Network Site Visit Report Template
This document serves as a template for documenting findings from a Networking and Identity and Access Management (IAM) site visit. It is structured to organize a report that assesses an organization's current IT infrastructure, operations, and support capabilities, while also providing a framework to offer actionable recommendations and outline future project goals.
Executive Summary
Provide a high-level overview of the visit’s purpose, the team conducting the evaluation, and the primary objectives (e.g., assessing current working states, performance, and identifying opportunities for reliability and efficiency).
Include a brief summary of each Technical Observation Area referenced below.
Technical Observations
The following sections detail specific findings across the following domains. Other sections can be identified and added as evaluators determine.
- Staffing: Lists the IT Services personnel, their roles, responsibilities, and key contacts involved in the visit.
- Server Infrastructure: Details the systems and services managed by the IT department, categorized by “Hosted On Site” and “Hosted in the Cloud.” This could also include anything that may be managed by a third party.
- Internet Connectivity: Summarizes the current internet service provider, bandwidth details, addressing, and planned upgrades. Include any IP space that is owned, ASN, or other details for connections of separate buildings/campuses.
- Network Architecture: Describes the existing campus network design, core infrastructure (switches, routing), fiber plant status, and identified areas for improvement.
- Wireless Network: Covers the current wireless technology, SSID authentication methods, and any plans for future implementations like eduroam.
- Data Center: Describes the current state of the main data center, including power, space, cooling, and equipment condition.
- Network Closets: Notes the condition and organization of equipment closets and cabling.
- Research Support: Evaluates the current state of IT support for research activities and suggests potential relationship-building improvements.
- Identity and Access Management (IAM): Analyzes existing provisioning and de-provisioning processes and explores potential improvements for sustainability or federated authentication. Are there external resources that stakeholders access today, i.e.: NIH, ACCESS CI, NRP, etc.?
Recommendations
A prioritized list of actionable suggestions for the campus to improve reliability, resilience, and efficiency based on the visit findings.
Goals and Milestones
Outlines specific projects or initiatives discussed, such as infrastructure upgrades (e.g., fiber, connectivity), IAM deep-dives, or research support efforts.
Other Notes
Includes supplementary information, such as the status of cybersecurity analyses, policy updates, or other relevant observations that do not fit into the aforementioned categories.