Planning for network requirements

When planning your Sametime environment, whether for a proof of concept installation, upgrade, or production environment, it is critical to include the network requirements in your plan. If a port is not available through your corporate or organization's firewall, or if bandwidth requirements are not considered, then any well-planned software installation can come to a complete halt. When ports or NATed networks are not properly configured, they can lead to very complex troubleshooting issues. The issues at first may seem to be software-related, when in fact they may simply be related to the correct port being open. It is important to spend some time on this planning phase. Especially in complex network environments with multiple firewalls or DMZs, consult with the network and Internet security teams in your organizations. Include them in the planning process so they are aware that you have specific port needs. Ask them to review your plan to avoid arguments...