Located some great guides whose goal is to assist the reader through the process of planning a SharePoint Server 2010 infrastructure by addressing the following:
Step 1: Identify the Requirements
Step 2: Apply the IT Policies
Step 3: Define the High-Level Architecture
Step 4: Design the Web Server Infrastructure
Step 5: Design the Application Server Infrastructure
Step 6: Design the SQL Server® Infrastructure
Step 7: Identify the Optimization Opportunities
These guides are available for download. The first guide takes the architect through an easy-to-follow planning and design process to successfully create a SharePoint Server infrastructure that is appropriately placed, sized, and designed to deliver the desired business benefits, while also considering the performance, capacity, and fault tolerance of the system.
For more information go here: http://technet.microsoft.com/library/gg581794.aspx
This guide provides a clear comparison of SharePoint collaboration technologies across on-premises, standard hosting, and dedicated hosting scenarios. The guide can be used as a framework for evaluating the technical feasibility of Microsoft SharePoint Online and determining which SharePoint delivery model best suits the organization’s needs.
For more information go here: http://technet.microsoft.com/library/ee354215.aspx
Am building a presentation summarising these guides for a future blog coming soon!