Network layers

Greetings all.

Yet another "it has been far too long" post, but times are busy as always. So busy in fact I have to spill some of my untidy mind out into this blog once and awhile.

To begin, Rob Preston wrote a response to my earlier post and backed it up with a full column. I agree far more with his comments in this one. Give it a read. Apparently I wasn't the only one surprised at his conclusions. Kudos to Rob and Infoweek for addressing reader feedback. 'Tis a rare thing.

Second, I am long overdue for the logo for the Information Management Series but will plop that in on the next post.

Now for the main event: network layers. There's more than just "getting on the net" these days and we all have experiences with the different arenas we play in online. This has no doubt been covered extensively but how often in game companies? Here's an example:

Your home base (studio / office / etc..) no doubt has a secure connection to a cable, DSL or T1 / T3 line. You have a computer login. Fair enough, but what about WIKI, online timecards, and accessing your internal network offsite? And how do you maintain schedules, budgets and updates on multiple networks? Who uses them?

These questions if they were put to a standard exec might be answered with "add another layer of administration". This would be an easy way to do it, but expensive. Reporting and network usage should be simple as well as cost effective. And that is where planning comes in.

Once you know your layers you can apply your systems to them. For example, updating on a WIKI site based on each project as well as a global level can be done in a few hours each week. But the question then becomes "how do you report?"

There are dozens if not hundreds of methods, but many including myself find that Excel is the most open ended and universally understood way to read a multi tiered document. Not WIKI and certainly not Microsoft Project, though I have used it myself from time to time.

Conclusion? Combining an introduction to each project you're involved in with an updated Excel file on a company wide accessible WIKI page can work wonders.

Comments

[Jeremiah]

A company I'm producing with recently migrated to Google Apps for Domains, and we now treat spreadsheets, scripts, budgets, etc as wikis.

I think we're seeing a return to the server-centric model of services: big, fat servers on big, fat pipes, and tiny, thin (read: dumb) clients.

btw, i hope you don't mind my commenting on your blog - i just find it interesting and a good read (although, SPORADIC.) ;)