Providing Integrated Telecommunication Infrastructure for Three Merged Companies - Essay Example

Contents: Introduction 2 Technologies Overview 2 Network Diagram and 5 Costs Calculation 8 Structural Changes 8 Conclusion 9 Bibliography10 Introduction The ultimate purpose of the project is providing integrated telecommunication infrastructure for three merged companies: TV broadcasting company, radio broadcasting company and publishing company. The suggested solution must combine computer networks of the three companies into powerful, reliable and fast information exchange network that provides comprehensive background for accomplishment of various business duties. Integrated telecommunication infrastructure for the three companies includes hardware and software components, network topology and requires maintenance staff. (Pabrai and McCright 2001) Structure changes for all of the three organizations occur owing to telecommunication infrastructures merge. In this paper various technical, organizational and financial issues of telecommunication infrastructures merge are regarded and ground for the suggested decision is provided. Technologies Overview The decision about following issues should be made for creation of the merged infrastructure: Topology. The geometric arrangement of devices on the network. For example, devices can be arranged in a ring or in a straight line. Protocols. The rules and encoding specifications for sending data. The protocols also determine whether the network uses peer-to-peer or client/server architecture. Media. Twisted-pair wire, coaxial cables, or fiber optic cables can connect devices. Some networks do without connecting media altogether, communicating instead via radio waves. (Webopedia 2005) There are four principal topologies used in LANs (see Figure 1): Bus topology: All devices are connected to a central cable, called the bus or backbone. Bus networks are relatively inexpensive and easy to install for small networks. Ring topology: All devices are connected to one another in the shape of a closed loop, so that each device is connected directly to two other devices, one on either side of it. Ring topologies are relatively expensive and difficult to install, but they offer high bandwidth and can span large distances. Star topology: All devices are connected to a central hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and manage, but bottlenecks can occur because all data must pass through the hub. Tree topology: A tree topology combines characteristics of linear bus and star topologies. It consists of groups of star-configured workstations connected to a linear bus backbone cable. (Webopedia 2005) Figure 1. Principal Network Topologies. A protocol is a set of rules that governs the communications between computers on a network. These rules include guidelines that regulate the following characteristics of a network: access method, allowed physical topologies, types of cabling, and speed of data transfer. Protocol summary ин Winkelman (2005) is given in Table 1. Table 1. Protocol Summary. Protocol Cable Speed Topology Ethernet Twisted Pair, Coaxial, Fiber 10 Mbps Linear Bus, Star, Tree Fast Ethernet Twisted Pair, Fiber 100 Mbps Star LocalTalk Twisted Pair .23 Mbps Linear Bus or Star Token Ring Twisted Pair 4 Mbps - 16 Mbps Star-Wired Ring FDDI Fiber 100 Mbps Dual ring ATM Twisted Pair, Fiber 155-2488 Mbps Linear Bus, Star, Tree Moskowitz defines a virtual private network (VPN) as a network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organizations network. A virtual private network can be contrasted with an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can only be used by one organization. The goal of a VPN is to provide the organization with the same capabilities, but at a much lower cost. A VPN works by using the shared public infrastructure while maintaining privacy through security procedures and tunneling protocols such as the Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). In effect, the protocols, by encrypting data at the sending end and decrypting it at the receiving end, send the data through a "tunnel" that cannot be "entered" by data that is not properly encrypted. An additional level of security involves encrypting not only the data, but also the originating and receiving network addresses. (Moskowitz n.d.) Network Diagram and Description Due to saving costs and maximum usage of the existing network infrastructure following telecommunication infrastructure for the merged companies includes following technical issues: Headquarters is placed in TV broadcasting company Each of the companies has its own Internet connection Each of the companies has its own Local Area Network (LAN) Local Area Networks of all of the three companies are joined into Intranet Network using optical fiber Common data is stored on Intranet Server that is physically situated in TV broadcasting company Common data at Intranet Server and are accessible via Intranet Network equally for all of the three companies Merged corporate website is physically running at server in TV broadcasting company Therefore TV broadcasting company, radio broadcasting company and publishing company has common intranet network and separate Internet connection, as it is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2. Brief overview of the integrated telecommunication infrastructure Each of the three companies is connected to Internet via its own Internet Service Provider, as it was before the merge. It is inefficient to change existing Internet connections while they are established and working. Network firewalls that enforce access control policy between each company’s network and the Internet will be added for security purposes. Also each of the three companies gets an additional