Info Mapping-Windows NT Server

[Patrick McCarthy <PTM123 -at- AOL -dot- COM>]

                                                                       9/1/96


   I have enjoyed the discussion of Info Mapping/Chunking etc. Development
   methodologies such as Info Mapping add much value to the documentation
   process.  Recently, I was asked to develop procedures for system
   administrators to configure a particular protocol on a Windows NT server.
The
   procedures had to be developed using Info Mapping methodology.

   Generally, I agree with Info Mapping's requirement of seven items in the
user's
   short- term memory. However, in the case of Windows NT, I had to throw
that
   idea right out the window (no pun intended). Because Windows NT is a GUI
   based network OS, each time I introduced a new window, I had to explain
   every entry it contained (customer requirement).

   Some windows had up to 12 entries. Between this problem and the fact that
   I had to add special notes all the time ( to remind the system
administrator that if
   you did item D, make sure items  A, B, and C were complete),  I felt that
the
   subject matter made Info Mapping difficult.

   In the following example, some of the NOTES invoked other procedures
 (installing
   Remote Access Service, installing  Windows NT files). Let's see if I
maintained the
   Info Mapping RULE OF SEVEN in the following example:

   EXAMPLE: Installing Protocol Drivers on the Windows NT Server (step f)

      f.  The Chassis and Available Clients dialog box asks you how many
          protocol ports you want to configure and who is allowed to dial-in
to
          the NT server. You must provide the following information:

              Number of Line Devices: The number of protocol ports to setup
on
              the NT server. Enter a number from 4 to 256. The default value
is 48.

              Enable Protocol Address Authentication: When enabled, allows
the
              NT server to restrict dial-in clients to those specified in the
Peer Client
              IP Address window.

              Peer Client IP Addresses: Contains the valid IP addresses for
use
              with the protocol address authentication.

















------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------|































                                                                            |
     Number of Line Devices____    |_|  Enable IP Address Authentication








                                                                           OK






                                                                       CANCEL
                |































                                                                            |
       Peer Client IP Addresses         ADD
                                                 REMOVE
                                           |































                                                                            |































                                                                            |































                                                                            |































                                                                            |































                                                                            |































                                                                            |
        Figure XX. Chassis Configuration and Available Clients window


        Make the appropriate selections on the Chassis Configuration and
        Available box. Select OK. You will get a dialog box notifying you
that
        Remote Access Service (RAS) will be started in order to setup the
protocol
        ports (if RAS has already been installed, it will be invoked at this
point).


        NOTE: If TCP/IP is not installed on the NT Server, you will get a
dialog box
        prompting you to install it. Specify the correct path for the !386
subdirectory
        for Windows NT files.

        NOTE: If installing TCP/IP on a server, you must use the Network
Configuration
        window to specify the required protocol for each port.

        NOTE: If Remote Access Service is not installed on the NT Server, you
        will get a dialog box prompting you to do so.

        NOTE: If you are setting up a server, you must specify the static IP
addresses
        for all RAS connections.



   INFO MAPPING EVALUATION:  If you consider all the required tasks in this
   step, I would say I went over the RULE OF SEVEN by two or three. Mr Horn
   would not be happy! Of course,  Mr. Horn was not paying the bills on this
one
   either.


                                                 Regards,


                                                Patrick McCarthy
                                                Information Developer
                                                Onyx Technologies
                                                ptm123 -at- aol -dot- com

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