Abstract

Introduction

For many companies, the next big IT initiative is deploying Microsoft Windows 2000. The payoff promises to be significant: a reliable, scalable, manageable, Internet-ready platform for your organization. Planning and tracking your deployment project, documenting your current network environment, and designing a reliable network and directory structure are critical to smooth, rapid deployment.

Enter Microsoft Visio Professional 2002 and Microsoft Visio Enterprise Network Tools. Use these tools to create diagrams that you can use to visualize every phase of your Windows 2000 deployment project:

Timelines and Gantt charts provide clear, visual roadmaps for your Windows 2000 deployment.

Organization charts document your organization and deployment teams.

Flowcharts and block diagrams simplify complex concepts and processes.

Physical and logical network diagrams document your current and proposed network infrastructure.

Directory diagrams document your current directory structure and your proposed Microsoft Active Directory(TM) structure.

These Visio diagrams can help IT teams, management, clients, and vendors visualize and understand your deployment project, from the big picture to the details, and work toward common goals. Add to that technology that allows you to automatically discover your current network infrastructure, import your current directory service, and test your proposed Active Directory, and you have a complete diagramming package that simplifies and supports your deployment effort, and ultimately saves time.

Of course, Microsoft Visio Professional 2002 and Microsoft Visio Enterprise Network Tools aren't the only tools you'll use to document and support your Windows 2000 deployment. You'll probably also use Microsoft Office XP products, such as Microsoft Word to write proposals, Microsoft PowerPoint® to present your ideas to your organization, Microsoft Excel to keep track of costs, and Microsoft Outlook® to communicate with team members.

Visio diagrams fit into any Windows 2000 communication strategy you choose. Incorporate any Visio deployment diagram into any of these Microsoft products to clarify and strengthen your ideas, increase comprehension of complex processes, and provide a common visual language that spans cultural, organizational, and technical barriers.

Plan and track the progress of your project

A good project plan for deploying Windows 2000 is vital to a successful deployment. Although every organization is unique, there are common elements that make project plans effective. One of those elements is a method for planning and tracking the progress of the project from the big picture down to the details.

Using timelines, you can present the project status and milestones to executives and others who need to grasp this information quickly. For project management or team members who need more detail, Gantt charts provide project specifics, again in a visual form that's easy to comprehend. Used effectively, these diagrams can clearly identify specific phases of your overall deployment process, provide a clear and functional roadmap, and make it easy for your deployment teams to assess their progress.

Note   If you already have project management methods in place, you might think about using Visio timelines and Gantt charts with your present tools to provide a richer set of diagrams to visualize your project. Your ultimate goal when formulating a deployment plan is to successfully deploy Windows 2000 using project management techniques that work in your organization.

View your project at a glance

Timelines are particularly good at showing the big picture--project status, a history of events, and what's to come. Milestones can pinpoint when you'll evaluate the project's progress and make necessary decisions or adjustments. Interval markers specify the length of time a project process or phase will take.

If you're using Microsoft Visio for all your deployment diagrams, you can create your timeline manually by dragging Visio shapes, such as Timeline, Milestone, Interval, Elapsed Time, and Today Marker shapes, onto the drawing page.

If you're using Microsoft Visio and Microsoft Project as your project scheduling tools, you might already have some project data in Microsoft Project. You can automatically create sharp-looking timelines by importing that data into Microsoft Visio using the Import Project Data Wizard.

To create a timeline manually

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Project Schedule, and then, under Template, click Timeline.

If Microsoft Visio is already running, on the File menu, point to New, point to Project Schedule, and then click Timeline.

From the Timeline Shapes stencil, drag a timeline shape onto the drawing page. In the Configure Timeline dialog box, set the date range, scale, and format, and then click OK.

Configure Timeline dialog box

If you select the Automatically update dates when markers are moved check box in the Configure Timeline dialog box, the dates on the marker, milestone, and interval shapes that you'll add later will be automatically updated when you move them.

To reconfigure your timeline, right-click it, and then click Configure Timeline. To show arrowheads on a timeline, right-click the timeline, and then click Show Right Arrowhead or Show Left Arrowhead.

Drag milestone shapes onto the timeline to illustrate important events or dates, such as dates when you want to evaluate the progress of your deployment project. In the Configure Milestone dialog box, choose the milestone date and date format, and then click OK.

To reconfigure a milestone, right-click it, and then click Configure Milestone. To change the milestone type, right-click it, and then click Set Milestone Type.

Drag interval shapes onto the timeline to illustrate important processes or phases of your deployment project. In the Configure Interval dialog box, choose the interval start date, finish date, and date format, and then click OK.

To reconfigure an interval, right-click it, and then click Configure Interval.

Drag Today Marker or Elapsed Time shapes onto the timeline to illustrate the current date and elapsed time.

Share your timeline by printing it, e-mailing it, saving it as a Web page, or incorporating it into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

To automatically create a timeline using data in other files

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Project Schedule, and then, under Template, click Timeline.

If Microsoft Visio is already running, on the File menu, point to New, point to Project Schedule, and then click Timeline.

On the Tools menu, point to Macros, point to Project Schedule, and then click Import Project Data Wizard.

Follow the instructions on the wizard pages to import data from other files, such as Microsoft Project, Microsoft Excel, and text files, and automatically create a timeline from the data.

