This consulting service will review the current or proposed architecture of your Content Server-based solution and grade it according to the following criteria:

• Overall grade, the consultant's opinion of the performance of the system as it is compared to the requirements and expectations of the client:
  • A = likely able to reasonably exceed the requirements and expectations of the client
  • B = likely able to meet OR likely to provide excessive resources to meet the requirements and expectations of the client
  • C = likely to occasionally fail to meet the requirements and expectations of the client
  • D = likely to frequently fail to meet the requirements and expectations of the client
• Performance or the ability to meet a predicted load (help will be provided in determining a reasonable predicted load):
  • A = likely able to exceed predicted maximum (burst) load
  • B = likely able to meet predicted maximum (burst) load
  • C = likely able to meet average load with possible resource starvation for load bursts
  • D = unlikely to be able to meet predicted average load

• Scalability or the ability to effectively use future hardware to increase the system to meet some future possible requirement; this could mean a greater user base, an increased load (eg: more integrated workflows), new or modified functionality, or any combination fo the three:
  
  • A = using reasonable and tractable resources, likely able to scale beyond defined feasible future requirements
  • B = using reasonable and tractable resources, likely able to meet defined feasible future requirements
  • C = using excessive and unknown resources, likely able to meet defined feasible future requirements
  • D = using excessive and unknown resources not likely able to meet defined feasible future requirements

This service starts with a 1/2 hour virtual meeting whereby the client is provided with a questionnaire designed to allow the consultant to understand the overall parameters of the solution and the expectations of the client regarding the above three points. Note that these grades are all not absolute values that can be compared between solutions, rather they are a relative measure of how well a chosen architecture meets a defined set of performance goals. Where any of these points have not yet been appropriately considered by the client, the consultant will work with the client to define reasonable metrics. This first meeting will also ensure that the client has enabled the summary timings logging and is able to gather the required data for analysis.

With a possible delay in place to allow time to complete the questionnaire and gather data, the consultant will spend up to 16 hours doing analysis and report generation. The report will be provided to the customer for review with a follow up final Question and Answer meeting to allow the client to fully appreciate the consultant report.

While this service will provide the reasoning for each "grade", it does NOT provide the client with any necessary or sufficient steps to mitigate though some guidance will generally be provided. Though all attempts will be made to gather and analyse all of the pertinent information, this service is intended as a low-cost, high-level review and therefore cannot offer guarantee. The service is intended to allow a qualified senior technical consultant the ability to offer an opinion on the architecture of a content server-based solution.

This service will be performed and/or supervised by Dave Kinchlea, recognized world-wide as an expert in Open Text ECM Architecture, Security and Performance.