Computer Networks Issues - Essay Example

Computer Networks Introduction In order to have a network of computers working and serving the required purpose of data storage and retrieval, several computers need to be connected to each other in a specific format so as to have a network of computer. Specifically designed norms have be laid down in the form of layered architecture with the description of the devices used for connectivity at each and every layer in order for the system to work efficiently and without any difficulty. 1. CASE STUDY Local area networks are very essential to let the work going for any kind of organization, then may it be a software development firm or a bank, or any other organization, which requires a large number of computers connected to each other for easy data transfer. The larger firms have their own computers connected in the topology suiting best to their requirements. They choose for themselves from the different options available like bus, ring, star, mesh and the like. The protocols used for the data transfer stays to be the same. We take the example of the call center, as they require a large number of computers for providing online support to a large number of people utilizing the services provided by the firm. The protocols used for the data transfer are standard and are generated utilizing the international standards for communication languages. The call center backbone should be strong enough so as to meet the pressing requirements of online support to millions of users staying far and wide and utilizing the services of the organizations. The critical issue in the call center stays to be that the information and the calls need to be routed to the lines which are free at that very moment and these lines should be relieved back to the pool when they are no more used. Next, the information needs to be collected in the central database so as to store the information and personal details about the scheme offered to the clients and their personal information too. The financial system at the back needs to be connected to the front end Customer relationship and maintenance software package, so that the information updated by the CRM department directly gets recorded in the back end ERP system. This saves a considerable amount of time and effort by eradicating the factor for double data entry in both the front end and the back end. For this the cutting edge technology is utilized to develop new softwares and other data integration and migration utilities which connect both the financial system as well as the front end CRM. Next important factor is to maintain the connectivity of the database with the financial system, so as to maintain the records in the system and all the information in a systematic format following the specific schema. The topology preferred for the call center is the bus topology wherein several computers need to be bifurcated in the form of branches from the central bus which is stronger enough to provide the connectivity to a wide number of computers. The chief advantage of the bus topology stays to be that the network is never disconnected even if a single computer is not upright in the channel i.e. it doesn't affect the connectivity of the other computers connected together in the firm. [Computer Networks] The connection stays to be the same for the complete network of the organization as well as the subnet of it. All the smaller subnets are connected with each other via an instrument called a router which routes the call to the desired departments within the organization. These routers and the gateways are the interconnecting devices which can be either active or passive depending on the amount of the power they consume. This connecting device helps in connecting and forming a bigger network. The whole network is protected with the firewalls so as to maintain the security and integrity of the system. The protocols for the network stay to be the same whether it is a small firm or a large wide area network. The protocol used for the call center devices is TCP/ IP which is again a standard protocol. [The Protocols (TCP/IP)] OSI model is used for depicting different devices in the layered architecture. The network layer is responsible for the data transfer over the hardware media. There are different protocols for each layer in the physical structure. Internet layer is responsible for data transfer from source to the destination. Protocol layer manages different protocols of different layers. 2. EVALUATION & FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS Critically evaluate your chosen network and make suitable recommendations for its development with respect to three of the following criteria: A. Performance For the call center the performance is very important factor as the service has to be provided just in time. High and accurate performance is provided to the clients so that they should not be kept waiting for the information. It is achieved using the technology of pinging. The call is forwarded to the particular system if it is physically connected to the system and is upright in the position to receive the call successfully. If the pinging is not returned then the call is not allotted to that particular system and is moved forward in the line. The call when ended, the connection terminates and all the temporary connections are released back to the pool. Evaluation and recommendations: The system is upright most of the time, but is not capable of handling more number of clients as per the requirement. Next factor stays to be the timings when there are large number of clients waiting in queue for availing the services which is desired to be provided well in time. At the same time, there are times when there are no calls and several lines are free. In order to meet the demand in the peak hours, staff should be trained in order to deliver quick and efficient