Tip   If one of the vendors on your deployment team doesn't have Microsoft Visio, you can use the Export Project Data Wizard to export the data from your timeline into another file format (text file, Microsoft Project file, or Excel workbook). You can also export data from your Visio timeline to automatically create Gantt charts, and vice versa. On the Tools menu, point to Macros, point to Project Schedule, and then click Export Project Data Wizard.

Track the details of your project

So far, you've seen how you can use timelines to understand the big picture. With Microsoft Visio, you can use Gantt charts to view your Windows 2000 deployment project tasks in detail, link tasks with dependencies and interdependencies, and quickly identify task owners and status.

Just as you can create timelines manually or automatically, you can create Gantt charts manually or automatically by importing project data from other file formats. And, if you've already created timelines for your project, you can automatically create Gantt charts by exporting data from the timelines.

Tip   Task worksheets or checklists can help team members gather information and establish when a task is finished. You can create worksheets and checklists with the Forms and Charts template in Microsoft Visio. On the File menu, point to New, point to Forms and Charts, and then click Form Design. For examples of Windows 2000 deployment worksheets and checklists, see the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Deployment Planning Guide.

To automatically create a Visio Gantt chart from a Visio timeline

Open the Visio file that contains the timeline information you want to export.

On the Tools menu, point to Macros, point to Project Schedule, and then click Export Project Data Wizard.

On the first Export Project Data Wizard page, click Microsoft Visio Gantt Chart drawing, and then click Next.

Follow the instructions on the rest of the wizard pages to specify the time scale, duration options, and the types of tasks you want to export.

Click Finish on the last page to automatically generate the Gantt chart.

Microsoft Visio creates a new file, and lays out the Gantt chart on the drawing page.

Share your Gantt chart by printing it, e-mailing it, saving it as a Web page, or incorporating it into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

To create a Gantt chart manually

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Project Schedule, and then under Template, click Gantt Chart.

If Microsoft Visio is already running, on the File menu, point to New, point to Project Schedule, and then click Gantt Chart.

In the Gantt Chart Options dialog box, specify the task options, duration options, timescale range, time units, and formatting options, and then click OK.

Gantt Chart Options dialog box

Microsoft Visio automatically creates the Gantt chart.

Replace the default task names and dates with names and dates that are relevant to your project by clicking the task or date, and then typing. You can also add the name of the person that owns the task.

Add more tasks to your Gantt chart by selecting the Gantt chart frame, and then dragging the bottom selection handle to increase the height of the frame.

Microsoft Visio automatically adds enough tasks to fill the frame.

Add milestones to your Gantt chart by dragging a Milestone shape onto the chart between two tasks.

Microsoft Visio automatically adds a task with the duration set to 0 (zero).

Link, or create dependencies between tasks by selecting a task, holding down the SHIFT key while you select another task, and then on the Gantt Chart menu, clicking Link Tasks.

Indent tasks by selecting the task you want to indent, and then on the Gantt Chart toolbar, clicking the Indent button.

Document your current business organization and processes

One of the primary goals of the planning phase of any Windows 2000 deployment project is to determine where you are, where you want to go, and how Windows 2000 can help you get there. This involves assessing your current organization structure, business processes, and network environment. You also need to find out which Windows 2000 features your organizations will demand and which business processes the migration to the new operating system will affect. Then you need to present this information in a way that builds support for your project goals and helps you determine which Windows 2000 features you need. That's where organization charts and flowcharts come in.

Use organization charts to visualize your organization structure and deployment teams. Use different types of flowcharts and block diagrams to document key business processes. For example, block diagrams can depict the correlation between your organization and network structure. Work flow diagrams can depict key workflows that will change due to a new operating system. With process flowcharts, show the sequence needed to successfully implement key Windows 2000 components.

Document your current business organization

Organization charts can be much more useful to your Windows 2000 deployment project than you might think. Documenting your current business structure helps identify the needs and requirements of different business units. Organization charts can bring to light discrepancies in reporting structures and hierarchies, both among those business units and across the organization as a whole. Using such charts to determine the needs of each business unit will make building your Active Directory structure easier.

You can also use organization charts to visualize your deployment teams. For example, use them to determine your staffing needs, assemble the teams, and determine their reporting structure. Add and store information specific to each team member, such as contact information, overall task ownership, and Windows 2000 feature ownership.

Easily create your organization charts by dragging shapes onto other shapes. For example, drag a Manager shape onto the drawing page, and then drag a Position shape onto the Manager shape. Microsoft Visio automatically connects and aligns the shapes to create a reporting structure. You can also change the alignment of the shapes and format them with a single mouse click using the Organization Chart toolbar.

Microsoft Visio also makes it easy to manage large organization charts that span multiple drawing pages. You can determine how much of your chart you want to show at any time by creating a synchronized copy of the original page of your chart on a new drawing page, and then hiding subordinate positions on the original page. For example, you could show the original page in an executive meeting focused on team leaders and their responsibilities. You could show the more detailed second page to your department director to help you secure enough staff.

To create an organization chart

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Organization Chart, and then under Template, click Organization Chart.

If Microsoft Visio is already running, on the File menu, point to New, point to Organization Chart, and then click Organization Chart.

From the Organization Chart Shapes stencil, drag the Executive shape onto the drawing page.

With the shape selected, type the person's name. Press the ENTER key, type the person's title, and then click anywhere outside the shape.

Drag a Manager shape directly onto the Executive shape to establish a reporting relationship. Add a name and title to the shape. Repeat until you've added all the managers you want.

As you drop a shape onto the shape it reports to, Microsoft Visio automatically connects and aligns the shapes.

