Networking Week 6

Windows Server 2003:

This week we looked at the differences in the install and interface of Windows 2000 server edition and Server 2003 edition, The main differences I noticed were on the configure your server page in windows server 2003 it has a different look and some things such as the IIS web server are located in different named areas in 2003 this is in an area called application servers.  As shown here:

Active Directory:

We were able to set up and configure an Active directory properly with W2K3 server, using a DNS (Domain Name Server) and the active directory modules from the setting page shown above.

Users and User Groups:
We then set up some user accounts and created a limited access user group and added looked at adding users into already created groups, such as Administrators.  We were able to log in with a client PC connected via a Hub successfully.

Networking Week 5

This week we looked at network installation procedures.
Planning the Installation.
Network Installations should be done with as little interruption to the work load of the business or location of the desired install.  For larger installs talking with the clients to plan the install times is critical. Some options may be to wait for a low point in activity or even a holiday period if that applies, this would be ideal for places that can not have any down time in there environment.  Another option would be to hold talks or interviews with the people or owners involved and work out a time that fits in with there work schedule normally after hours. 

Priorities
A network install has obvious logical priorities (cabling & Hardware before software) but there may also be some important business or client priorities such as Accounts needing computer access during business hours, or a web server that needs to stay connected to the Internet until the latest possible stage.  These Priorities should be detailed in the network design and roll out planning.
Contingence planing
You should always plan for problems before hand to ensure for a smooth network install and avoid unexpected downtime. Documenting any backup plans will not only save time on the current network install but future ones. A way to avoid any future problems is to document any that may arise or contingence plans that you had to put in place, remember to put the possible reasons and the solution used to fix the problem.
Some of the possible problems and solutions may include:

• A supplier is unable to deliver hardware on time
• Hardware fails or is damaged
• Data or information is lost

Possible solutions or work around's are:

• Building in extra time to allow for delivers
• Installing and testing new hardware before uninstalling the old (possible in mock up conditions either on site or off.)
• Backing up data before you begin.

Planning and Documentation:
Once the plans are designed and approved from management the ideal option would be to document them using one of the software packages such as MS Projects or similar. The details of this documentation could include:

• Estimated time to complete the installation
• Proposed dates for the work to take place
• What risks are involved physically
• What strategies are in place should something go wrong (list of contingencies)

Once a plan is drawn up you would meet again with management, this is where you could address issues about site access outside of business hours.  The main objective here is to give the client a run down on the process that will take place and provide them with any relevant information they may need or want.
Finally the documentation phase should continue right through the Project any Hardware/Software problems encountered and solutions taken, Time management problems and causes and finally any miscommunication or client upset and possible reasons.  This not only helps the client see that the proposed work was completed with competency but it will also aid in smoother future installs and an overall lessening of the workload.
Installing Network Hardware:
Things to consider in the early stages of a Network hardware install might be:
Power Points make sure there are enough for the current install and also for future upgrades or expansion, More attention would be needed in older buildings.
Cabling required remembering that not only does each workstation need its own cable but devices that are on a network will also need a cable or possibly patch panel. All cabling in Australia must adhere to austell (Australian Telecommunications Authority)standards, proper licensed installers should be used.
Cooling, Ventilation & Lighting
Extra Cooling for rooms with computer hardware a single computer can raise the room temperature quite a bit making working uncomfortable, with server rooms something being almost wall to wall with hardware cooling can sometimes mean the difference between an operating network and a over cooked one.  Lighting needs to be adequate for the tasks preformed in that area, usual OHS rules should apply here.
Access Areas for general use
Some areas may not need to be visited by all or any users such as the server room, but others such as printers, CD drives or Jukeboxes should be located in a central location to users concerned.
Maintanance Areas Access
Some areas such as the server rooms may need to be visited for maintance purposes, this speeds up the testing and deployment of any changes or regular maintanance, these areas should be secured and only visited by authorised personnel to ensure the environment stays operational for the users.
Health and Safety
During a network or Computer Hardware install or repair health and safety rules should always be followed some of the more important ones are
Isolating the power supply of the device your working on before commencing work (Make sure the powers off and cords out as some devices can hold a lethal dose of electricity in there capacitor components)
Looking for and preventing Trip, Slip or fall hazards in the general work area, this can be done by picking up mess as you go and not running cables over walkways etc.
Also appropriate breaks should be taken when dealing with any IT related fields or installations to prevent any RSI (Repetitive strain injuries)
Practical Task: Install IIS (Internet Information Service) on Windows server 2000