services specifically in the critical times to suffice more number of clients as to increase the infrastructure is a costly affair. B. Cost Effectiveness The cost of maintaining individual computers connected to the internet and attaching a database to each and every system becomes a costly affair. But when all these computers are connected to a central database and the information retrieved there from then the cost can be curtailed to great extent. Next important factor is that the labour is greatly reduced when all the information is stored in a central place and can be retrieved as and when required without the overhead of huge amount of data entry. Evaluation and recommendations: If the pool of the connected efficiently and the connectivity between the front end CRM as well as back end ERP system is maintained then it saves a considerable amount of time and effort in updating and delivering the information. Next, anybody who works in the call center assistance department can deliver these services without any knowledge about the customer or without having any details about them. If all the information is kept in a single place and access is provided to all with the access rights to the specific employees to keep a track for the critical factors in order to maintain the security and integrity of the system. This helps to avoid unnecessary change of information in the database so as to keep it secure and safe and far away from the sight of others. C. Manageability Once all the systems are connected in the topology, it becomes easy to manage things and it becomes handy to store the information and retrieve it as and when required. It becomes easy to manage things and the system is efficient enough even when few computers fail to work temporarily. That does not affect the information storage nor the retrieval of the information as everything is stored in a central place so as to get the information as and when required. The calls can be maintained too as the connection is made free and returned to the pool when the call is terminated. When the number of calls exceeds the capacity of the network then the calls are held on hold till the prior connection is released and the system becomes capable of serving more number of clients at the same time. Evaluation and recommendations: There should be a software system to keep a track of the computers and to know when they go down. If this is kept updated then the computers can be repaired soon enough. The other way for easy maintenance and manageability is that the authority of the software application packages should be stored in a central place so that when any system needs to be updated or any software is required to be installed then these things should be possible from a remote distance computer. This will make things easy going and it becomes easy to manage things. D. Reliability and Availability Reliability of the computer depends on how strong is the network connecting it. Not only the computers need to be working but at the same time the different components connected in the network must be upright so as to obtain reliable services established so as to avail better services. The routers and the bridges connected in the network must be well settled and upright for the easy data transfer and routing of the application or the calls. Evaluation and recommendations: Active devices if used in place of the passive ones will serve better and the system would stay to be more reliable. These active devices intelligently route the calls to the desired channel and hence much amount of time is not wasted in searching the line which is free so as to route the call to the proper place for providing better services to the clients. E. Integration of Services and Scalability What ever the system be or what ever the topology and the technology is followed, what stays to be important is whether the system could be integrated to other systems and whether the system can be scaled high as and when required. The call centers are highly in demand and their demand will keep increasing in near future so the infrastructure should be such that it could be expanded in near future as the need arises. In short, it should be scalable and expandable. Evaluation and recommendation: The system in practice today is capable of handling the current clients but as the need arises more and more clients would keep demanding the services and hence it needs to be expanded. The bus topology is easy to expand and it is possible without affecting the existing network which is already in place. Henceforth expanding the infrastructure won't be a great issue. Description of Current Network The system is connected well and all the devices are properly in position so as to keep the system ongoing, day in and day outs so as to be capable to serve a large number of clients' world wide. Everything from the devices as well as other spare parts is easily provided for reference which eases the maintenance 1and thereby the system on the whole. Structure diagram is well versed, upright and correct. Evaluation and recommendation The system stays to be upright even when one of the computer in the network stays to be disconnected. The ratio of the computers upright as compared to the ones down in the network is more than 87 percent and the ratio is good enough for the maintenance of the network. Other computers can be added as and when required and the computers which are down must be worked upon fast enough to bring the whole system up again, working and delivering the services to the fullest. Bibliography Andrew S. Tanenbaum (March 1996), Computer Networks, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, W Richard Stevens, (December 1993), The Protocols (TCP/IP), Volume I, Addison Wesley Professional, US Ed edition Behrouz A. Forouzan, (2006), Data Communication and networking , Mc Graw Hill Higher Education Read More