To establish a reporting relationship to the manager, drag a Position shape onto a Manager shape. Repeat to add more positions.

You can use the Multiple Shapes shape on the Organization Chart Shapes stencil to add from 1 to 50 shapes of the same type to your diagram. Drag the Multiple Shapes shape onto the drawing page. In the Add Multiple Shapes dialog box, enter the number of shapes you want to add, under Shape, select the position you want, and then click OK.

To change the alignment of shapes, select the shape whose subordinates you want to realign, and then click one of the alignment buttons on the Organization Chart toolbar.

To store information about each team member, such as contact information, overall task ownership, and Windows 2000 feature ownership, right-click each shape, and then click Properties. To add more properties to shapes for task and feature ownership, click Define in the Custom Properties dialog box.

To create a report that includes the name, title, and telephone number for each person in your organization chart, on the Tools menu, click Report. Under Report Definition, select Organization Chart Report, and then click Run. In the Run Report dialog box, choose the report format, such as HTML, XML, Microsoft Excel, or Visio table, and then click OK.

Share your organization chart by printing it, e-mailing it, saving it as a Web page, or incorporating it into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

To create a synchronized copy of a department on a new page

With your organization chart open, select the shape you want to place at the top level of the new page. On the Organization Chart menu, click Create Synchronized Copy.

In the Create Synchronized Copy dialog box, click OK to create a new drawing page that displays a copy of the shape you selected and any shapes that are subordinate to that shape. If you want to hide the subordinate positions on the original page, check Hide subordinates on original page.

The new shapes are synchronized with the original shapes so that changes you make appear in both places.

If you want to display hidden subordinates on the original page after you've created the synchronized copy, right-click a stacked shape (one that has other shapes under it) on the original page, and then click Show Subordinates.

To continue building the department on the new page, drag new shapes onto the shapes you copied.

To synchronize all the shapes on the original page and the new page, go to the original page, and then on the Organization Chart menu, click Synchronize Relationships. In the Synchronize Relationships dialog box, select Shapes on the current page, and then click OK.

Document your key business processes

Documenting your business processes helps you understand how a new IT infrastructure will affect them, so you can decide how to modify them. For instance, you might change your IT infrastructure by using Active Directory to distribute administration to local administrators, so they can respond better to local user requirements. This type of infrastructure change would require a change to your current process. Using flowcharts or block diagrams, you can quickly brainstorm and visualize what those changes might be.

Microsoft Visio provides many types of flowchart diagrams you could use throughout your Windows 2000 deployment project.

Flowchart diagram types in Microsoft Visio

Flowchart type	Example (click to enlarge)	Purpose
Audit Diagram		Document and analyze processes that involve financial transactions and inventory management.
Basic Flowchart		Describe or analyze processes, document procedures, indicate work or information flow, track cost and efficiency.
Cause and Effect Diagram		Document the factors that contribute to a given outcome. Use for problem-solving.
Cross-Functional Flowchart		Show the relationship between a business process and the organizational or functional units responsible for the process.
Data Flow Diagram		Document the logical flow of data through a set of processes or procedures, including external sources and destinations of the data, activities that transform the data, and stores or collections where the data is held.
IDEF0 Diagram		Model business and organizational processes using standardized IDEF0 text, box, and arrow conventions.
Mind Mapping Diagram		Brainstorm and problem-solve using Tony Buzan's mind maps (graphical representations of thought processes).
SDL Diagram		Document communications and telecommunications systems networks using Specification and Description Language shapes designed to International Telecommunications standards.
TQM Diagram		Create Total Quality Management flowcharts for business process re-engineering, Total Quality Management, continuous improvement, and quality solutions.
Work Flow Diagram		Describe, analyze, and document information flow, automation of business processes, accounting, management, and human resources tasks.

Creating any of these flowcharts is easy. Just drag shapes onto the drawing page and have Microsoft Visio automatically connect them, or connect the shapes yourself after they're on the page. Then, move the shapes around as much as you want to. The connections, or relationships, between the shapes stay intact.

Note   The next procedure provides instructions on creating a process flowchart. However, you can use these basic steps to create any type of any flowchart.

To create a process flowchart

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Flowchart, and then, under Template, click Basic Flowchart.

If Microsoft Visio is already running, on the File menu, point to New, point to Flowchart, and then click Basic Flowchart.

Click the Connector tool on the Standard toolbar if you want Microsoft Visio to connect the shapes as you drag them onto the drawing page.

Drag a shape, such as a Process or Decision shape, from the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil onto the drawing page.

Drag a second shape onto the drawing page.

The shapes automatically connect if you used the Connector tool to drag them onto the drawing page.

Drag enough shapes to build the complete flowchart. Connect them by drawing connections between shapes using the Connector tool, if the shapes aren't already connected.

Each new shape you drop connects to the selected shape if you use the Connector tool to drag shapes onto the drawing page.

Share your flowchart by printing it, e-mailing it, saving it as a Web page, or incorporating it into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

Tip   To create block diagrams that represent processes, use the Basic Diagram and Block Diagram templates. On the File menu, point to New, point to Block Diagram, and then click Basic Diagram or Block Diagram. You can also use shapes on any stencil in your Visio diagrams. To open a stencil, on the File menu, point to Stencils, point to a category, and then click a stencil.

Discover, document, and report on your current network infrastructure and directory services

Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Active Directory present a new way to organize and manage networks and directory services. Before you design your Windows 2000 environment, it's important that you document your existing computing infrastructure so everyone on the deployment team can thoroughly understand and visualize it. This helps you prepare your network and directory structure for Windows 2000, and ultimately has a huge impact on the deployment's success.

