Under what, if any, circumstances would you recommend this kind of direct cutover for critical operational systems? A direct cutover from an existing system to a new one is risky. If the system is critical to the operations of the organization, the risks are magnified to an even higher level.

Yet Quantum Corp. (quantum.com), a Milpitas, California, disk-drive manufacturer, did just that—and lived to tell about it. The vendors and consultants on the project claim that this was one of the largest-ever direct cutovers of a distributed business system.