Your Directory Data 31If you import data from other sources, develop a strategy for both bulk importsand incremental updates. As a part of this strategy, try to master data in asingle place, and limit the number of applications that can change the data.Also, limit the number of people who write to any given piece of data. Asmaller group ensures data integrity while reducing your administrativeoverhead.• Document your site survey.Because of the number of organizations that can be affected by the directory, itmay be helpful to create a directory deployment team that includesrepresentatives from each affected organization. This team performs the sitesurvey.Corporations generally have a human resources department, an accountingand/or accounts receivable department, one or more manufacturingorganizations, one or more sales organizations, and one or more developmentorganizations. Including representatives from each of these organizations canhelp you perform the survey. Furthermore, directly involving all the affectedorganizations can help build acceptance for the migration from local datastores to a centralized directory.Identifying the Applications That Use Your DirectoryGenerally, the applications that access your directory and the data needs of theseapplications drive the planning of your directory contents. Some of the commonapplications that use your directory include:• Directory browser applications, such as online telephone books. Decide whatinformation (such as email addresses, telephone numbers, and employeename) your users need, and make sure you include it in the directory.• Email applications, especially email servers. All email servers require emailaddresses, user names, and some routing information to be available in thedirectory. Others, however, require more advanced information such as theplace on disk where a user’s mailbox is stored, vacation notificationinformation, and protocol information (IMAP versus POP, for example).• Directory-enabled human resources applications. These require more personalinformation such as government identification numbers, home addresses,home telephone numbers, birth dates, salary, and job title.