With Microsoft Visio Professional 2002 and Microsoft Visio Enterprise Network Tools, you can automatically discover and document Layer 3 (IP network) network topology, frame relay circuits, and Layer 2 (data link) network topology, using manufacturer-specific shapes from more than 500 network vendors. You can automatically discover and document Windows servers and workstations. And, you can import and document these directory services: Novell Directory Services (NDS), LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), and Microsoft Active Directory.

Use these diagrams to compare your current computing infrastructure to the proposed infrastructure based on your deployment objectives. The difference--or gap--between the two will help you decide which Windows 2000 features to deploy.

Discover and document your current network topology

Whether you're a one-office business or your network spans the world, Microsoft Visio Professional 2002 and Visio Enterprise Network Tools give you the flexibility to create accurate network diagrams in a fraction of the time it takes to do them manually. You can create Layer 3 network topology diagrams that document all the devices on your network, their connectivity, and their relationships. Create frame relay diagrams, or diagrams that show only your switched devices. If your company has several backbone networks, you can create diagrams for each geographical region. You can also create Layer 2 data link diagrams that document the interconnections of switches, routers, and other devices.

To create these network diagrams quickly, discover your network using AutoDiscovery technology and the Discovery Wizard. This first step searches your network, discovers the devices you specify, and creates a database of the Layer 2 and Layer 3 devices found. This database includes information about each device, such as its network name, IP address, operating system, manufacturer, the SNMP community string used by the device, and interface information. You can customize the Discovery Wizard to discover only specific networks or devices, or every device on as many networks as you like.

Second, create a network diagram based on the AutoDiscovery database (SQL database). Use menu commands to add shapes to your diagram, or drag devices from the Database Viewer onto the drawing page. Microsoft Visio automatically assigns a combination of generic and manufacturer-specific shapes to discovered devices in your network. Each manufacturer-specific shape also contains discovered information, such as the device name, address, make, and speed. (Download up-to-date manufacturer-specific shapes from the Find Network Shapes page at Microsoft Visio Network Center.)

To discover your network

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Network, and then click AutoDiscovery and Layout.

The AutoDiscovery and Layout template, and the AutoDiscovery menu and the AutoDiscovery and Layout toolbar appear. The menu and toolbar are available only when you open this template or a diagram created using this template.

If Microsoft Visio is already running, on the File menu, point to New, point to Network, and then click AutoDiscovery and Layout.

If you've created multiple AutoDiscovery databases, the Select Database dialog box appears. Choose the database you want to use in the Select Database dialog box.

If you're creating a new network diagram, on the AutoDiscovery menu, point to Configuration, and then click Manage Databases. In the Manage Databases dialog box, click Create. In the Create Database dialog box, type the name and location of the new database, and then click OK. In the Manage Databases dialog box, click Close.

This step is optional but recommended for each new network diagram you create. Even if you're creating only one network diagram, it's a good idea to create a new database if you plan to exchange diagrams with other IT teams. Using a database with a descriptive name, instead of using the default ADL database, decreases the chances of overwriting an existing ADL database on another team member's computer.

If you are updating an existing AutoDiscovery database and diagram, you can skip this step.

On the AutoDiscovery menu, point to Discovery, and then click Discovery Wizard. Or, on the AutoDiscovery and Layout toolbar, click Discovery Wizard.

Follow the instructions on the wizard pages to specify the network to search, the types of devices to discover and exclude, and the type of search the wizard performs. For example, you can specify whether the AutoDiscovery technology uses SNMP or Ping, or searches ARP caches to discover devices. You can specify where the Discovery Wizard looks for network devices by selecting to discover the entire enterprise network, specific networks or IP addresses, or a range of IP addresses.

Discovery Wizard - Discovery Type page

Note   Using the Discovery Wizard to discover your network takes a fraction of the time it takes to manually track the devices on your network. However, no two networks are alike, so it's difficult to predict how long it will take to discover yours. It can take as little as a few minutes for a small network or a number of hours for a large one. Also consider your link speeds when you discover your network. If you have a remote office connected by a WAN link, the packet exchange will be slower. To save time, you might want to exclude the devices on remote subnets from the network you're discovering. Alternatively, you might want to increase the number of SNMP retries and time-outs.

After you click Finish on the last Discovery Wizard page, the Discover Monitor opens to show you the progress of your network discovery.

When the Discovery Wizard is finished, the message AutoDiscovery is Finished is displayed and the AutoDiscovery database is created. If Microsoft Visio discovers manufacturer-specific shapes, it asks you if you would like to download these shapes from Microsoft Visio Network Center. If you don't download these shapes or if a manufacturer-specific shapes isn't available for a discovered object, a default shape is used. For more information about manufacturer-specific network equipment shapes, see Find Network Shapes at Microsoft Visio Network Center.

To view the devices and properties for them in the AutoDiscovery database, on the AutoDiscovery menu, point to Database Viewer, and then click Open/Close.

Database Viewer window

Tip   You might want to exchange your network diagrams with other deployment team members so they can view and annotate them. When you exchange diagrams, make sure you also include the corresponding AutoDiscovery database for each diagram. To create a backup copy of an AutoDiscovery database, first make sure all the diagrams that use the database you want to backup are closed. Then, open the AutoDiscovery and Layout template. On the AutoDiscovery menu, point to Configuration, and then click Manage Databases. In the Manage Databases dialog box, click Back Up. When another team member receives a diagram and database, they need to retrieve the database to view it. To do this, on the AutoDiscovery menu, point to Configuration, and then click Manage Databases. In the Manage Databases dialog box, click Retrieve.

