1 COMP247/ITEC647 – Data Communications Assignment 1 Major Assignment Data Communications Research Report Due date Due start of Week 7 Mon 10th April 10.59pm (Submitted on ilearn via turnitin link) Weight 15% of overall unit assessment 1. Task Description Recently you have graduated from MQ University and started a job as an IT Consultant. One of clients is a Small to Medium sized Public Relations Company that has started up in Glebe, NSW. The owner of the business has requested you to design the Network as best you see fit for the company (well on paper). The report you provide will be used to determine the validity of such a large expense for a new business. Rebekah the owner, would like to see a business report explaining the functionality that we will have (justified).This should include a basic diagram depicting the network infrastructure layout/topology also. Rebekah has provided you with the following information: - Staff size at the moment is 50 - 20 of those staff will be on laptops (Windows & a few Macs) - 20 of those staff will be on desktops (Windows based) - 10 staff are BYOD (Bring your own device) machines also. - 5 spare desktops - There is 1 printer per floor. - Server room is located on ground floor - Building is 3 levels, with the need for staff to be able to be mobile and secure in the building. - 3 board rooms equipped with Projectors and 75” OLED Televisions. (Essential for internet connectivity in these also) - There is a requirement for network access for staff from remote locations, however this has raised concerns about security of data. - Due to structural constraints 2 senior staff are unable to have physical data points in their offices, however they frequently transmit large files across the network. - All staff must be able to use all printers2 2. Report Requirements: Your job is to research and think about how you will put together this network including a justification as to why you chose your layout for the business. Below are the headings that we recommend for writing your report (Nb. This gives you a clue of what we expect to be included): Introduction Assumptions Network Design (Recommended – gliffy.com) Justification Recommendations Conclusion Appendix 3. Report submission requirements Accuracy This is a major assessment for this unit. You are required to put into real-life practise many of the skills that are addressed in this unit. Because for most of you this will be the first time that you have undertaken such an exercise, you are allowed to take “poetic license”. This means that wherever possible you must describe the requirements of the network that you are investigating, using the range of tools and techniques described above. However, if the requirements are not well suited to utilising all of the above tools and techniques, you may “bend slightly” the system requirements in order for you to demonstrate (to your lecturer) that you can use each of the above approaches in a meaningful way. For example: There would be more than one way to create connectivity within the network. Length You should refer to the rubric available on the website for marking criteria and each section should be of sufficient length to adequately describe that section. The word count should be around 2000 words approximately 4. Marking criteria Marking criteria is available via a rubric on ilearn.3 5. Submission Format You will be required to check this assignment through Turnitin on ilearn. Please leave adequate time to review your assignment for originality, through the Turnitin process. Your final major report assignment submission should be in the form of ONE Microsoft Word document. You should include your diagrams in this Word document, as clear graphics. Note: any graphics that cannot be clearly seen will NOT be marked. Your Word document should be named as: Lastname_FirstIinitial_MajorReport.doc (or docx). For example, my submission would be named Mansour_M_MajorReport.doc or Mansour_M_NetworkReport.docx. 6. Advice Because you will need to gather and analyse a lot of data, you should start this assignment as soon as possible. 7. Original work Your assignment must be your original work. Assignments form a major part of course work. Exchange of ideas with other people can be considered educationally valuable; however, excessive collaboration will be regarded as plagiarism, which is a University offence. For example, the copying of significant parts of a document, even if subsequently modified, is plagiarism. Such academic dishonesty will be penalised in accordance with the University's rules and regulations. You must not copy material from books, magazines, internet sources or other students’ assignments. Of course, you may include direct quotes from any source, but these must be small (e.g. one sentence or one paragraph) and must be properly referenced, using the Harvard Referencing Style. The value and relevance of including materials from another source must be fully explained. If plagiarism is found in your assignment, you may receive zero marks for this assignment. The assessment process may require some students to attend an interview in order to explain aspects of their assignment. 9. Problems to avoid  Start early to allow sufficient time for thorough analysis, report writing and production of many analysis diagrams.  Do not copy materials from any source, unless referenced. Explain the value and significance of any external materials. 10. Retain duplicate copy You are strongly advised to retain a copy of original work, and progressive versions of your work during the session. In the event of any uncertainty regarding the submission of assessment items, you may be requested to reproduce a final copy and/or any previous versions of your work. 11. Penalty for late submission A penalty of 10% per calendar day will be applied to all late assignments. An extension of time will only be considered (not necessarily approved) when a written request is submitted with appropriate supporting documentation and in accordance with University guidelines.4 12. Marks and Feedback Marks and feedback comments will be returned via a Rubric on ilearn.