Internet as the Fastest Rising Technology - Essay Example

?Introduction Internet is the fastest rising technology that has produced endless opportunities. At the same time, serving to navigate through the dominant and greatest growing world of information is a challenge. The assimilation of computer networks is valuable for everyone. (Ramig 2010). I.T soft needs a computer network, which will support all the requirements that are analyzed for fluent business operations, as well as abide with the future trends of emerging technologies. The network devices and computing equipments have to be reliable and extendable, in order to cope up with extra nodes if the staff increases. The network layout of I.T soft requires an expandable and efficient network that will fulfill the requirements of the company. Advanced security features are also required in order to protect the VoIP traffic and preserve network availability. Project Scope and Objectives As I.T soft has decided to implement a new network. The network will use the latest technology in terms of both hardware and software, however cost considerations cannot be ignored as the company is an SME . The implementation of software technology includes the new innovative network that will support the following: Centralized Database access for sales/customer databases Email Internet access Company Website and Intranet VOIP They intend to run a local DNS server probably on their main domain server. They wish to provide a location for all users to store any company data Accounts and payroll data should only be available to the relevant staff. The customer database should be accessible to all staff, however they often have visitors to site who require network access, but the company are concerned about the integrity of their databases. Implementing a wireless environment to provide access to visitors They also require a training room, with networking and access to the internet. protect the integrity of their email and VOIP systems They need to provide access to internal data to staff working off-site. Requirement for tools and Suggestions in order to optimize network performance Requirements for monitoring the provision of their core services such as the availability and performance of their servers and VoIP system Tools to warn of any significant network changes Monitor any attacks on their systems Providing redundancy and failover Network Topology Star topology is recommended for the wired local area network. It is the most widely adopted topology. The star topology supports the centralized provision of network resources and services. The support staff can manage the network administrative and troubleshooting tasks centrally. Star topology helps to implement centralized security architecture for improved and enhanced security of the network. The network implementation cost can be saved by provisioning the core systems located centrally. The security controls and backup systems are also located centrally for better troubleshooting and management. Example of the star topology is available in Fig 1.1. Network Cables For deploying the local network for Camden site, CAT 5 cable is the best option. It supports both voice and data transmission. CAT-5 is in the form of twisted pairs. This cable consists of four copper wire pairs, connecting the network node with RJ 45 connectors.CAT-5 supports up to 100 to 1000 MHz speeds in a ‘full duplex’ mode (Category 5 Cable. 2007). The Camden site will corresponds to request related to internet applications, voice and video transmission, file transfer protocol and Emails. CAT 5 can support these features with ease. However, CAT 5 cable can support up to 300 feet equal to 100 meters in distance. A requirement of the switch is mandatory for every 300 feet. Routers A router is a core computing and packet processing devices in the computer network. Router connects two or more networks with different subnets, enabling the networks to expand on an enterprise level. Logically the router builds a routing table, where it stores all the route addresses. For example, the data packet source and destination is stored in the routing table. The network administrator can statically define the network addresses which are called as ‘static routes’. The dynamic routing protocol is used for the automation of exchanging data packets with other routers in a network. The selection criterion of the router depends on the network requirements. The data transmission gauge, which is also called as the maximum transmission unit (MTU) is also considered for optimal network efficiency. To support the current scenario, the router must support data and voice transmission, redundancy and security features for I.T soft. Cisco 3845 integrated service router will fulfill all the network requirements. Enhanced Features to Support Current and Future Trends The Cisco 3845 Integrated Services Router provides optimal performance for parallel services on the local area network including security, voice and enhanced services. Improved speculation is achievable by increased performance and modularity. The Cisco 3845 ISR consist of robust ‘WAN’ slots to improve density. The router supports over 90 modules for enhanced and latest network functionality. The router supports both copper and fiber interface. Keeping in mind that the cost must be kept to a minimum, the router supports power over Ethernet (POE). It is the revolutionary technology integrating data, voice and power on a standard CAT 5 Ethernet infrastructure. This technology provides power to the devices connected on the network in parallel. The security aspect is attractive, as the router has built in features for data encryption. The router also supports up to 2500 Virtual Private Network tunnels for creating connectivity with remote sites in future. However, the AIM-HPII-PLUS Module is required to support VPN capability in the router.VPN is further elaborates as it is created to improve security and productivity by combining Cisco VPN technology. Cisco VPN has proved to be a reliable name in the industry to connect remote offices, remote users and remote sites in a secure way. VPN is most widely used for remote connectivity solutions in all sizes of organizations. It is affordable due to the provision of public switched telephone networks (PSTN) (, Cisco 3845 Integrated Services Router - Cisco Systems). Cost Saving and Productivity The company will operate in a domain environment and the intranet applications in parallel. The application servers will be located at remote sites in the future that will access the applications via VPN. Cisco VPN solutions provide exceptional security through encryption and authentication techniques that defend data in transportation from unauthorized access and attacks. The Cisco based VPN server uses highly secure communication mechanism with integrated access rights to specific users. The network administrator can quickly add remote sites and users without expanding the current infrastructure. It will improve productivity by extending the current network, applications and collaborative tools. These features enable to reduce the communication cost by a significant level along with improving the efficiency of administrative tasks and configuration. The WPS can adopt one of the Two VPN technologies that are currently in use: Cisco 3845 (ISR) Network Admission Control support