To document your Layer 3 network topology including frame relay circuits

When your network discovery is complete, you can begin laying out your diagram. On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Page Size tab to specify the page size for your network diagram.

On the AutoDiscovery and Layout toolbar, click Add Networks. In the Add Networks dialog box, select a network, and then click OK.

A shape representing the network is automatically added to the diagram.

If you're documenting your Layer 3 network topology, you usually begin by adding the backbone network to your diagram. If you're documenting your frame relay circuits, you might begin with a frame relay router. To add a frame relay router, on the AutoDiscovery and Layout toolbar, click Add Devices.

Add devices to your network diagram by dragging devices from the Database Viewer.

Connect network devices such as routers to the network by right-clicking the network in the diagram, and then clicking Connect Devices on the shortcut menu. In the Connect Devices dialog box, select the devices that you want to place on the diagram.

In the Connect Devices dialog box, check Attach interface IP address to links to display the IP address of links between two devices on the diagram.

Use lists to add details to your networks by right-clicking a network, and then clicking List Device Counters.

If you're adding frame relay circuits to your diagram, do any of the following:

To create circuits for frame relays, right-click a router, and then click Create Circuits.

To edit frame relay circuits, right-click a router, and then click Edit Circuits.

To display all the frame relay circuits for a router, right-click a router, and then click List DLCIs.

These options are only available if you discovered the router with frame relay information.

To view information discovered about a device, such as asset equipment, maintenance, and network properties, right-click a shape on the drawing page or a device in the Database Viewer, and then click Properties.

Share your network diagram by printing it, e-mailing it, saving it as a Web page, or incorporating it into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

Tip   For details about organizing your network diagrams in to multi-page, hyperlinked diagrams that drill down into your network to show several different areas of your network, search Visio Help using these words: hyperlinked diagrams.

To document your Layer 2 network topology

When your network discovery is complete, you can begin laying out your diagram. On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Page Size tab to specify the page size for your network diagram.

On the AutoDiscovery and Layout toolbar, click Add Devices. In the Add Devices dialog box, select one or more devices, and then click OK.

Draw data link connections between a device and connected network devices by right-clicking the device in the diagram, and then clicking Draw Connectivity.

To view information about a link, right-click the link, and then click Link Information.

To show VLAN connectivity on a switch, right-click a supported switch, click VLAN and Spanning Tree, select the VLAN to include in the diagram, and then click OK.

Blue connectors are drawn between devices carrying the selected VLAN, and all other lines are dimmed.

To show Spanning Tree blocking between switches or bridges, right-click a supported switch, click VLAN and Spanning Tree, select the VLAN, select Show spanning tree, and then click OK.

If a spanning tree blocks a port, a red connector and slash appear next to the blocked port.

To store information with shapes, such as asset equipment, maintenance, and network properties, to create reports, right-click a shape, and then click Properties.

Share your network diagram by printing it, e-mailing it, saving it as a Web page, or incorporating it into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

Report on your current network topology

You can turn network data into presentation-quality documentation with ready-to-use reports. Choose from among 20 tabular and textual reports to document the status of your discovered network. For example, quickly inventory IP addresses, summarize frame relay data, and track changes to your network topology. Reports are generated as Visio files so you can easily publish them to the Web or e-mail them to other members of your deployment team.

To report on a single device or multiple devices in your diagram

To generate a report for multiple devices or network shapes in your diagram, on the AutoDiscovery menu, point to Network Reporting, and then click Report Wizard.

Network Reporting Wizard page

To generate a report on a network shape in your diagram, right-click the shape, and then click Generate Report.

Generate Report dialog box

Document your current directory services

Documenting your current directory services helps you understand how they'll change when you implement Microsoft Active Directory. Use current directory service diagrams to identify your domain architectures, the users and user groups in your organization, and resource and administrative domains. This information will make it easier to plan your Windows 2000 domain forest and determine the types of trust relationships among these domains.

Use Microsoft Visio and Visio Enterprise Network Tools to document your existing Novell Directory Services or LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) network resources. After you import a directory service, each network resource is represented by an object in the Directory Navigator. Diagram the current directory service by dragging objects from the Directory Navigator onto the drawing page.

Note   You can also document an existing Microsoft Active Directory service. However, this white paper assumes that you're not currently using Microsoft Active Directory, but are instead deploying a new Microsoft Active Directory service with Windows 2000.

To import a directory

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Network, and then under Template, click the template for the directory service you want to import.

The template opens with a default schema of classes and properties for that service. It also opens with a Directory Services menu, which is available only when you open this template or a diagram created using this template.

If you're already running Microsoft Visio, on the File menu, point to New, point to Network, and then click the template for the directory service you want to import.

In the Connect to Directory dialog box, click Import from a live directory.

Connect to Directory dialog box

Click Browse.

Microsoft Visio opens the Directory Browser dialog box, where you will see a directory to which you can connect.

In the Directory Browser dialog box, navigate the directory to choose a starting point, and then click OK to return to the Connect to Directory dialog box.

To connect to a specific directory and import data, you must first have permission to access that directory. Permission is validated on login to the object.

In the Connect to Directory dialog box, under Filter options, select the types of classes you want to import.

In the Connect to Directory dialog box, under Import depth, enter a value that indicates the import depth level you want.

