Building a Business Network - Essay Example

Building a Business Network 1. Introduction: A computer network is simply a system of interconnected computers. Networks are constantly used every day to conduct transactions and communications among businesses, government agencies and individuals. Communication systems, some of which might be private, such as within a company, and others might be open to public access. Today, employees can access most companies’ computers over a private communications network, or from their homes or hotel rooms while on the road through normal telephone lines. A computer network is a collection of autonomous computers interconnected by a single technology, plus peripherals (printers, CD-ROM drives, scanners, and so on) so that all computers can communicate and share resources with each other. Even though the first computer networking attempt started in early 1970’s, it was in early 1980’s that computer networks started performing miracles in the automation and growth of the business’. Many of small companies operate local area networks (LAN) to help them do business more efficiently. A local area network (LAN) is a collection of computers and other devices connected to each other to enable communication and sharing of resources. Small and mid-size firms that work with a few PCs and the physical sharing of disks often upgrade to LANs in order to facilitate collaboration and the sharing of business tools. 2. Benefits of Networks: Computers and information Technology has notably changed the face of the present business world. Networking has made innumerable accomplishments possible in various facets of business over the last few decades. Irrespective of the size of the business, whether small, medium or large networking, an organization can accelerate the growth of the organization. The merging of networking technology with business automation had made the process of business automation much faster. For example if an organization is infrastructured in a five-storied building with the administrative block situated at the ground floor. In past time, bringing a file from the fifth floor to ground floor performed manually, whereas in present time it all done through networks. In result, time is saved. Also the human effort reduced notably resulting in saving human resources also. This is only a simple example of the advantage of networking an organization. The importance of networked solutions in the business world goes on increasing day by day. An office network can allow employees to share files and other data and print documents more easily. An office network makes it much easier for employees to share files and information -- especially if you start storing data on a central storage server that is hooked into the network. “If you have a central storage server, everybody can get to the information on that server rather than having to go sit at the machine with a USB thumb drive or a disk, burn information, and walk back to your other machine. One of the problems that may arise while networking a business solution is in relation with the security matters .In an organization not all the data and information cannot be kept open to all. Also the leakage of crucial information should be prevented .By designing the network suitably, these pitfalls can be avoided. But without an office network, you may be depriving your business of significant productivity without even realizing it. LANs started in the early 1980s as a way to share resources easily. On a LAN, not every worker needs his or her own resources, for example printer, -one printer can serve a workgroup or office. While tying to “print” from within Microsoft Word, for instance, the print request travels across the network to the shared printer. In the same manner, an application software running on one computer, namely a server -can be shared among computers, sometimes called clients. The server becomes a location where files are stored, applications are centrally managed, and access to files and resources is granted only to those who have the proper rights. Many organizations opt for this sort of operations rather than a peer-to-peer network- one in which PCs are connected and share resources without a central server. *A LAN has the limiting workspace of being in a smaller area -- hence the name local -- and that makes it ideal for a small business. When a computer network extends beyond a building or a campus or a small area via telecommunication lines, it becomes a wide area network (WAN). 3. Design and evaluation of Networks: Securities on the Internet and on Local Area Networks are at the main focus of computer related issues. The technical jargon of the time is information warfare and network security, and there are valid reasons for the rise in their importance as businesses rely more and more on computer networks. Throughout the evolution of networking and the Internet, the threats to information and networks have risen dramatically. Protective tools and techniques exist to combat security threats; nevertheless, only with the proper selection and implementation should be ensured. Selecting the right networking hardware products and connectivity options is essential to ensuring that your IT systems can grow with your business. When small businesses grow, their network must also expand. It is a notable fact that, it will take time and money to set up the network architecture, connectivity, and security requirements. Due to the very reasons mentioned above, nowadays Businesses are considering moving away from physically running and managing applications on a server in the office, and instead paying someone (a value added reseller (VAR)) to run the applications for them. The concept of a server is still there; only the server may be in another city or country. The connections from desktop PC, or client, to the server are Internet connections, not wired ones. What the organization wants and need is simple, consistent, affordable access to the networking tools and resources that help them to do business effectively and successfully. Many small businesses decide to buy the hardware and build their own network. This may be a cost effective solution if the owner or staff have worked in the