server that supports intranet and performs all intranet tasks, such as mail server synchronization, database replication, file archive update, version control and other routine tasks. It also connects Local Area Network (LAN) of the company to the Intranet Network. LAN of each of the three companies uses star topology; so all devices are connected to a central hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and manage, but bottlenecks can occur because all data must pass through the hub. Unshielded Twisted-Pair Category 5 (10BaseT) cable with speed 100 Mbps is used for the LAN. Intranet Network consists of three Intranet Servers (one in each company) and single-mode optic fiber cable between them. Intranet Servers should have at least the following characteristics: 2 Gigahertz or faster microprocessor (Pentium 5) A fast hard drive with at least 200 gigabytes of storage A RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) to preserve data after a disk casualty A tape back-up unit (i.e. DAT, JAZ, Zip, or CD-RW drive) Numerous expansion slots Fast network interface card At least of 512 MB of RAM For improvement of management of network traffic, access and performance management I recommend using Windows Server 2003 for Intranet Servers. Routers are used to route a message, based on the destination address and origin, between LANS inside the intranet. The router can direct traffic to prevent head-on collisions, and is smart enough to know when to direct traffic along back roads and shortcuts. The overall LAN infrastructure of each of the three companies has tree topology, as it is shown in Figure 3. Figure 3. LAN infrastructure I plan to organize information flows inside company so that information from the departments comes to the Intranet Server and then is distributed between companies. Also new company’s e-mail lists and on-line newsletter with feedback will be integrated to corporate infrastructure by moving them to the headquarters’ web server. LANs of the three companies are united in Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPN allows users to connect to company’s Intranet using Internet connection. Costs Calculation Additional hardware for the integrated telecommunication infrastructure should be purchased: 3 intranet servers, 4 adapters, 3 routers, 35,000 m of fiber cable and 3 hardware firewalls. 4 adapters are needed because Intranet consists of two parts: between TV broadcasting company and radio broadcasting company and between TV broadcasting company and publishing company. All calculations for hardware purchase are gathered in Table 2. Information about products and prices are taken from Cisco.com and Lanshack.com Table 2. Costs Calculation Name Quantity Price ($) Cost ($) Intranet Server 3 2,500 7,500 Adapter 4 94 376 Router 3 56 168 Fiber Cable 35,000 2 70,000 Hardware Firewall 3 54 162 Total 78,206 So the integration of their infrastructure will cost companies $78,206. Structural Changes The organizational structure of the three companies should undergo changes. To provide efficient and competitive development and support for the integrated telecommunication infrastructure as a result of the merge, structural changes should optimize process of making decisions. The IT Department should be created. It will be responsible for maintenance and troubleshooting personal computers, printers and associated peripherals in a managed network environment to ensure that company staff has reliable computing system. In addition the IT Department assists users as needed. It also provides information technologies support for computer hardware in integrated telecommunication infrastructure, keeps up the database, web site and mailing lists, administers, maintains, and troubleshoots telephone and voice mail systems. (Wikipedia) The organization chart for the IT Department is shown in Figure 4. Figure 4. Organization chart for the IT Department Conclusion Integrating the telecommunication infrastructure of several organizations is a complex task that requires precision planning and excellent teamwork. Therefore analysis of technological and structural changes in the organization becomes extremely important for decreasing possible losses from wrong decisions or actions. Fiber optic Intranet will provide independent and reliable data exchange channel. Additional hardware for the integrated telecommunication infrastructure should be purchased: 3 intranet servers, 4 adapters, 3 routers, 35,000 m of fiber cable and 3 hardware firewalls. It is calculated that integration of their infrastructure will cost merged companies $78,206. Virtual Private Network will sufficiently benefit the merged company in creating secured background for data exchange. In case of successful integration of their telecommunication infrastructure the three companies obtain multiple benefits including increased speed, security and reliability. Bibliography 1. Moskowitz, Robert. (n.d.). What Is A Virtual Private Network? . Network Computing, CMP Media LLC (online). Available: http://www.networkcomputing.com/905/905colmoskowitz.html (October 30, 2005) 2. Pabrai, Uday O. Ali and McCright, Matt (2001). Integrating Network and Security Infrastructures. Advisor.com (online). Available: http://advisor.com/Articles.nsf/aid/PABRU05 (October 30, 2005) 3. What is Topology?. Webopedia (online). Available: http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/T/topology.html (October 30, 2005) 4. Wikipedia (online). Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ (October 30, 2005) 5. Winkelman, Roy (2005). An Educators Guide to School Networks. Florida Center for Instructional Technology, College of Education, University of South Florida (online). Available: http://fcit.usf.edu/network/default.htm (October 30, 2005) Read More