COMP2322Networks in OrganisationsAssignment 1Semesters 2 2015/16

Words: 2000

Weighting: 50%Learning Outcomes Assessed: 1, 2, 3Submission date: 7/4/2016Module Leader: R. C. HensonVerified by: Dr. P. MoodyElectronic copy available: Blackboard Learning System and RCH’s website

If anything about this assignment is not clear to you, please contact the module leader: r.henson@worc.ac.uk

Students are expected to plan their time and work to manage their overall assessment workload.

Learning Outcomes assessed

1. Systematically compare client-server and peer-peer networks

2. Relate the various topologies, cabling, and networking technologies (including wireless technologies) to functionalities and real world situations

3. Use a layered model to explain how protocols work together to deliver networking functionality.

Scenario

After six months in your first job, you have been appointed as the network manager for a start-up company, Fandroid, a general on-line retailer specializing in portable cooling devices. Fandroid have achieved success exceeding their expectations as the economy expands and as they diversify into a lucrative export market. The management is aware that they need to expand their infrastructure from their current 3 laptops, one tablet PC, and a wireless router (which they also use with their smartphones) to a more permanent presence in a new factory unit with good cabled broadband links.

As a start-up company in 2012, Fandroid were quick to look to The Cloud as a way to scale up their operations cost-effectively as trade levels grew. However, they have recent doubts about using the cloud for applications and storage in view of some high profile breaches affecting personal data held in cloud locations and controversy about where the data is held.

Thanks to their recent success, Fandroid now have the funds needed to invest substantially in an “in house” information system that will meet their organisational and customer needs, and someone to manage it full-time. The company have five staff at the moment including yourself. They estimate that they may need as many as 15 employees to properly run a potential global operation, and want as much flexibility as possible from their new network, whilst retaining and enhancing the security of their sensitive data. They have decided to take advantage of the high speed cabled internal infrastructure in the factory units to connect devices, and have been advised to use access controlled by Ative Directory to control access to resources, as the most reliable way to achieve their flexibility and security objectives. However, Fandroid management wants good digital communications with any of their employees who happen to be “on the road”.

Apart from requiring guidance on how best to exploit and existing infrastructure, Fandroid management are also unsure about what sort of network to choose; some have said a client-server network is expensive to maintain, and they would be better off with something simple like peer-peer. This dilemma also needs to be addressed.

Assignment task(s)With regard to the scenario above, write a report on the networking proposals to Fandroid Management. Include:

(a) a network design diagram covering 10 desktop computers, cabling and other essential hardware

(b) an explanation of how the network in your diagram can be constructed, taking into account all of issues and requirements explained in the scenario.

(c) guidance on the how the proposed solution can help Fandroid achieve its business and security objectives

You can assume that your report will be read by non-technical people, but you should still specifically address the following matters:

how IP addressing and device naming will be managed across the network

arguments for/against the use of Active Directory, as opposed to other potential software solutions

Assessment briefingThis document provides details of the assessment. There will also be an oral briefing conducted week 3. There is also an assessment Q&A Page on Blackboard and on RHs website

Assessment criteriaIn addition to the general points that apply to all assessed work as outlined in the Course Handbook, the following specific criteria will be used for this work:

Providing a clear explanation of physical movement of data around and beyond the organisation, with the aid of diagram(s) Explaining and balancing the apparently opposing principles of accessibility and security Explaining the principles involved and tools available for the management of network users, computers, resources, and domains Explaining strategies to ensure continued availability of network resources in the event of a hardware failure Structure of report, and Harvard system referencing (see the link to ‘Referencing’ from http://www.worc.ac.uk/studyskills for more

information.)

Grade DescriptorA band work would be expected to be of appropriate length, include a degree of analysis and evaluation to address the assignment brief as well as including factual explanation. Typically, at least six relevant, and mostly up-to-date references should be included, and cited appropriately.B band work would be mostly as above but lacking in one or more of the analysis, evaluation, and referencing factors. Typically, at least four relevant and mostly up-to-date references should be included, and cited appropriately.C band work might be lacking analysis and evaluation, or lacking in factual content in one of the assessment criteria listed for this assignment. It may also be of slightly inappropriate length, and have fewer than four relevant and up-to-date references.D band work might be lacking analysis and evaluation, or lacking in factual content in two of the assessment criteria listed for this assignment. It may have strayed considerably from the recommended word length and conventional method of referencing, but some referencing may have been included.

Specific criteria are in the Grading Matrix for this assignment attached below. You should include the grading matrix at the front of your assignment when submitting.

Assessment feedback Feedback is provided in an ongoing basis over the course of the module (see “Types of Feedback on my Module” slides on Blackboard and Assessment & Feedback section in the Module Outline).

Formative Feedback opportunityYour opportunity to receive written feedback will be available until Thursday March 31st 2016 before 3pm. You can submit up to 20% of your Word document via email with your student number. You will receive written feedback on the document itself in the form of comments also via email. Seek out as much feedback as you can, it is your responsibility to initiate it and helps you get at issues that need attention early on. Students who do this always achieve higher marks than those who don’t fully participate in the process because they have continued to improve their work.

Handing in and returnWork must be word-processed/typed and should clearly show your student number.  You are required to keep a copy of work handed in.  You should submit your work electronically via SOLE by the 3pm deadline on Thursday, 7/4/16. The return date for this assignment is electronically via SOLE on Thursday, 6/5/16. 

See the University’s guide to uploading and submitting assessment items at the University of Worcester via SOLE in under 60 seconds on You Tube http://youtu.be/yAEnTkVchMg.