The import depth level indicates the number of child levels you want to import for the selected directory object. For example, if you import an Organizational Unit class and enter 3 in the Import Depth field, you will import all the objects in all three levels below the Organizational Unit.

To import more levels for an object after importing your directory, right-click an object in the Directory Navigator, and then click Import.

In the Connect to Directory dialog box, select Import all properties now if you want to import all properties for all objects.

Selecting this option may slow down the importing process if the directory is large.

In the Connect to Directory dialog box, click OK.

The Directory Navigator window opens, which contains the directory schema and the directory service objects.

To document an imported directory

After you've imported a directory, drag objects from the Directory Navigator onto the drawing page to add shapes for the objects to your diagram.

As you drag objects that have children onto the drawing page, the Add Shapes to Page dialog box appears. In it you can specify whether you want to add a shape for the object only or add a shape for the object and its children. You can also specify how many levels of children you want to add.

Create relationships between objects and automatically connect the shapes in the diagram by dragging shapes onto other shapes.

Dragging a shape onto another shape creates a parent/child relationship. Microsoft Visio doesn't enforce integrity when you drag shapes onto other shapes, so make sure you create valid relationships.

Align shapes by right-clicking the parent shape whose children you want to align, and then clicking Lay Out Children.

To view the properties for a shape, right-click the shape, and then click Edit Properties.

If you didn't import the properties for objects in the directory when you imported the directory, Microsoft Visio imports the properties for a shape when you click Edit Properties.

Share your directory diagram by printing it, e-mailing it, saving it as a Web page, or incorporating it into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

Design and test your proposed network environment

During the feature design and development phase of your Windows 2000 deployment project, you create the actual design for the Windows 2000 features you plan to deploy. This design is sometimes called the functional specification. At this point you also need to determine how the features you've selected will actually work in a production environment. For example, you might be considering multiple design variations of your new network topology and Microsoft Active Directory based on different business or IT requirements. Eventually, through technical testing and analysis, you'll narrow your choices until you're ready to implement Active Directory.

In this phase, you can modify your current network diagrams to reflect your proposed environment or you can create new designs. Either way, your goal is to design a robust, efficient Windows 2000 network infrastructure and Active Directory service. If you noticed problems in your current network infrastructure diagrams, solve these problems before deploying Windows 2000. Also, make sure you stabilize your network before deployment; both deployment and troubleshooting will be easier and you'll be more confident in you're the new environment.

Tip   Many features of Windows 2000 are interrelated, particularly if you plan to deploy Active Directory. For this reason, you might need a dependency matrix diagram. You can create dependency matrix diagrams using the Marketing Charts and Diagrams template in Microsoft Visio. On the File menu, point to New, point to Forms and Charts, and then click Marketing Charts and Diagrams.

Design your proposed network environment

With Microsoft Visio Professional 2002, you can create physical and logical network designs for your Windows 2000 deployment. Physical network designs usually represent servers (including IP address), printers, hubs, switches, modems, routers and bridges, proxy servers, WAN communication links, details of physical communication links, and the number of users at each site. Logical network diagrams usually represent the network architecture including the domain architecture, server roles, and trust relationships.

When you create your designs consider, for example, the quality and bandwidth of your existing network wiring and devices and whether they will support your upgrade plans. Design your network accordingly.

You can create new logical or physical network designs using the Logical Network template in Microsoft Visio Professional 2002. It contains generic shapes for manufacturer equipment, Internet symbols, logical symbols, network devices, PCs and peripherals, printers and scanners, and telecom equipment. You can also associate asset management information with each shape and report on it.

You can add manufacturer-specific shapes to your logical and physical network designs by downloading them from the Find Network Shapes page at Microsoft Visio Network Center. Just search for shapes by manufacturer, product line, and equipment type, and then select the shapes you want to download. You can also download additional diagram templates, such as site, rack, campus, LAN, and WAN templates, which include formatting and layout settings, and instructions specific to each diagram type.

Tip   Use the Visio Network Equipment Sampler template under the Network category to preview a few of the shapes.

To design and report on your proposed Windows 2000 network environment

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Network, and then under Template, click Logical Network Diagram.

If you're already running Microsoft Visio, on the File menu, point to New, point to Network, and then click Logical Network Diagram.

Add generic network shapes to your diagram by dragging shapes from the stencils onto the drawing page.

To add manufacturer-specific shapes to your diagram, on the File menu, click Find Shape.

Microsoft Visio searches for shapes on your computer and the Microsoft Visio Network Center Web site.

To add a custom label to a shape, select the shape, and then type. To show the equipment label, right-click a shape, and then click Show Equipment Label. To edit the equipment label, show it, right-click the shape, and then click Edit Equipment Label.

To connect shapes, use the Connector tool or the connector shapes on the Logical Symbols stencil.

To view information associated with manufacturer-specific shapes or associate information with generic shapes, such as asset, equipment, maintenance, and network information, right-click a shape, and then click Properties.

To generate a report based on the information stored with a shape, on the Tools menu, click Report, select the report you want to generate, and then click Run. To create a custom report, in the Report dialog box, click New.

Share your network diagram by printing it, e-mailing it, saving it as a Web page, or incorporating it into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

Design your active directory

Microsoft Active Directory plays many roles, from being the backbone of distributed security to providing a service-publishing framework. Using it as a central service, administrators can organize network resources; manage users, computers, and applications; and secure intranet and Internet network access. Use Microsoft Visio to plan and design your proposed Active Directory object, sites, and services structure.

