Define what success means.
Describe the workload and representative input. Identify the acceptance criteria: quality, latency, throughput, concurrency or recovery behavior. Set targets before selecting a configuration.
Map the data and dependencies.
Identify the data sources, model files, storage needs and services the workflow requires. State where each may be stored and which connections are permitted.
Choose and validate capacity.
Evaluate the memory, compute, storage and networking needed by the specific model and execution framework. Measure a representative workload rather than extrapolating from generic specifications.
Assign the operating responsibilities.
Name the owner for installation, credentials, updates, monitoring, backup and incident response. Define how a project is recovered after a process, node or network failure.
Prepare the next decision.
Use the validated result to decide whether to keep the deployment local, add nodes or consider federation. Expansion should follow demonstrated need.