IT Infrastructure Design For AusEd To Support 2500 Workstations

Software and Hardware Components in IT Infrastructure Design

Use of ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) have been widely recognized by many organizations like AusEd.  A network analysis of the proposed network of AusEd will be a challenge to do it as we will need to do a feasibility study with an aim of knowing all the functional requirements and the nonfunctional requirements of the system. This study will give us the analysis of the equipment’s that can be used with the new network structure proposed and those that we will do away with for good as they might not be compatible with what we anticipate to install. In developing a network there are two major components named as the software and the hardware components respectively. This two components helps in classifying the internet and the network when both are accessed as they will help the organization in meeting its objectives. . AusEd institution has a project that needs to build a system IT infrastructure that will be able to host about 2500 workstations in the institution without having problems and delays in data traffic. As the IT manager we are required to give sense to the management of AusEd to what we are needed in achieving the stated needs and requirements.  

Software components are those components that are used for utilizing the services of the network in the network environment where they enable all the protocols that are needed when we are communicating with all the hardware components and hence allowing them connect efficiently and be able to use. Hardware components are those components that can be seen physically and we can touch and feel them as they utilize the environment of the network where they are used directly as the user interact with them such as the workstations, routers, servers, firewalls, laptops, computers, scanners and many others. In the Software components the major software is the Network Operating System which we will be able to understand only when we have installed and configured the hardware devices. The OS of the network will be used in managing the resources over the network and it mostly installed on the main server which is used for managing the entire network resources hence allowing easy transfer and transmission of resources especially to cases where we are sharing resources. After understanding all the software and the hardware components then through the integration of both we can come with the definition of both Network and the network IT infrastructure.

Defining Network and Network IT Infrastructure

Network can be defined as the grouping of the hardware components and those of the software which are very important and necessary when we want to connect the hardware devices in the system with other devices in other organizations using the same network via the internet (Edu, 2013). Network can also be said to a system where devices work together as a team where they are integrated such that they can share information and resources over the network. Network IT infrastructure is referred to as group of physical hardware and the logical components which is needed in providing some features over the network which may include the network security, the access control, network security, Routing and the capabilities of switching (Oracle, 2015).

Rapid growth of the technology each and every day has resulted to us looking for new upgrades that are stable in terms of the design, updates and using. As an IT manger we have a challenge in giving the best solution of the network design that is to be proposed to AusEd such that will not become obsolete within a short period.

AusEd has stated that we need to know what they are entitled to achieve and the proposed system will do an analysis which in terms expect to achieve the its objectives. We can only do a good analysis and an evaluation on the basis of the plan formulated hence helping us in knowing the appropriate and best solution of the proposed network design which will give a good flow of information from one place to the other in terms of the number of hosts available and how the specified devices interacts and interconnects with each over the networks entitled to have us know what they have that can be used in the proposed setup of the network design. (Adato, 2015). Just like in any other organization we will need to consider some major factors that will be need to be considered and looked upon when interacting with the system. Some of these factors are such as the issue of security, the flexibility concern, management of the network, scalability in a manner that it will allow extension, affordability and availability of resources for networking and lastly is how accessible and reliable the network will be.

In this report we are required to give a detailed analysis of the following areas to give the management of AusEd in developing a good network structure that will help in catering for its 2500 hosts in its premise and also access to its website for the distant learners making it easy for them to interact with the system. Some of these areas such as:

• The description of the project
• Scope of the project
• The purpose of the project
• The assumptions made when doing the analysis
• The logical diagram of the proposed network design (Three-Layer hierarchical network design)
• The list of equipment’s used when we are accessing the network.
• Justifying the hardware used and stating the reason for their selection
• A conclusion summarizing all of what have been covered from the other areas.

Scalability and Security Considerations

The main idea in this context is giving out a plan on what we are proposing to achieve by the end of the end of implementation. This will be through listing the equipment’s of what is available what we will need to add depending on what have been stated to be used for developing the network.  AusEd aims at improving its relationships with its customers where they have an intention to use CRM software’s and the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 to help in facilitation of transfer of emails over the entire network.