The Cisco network admission control (NAC) penetrates in the local area network to implement security policy acquiescence on all devices that endeavor to access. The most significant feature of Network Admission Control (NAC) is easy to deploy. The network administrator can utilize the Cisco network admission control to authenticate, authorize, evaluate and administrate wired, wireless network of I.T soft. The NAC enables the network administrator to recognize the devices, users and their roles in the network. It evaluates the security policies with the workstations on the network. The policies can also be enforced by blocking, isolating and repairing the workstations. The NAC provides easy and secure access for guest users and simplify the non-authenticating access to devices. It also supports audit and reports for the network. The Cisco 3845 Integrated services router provides defense by utilizing the NAC framework within the wired LAN of Camden (, Cisco 3845 Integrated Services Router - Cisco Systems). Cisco 3845 (ISR) Digital Voice Call Support The router supports both analog and digital voice call support. As the company requires support for voice, this feature will simplify the robustness of voice communication protocols within the network and with the remote sites as well. This feature will also support voice mail support. One more feature that is integrated with this option is the Cisco Call Manager Express which supports up to 240 IP phones along with the local call processing (, Cisco 3845 Integrated Services Router - Cisco Systems). The Proposed Network Diagram for I.T Soft Figure 1.2 Centralized Database access for sales/customer databases As shown in Fig 1.2, the sales database and customer database are connected to the switch. Every request from the users is redirected to the router, where the router checks the Access Control List (ACL). In this scenario, the accounts staff has permissions to access these servers. However, all the other users on the network are restricted to access these servers. Email I.T soft has configured an email server to provide email facility to the employees. It is connected to the switch. The router analyzes all the email requests, from the inbound network, to decide whether to send it to the LAN interface or the WAN interface. The security factor is handled by the firewall and IDS Internet access As shown in Fig 1.2, Internet access is only provided by the Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) server. The network administration staff can create access policies on the ISA server to allow or deny Internet access by providing MAC address and IP address of the specific user. In a domain environment, as I.T soft has a domain environment, usernames that are created on the domain server are sufficient. Company Website and Intranet As demonstrated in Fig 1.2, I.T soft has its own intranet. The intranet is available to everyone who is associated with the network. VOIP To support VoIP functionality, Fig 1.2 shows the VoIP architecture that is connected to the public switched telephone networks (PSTN). The router that is implemented within the network will provide digital VoIP support. Moreover, in order to add advanced security, a separate firewall is integrated. DNS Server As per the requirements of I.T soft, a local DNS server is implemented. Figure 1.2 shows the presence of Active directory server that will act as a domain and will also manage user account and provide added security in terms of data management. File Server As the employees of I.T soft wants a workplace for storing data for other companies, Fig 1.2 shows the presence of a file server that is installed for that purpose. Accounts and Payroll Data The access list of the router is configured to only allow account staff for accessing these servers. In order to add more functionality to these servers containing critical data, they are segmented separately from the network. Customer Database As per the requirements, all the staff needs access to the customer database. This can be achieved by allowing all the users of the network from the ACL of the router. However, anonymous users are not allowed to access the database. Wireless Environment for Visitors Figure 1.2 illustrates the wireless network environment for the visitors as they can be connected anytime by providing SSID. As they wireless network is not secured enough internally, the SSID will allow only the specific customer who wish to use the network. Training Room A network switch is made available in the training room. Users can connect by providing their credentials that can be verified by the domain. ISA server and Active directory both can be configured to specify the users for allowing or denying the Internet access. Internal data to Staff working Off-site As the internet is connected via a DSL Internet connection, the modem can be configured with the port forwarding options in order to provide access to the file server specified in Fig 1.2. If off site users want access to the GUI, then remote desktop port forwarding can be considered. For accessing only files, FTP port forwarding can be considered. Router can also be configured for providing access to the offsite staff. Tools and Suggestions Solar winds WAN and VoIP monitor provides these features (, Cisco IP SLA Enabled Network Monitoring Software from Solar Winds): “Monitor WAN performance using IP SLA technology that is already built into your existing Cisco routers” “Visualize site-to-site network performance on a clickable, drill-down map” “Discover and automatically set up Cisco IP SLA capable network devices with specific IP SLA operations” “Quickly review WAN performance to determine the impact on key applications” “View at-a-glance WAN performance with the Top 10 IP SLA dashboard” “Monitor Cisco VoIP performance statistics, including MOS, VoIP jitter, network latency, and packet loss” This tool can be installed on the network as it works on SNMP and provides alerts and information of each activity on the network that is associated with network devices, computing devices and UPS. Intrusion Detection System In order to provide advanced intelligence to the network security, IDS is incorporated within the network. It will sense and monitor the activity and match it to the patterns that are installed in it by the network administration staff. If any unfamiliar activity is noted, IDS will provide notifications and alerts for any possible security breach. Redundancy and Failover As seen in Fig 1.2, the switches are interconnected with each other. If any switch fails to respond, the network will still be operational, except from the nodes that are connected to the switch. For future expansions, 16 port switches along with VLAN support are designed. Extra ports will allow integration of workstations, printers or any other useful computing device that will be beneficial for I.T Soft. References , Cisco 3845 Integrated Services Router - Cisco Systems . Available: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps5856/index.html [12/31/2010, 2010]. , Cisco IP SLA Enabled Network Monitoring Software from SolarWinds . Available: http://www.solarwinds.com/products/orion/ip_sla_monitoring/info.aspx [4/27/2011, 2011]. RAMIG, R., 2010. Online Tools for Research--Elementary and Middle School Style. MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, 17(5), pp. 15-17 Read More