1. Install windows Server 2000 following previous steps
2. Configure the Internet connection with TAFE proxie
3. Run The Configure your Server Dialogue
4. Select Web Server to Install IIS from the left side of screen
5. Follow the onscreen prompts to add the IIS module to windows Setup
6. Allow setup to finish
7. Open Administrative tools select IIS manager
8. Left click on server to select it from the top of the page
9. Select Default Web Site right click and browse to see current web page.
10. Right click Default Web and select Explore copy across any html files you have.
11. Right Click is blank space and select refresh
12. Select you html file right click and select Browse to view new web site on localhost.

Other Tasks Completed today:
Network Hardware Shopping List for 20staff Office
Network Hardware Plan for Room R202

Networking Week 4

Things to look at in Network Design

Identify Organizational Requirements in relation to network design.



Talking to clients to discuss such things as:
The needs and requirements of the business, (email, database access, permissible shares)
The geographical distance to cover in the network and possible future network growth,
Number of users and devices incorporated into growth as well as present numbers,
Security issues and the need for remote resource access.

The best way to determine these variable factors is usually in person with face to face interviews, and on site walkthrou's. During interviews you should engage in active listing and take notes from interviews and or any walkthrough's / demonstrations.



Following Industry Standard



It is important to follow the industry standard when building and configuring a network for a client this way any future re design, inter connection with other networks or a general upgrade has the best chance of running smoothly without complication.



Connectivity to the network



Will outside access to the network be needed? And who will be accessing the network from the outside world just trusted staff members, or a mix of customers, and different security level staff member this is a very important part of network design. You should also consider this when looking at the security needs of the network as there may be a need for Secure internet and remote access to be employed as well as possible DMZ(de militarized zones or safe zones) or hardware and software based firewalls.



Compatibility of existing hardware and software



You also need to make sure that any current or existing technology on site is compatible with any new hardware and software, for example if the site is running all Mac based computer hardware and software but you feel that a Windows based Network solution would best fit the problem then this would need to be fully and specifically researched to ensure complete compatibility between the two different systems. This would prevent future problems and possible loss of business from computer down time. Possible locations for research on all network design would be the hardware Vendors, colleagues or co workers and internet forums with some credibility or cross referencing.



Defining Network Technical Requirements



This can be broken down into two main parts these are Protocols and hardware



Networking protocols are rules that the network works by, these set standards for things like

Error detection
Control sequences
Message lengths
Media access and more

All networks need a protocol to work and it is in most cases the protocol is comment to all nodes of the network.

The protocols will be selected again by the needs of the network and the client here are some of the common protocols in use today.

NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface)

This protocol is an enhanced version of the (Network Basic Input/output System) and was designed when a network usually consisted of a local area network with a limit of 200 computers on it and was designed to incorporate the communication of one network to another (2 total) through routing. This protocol is a good choice for smaller networks that didn’t need outside or internet connectivity or for systems running older Operating systems such as windows 98, Windows 2000 or Windows XP. It has good error correction and is useful over slow links or transition media, is very easy to configure and uses a small amount of memory.



IPX/SPX (Internet Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange)

This is called a protocol stack this means that has several layers of software to define the protocol and is the primary protocol stack for Novell Netware networks. The first advantage over netBEUI is that it is routable this means data can be passed not only from one network to another but across multiple networks, SPX is a communication protocol that allows for greater reliability in application data exchange. Other protocols included in this stack are NCP (NetWare core protocol) and ODI (Open Data-Link Interface).