The Active Directory template in Microsoft Visio includes the Active Directory Objects and Active Directory Sites and Services stencils. Use the shapes on the Active Directory Objects stencil to plan, design, and assign values to the objects in your object structure. Use the shapes on the Active Directory Sites and Services stencil to plan and design sites and services, and to graphically represent the relationships of the network domains, sites, and services.

Note   The Active Directory template also includes an Exchange Objects stencil. If you're deploying Microsoft Exchange 2000 in conjunction with Windows 2000, use this stencil to design your Microsoft Exchange directories.

To design your proposed Active Directory structure

Start Microsoft Visio. In the Choose Drawing Type window, under Category, click Network, and then under Template, click Active Directory.

If Microsoft Visio is already running, on the File menu, point to New, point to Network, and then click Active Directory.

In the Connect to Directory dialog box, click Work Offline.

To create your Active Directory object structure, drag shapes onto the drawing page from the Active Directory Objects stencil.

As you drag shapes onto the drawing page, Microsoft Visio adds objects to the Directory Navigator. The Directory Navigator is a window that shows a tree view of your object structure and contains two main icons that represent the [Sub Tree] level and the Schema. The [Sub Tree] level displays the structure of your directory service diagram. The Schema contains Classes and Properties that you need to design your directory service.

To add more than one shape type to the drawing page at a time, right-click a shape on the drawing page, and then click Add Entries.

To add classes to your object structure, expand the Schema, expand the Classes folder, and then drag a class from the Directory Navigator.

Microsoft Visio adds a shape to the diagram that represents the class.

To automatically connect and associate objects, drag an object onto another object in the Directory Navigator, or drag shapes onto other shapes in your diagram.

When you drag objects onto objects in the Directory Navigator, or shapes onto shapes on the drawing page, a parent/child relationship is established.

To change the layout of your diagram, select a parent shape whose child shapes you want to lay out differently, and then on the Directory Services menu, click Lay Out Children.

To assign values to objects, right-click a shape, and then click Edit Properties. In the Value field, enter a value for each property.

Values entered for a property are not validated. When you enter a value, make sure that the value type is the right type and length, or an error may result. If a property can support multiple values, separate each value with a semi-colon (;). Do not use any spaces between the values and the semi-colon (;) sign.

To create your Active Directory site structure on another page in the same file, insert a new page into the Visio file, click the Active Directory Sites and Services stencil at the bottom of the window to make it active, and then drag shapes from that stencil onto the new drawing page.

Share your Active Directory diagrams by printing them, e-mailing them, saving them as Web pages, or incorporating them into other deployment documents.

For step-by-step instructions on several different ways to share your deployment diagrams with others, see the Share Your Deployment Diagrams section.

Test your proposed active directory object structure

You can prove that your Windows 2000 deployment will be successful, and catch problems before the real deployment, by setting up a representative sample of your production environment and testing all aspects of deployment in that environment, especially critical components such as Active Directory. Test your Active Directory object structure designs by exporting them to LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) file format. Then, import the LDIF files into your Windows 2000 test environment using Active Directory import capabilities.

To export your Active Directory object structure diagram to LDIF file format

Open the Active Directory object structure diagram you want to export.

Microsoft Visio does not validate Active Directory object structure diagrams and LDIF files, so before you export your diagram to the LDIF file format, make sure the structure is correct and all objects with mandatory properties have values. Also, Microsoft Visio does not check values for properties against their syntax. Make sure that the value you enter matches that property's syntax. Entering an incorrect syntax format may cause errors in the exported LDIF file.

Change the Root distinguished name for the diagram. On the Directory Services menu, click Change Root DN.

In the Change Root DN dialog box, type the new naming context.

For example, if you want to export a new Active Directory structure for a company named Championzone, type dc=Championzone,dc=com in the Change Root DN dialog box.

You must also use the syntax specified by the directory service when separating the objects in the dialog box. Active Directory requires a comma (,) with no space between the comma and the next object in the path.

On the Directory Services menu, point to Export to LDIF, and then click Export Entries.

Microsoft Visio exports all the objects in the Directory Navigator, not all the objects in the diagram.

In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder in which you want to save the file, and then type a name for the file.

For Save as type, LDIF File*.ldf should be selected for you.

Click Save.

The diagram is exported to an LDIF file format. Import the LDIF file into your Windows 2000 test environment using Active Directory import capabilities.

Share your deployment diagrams

An effective communication strategy identifies the information that each audience needs, and delivers it the way it will be best received. Your audiences might include executive managers, project teams, your IT organization, and users at all levels. Whereas some of these groups might be comfortable with downloading documents from a Web site, hard copy or e-mail might suit others.

Diagrams created with Microsoft Visio fit well in any communication strategy because you can distribute them in a variety of ways: by printing them, saving them as Web pages, e-mailing them, or incorporating them into your other Microsoft files.

Incorporate your diagrams into deployment documents

Visio diagrams can support, strengthen, and clarify the information in files you create with Microsoft Office XP, such as Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets. You can also use Microsoft Outlook to distribute your diagrams electronically or route them to others for comments.

You can use any of the following methods to incorporate your Visio diagrams into other Microsoft files:

Create (embed) a new diagram on the fly when there's no existing Visio diagram and you don't need the diagram in a separate Visio file format; when, for example, you just want to create a quick diagram in your PowerPoint presentation.

Copy (embed) an existing diagram into another file when you only want a copy of the diagram in the file and don't want any changes to show in the original Visio diagram, and vice versa.

