OSA Summer 2023 Mock - Task 2, Assignment 1
OSA Summer 2023 Mock - Task 2
KJ eLearning technical proposal
Kj eLearning specialises in providing non-technical and technical courses to adult learners. By providing these courses, they are expected to have a reliable and fast network along with the resources and capabilities to store files and learning materials.
The company are looking to expand from 10 full time staff to 20 over the next 12 months. They are also expanding their physical environment by purchasing the other half of their shared office premise. This comes with an air-conditioned room in the back of the building where the servers will be located.
Server requirements
KJ eLearning wants to install 3 servers to allows a functional, secure and high-performing network to their learners and staff. The most cost effective and efficient way to do this would be to have 2 physical servers configured as:
Server 1
OS | Services | Applications | Other |
Hypervisor | DHCP DNS Active directory
| Web server Email server VPN | Group policies Windows deployment |
Server 2
OS | Services | Applications | Other |
Debian | N/A | File server
| Backup server |
By configuring both servers like this, the heavy traffic expected for the file server is kept separate from the other services. This allows for traffic flow on server 1 to be much more efficient and allow the network to run smoothly. Also, separating these services allows for better organisation and physical management.
Server 1 – OS
Server 1 is the main server for hosting applications and services. I propose that this server is virtualised and split into 2 virtual environments, one containing the domain controller and active directory whilst the other hosts the VPN, email and web server.
The hypervisor selected to run these virtual machines is VMware’s vSphere virtualisation platform (ESXI). ESXI’s ability to integrate with other features such as vCenter single sign on and vShield endpoint protection allows for increased security and ease across the network. Along with industry leading performance and efficient monitoring dashboards to view performance indicators and troubleshoot problems.
The virtual machines will be names VM1 and VM2.
Server 1 – Services (VM1)
The first service hosted on VM1 is dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP). This protocol allows hosts to be assigned IP addresses by the server so that it can communicate with other devices on the LAN and the internet.
Another service that should be hosted on VM1 is domain name system (DNS). This allows hosts to convert legible domain names into ip addresses where web information can be retrieved. It is crucial for viewing web information and browsing.
Server 1 – Services (VM2)
VM2 will be fully dedicated to the active directory. This service is a large database that allows users to connect with network resources. It also allows IT administrators to manage user and devices on the network and set up group policy controls. This is especially useful when controlling access to the file server, something which will be discussed later.
Server 1 – Applications (VM1)
On VM1 there will be a web server running. This allows the company to host and manage their own website, dealing with sensitive data internally where it can be protected by their own security systems. The company website can be used for booking/paying for e-learning courses and finding the business’s contact information.
There should also be an email server running on VM1 for internal communication. Staff should be able to email each other quickly so an internal solution would be best for this. Due to the increased growth of staff, having an internal email server would make the business more flexible to expansion.
Finally, a VPN service should be hosted on VM1 for staff to connect remotely to the network. This would allow staff working from home or out of the office to access resources stored on the file server. By enabling this functionality, the business can increase staff productivity and efficiency whilst remaining safe due to the secure, encrypted connections.
Server 1 – Other
Server 1 will be used to manage group policies through the active directory. This allows for permission groups to be set for users and control their access to files. This is important for security as only the relevant employees should be allowed access to files they need. For example, e-learning teachers shouldn't be allowed access to important finance records.
Server 1 will also be used for Microsoft Windows deployment. This allows the IT administrators to keep all devices running Windows to stay up to date and allow full, efficient deployment over the network.
Server 2 – OS
Server 2 will be running Debian which is a branch of the Linux operating system. The reason for this is that server 2 will be fully dedicated to file storage and handle all file server traffic. Debian is much more efficient dealing with file storage than a Windows based system which should make file transferring faster.
Server 2 – Applications
The only service hosted on this server is for file sharing. Employees will be able to access files on the server that they need for teaching or other business operations.
Server 2 – Other
Server 2 will also host file backups. This will be a pre-configured incremental backup made every 6 hours. As the backup is hosted on the file server, the other server won’t be impacted by performance loss during file backups. This ensures that the network remains stable and consistently fast throughout a business day.
Technical documentation
By using virtualisation for the main server, we can reduce the cost of purchasing expensive hardware. It also allows for easier management of the servers and the ability to troubleshoot using an easily readable dashboard. This increases the efficiency of server maintenance and generally makes every day processes more effective.
Server 1 hardware
Dell PowerEdge R760 Rack Server
£5,566.04
This server has been selected due to several reasons. The server has an Intel Xeon Gold 6526Y processor with a speed of 2.6G. This CPU will provide more than enough processing power for the expansion of staff and network processing in the office. It has also been configured with 32GB of RAM, in a configuration of 2 16GB sticks of memory. This RAM will be sufficient for efficient working and is scalable for further business growth when necessary. Also, with 1.92TB of storage, all applications and services will be stored with space left over for further growth.
For the number of components selected, this server is a great fit for any office budget. It will be able to process and support all network traffic efficiently and is a key part in creating a stable and reliable network for employees and customers to use.
Server 2 hardware
Dell PowerEdge R740XD Rack Server
£9,613.76
The main function of this server is to host all the file storage for the office, including learning resources and business documents. It has 6 7.68TB SSDs giving the server a total of 46.08TB of storage. The server has a further 6 bays available for more SSDs if the business expands further and needs to accommodate more storage. This server also has an Intel Xeon Gold 5115 with a speed of 2.40 GHz allowing instructions to be processed without any delay or performance drop.
Sources and evidence
I used this figure to compare different hypervisor software to choose the best fit for KJ eLearning’s requirements.
Figure 2 - https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxquestions/comments/wvc8of/good_os_for_file_server/?rdt=47524
This figure was used to research about Linux based file hosting operating systems. Eventually I settled on Debian due to its fast and efficient file handling capabilities.
This is the official product page for the vSphere hypervisor. I used it to refer to features that the business would require in the technical proposal.
This page allowed me to research about Windows deployment and how it could benefit KJ eLearning.
This figure allowed me to compare servers to see which would be the best fit for KJ eLearning’s requirements.
Viewing the server on the Dell website allowed me to reference hardware components and their performance. This allowed me to make a better choice on which server to use.
This figure allowed me to compare file servers to see which would be the best fit for KJ eLearning’s requirements.
Figure 6 - https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/dell-poweredge-servers/poweredge-r740xd-full-configuration/spd/poweredge-r740xd/emea_r740xd_vi_vp
Viewing the file server on the Dell website allowed me to reference hardware components and their performance. This allowed me to make a better choice on which server to use.
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