Essentially, you can take one of two viable paths toward upgrading to the XP platform: en masse or via a staged rollout. Both approaches present unique issues, and no matter which approach is chosen, there are some specific steps to take before embarking on a deployment.
Deployment alternatives
The first alternative is an en masse upgrade of all existing workstations within a fixed time period--three to nine months is considered a reasonable timeframe, though it depends on the scope of an individual project and the level of automation available. In a staged deployment, a complete migration to the XP platform would likely take about 15 to 18 months.
The second alternative is a staged deployment, in which upgrades are made as new PCs are acquired and as existing PCs that meet key business and/or technical criteria are upgraded. The remaining PCs that are not upgraded will be deferred until they are replaced. Within a staged deployment, many organisations subscribe to a three-year "evergreen" cycle, in which one-third of all PCs are replaced annually so that within three years a complete technology refresh is complete.
Regardless of the deployment method chosen, a complete and accurate hardware and software inventory is essential to ensure proper planning, budgeting, and testing. Without complete hardware inventory data to work from, the costs of an upgrade or a replacement are difficult to determine.
A key assumption that enterprises should include is that a reasonable minimum system requirement for running an XP platform is a Pentium III processor with at least 256 MB of RAM and 2 GB of free disk space.
Conducting a mass upgrade to XP
The mass upgrade alternative requires the upgrading of all existing PCs to Windows XP and Office XP. This approach will affect all of your organisation's PCs in a relatively short period of time and will require an extensive amount of planning and preparation to ensure each upgrade is a smooth transition and has minimal impact on the clients. Hardware upgrades or replacements will be required for those workstations unable to support the XP platform. These hardware upgrades may be in the form of entire PC replacements or simply memory and/or disk drive upgrades. There are both advantages and disadvantages to the mass upgrade approach:
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