Assessment Details

Student will design, install, and configure network servers using Windows Server $2016$ or a later version.

Background

XYZ Biotech Innovations is a burgeoning biotechnology company headquartered in Boston. The company is at

the forefront of pioneering medical solutions, and with a dedicated team of $20$ researchers, engineers, and

administrative personnel, it is embarking on an ambitious journey to fortify its IT infrastructure. As the newly

appointed IT Manager, your responsibility is to conceptualise and implement a LAN infrastructure that caters

to the distinctive needs of a biotech firm.

XYZ Biotech Innovations is structured into several key departments, including Research & Development,

Quality Assurance, Regulatory Compliance, and Administration. The primary objective is to design and

implement a LAN environment that fosters seamless collaboration, ensures secure data sharing, and

centralises the management of resources.

As the IT Manager of XYZ Biotech Innovations, your mandate involves centralising authentication, resource

management, and access control to contribute to streamlined collaboration, strengthen data security, and

enhance operational efficiency across diverse research and administrative departments.

Your task in this assignment is to meticulously analyse the client's requirements, devise comprehensive

solutions, execute configurations, troubleshoot any arising issues, and compile a system documentation report

adhering to standard reporting practices.

Assessment of Client's Requirements:

$$ Identify the specific needs of each department for collaboration and resource access.

$$ Evaluate the security requirements for data sharing and access control.

$$ Understand the scalability needs for future growth.

Suggested Servers and Configurations:

$$ Authentication Server: Implement a server to centralise user authentication. Suggest using Microsoft

Active Directory for seamless integration.

$$ File Server: Facilitate secure data sharing by setting up a dedicated file server. Implement access

controls based on departmental needs.

$$ Database Server: Deploy a database server for efficient data management, considering the large

datasets typical in biotechnology research.

$$ Web Server: If collaboration involves web$-$based platforms, set up a web server to host internal

applications.

$$ Firewall and Security Server: Implement a robust firewall and security server to safeguard sensitive

research data.

Implementation and Configuration:

$$ Provide step$-$by$-$step instructions for setting up each server.

$$ Include screenshots at significant configuration steps.

$$ Ensure integration and compatibility among servers for a seamless LAN environment.

System Documentation Report:

$$ Include all configurations with detailed descriptions.

$$ Explain the rationale behind each configuration decision.

$$ Prioritise human usability factors in documentation.

$$ Make the report user$-$friendly for the intended audience.

$2$

Network Changes Documentation and Troubleshooting:

$$ Establish a protocol for documenting any network changes.

$$ Explain how this documentation aids in the troubleshooting process by maintaining a record of

common problems. Provide examples of how documentation has assisted

Video Presentation and Demonstration:

$$ Use the configured system to demonstrate the implemented scenario in the Week $10$ recorded video

presentation.

$$ Showcase the seamless collaboration, data security measures, and operational efficiency achieved

through the LAN infrastructure.

Detailed requirements are provided below:

Task A: design, installation and configuration

$1.$ Design a LAN Infrastructure for $20$ users and determine the feasibility in your design for number of

Servers, Client$$s computers, Printers, Routers and Switches. You may use Cisco Packet tracer to

show the overall network design.

$2.$ Configure a DHCP $($Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol$)$ to acquire automatic IP address.

$3.$ Create Pharmaceuticals Inc. Domain, a new forest and provide centralised user authentication.

$4.$ Create OUs $($Organisational Units$)$ and Groups based on department name and create two users and

two computers for each department.

$5.$ Create folders for each department and set the sharing privileges only to corresponding department

users who can access the shared files.

$6.$ Configure two Group policies e$.$g$.$ Disable Guest Account and Set Minimum Password Length to

Higher Limits $12$ Characters

$7.$ Install and configure IIS web services.

$8.$ The company wants to store all the files on a separate file server and only users with appropriate

access will be able to access them $($not every user should have access to the files$).$

$9.$ You can assume which users$/$groups will have access to these files and state your assumption

clearly.

$10.$ Table of servers, with MAC addresses, allocated IP addresses, client IP address ranges.

$11.$ Installation and configuration details of all the servers in detail.