computer industry, but if the time spent on a D-I-Y (Do It Yourself) solution may be decreasing productivity from the business, So some organization finds it the wisest choice to go with a value added reseller (VAR) to handle networking management .All these things depend on the factors like size, type, of the organization. Choosing a VAR to build a company's network to support high bandwidth and security needs will be profitable for some organizations. Recently, small and mid-size businesses are now finding WAN acceleration an essential part of their business. For one thing, the technology has gotten better and easier to implement, as well as much more affordable. But also, smaller companies are increasingly working from scattered locations, passing large chunks of data over long distances. With the explosion of the public Internet and e-commerce, private computers, and computer networks, if not adequately secured, are increasingly vulnerable to damaging attacks. Hackers, viruses, vindictive employees and even human error all represent clear and present dangers to networks. And all computer users, from the most casual Internet surfers to large enterprises, could be affected by network security breaches. However, Security breaches can often be easily prevented by the use of suitable implementation technologies and networking softwares. Network OS: The software that controls a network and which manages its message traffic and queues is referred to as NOS (Network Operating System). Also it controls access by multiple users to the network resources such as files, and provides for certain administrative functions, including security. Popular network operating systems include, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server. Novell NetWare/Intranet Ware. Mac OS eSoft Server. Linux. All of these NOSs fit perfectly into a client/server network. Linux has quickly become a popular network operating system as well. Other network operating systems, such as UNIX, are targeted to mainframe or minicomputers, as opposed to PCs. The following are some significant features of a Network OS. A network operating system should provide management, security, and other features and tools that make operating the network efficient. A good network operating system should include some sort of diagnostic tools for examining the network components. Tools and utilities for gathering and analyzing network data should be incorporated with the OS. All network operating systems should include some sort of printer management tool to control the printing jobs like finding the appropriate printer cancel and delete jobs. All network operating systems should include a tool for naming the users of the network and limiting their access to certain resources. Through user accounts, you can choose which files and folders a user may access, as well as which resources that a user can use, and you can limit access to other computers or servers as well. Some NOSs include Web utilities and support for browsers. OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Reference Model: In networking and telecommunications, OSI is used to describe how to connect any combination of devices for the purpose of communication. In this context, an open system is a computer (with software and peripherals) that supports this model for connecting systems on a network and for transmitting information among these systems. The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Reference Model is a seven-layer model developed by the ISO (International Standardization Organization). This model describes the task in terms of seven functional layers, and specifies the functions that must be available at each layer. The seven layers form a hierarchy from the applications at the top to the physical communications medium at the bottom. Given below the pictorial representation of the OSI Reference Model. Fig (a)-The seven layers of OSI Model Connecting Devices: In networking connecting devices can be broadly classified as (i) Networking devices-Repeaters and Bridges. (ii)internetworking Devices—Routers and Gateways. Fig (b) Connecting Devices in a Network Connecting Devices and the OSI Model: The figure below relates the connecting devices and the layers of the OSI Model. Fig (c) Connecting Devices and the OSI Model Repeater: A repeater is a hardware device that is used to connect two segments of the same network, which functions at the physical layer of the OSI Reference Model. The figure (d) shows an example of a network with repeaters. The figure (e) shows the function of a repeater. A repeater receives a signal from one segment, cleans and boosts the signal, and then sends it to the other segment. Fig (d) A Repeater in the OSI Model Fig (e) Function of a Repeater Bridge: Bridges are hardware devices that can pass packets from one network to another, which operates at the OSI Reference Model’s second lowest layer, the data-link layer. A bridge makes the networks look like a single network to higher-level protocols or programs. A bridge serves both as a medium (the bridge part) and as a filter. It allows packets from a node on one network to be sent to a node on another network. The figure (f) shows the working of a Bridge. Fig (f) Function of a Bridge Router: The function of a router is to provide a path from a node on one network to a node on another network. The two networks may be separated by several intervening networks and, possibly, by many miles. The figure (g)shows an example of networks with routers. The router provides the path by first determining a route and then providing the initial connection for the path. In practice, the routing is provided by a hardware device that operates at the network layer. Fig (g) A Router in the OSI Model - “Routers connect nodes on different networks” Gateway: A gateway is a hardware and/or software package that connects two different network environments. A gateway provides a LAN with access to a different type of network, an internet work, a mainframe computer, or a particular type of operating environment. A gateway serves to connect networks with very different architectures. Gateways are also used to provide access to special services, such as e-mail (electronic mail), fax, and