If for any reason the systems are down, email your work to solehelp@worc.ac.uk before the deadline just to be on the safe side. You may also email your tutor before the deadline. Providing that the documents emailed are the final copy, these emails will be treated as on time submission. You can then submit to the required system when it is working again. With technology sometimes, things can go wrong; these are back-up safeguards.

Turnitin

For this assignment, please put your work through Turnitin to generate an originality report. You should include a print screen of the part of the Turnitin report showing the overall similarity percentage at the front of your assignment file and submit it with your work. In the event of problems with Turnitin, you should submit your work on time as normal but without the Turnitin report/screen dump, and then e-mail the Turnitin report to your module tutor as soon as possible when Turnitin is back working properly. Use the website submit.ac.uk. Include below here:

Class ID: 3100944Password: computer

Technical support is available by emailing eos@worc.ac.uk

Late submission of workI t is essential that you submit your work, in order to be able to pass the module . Work which is submitted late will be subject to grade penalties as below.

Students who submit course work late but within 5 days of the due date will have work marked, but the grade will be capped at the minimum pass grade unless an application for mitigating circumstances is accepted.

Students who submit work later than 5 days but within 14 days of the due date will not have work marked unless they have submitted a valid claim of mitigating circumstances.

For full details of submission regulations see Undergraduate Regulatory Framework at http://www.worcester.ac.uk/registryservices/documents/UndergraduateRegulatoryFramework2007entry.pdf

Full details of Procedures for Dealing with Exceptional Mitigating Circumstances are available at http://www.worcester.ac.uk/registryservices/679.htm

Academic Dishonesty WarningPlease note the regulations on academic dishonesty (cheating), in particular

the inclusion in your assignments of un-attributed material taken from other sources; all assignments are individual unless otherwise stated in the assignment brief, so co-operation with other students that results in

identical material appearing in the work of more than one student is not acceptable.  Be assured that every effort will be taken to deal with you fairly, but remember that there are strict rules concerning cheating. You will find further details in your Course Handbook accessible via SOLE and at http://www.worcester.ac.uk/registryservices/documents/Proceduresforinvestigationofallegedcheating.pdf .

Word Limits: The word limit does not include the reference list, computer programme code listings, tables, diagrams or reasonably short appendices, but will include quotations, citations and the captions to tables and diagrams. The following penalties can be applied to work which exceeds the stated word limit:

Up to 10% over: no penalty 10% to 20% over: one grade point penalty (e.g. B+ to B) 20% to 30% over: two grade points penalty (e.g. B+ to B-) More than 30% over: three grade points penalty (e.g. B+ to C+)

ReassessmentIn the event you are required to take reassessment you will receive formal notification of this via a letter from Registry Services posted on the SOLE page after the meeting of the Board of Examiners. The letter will normally include a copy of the reassessment task(s). Deadlines for re-assessment can be found in the University Calendar at http://www.worcester.ac.uk/registryservices/655.htm

If there is anything about the current assignment that you don’t understand, please contact the module tutor

Student Number:

Academic Year and Semester: sem 2

Module Title:Networks in Organisations

Module Code: COMP2322

Occurrence:

GRADE

Providing a clear explanation of physical movement of data around and beyond the organisation, with the aid of diagram(s)

Explaining and balancing the apparently opposing principles of accessibility and security

Explaining the principles involved and tools available for the management of network users, computers, resources, and domains

Explaining strategies to ensure continued availability of network resources in the event of a hardware failure

Referencing, using the Harvard system

A Excellent, well labelled diagram with title, indexing in text, and showing full detail of internal and external interface network components

Excellent explanations of apparently opposing principles of security and availability, and how they can be effectively balanced to manage data efficiently

Excellent explanations of functionality and use of named tools to manage users, computers, resources, and even whole domains within an enterprise network

Excellent business continuity strategy described in great detail to ensure any type of failure can be managed so as to ensure continued availability

Typically, at least six relevant, and mostly up-to-date references should be included, and cited appropriately

B Good, well labelled diagram with title and showing full detail of internal and external interface network components

Good explanations of apparently opposing principles of security and availability, and why balancing the two is really important

Good explanations of use of named tools to manage users, computers, resources within and beyond a domain

Good business continuity strategy covering components of the network to ensure any type of failure can be managed so as to ensure continued

Typically, at least four relevant and mostly up-to-date references should be included, and cited appropriately.

availability

C Sound,, labelled diagram with title and showing full detail of internal and external interface network components

Brief explanations of principles of security and availability, without much mention of the importance of balance between the two

Descriptions of named tools to manage users, computers, resources, within and beyond a domain

Sound business continuity strategy providing backup for important of network components

Fewer than four relevant and up-to-date references, cited appropriately.

D Poor, inadequately labelled diagram without title and limited inclusion of hardware and Internet interface devices

Very brief explanations of principles of security and availability, without much mention of the importance of balance between the two

Brief descriptions of use of some named tools to manage users, computers, resources, within/beyond a network

Poor strategy, with only limited descriptions of backup for some important network components

Some referencing in use, but no Harvard and not appropriately cited.

Fail (E-G)

Very poor diagram or no diagram. Little or no labelling.

Definitions of basic terms, but little else

List of software used to manage users, computers, resources, domains, but not much beyond that

Not really a strategy, more a list of items that could be protected in the event of a failure

Shows a lack of understanding of the purpose of referencing and makes no attempt to use any type of end-of-document linking to external sources