We began our environment synchronization carefully. We carefully examined the differences between the environments, and documented them. We met with all the stakeholders/owner of the environments and everyone had input into how the synch would affect them and their work. We made adjustments to schedule and timeline to accommodate the disparate needs of the people with interests. Everyone nodded their heads in the same places, and rather than face it with fear, everyone seemed to have a calm confidence that, at worst, we'd adapt and overcome the problems.
Once the schedule was in place, we created an exact duplicate of the first environment (via virtualization, as this could be blown away and replaced easily if it goofed up) to be synched up. We left the other environments in place so we could continue business more or less as usual. Once the synch was complete and fully tested, we performed this on the actual environment, leaving the other environments untouched. We then moved on to and completed this sequentially on each environment until all were all happy. We realized it was our careful planning and schedule that kept us moving forward with few problems. When problems did pop up (they always do), we addressed them, but never, ever lost the ability to conduct our daily business......
And then I woke up, bolt upright in bed...and I cried...for it was only a dream. My vision merely a fairy tale fading fast, my mind tried desperately to cling to the shreds of happy calm I knew my dream self felt. I shook as I realized I was about to face yet another day of critical management and testing as every environment we have is dead and we have not conducted normal business for over two weeks.
My only comforting thought: it was not my (or my team's) decision to operate in a vacuum and try to synchronize the environments sans plan, timeline, or trial. Mine is not the neck in the noose for I am not the person who decided to shoot from the hip.
Here's hoping we can return to normal operation before too long....
posted @ Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:05 AM