The IPX/SPX protocol can be deployed on windows and Unix systems and is needed for a Netware server.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

This is another protocol stack and is the communication protocol of the internet, this is the protocol needed to allow internet access to a network. The two types of addressing for TCP/IP are dynamic or static IP addresses. Other protocols included in the TCP/IP stack are UDP (User Datagram Packet), ARP (Address Resolution Protocol), DNS (Domain Name System), FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and IPSec (Internet Protocol Security Protocol). This protocol stack is routable and is best suited for medium to large networks although this is a large protocol stack it makes it hard to implement on older technology such as MS-DOS based machines and it is also a bit slower because of its size.


Network Hardware Selection

The devices includes in the network hardware selection can include a wide range of devices such as hubs, routers, switches etc



NIC or Network interface card contains the electronic components that establish and control network communications and all workstations on the network must have one to communicate. Transition media can normally be thought of as cables such as



Cat5, Cat6, UTP or Twisted pair cable, it can run as far as 100 m and can achieve transmission speeds of up 100 Mbps.



Coaxial cable, or ‘coax’, can transmit data at speeds up to 10 Mbps (million bits per second) and over distances as great as 185 m.



Fibre Optic cable carries light pulse signals through a glass core. There are two types available: multimode or single mode, transmission speeds up to 200,000 Mbps. Note that it is also expensive to terminate. (Join)



Wireless networks use radio signals or microwaves the standards set 2 transition speeds (LOS only) 54Mbs and 108Mpbs



Hubs

Physically a hub is a box with a number of RJ45 that allows you to connect several networking devices together using twisted pair network cables



Routers, Switches and Bridges

Unlike hubs, network switches are capable of inspecting the data packets as they are received, determining the source and destination device of that packet( this can cut down on network traffic and performance

Bridges are devices that allow you to segment a large network into two, this can be useful if you are adding to an older network, and a bridge can connect the two networks old and new. (Bridges listen to the network to pass on the information and can be used to interconnect two networks with different media but a common protocol)

Routers translate information from one network to another, routers select the best path depending on source and destination, and can also remember best paths or previous routes used. Some routers also come with a built in firewall to only accept pre determined IP addresses and domains.

Gateways are able to connect networks that use completely different protocols or data formats, normally a combination of hardware and software capable of doing protocol conversions

Modems (MODulator DEModulator) convert data between the analogue form used on telephone lines and the digital form used on computers, ASDL modems or routers are still widely used to connect to the internet, and can also provide other network services such as a DCHP server, firewall and wireless access.



Practical Task: DHCP server and an IP Scope setup in windows 2000 server edition



We looked into the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) about how it works and what it does, Firstly all network devices on a TCP/IP network must have a unique address to communicate the types of address are a static or fixed IP address or a dynamic IP address that changes as needed. This is useful for quick setup of multiple devices and also allows 2 devices to share the same address at different time, this is achieved by a DHCP Leasing Process this basically sets up rules and leaces IP addresses to devices acording to that rule ( can include IP number range and time limit for address).



When the devices on the TCP/IP network start up they send out a DHCP discover packet the DHCP server then sends back an address to that device whilst with holding it from all other devices on the network, this message from the DHCP server will also include any gateway address requested aswell. The device then broadcasts back that it accepts the IP address and any other DHCP server that may have also sent an address can return that to there free pool of addresses.



TO INSTALL DHCP SERVER
Install windows server 2000 following previous steps
Install DHCP from the configure your server page
From the start menu chose administrative tools then DHCP
Select the server from the left side pannel and select the action menu and choose New scope
Enter a name for the IP scope and a description
In the IP address range box enter the start IP address (131.107.2.200) and
Ending IP Address: (131.107.2.255)
Enter a subnet mask for the IP range (255.255.0.0)
Enter in any exclusions you will need (static IP address for servers, printers etc)
Enter in the lease time duration (8 hours)
Click Yes and Next
Enter in the IP address of the routers on the subnet in the Gateway address box
Enter in any of the parent domains or DNS names and IP address
Enter the name of any wins server and IP addresses in the WINS server dialogue box
Click yes and next to finish the wizard
The DHCP address leasing policy is now deployed!! yay

Networking Week 3

What are Protocols?

Protocols are rules and regulations used to govern the shareing of information between nodes on a network,

The Layer of the OSI model with no associated protocols is the Physical layer this is normally just concerned with transmission.

