Nature of proposed study

The student desires to learn Wide-Area Telecommunications Subnetwork Implementation and Administration. Toward that end, the student will complete two projects:

(1) Installation of a gateway between the wide-area network (WAN) and the subnet, which will physically and logically connect the subnet to the WAN

(2) Installation of a host server system, which will provide application services for the subnet (such as electronic mail).

The WAN that the student will use is the Internet. After completing these two projects, the subnet will enter service for SRJC faculty and administrators. The projects have been coordinated with the campus telecommunications manager, who has also supplied equipment -- for further information, Dave Johnston can be reached at x4853.

Learning Objectives

Evaluation

Except for administrative objectives, each objective will be evaluated by demonstrating that the subsystems upon which the objective is based do, in fact, operate as expected. Demonstrations may be accomplished with diagnostic equipment and software, actual use of the objective's subsystems, or whatever tools the instructor deems appropriate.

Project One

The Gateway

Objective One -- Hardware

The student will learn hardware considerations for gateways, as accomplished by assembling the hardware components of a subnet gateway and physically attaching it to the WAN.

Objective Two -- Software

The student will learn software considerations for gateways by evaluating or testing no less that three gateway software packages. The student will then install one package on the gateway's hardware.

Objective Three -- Configuration

The student will learn gateway configuration by configuring the gateway to route Internet Protocol datagrams between the subnet and the WAN. (Note: The gateway will connect two different link media, which complicates this objective.)

Objective Four -- Administration

The subnet will begin limited use. The student will correct any problems with the gateway ("debugging").

The student will then document the gateway system within its configuration files. These files will be printed and submitted to the instructor for evaluation.

Project Two

The Host Server

Objective One -- Hardware

The student will learn hardware considerations for servers, as accomplished by assembling the hardware components of a server and physically attaching it to the subnet.

Objective Two -- Software

The student will learn software considerations for servers by evaluating or testing no less that three server packages. The student will then install one package on the gateway's hardware. At a minimum, the server package will provide both electronic mail and file transfer services.

Objective Three -- Configuration

The student will learn server configuration by configuring the server to provide electronic mail and file transfer services for the subnet, which includes on-line documentation, security measures, and the construction of an appropriate hierarchy on the server's mass-storage media. (These services will also be available to WAN clients through the gateway.)

Objective Four -- Administration

The server will begin limited use. The student will correct any problems with the gateway ("debugging").

The student will document the server system within its configuration files. These files will be printed and submitted to the instructor for evaluation.

Final Evaluation

1) The student will write a technical document (for future system administrators) explaining the operation, capabilities, limitations, and important details of both systems; this document will be submitted to the instructor for evaluation.

2) The instructor will then evaluate the system through actual use. Any undocumented capabilities, limitations, or important details will result in a downgrade. An "important detail" is any non-obvious item without knowlege of which a system administrator might cause a network failure (e.g., "Unplugging the gateway will cause a subnet failure," is not an important detail. "Removing the subnet from the gateway's routing table will cause a subnet failure," is an important detail.)