A Risk Check List

General Risks

 

Risk Possible Issues Possible Mitigation

Develop and test under best case conditions and deploy to worst case conditions

Poor performance

Applications over-functioned.

Set up a worst case environment and use it early and frequently during development to identify and eliminate problem areas prior to deployment.

Develop and test under worst case conditions and deploy to best case conditions

Poor developer productivity

Applications under-functioned.

Provide developers with better operating conditions

 

Specific Risks (column 1 is the letter shown in the Best-Case Conditions & Worst-Case Conditions diagrams).

 

Risk Description Possible Issues / Comments Possible Mitigation

A

Database volume and load not reflective of deployed conditions

 

Load development databases with realistic volumes as soon as possible during development.

Use load emulation tools during development and testing.

B

Server cannot support number of clients

Cost overruns

Brick wall to future growth

Hardware upgrade.

Use load emulation tools during development and testing.

C

Variable throughput of Internet connections, even with apparently high bandwidths.

Peak time poor throughput

Lack of control over ISPs and uncontrolled communication paths

Expectation management

D

Too much data being transferred

 

Reduce data to realistic volumes.

E

Client logic too complex

 

Reduce complexity of client logic to match power of client systems.

F

Client accessing server too often

 

Reduce number of times that communications links are crossed per transaction.

G

Firewall, proxy, wireless and VPN configuration differences in deployed environments

Configuration issues

Installation issues

Performance variations

Reliability variations

Unanticipated costs

 

H

LAN load

Unanticipated costs

Brick wall to future growth

 

I

OS or Application Server differences in deployed environments

Configuration issues

Installation issues

Performance variations

Reliability variations

Unanticipated costs

 

J

DBMS differences in deployed environments

Configuration issues

Installation issues

Performance variations

Reliability variations

Unanticipated costs