Link a diagram to another file when you want to synchronize the original diagram and the copy. Any changes to the copy are reflected in the original Visio diagram, and vice versa.

You can also modify a Visio diagram you created in, copied into, or linked to Word by double-clicking the diagram in Word to start Microsoft Visio. Modify the diagram using the Microsoft Visio drawing tools, and then click anywhere in the Word document, outside the diagram, to return control to Word.

Note   You can use the following methods to incorporate a Visio diagram into any Microsoft Office XP product (user interface options may vary slightly).

To create a Visio diagram in a Word document on the fly

Open the Word document in which you want to incorporate a Visio diagram.

Click to place an insertion point where you want to insert the diagram.

On the Insert menu, click Object.

In the Object dialog box, select Microsoft Visio Drawing, and then click OK.

Create your diagram using the Microsoft Visio drawing tools, and then click anywhere in the Word document, outside the diagram, to return control to Word.

To copy a Visio diagram into a Word document

Open the Visio diagram you want to copy.

Make sure nothing on the drawing page is selected.

On the Edit menu, click Copy Drawing.

Open the Word document in which you want to copy a Visio diagram.

Click to place an insertion point where you want to insert the diagram.

On the Edit menu, click Paste.

Word pastes the Visio diagram into the document in the location you clicked.

Tip   You can also select particular shapes and copy them, instead of copying the entire diagram. Select the first shape, hold down the SHIFT key while you select the other shapes, and then on the Edit menu, click Copy.

To link a Visio diagram to a Word document

Open the Visio diagram you want to copy.

The Visio diagram you want to link must be saved.

Make sure nothing on the drawing page is selected.

On the Edit menu, click Copy Drawing.

Open the Word document in which you want to copy a Visio diagram.

Click to place an insertion point where you want to insert the diagram.

On the Edit menu, click Paste Special.

In the Paste Special dialog box, select Microsoft Visio Drawing Object, click Paste Link, and then click OK.

Word pastes the Visio diagram into the document in the location you clicked.

Tip   To display a large network diagram as an icon in a document, rather than paste the actual diagram in the document, check Display as icon. Then, double-click the icon to view the diagram in Microsoft Visio. Anyone who wants to view the network diagram must have Microsoft Visio installed.

E-mail your diagrams for comments

You can e-mail your deployment diagrams to team members and others in your organization to solicit suggestions, gather comments, or have team members annotate your diagram.

To e-mail a diagram

Copy the Visio file you want to send.

Start Microsoft Outlook, start an e-mail, click to place an insertion point where you want to insert the file, and then on the Edit menu, click Paste.

To e-mail a diagram with a routing slip

Display the diagram you want to send. On the File menu, point to Send To, and then click Routing Recipient.

In the Routing Slip dialog box, click Address to open your address book, select the individuals or groups to which you want to route your diagram, and then click OK.

If you want to route the diagram to people in a specific order, in the Routing Slip dialog box, select a person's name, and then click the up or down arrow in the Move section to change that person's position in the list.

In the Routing Slip dialog box, under Route To Recipients, specify whether to route the diagram to one person at a time or to everyone at once.

If you choose to route the diagram to one person at a time, the first person on the list receives the diagram, routes the diagram to the next person, and so on. If you route the diagram to a designated group (called a group alias), all group members will receive the diagram at the same time.

In the Routing Slip dialog box, check Track status to receive an update as each person on the list passes the diagram to the next person, or check Return when done if you'd rather not see the diagram again until everyone has seen it.

In the Routing Slip dialog box, under Message Text, type the text you want in the e-mail message, and then click Add Slip.

On the File menu, point to Send To, and then click Next Routing Recipient to send the diagram to the first person on the routing list.

Note   Each person who receives the diagram must open the diagram and complete step 7 to route the diagram to the next person on the list. Or, upon closing the diagram, click Yes when asked if you want to route the diagram to the next person on the list.

Save your diagrams as Web pages

Your deployment team has 24-hour access to your current and proposed computing environment diagrams when you save them as Web pages and post them to your company intranet. With Microsoft Visio, publishing your deployment diagrams to the Web or an intranet site is as easy as saving a file. Microsoft Visio automatically adds the HTML tags necessary to display diagrams in a Web browser, so all you have to do is make sure your diagrams look the way you want.

To save a diagram as a Web page

Open the diagram you want to save as a Web page, and then on the File menu, click Save as Web Page.

To specify Web publishing settings, such as the pages you want to publish, formatting options, and target monitor resolution, in the Save As dialog box, click Publish.

To specify a title for the Web page, in the Save As dialog box, click Change Title. In the Set Page Title dialog box, type the title, and then click OK.

Type a name for the Web page, and then click Save.

Summary

You've seen how you can use Microsoft Visio Professional 2002 and Microsoft Visio Enterprise Network Tools to plan and track your Windows 2000 deployment project; document your current organization, business processes, network infrastructure and directory service; and design and test your proposed network environment. In other words, you now know how you can use these tools to visualize every phase of Microsoft Windows 2000 deployment. And, Visio deployment diagrams not only assist you in deploying Windows 2000, but also make effective tools for documenting, supporting, troubleshooting, managing, and training for your new Windows 2000 environment after the deployment is successfully completed.

For more information

For more information about Microsoft Visio products, visit the Microsoft Visio Web site.

For more information about deploying Microsoft Windows 2000, read the Deployment Planning Guide.

For more information about Microsoft Active Directory, visit the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Documentation Web site.