Client Environment

Definition

A client environment is any production environment that is used by a user to access one or more applications in a data center or a user support agent in a contact center.

The typical objectives of a client environment are to provide:

Safe scalable network access to other networks (e.g., via firewall to client, contact center, and Internet).
Efficient execution of applications.
Efficient integration with database and legacy systems.
Facilities support including cooling, fire suppression, physical security, and uninterruptable power supply.

The typical benefits of a client environment include:

An integrated client environment enables users to more efficiently interface with the contact center and data center.

The typical major contents of a client environment are:

Hardware Components:
- Client Tier:
  - Local Area Network
  - Work Station
  - Firewall
Software Components:
- Application client software
- Email client software
- Browser
- Antivirus software
- Operating system

The typical stakeholders of a client environment are:

Producers:
- Environments Team
Evaluator:
- Environments Inspection Team
Approvers:
Maintainer:
- Environments Team
Users:
- Operations Team, which uses the data center environment to operate the applications.
- Maintenance Team, which uses the data center environment to maintain the applications.

A client environment can typically be started if the following preconditions hold:

The initiation phase has started.
The environments team is adequately staffed and trained.
The client environment section of the project environments description document is reasonably complete and stable.

The typical inputs to a client environment include:

Work Products:
- System Architecture Document, which documents the hardware architecture of the data center production environment including associated architectural mechanisms.
- Project Environments Description Document, which documents the objectives, physical location, stakeholders, components, and estimated costs of the data center environment.
Stakeholders:
- Requirements Team, which ensures that the client environments adequately implement the requirements.
- Architecture Team, which ensures that the client environments conform to the architecture.
- User Experience Team, which ensures that the client environments provide an appropriate environment for the users.

A client environment is typically constrained by the following conventions: