COM$00147$M

Department of Computer Science

Computer and Mobile Networks

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT BRIEF

Author Duncan Greaves

Assessment type Summative assignment

Weighting $100\%$

Release Week $3$

Deadline Monday following Week $8,13$:$00($UK time$)*$

$*$ If this date falls on a UK public holiday or a University of York closure day, the submission date will change. Please check the submission point in the $$Assignments$$ area of the module in Canvas for the exact submission deadline.

I. Module Learning Outcomes

The module learning outcomes $($MLO$$s$)$ for this module are as follows:

MLO $1.$ Critically analyse the core concepts in modern computer networks such as LANs and WANs, network architecture, communication protocols and their design principles, the layered organisation of computer networks, and mobile networks.

MLO $2.$ Apply network concepts and design principles, design, communicate and implement a networked application.

MLO $3.$ Critically evaluate and apply tools for computer network performance analysis.

MLO $4.$ Critically evaluate network security techniques.

MLO $5.$ Critically evaluate the legal and ethical impact of computer networks and the internet.

This assessment addresses all the module learning outcomes listed above.

II$.$ Assessment Background$/$Scenario

Background

You have been appointed as the Network Consultant for a fictional company called York$-$Environmental Water Treatment $($YEWAT$).$ The company is run separately from the local water supply company but maintains strong reporting links.

The company is tasked with managing the wastewater treatment for the catchment area on behalf of the local water utility. Water treatment removes contaminants and undesirable components or reduces their concentration so that the water becomes fit for its desired end use. This treatment is crucial to human health and allows people to benefit from both drinking and irrigation use.

Wastewater treatment offers returns through reuse. Treated water is analysed and, when treated, is returned to the local water distribution system for use in homes and businesses.

In times of heavy flooding, the company has a permit to discharge a certain amount of untreated wastewater into the local rivers as a last resort. If this happens, these must be reported to the regulatory authority.

The company uses technology to dynamically monitor inflows of wastewater, analyse treated water quality, and monitor the quality and volume of outflows of clean water to the water supply system using SCADA sensors$.$ A SCADA system is a combination of hardware and software that enables industrial process automation by capturing Operational Technology $($OT$)$ real$-$time data. SCADA connects the sensors that monitor equipment like motors, pumps, and valves to an onsite or remote server.

The network infrastructure could be described as hybrid, with the laboratory and operations centre utilising existing wired networks onsite but trialling the use of IoT devices and drones to complement their data collection and analysis.

For the purposes of this assessment, you will be analysing the network requirements for the wastewater site. The site contains the following buildings and facilities:

$$ An Operational Control Room $($HQ$).$

$$ A Water Quality Laboratory.

$$ The IT Department $($Data Centre$).$

$$ Several water treatment ponds with wired TCP$/$IP SCADA sensors that can operate the gates and pumps, which are distributed across the whole area of the site.

$$ Remote wireless IoT devices and drones.

Network Requirements

The network should give access to the correct department networks by job role. This includes access to their own departmental records and those that they interact with. You do not need to consider the low$-$level details of how wastewater treatment works, but you should design the network to meet the following business needs:

$$ The Operational Control Room staff monitor and control all inflows to$,$ and outflows from, the water treatment works and are in control of the pumping and water treatment sensors$.$ These include the SCADA sensors used to operate sluice gates and pumps, which are part of a permanent wired network.

$$ The Water Quality Laboratory staff are responsible for sampling and testing water quality. They generate data which is stored on a server in the IT Department building.

$$ The IT Department $($Data Centre$)$ consists of work$-$stations and servers that store and analyse data collected from the treatment ponds and laboratories and provide services to all other buildings.

$$ The company is trialling several IoT devices that monitor weather conditions and water levels across the wider area. Many are fixed but include some mobile drones. These devices connect to $4$G networks and transmit their data to the cloud.

Due to cost issues, the business stakeholders have chosen not to run physical cables between the buildings. However, the offices are spaced out so that any wireless communicat