Common methods of estimating installation time

Use the following information to understand the different ways to estimate installation time.

The following list contains the most common methods of estimating your installation time for an upgrade.

Base your estimate on the installation time of a previous release. If the system configuration and load remain similar, you can use the installation time of a previous release on this system as the start of your estimate. If you rely on only the installation time of the previous release, your estimate might not be accurate.
This method is not accurate if many data conversions occur during the installation process. If you are skipping a release level, generally the time is longer. Be sure to add information for conversions that occur in the release you are skipping and for the new release.
Base your estimate on the installation time for a similar system. If your enterprise has multiple systems, you can record the actual time to install the new release on one system. You can use this to estimate the time that is needed to install the new release on a system with a similar configuration and load. Of course, you cannot use this method until you complete the installation on the first system.
Estimate time using a formula. You can use the information in the following sections to estimate how long it will take to install this release on your system. Keep in mind that the number at which you arrive will vary from your actual installation time because of the variables that affect installation time.
Combine one or more of the methods that are listed above.