Telex. Gateways can operate at several of the higher OSI Reference Model levels, namely at the session, presentation, and Application layers. Gateways usually operate above the communications subnet (A Subnet comprises of the bottom three layers in the OSI Reference Model). Fig (h) A Gateway in the OSI Model Different Types of networks: *Peer-to-peerPeer-to-peer is the actual name for a network in which all users share all resources. A workgroup or peer-to-peer network is One in which all computers on the network can pool their resources together. Each individual computer usually retains its control over files, folders, and applications; however, every computer on the network can use another’s printer, scanner, CD drive, and so on. Workgroup networks contain a small number of computers. Workgroups can be made up of 2, 5, or even 10 computers. It is important to note that the more computers in the workgroup, the slower the network may run. *Client/server networkClient/server networking is a setup in which files, applications, and resources are centralized on one high-speed, powerful computer called a server. Other computers, called clients, then attach to the server and use the resources as they need them. Client/server networks are faster than workgroup networks, and a server supports more clients, or users, than a workgroup network. For example, a client/server network may have from 10 to 2,000 users attached to a server. Network Topologies: The topology is the method of arranging and connecting computers, peripherals, and other equipment on the network. Topology also refers to how the computers and hardware devices are connected and how each interacts with the other. When choosing topology, you consider the number of people on the network, the number of rooms or buildings to be networked, and changes you might make in the future. Basically, four topologies are possible: Bus. Spanning tree (or star). Ring. Mesh. Star Topology: A star topology is shown in Fig (i). In this topology, a number of nodes are connected directly to a centre node or controller. Communications on the connecting links between the nodes and the centre node of a star topology can be bi-directional and are point-to-point. A station on this type of network passes an information frame to the central controller, which then forwards the information to the destination station. The central controller managers and controls all communications between stations on the network. Fig (i): Star Network Failure of a station on a star network is easy to detect and can be removed from the network. However, failure of the central controller will disable communication throughout the whole network. Bus Topology: A bus topology is shown in Fig (j). All nodes are connected to a single communications line. This single communication line is referred to as a bus. Information frames originating at a node are propagated away from the node in both directions on the bus. Each node on the bus interrogates the information frame destination address field for its own address. If the destination field does not match the node address, the node discards the information frame back on to the bus. If the destination address matches the node address, it accepts the information frame and processes the frame. Fig (j) Bus Network Ring Topology: A ring topology is shown in Fig (k)shows Local area networks that have each node attached to an adjacent node, forming a ring. Fig. (k) Ring Network Failure of a node in a ring topology breaks the ring because the information frame is not regenerated. Additions or deletions of stations to the ring can be disruptive, if the changes are not managed properly. Topology, Mesh: A mesh topology is a physical topology in which there are at least two paths to and from every node. The figure (l) illustrates the mesh. Fig (l)-Mesh topology 4. Network Software: Design and Set up of a LAN: Before wireless technology made uninterrupted communication possible, LANs were created by using cables to connect computers to each other. Now, LANs are often a combination of wired and wireless connections. A LAN comprises the software that allows the sharing of applications and devices, and also the hardware, meaning the physical connections. Most networks are linked using Ethernet cable, which operates at various speeds, from ten megabits per second to up to ten gigabits per second. Other hardware components of a LAN are hubs, bridges, and routers. A hub consolidates the connection of various computers into a central location. Basic hardware components of LAN, these are: (a) Transmission channel. (b) Network Interface Unit (NIU). (c) Servers. (d) Work Stations. Transmission channel the transmission channels include twisted pair cables, co axial cables, radio waves, and fiber optic cables. Each medium has its own merits and demerits. Twisted pair cables are used for the short and medium range telephone wires. The major disadvantages are noise interface and low transmission rate. Fiber optics cables are reliable for high data transfer rate over a longer distance. Coaxial cables are used for data transfer over a larger distance and they are immune to electrical noise as it consists of one or more small cables in a protective cover. Network Interface Unit (NIU)  Network interface units connect each devices in the LAN network to shared transmission device. It contains the rules or logic to access the LAN. NIU is also used for to implement LAN protocols and for device attachments. Its function depends on the type of topology used in LAN. Servers One of the major benefits of implementation of LAN is sharing expensive resources such as storage devices printer etc. This is achieved through providing servers on the LAN. It is a dedicated computer that controls one or more, resources. This contains both hardware and software components for LAN. Three major categories of servers used in LANs are: (i) File Server. (ii) Printer Server. (iii) Modem Server. In a networking file server is used to share storage space for files. Besides providing storage space for files in a LAN environment, it is used for taking periodical backup, and also to provide gateway to other servers within and between LANs. A printer server is used to handle