When we want design the IT infrastructure as AusEd already have a strategic plan and technology plan then we need to come with a network design that is friendly and that will be used when interconnecting with then internet via the network that will be setup. In the strategic plan AusEd aims at looking to two elements one is to minimize the cost of all the results of the core no activities and second is increase all the resources that diversify the sources of fund. After the Strategic plan have been implemented then there is a desire to implement the technology plan where we are to develop an offline Moodle to help in managing all the students in maintaining their personal computers over the network and hence making them to have easy ways when accessing the resources even when they are offline as far as they are connected over the network. The technology plan is development of an add-on Moodle that will be used to make the student able to do photo exam.

The main objective of this project is understanding the network future scalability that will help in accommodating additional devices in future (Coleman, 2012). We would also a network design that will be easy to manage when problems arises and when there is need for troubleshooting in cases when they arise. Also the security of the network will be a great consideration as making this network design we will need to consider the security of the network and that is why we have told to explain on the use of security devices and software’s such as the firewalls and the virtual Private networks (VPNs).

In any development of a plan or a project there must arise some assumptions that will be needed to be made so that the system will work efficiently and that the development or implementation process will move on smoothly without problems. Some of this assumptions are such as:

1. We intend to use the three layered hierarchical network design model which we assume will be affordable and that will provide features such as the scalability, reliability and the flexibility of the system in case we will need an extension in the future.
2. We assume the system and the network engineers have some IP addressing, also they have subnetting and the knowledge of routing when implementing the system network design.
3. Systems and the network engineers are assumed that they have a basic understanding of how Cisco routers and how the switches work in the implementation and development of the project.
4. We assume that the small network design will cater for the entire network design when doing the real implementation and construction phase and operations.
5. We have assumed that the price given for the networking devices are just an estimated of the actual price or the cost.

List of Equipment needed and Budget

Figure 1 Logical Design diagram

DNS server in AusEd is matching all the web files of all the resources hosted in the server where while the webserver is used to host the website of AusEd helping the distant learning students to be able to access data and information on their browsers in cases when they login to the school website portal  (Meena, 2017). The DHCP is set in a manner that when a workstation is added in the system or in the network then it is mandated ton configure the IP address of the stated workstation automatically. When we are having problem we can be able to detect the source of the problem that will help us tackle the problem as with the DHCP server will be able to know the IP address of the stated machine and hence becoming easy to troubleshoot the problems associated. (Macken, 2016).

The following is the list of all the devices that are used when interacting with the system and that will be used to connect to the network.

1. Servers- which may be the application server, proxy server, DHCP server, mail sever, DNS server, webserver depending with the functions they perform leading to the selections of the appropriate server depending the tasks that need to be performed.
2. Switches- this are used for offering connections to the network where they used in helping the device to access the network in the distribution layer.
3. Routers – used for connecting to the internet
4. Firewall- security device for filtering the data before it leaves or enters the network.
5. VPN- it is also security device that encrypts data in a manner it is the receiver and the sender can decrypt.
6. Personal computers
7. RJ 45 connectors
8. Transceiver- is a Wireless Access point device that helps in broadcasting wireless signals  
9. Laptops for the Executives

We have used the following devices with reference to the following considerations.

1. Interoperability
2. Scalability
3. Updating of the system with the new technologies
4. Flexibility
5. Integration and compatibility.

The manufacturers of the above stated devices have some major features that are commonly applied when producing and manufacturing their devices. This has helped in making the world a better place such that even when AusEd buys a switch from Cisco it will be compatible with a Microsoft server. Cisco, Dell and Microsoft works hard in hard in making the work of the organization is done accordingly and such that the integration is a success.  This has also helped in improving the scalability and the security of the network in that we are able to communicating with the system.

Conclusion

The idea behind this case study is coming up with a structure of the AusEd network that we are needed to implement within the given time and the available resources. We have discussed all the areas from the project description explaining all the way to the list of equipment’s used and the detailed explanation of the logical diagram. The budget of the expected expenditure is analysed as shown above. The choosing of the above hierarchical network design model is because of giving a room for additional devices where we need the network design to be scalable and flexible unlike in the Flat network design model.

References

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Macken, T., 2016. Azure Resource Manager and Classic Deployment, s.l.: Microsoft.

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