Introduction

In the present leading world of information technology, it is imperative for any institution to leverage on the advantage in order to further enhance smooth network in such a mini-global village of campus community. The plan to redesign Wide Area Network using Windows NT and Sun Unix servers in St. John’s University would be one of the most welcome development among the expectant members of the university communities. With the available infrastructure such as switches, routes, firewalls, wireless access points, desktop computers and students’ laptops, we up to the task. Designing a business plan will entail analysis and collation of all participating data. The collation is followed with categorization into Teaching staff, non-teaching staff, students and visitors.

Management Strategy

The absence of effective management forfeit the essence of installation hence, it is imperative to harness highly proficient management controls and securities on the IT infrastructures to ensure the privacy and safety of the proposed mini-global village. This will prevent hackers or any unauthorized users that could destroy the whole built up network within a jiffy – cyber terrorism. The highlight of the management could take the following shape;

1.      All students must register with their ‘registration number’, and password. For a start, student’s date of birth could be a temporary proxy pending the time each student confirm its studentship and gain access to edit the profile. For sophisticated laptop users, finger print is a perfect security control over individual privacy

2.      Intranet or intranet enabling:  Access within the university community could be freely access. This is used as a means of information dissemination, news and general overview of the university community hierarchical arrangement that ensure orderliness. This will contain administrative information that could enhance boost in security of life and properties.

3.      During registration exercise, each student would be expected to log in within a stipulated time after which there would be an extension or late registration attracting extra fees. Registration time limit will ensure fast collation of students’ data for quick availability. The registration would require the purchase of access PIN followed by input of the amount on card. The certification of genuine PIN permits the prompting to fill the semester’s course codes. The data base will automatically update each student’s level and department, students to hostel allocation also will be electronically prompted on clicking ‘request button’.

4.      There is a need for a departmental password in care of the Head of department in order to handle such cases like password misplacement, and unusual error that are unlikely to occur in electronics data input.

5.      Students would be expected to always hang the University ID card. This will reduce the level of vices committed by students since just a single registration number will reveal other information required to track the culprit.

6.      For security, there is need to constantly backup server certification using software such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate on the sites. Any student’s or staff confidential mater should be processed to require password before access on the web. Other security measure is IIS authentication; “Anonymous FTP authentication and Basic FTP authentication” the first is recommended for the intranet web while Basic FTP authentication would prompt up for password and username, this is recommended for each student’s web page and exiting the intranet, including accessing to the management data or central control information base.

Budget requirements

Expected Expenditure: The budget includes the procurement of cables for WAN and transmission fiber for wireless circulation. This also requires constant upgrading to meet up with latest version in a dynamic IT world. Basically the cost requires manpower wages and purchase of cable to go round the number of desktop available. Fund for publicity is required to enlighten the community of the latest development through open forum at different faculties.

Cost Income: Introducing different schemes to satisfy all intending users will enable easy navigation their subscription of choice, this is the basis of cost effective and usage maximization. The intranet would attract many advert placements from within and outside the university community. Laptop subscriptions could permit sessional, semester or monthly subscription. Staff subscription will be sole on monthly deduction from account section, but this must be relatively cheaper and only interested users are welcome. Furthermore, scheme permitting student associations with the use of desktop on sessional plan would also maximize income from non-laptop users. Entrance examination into the university would equally require purchase of a designed PIN for the module entering for.

Courtesy : Cisco

References

(Anon)Setting FTP Site Authentication,

Available at: http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/d63b05d3-7742-4268-a7ee-bcf2f9a4e5721033.mspx?mfr=true

Introduction to WAN Technologies

Available at: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/internetworking/technology/handbook/Intro-to-WAN.html