IP address Class's

Every node on a TCP/IP network must have a unique IP address wich is grouped in octets and represented as a dotted decimal number. IP address are made up of two parts a network address and a host address the Network address of all nodes on a single network must be the same and the host adress must be unique.  The different classes of IP addresses designate how many hosts and subnet's you may have. The different classes of IP address are as follows:

• Not in Public use normally kept for military/Government and testing purposes.


• 127.0.0.1 is reserved as a loopback address for internal testing but is included in the class A address

The octets of each IP address are in the range of 1-255 (These are decimal representations of binary numbers 8 bits in size) and by checking the first octec you can see the class of the IP address and there for know the network address and the host address makeing up the whole IP address. I found this to be so very simple when taught by a proper teacher like Steve Cahill.

We looked at Binary to Decimal conversions and vice versa this week, again useing a table to convert the numbers both ways as showen below the formula is either simple addition for binary to decimal and devision for decimal to binary. Heres a table with some examples:

 IP Classes Continued



We also looked at different IP addresses and determined there types by following the simple rule

Class A network address is the first Octet (127 of 127.0.0.1 is the network address if it wasnt a loopback)

Class B network address is the first 2 Octets (127.0 of 127.0.0.1 is the network address)

Class C network address are the first 3 Octects ( 127.0.0 of 127.0.0.1 is the network address)

Class D is same as C (not in use by public domain)

Class E is same as C (not in use by public domain)

 Different File systems

We looked at Different File systems a general description of a file system is the method in which an Operating system organizes manages, and accesses its files through logical structures and software routines. ( the way the OS interacts with Stores and Uses Data)  Different file systems have different methods of storing files, file access, file compression, defragmentation and security policies. 

Some File systems:

FAT- File Allocation Table, Disks are divided into allocation Units or Clusters.

FAT16-  File allocation Table 16 bit, Used 16 bit allocation units or clusters.

FAT32- File Allocation Table 32 Bit, Same File attributes as earlier FAT but faster data transfer with 32 bit addressing. ( used 32 bit clusters or allocation units)

HPFS- High Preformance File System, Designed for IBM's OS/2 for better efficency/reliability then FAT

CDFS & UDF- CD-ROM File System & Universal Disk Format, CDFS is for CD-ROM disks & UDF is used by windows 2K and beyond for CD-ROM's and DVD media (Digital Video Disk)

NTFS - New Technology File System, Designed for the NT platform of windows, Highly reliable. Has increased security with greater file attributes and allows for compression of files.

Windows Server 2000 Active Directory.

Windows server 2000 has a service named Active Directory this includes information from the network this server is attached to these can include: Users, Groups of Users, File access permissions and much more from this information the AD service can represent a digital image of the network ( could include shares or objects like printers etc from multiple machines accross the network allowing for central access) When configured correctly it can allow access to network location otherwise un available to clients or nodes.

Active Directory Install.

To Install Active Directory on Windows Server 2000 you must:

1. Firstly install windows server 2000 following earlier instructions,


2. From the configure your server Page select Active Directory from the left hand of the page,


3. We installed the server as the First Domain Controller ( i assume this is the first server on the network)


4. We created a new domain tree with eddiepower.com as the lowest level ( like a map of domains)


5. We then created a new forrest for our tree ( a bigger map of Networks and sub nets)


6. We selected our network domain name it was eddiepower.com


7. We then selected a NetBios name being EDDIEPOWER ( for older windows systems pre Win 2k)


8. We set the location of the database file of information Being sure to select a NTFS location ( allowing Access rights to be configured)


9. We then let Win 2000 server install a DNS ( domain Name Server)


10. Allowing NetBios devices here aswell


11. Set a Master Reset Password for Directory Services Restore mode ( a Reset incase of emergency)

We ran into a small error while running the prac at school but at home on Windows Server 2003 i was able to set up and configure both of these services all i would need now is to configure a DNS client to run such as Dyn DNS as a service to allow for routing from Internet traffic as all websites are accessible over local Intranet. I found this prac very usefull in understanding the workings of two Vital server services.