printing works of all workstation connected in the network. In LAN environment also modem is required to get connected to other network or simply to use a telephone. A modem server is used to share this expensive resource by all connected workstations in a network. Workstation In networking, a personal computer attached to the network. Not the file server. Also called a client computer. Configuring a work group: While setting up a work station first we must decide how we will be using each computer on the network and how the resources will be shared, and then you choose your networking hardware. The requirements of a workgroup network include the following: Work stations (Nodes). A network interface card for each computer. Cabling or alternative equipment that enables the computers to communicate, plus networking hardware. A compatible operating system. Other peripherals like a printer for sharing. Dividing Computer Duties and Resources: As we plan the workgroup network, we should think about which computers will perform certain tasks in the network. Some tasks include file storage, Internet access, backing up data files, and resource usage. Use the best computer for each job so that the entire network will run efficiently and economically. The first thing that we should consider is which computers will be on and available most of the time. Before anyone can use a computer and its resources, of course, that computer must be turned on. Other things that need to be considered include computer memory, disk space, and specialty hardware for use with resources. Depending on the computers you plan to connect to the network, you’ll want to decide which computers perform certain tasks on the network. You may want each computer to store its own files with other nodes in the network. 5. Network Management: Rights and Responsibilities of the Network Manager and the Network User: The network manager has certain rights over networks obviously certain responsibilities also. The network manager must not only ensure that the network is functionally sound but that the users and the usage are equally compliant. The network manager must balance the requirements of law, the demands of the users, the direction of management and also ensure that the installation and maintenance is cost effective. The network manager's role can be listed as User management, software and hardware management, and other management jobs like implementing and enforcing network policies, Password policies, Setting Acceptable usage, Restricting the access of unauthorized personnels. The network manager has the responsibility to the user to ensure that resources (network connectivity, World Wide Web access etc) are constantly available and to ensure that all reasonable action has been taken to protect the user, the users data and the users privacy. Considering the case of any organization, the organization has a responsibility to manage and control the data it holds about individuals. It is the duty of a Network Manager to ensure that the data is accurate, secure, and relevant. The network manager had the added responsibility of ensuring that the network was not used and as far as is possible could not be used for unauthorized access and modification of computer material. User management responsibilities include Access to user accounts, Access to all user files, Power to create, suspend and reset user accounts. Regarding the Software management, a network manager is in charge of performing the following actions. Purchasing New Licenses, as the network grows. Accounting for New software in budgets. Keeping up to date with Virus Scan definitions. Keeping up to date with security patches. For Hardware management Network manager should perform the planning of preventative maintenance procedures, Review of funcytionalty, Planning and budgeting for the growth of the network. As applications, resources, and users to a network increases, network management duties also become crucial. Managing Workgroup Network Printing: When you have a local printer attached to your computer, you can control the printing. You can pause the printing of all documents or pause the printing of only one document. You can rearrange the order in which the documents print. You also can cancel the printing of a document completely. When you print to a network printer, you cannot control any of these elements. You can only send your job to the printer .To open the print queue (a temporary list of documents waiting to be printed by the network printer), open the Printers folder window and double-click the print icon. The queue appears. If you use a client/server network with Windows as your server, you can attach the printer to the server computer for complete control over the printing process. If you use a client/server network operating system, you need to read the network operating system (NOS) documentation for information about controlling the printer and print queues. A print server can be the software included with a network operating system to control printers, printer drivers, and the print queue. Windows 2000 Server, for example, includes a print server applet that enables you to control the printers attached to the server. A print server also can be a device that attaches to the network. This device provides shared network access to the printers. You can also attach the another kind of print server (usually a small box with ports for plugging in printers) to the network and then attach multiple printers to the device. When a user sends a print job to the printer, the job stops first at the print server, which manages the printers attached to it so that no one printer becomes overwhelmed or overworked. Most of the advantages to using a print server are to businesses and corporations. Bibliography Networking Book Shelf #1. [Online]. Tutorialdownloads.com. Last accessed 18 June 2008 at: http://www.pdftutorials.com/tutorials/NETWORKING/networking-books-shelf1.html Network Operating System. [Online]. Wikipedia. Last accessed 18 June 2008 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_operating_system Wiley, John., & Sons. Home Networking Bible. The Encyclopedia of Networking. Werner Fiebel- The Network Press Second Edition. Read More