IT Strategy and Network Design Proposal Essay

The GFK School of Motoring was naturalised in 1960. Since then, the school has grown steadily and now has a several offices in the London argona. However, the agreement of rules is expanding and a new branch is to be built that will link with the alert network and in like manner utilise the la raise technologies such as simulators, the internet and the World Wide Web.Furthermore, improvement is needed in the communications and sharing of information between offices spread around the London.The managing director wants to replete advantage of the lucre to change the way the comp any(prenominal) operates. The new branch will allow prospective guests to browse the clearsite and moderate an initial registration. Interview and the checking of documents green goddess then be arranged on-line. Once a knob has been registered any payments due can also be made on-line via any of the various credit and account cards.Flexibility in the provision of services to guests also requires t hat once registered, a knob can take a driving lesson at any of the centres. Hence an integrated and up-to-date selective informationbase system is to be implemented.The Director of the scheme feels that too many mistakes are being made with the current system and that the success of the presidency will be short-lived if he does not do nearlything to overcome the situation.He knows that a cheeseparing IT strategy and network design could aid in part to solve the problem and has approached our team to help create a new branch and implement an efficient and reliable information system to contri plainlye the running of the organization as a whole.1.3 DESCRIPTION OF GFK OPERATIONS.Each office has a manager (who tends to be a senior teacher),Several senior instructors, instructors and administrate staffs.The staff hierarchy is as follows Manager higher-ranking instructors Instructors Office personnel.The manager is trusty for the day-to-day running of the office.Clients must fir st register on-line or at an office and this requires that they complete an lotion form, which records their personal details.Before the first lesson, a client is put across to attend an interview with an instructor to assess the needs of the client and to ensure that the client holds a reasoned provisional driving license.A client is free to ask for a particular instructor or to request that an instructor be changed at any stage throughout the process of learning to drive. afterwards a successful interview, the first lesson is rule booked.A client may request individual lessons or book a block of lessons for reduced fee.An individual lesson is for one or two hours which begins and ends either at the clients home or at the office.A lesson is with a particular instructor in a particular car at a given time.Lessons can start as early as 6a.m. and as late as 8p.m.After each lesson, the instructor records the progress made by the client and notes the mileage used during the lesson.T he Organization has a pool of cars, which are adopted for the purpose of teaching.Each instructor is allocated to a particular car.As well as teaching, the instructors are free to use the cars for personaluse.The cars are inspected at regular intervals for faults.Once ready, a client will be given a attempt date by the instructor.It is the responsibility of the instructor to ensure that the client is best prepared for all part of the test.The instructor is not the responsible for testing the client and is not in the car during the test but should be available to drop off and pick up the client before and after the test at the testing centre.If a client fails to pass, the instructor must record the reasons for the failure.1.4. AIMS OF THE PROJECT.1. To design and implement a network solution for the new Barking branch .2. To redesign or upgrade the companys existing network system.3. To connect GFK to the Internet and house full internet service.4. To design a desktop and its sal es talk to all GFKs client computers.5. To address security and back-up issues.6. To design a network monitoring constitution to master(prenominal)tain and/or improve performance in the future. This particular aspect of the group work is investigated in detail by Student number 0212251 in Part B.1.5 BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROPOSED NETWORK SYSTEM.The design of the local anesthetic Area Network for the new branch and its communicationwith the rest of the GFK network will be approached in view of satisfying two fundamental business functions Information sharing refers to having users access the same data files, exchange information via email, or use the internet. Resource sharing refers to one computer sharing a hardware device (e.g., printer) or software package with other computers on the network to save costs.The main benefit of information sharing is improved decision making, which is one of the goals of the GFK School of Motoring.Any application, e.g. a web browser, on t he GFK LAN will have the following functions1. data storage2. data access logic3. application or business logic4. presentation logicBased on these functions we will be implementing client/server network architecture at the new branch. We will be using 3-tier client/server architecture to spread the commit between the clients (microcomputers) and the servers (more powerful microcomputers).This is illustrated in the diagram below(FitzGerald & Dennis, pageboy 46, top).In this case, the software on the client computer is responsible for presentation logic, an application server is responsible for the applicationlogic and a separate database server is responsible for the data access logic and data storage 1, page 45.Since the main advantage of a client/server architecture is also its wanton point i.e. enabling software and hardware from different vendors to be used together, we will recommend a middleware software such as CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture). It will per form two full of life functions1. It enables a standard way of communication by translating between software from different vendors2. It manages the message enthral from clients to servers (and vice versa) so that clients need not know the specific server that contains the applications data. The application software on the client sends all messages to the middleware, which forwards them to the correct server. The application software on the client is therefore protected from any changes in the physical network. If the network layout changes (e.g., a new server is added), tho the middleware must be updated 1, page 44.By choosing this architecture for the new branch, we have achieved two things1. Better load balancing between the servers on the network2. Scalability. In the future, if due to business demands the system needs to be extended, this can be easily do by adding one or more servers.1.6 REQUIREMENTS ACQUISITION.In coordinate to obtain valuable information almost the GFK School of Motoring, the group decided to send out questionnaires to members of the organization who uses the old system regularly and have a good knowledge of it. We decided on questionnaires because we gestate that the users, being under no pressure as they answer questions about the existing system, will provide a reliable feedback.1.6.1 QUESTIONNAIRE 1.User Mr A. Patel.Position Instructor.Time at Company 3 years.Branch Stratford Branch.1. hesitancy How often do you use the system? practise Daily. As many as 20 times a day, when at work.2. Question Are you comfortable using the company network?Answer material body of.3. Question What do you normally use the system for?Answer Browsing the internet, enquiring about client information, submission client details, sending and receiving emails etc.4. Question Which of these assigns do you found most daunting and why?Answer No doubt, it is obtaining information about clients. The process is very slow and frustrating especially dur ing peak hours. For some reasons the system is sluggish and it slows down the business.5. Question From question 4, do you sometimes have to abort the task?Answer No, because a client details got to be entered. Its frustrating, but you wait until its done before moving on. As a result we tend to record client details at the whenever the system tend to be responsive. This might be a couple of days later.6. Question Which of these tasks do you find easiest to do and why?Answer No doubt, surfing the internet, sending emails, registering clients on-line.7. Question Have you had experiences of viruses cause disruption on the system and how?Answer Certainly on many occasions. I can intend on one occasion a few of my clients and me couldnt use our computers because it was totally corrupted and my sectionalization had to be closed down while the techie people sorted it out. We woolly most of the files on our computers.8. Question From question 7, on how many occasions did this happen?A nswer Ive experienced it about 6 or 7 times.9. Question What advice were you given about using the systems in terms of avoiding virus infection?Answer The normal stuff. Dont open email you dont the source, log-off the system before you close for the day, etc. But despite taking these measures, we still have the problem.10. Question Do you normally back-up your files yourself and how often?Answer Yeah, files are supposed to be backed up on cd-roms at the end of every working day but not everybody does it.11. Question Do you case of lost customer files and how often?Answer Yeah, we do. I know a few of my mate who do. We just furnish to re-acquire it from the customer without the knowledge of management. Someone has been reprimanded for it in the past. Sometimes, its the fault of thesystem. As I said earlier, it can be frustratingly slow.12. Question If you can change the system, what will you change and why?Answer Definitely, it will be the enquiry procedure. Anything that makes the process faster will do.