Principles, Concepts And Theories Of System And Network Administration

This Assignment assesses the following module's learning outcomes:

1. Have knowledge and understanding of the principles,  concepts, and theories of system & network administration,  and to explain common issues of computer infrastructures.
2. Have knowledge and understanding of the values, beliefs and  ethics of system and network administration.
3. Identify, analyse, and resolve common issues against computer  infrastructures.

Assignment task description: 
You are a network engineer working for Pace Seven IT Network  Solutions. Your manager has tasked you with designing a network for a  client's building, which has offices and a data center both located on the  same floor.

Design a network and a data centre reading carefully the specifications  and using the floor plans below:

Specifications: 

1. Room 6 should house the communications equipment and a data centre.
2. Each office is equipped with 7 desktop PCs, all of which operate critical  functions. 
3. Most network devices should be located in room 6, where they will need  racks. No rack can be installed in any other room. 
4. The LAN must be 100% redundant to ensure no single point of failure; in  the event one circuit fails, another must remain operational. This  requirement must be addressed in the design documentation.
5. The network diameter is not a concern. 
6. The design must include all three layers of the hierarchical model covered  in the lectures. 
7. At this stage of the project, there is no need for any configuration of the  devices. 
8. While cost is not a primary concern, appropriate equipment selection is  essential; for example, use an enterprise-class router instead of a carrier class router, or a 24-port switch instead of a 48-port switch, as needed. 
9. Consideration of future scalability is required and must be addressed in  the documentation. 
10. Describe the equipment necessary for your LAN to support 2x10 Gbps  connections to 2 ISP provider routers, excluding any equipment at the ISP  site. 
11. It is unnecessary to detail software requirements, such as operating  systems or virtualization technologies, at this stage of your development. 

What is required from you (FOR BOTH TASKS): 

You are required to prepare two network diagrams to illustrate your  solution: one physical and one logical. The logical design should follow the  Cisco hierarchical model format, as discussed in the lectures. The physical  diagram should represent the actual connections and device locations,  using the floor plans as a template. While demonstrating connectivity  between different rooms, use Microsoft Visio, available in the network’s  lab, for compatibility and feedback purposes. Other drawing software is  acceptable if the output is viewable in LB154/LB216. Avoid using Cisco  Packet Tracer due to its limitations for this design. 

• Links to Other possible software for designing network diagrams • 
• LucidchartLinks to an external site. 
• Visual ParadigmLinks to an external site. 
• Provide a written report of 1500 to 4000 words, accompanying your  diagrams, to explain how your design meets the specifications and  to justify your selection of network and server hardware. Please limit the  report's length to within 10% of the specified word count. 
• Research, select, critically evaluate, and reflect on the actual network and  server hardware used in your designs, supporting your choices with  appropriate references. 
• Your solution must include all network and server devices as well as the  necessary cabling. 
• Use legends in your design, providing a full description of your cabling  and network devices, and elaborate on your reasoning within the report’s  text. 
• There are multiple methods for preparing a network diagram, and advice  will be provided. One objective is to communicate your design efficiently  and professionally. 
• Your data centre must incorporate both models discussed in the lectures,  each capable of independently handling all services if required.
• Design the data centre to handle 10 websites, each with up to 1 GB of  content and being redundant. You can either use virtualization or physical servers to achieve that. Prepare for occasional traffic peaks. Discuss the  utilization and capacity of  your data centre under these conditions. 
• Employ appropriate citations and references (IEEE or Harvard style) for  the proposed devices. Consider various vendors and manufacturers, such  as Cisco, Juniper, HPE, or Huawei, when detailing product choices and  specifications in your report.