IT infrastructure Management: PDF

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IT Infrastructure Management
Student Name
Course Title
Professor’s Name
University
City and State
Date

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Project Preliminaries Description
The transformation of education from the traditional face-to-face classroom setting to
hybrid or what is commonly known as online environment is gaining momentum each and
every day. Higher learning institutions across the globe have realized that the future existence
and expansion of the education programs will soon solely rely upon the online education
(Anshari, Alas, and Guan, 2016, p. 1664). As a result, AusEd Inc. which is the case study in
this context has decided to provide its educational services using online platform. The reason
for AusEd Inc. providing online education id because it allows for study flexibility whereby
students are in the position to learn without travelling to the learning institution.
Consequently, through online education, AusEd Inc. has been able to give a chance to
individuals who could have otherwise not been able to learn to access learning through its
online education program. AusEd Inc. (Anon., 2018). Online education program entails three
core aspects: organizational structure, strategic plan and information systems and
technologies.
AusEd Inc. Organizational Structure
The organisational structure of AusEd Inc. consists of three segments: sales, course
delivery and operations. The sales segments are tasked with managing sales and marketing
operations. At the same time, this segment has the responsibility to manage agents and make
course promotion (Anon., 2018). On the other hand, course delivery is tasked with
developing course materials, assessment, and teaching as well as education administration.
The operation segment is tasked with the responsibility to manage all core operations such as
human resource management, accounting and information systems. Similarly, just within the
organizational structure AusEd Inc. has several other subsections as follows.

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Executive management operations and education administration: The administrative
head office is situated in Darwin, it is here that the executive management is stationed. The
administrative head office comprises the operation division together with education
administrators which comprise course delivery staff who are not directly involved in
teaching.
Sales and marketing: This subsection is involved in matters to do with carrying out
sales and marketing. It is carried out from offices located in Alice Springs, Suva and Pt
Moresby.
Teaching staff: The teaching staff consists of lecturers and other teaching staff who work
both from home and campuses offices that are located in most of the states within Australia
and New Zealand.
Special study centres: Apart from the different offices, AusEd Inc. has special study
centres in the fours of its state campuses that is Suva, Pt Moresby, Darwin and Alice. These
study centres act as support hub points where a student in need of support meet to seek
assistance. Certainly, these centres offer students with the ability to meet physically with the
university staff as well as their colleagues. As a result, students are able to form groups and
gain access to resources as well as technology.
AusEd Inc. Strategic Plan
AusEd Inc. strategic plan fall into two broad categories. The first plan is to intensify
the diversification of funding sources for the online program apart from the current sources
like Australia AusAid and New Zealand NZAid (Pucciarelli, and Kaplan, 2016, 315). The
funding is anticipated to expand online education up to the remote areas that have poor and
unreliable internet connectivity and also to enhance the reliability of student assessments
(Dell, Dell, and Blackwell, 2015, p. 170). Secondly, AusEd Inc. intents to cut down the cost

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of non-core activities especially support functionalities such as staff recruitment,
development of technology and accounting. Accordingly to see to it that it has reduced the
costs channelled to non-core activities the university would like to develop an open source
software to help it manage all its educational operations.
Purpose and Scope of the Problem
The primary purpose of AusEd Inc. is to develop an online education open source
software to help it in the managing of its operations and help it cut down on the costs
involved in conducting its operations (Porter, and Graham, 2016, p. 749). Nonetheless,
AusEd Inc. has faced a major problem, which is it has been spending much on non-core
activities such as accounting, staff recruitment and technology development (Porter, Graham,
Bodily, and Sandberg, 2016, p.19). Therefore, to avoid the issue of spending a lot of
resources on non-core things the university would like to develop a software to help it in
running the institution’s operations.
AusEd Inc. Information System Design and Technologies
Infrastructure Support for Faculty Requirements
The most important aspect when it comes to faculty requirements is the capacity for
members of the facility to gain access to personal computers. Members of each faculty are
not only supposed to be accessible to computers but these computers should be updated
reliably by being linked to the internet with up to date software. Similarly, there is the need
for these computers to have multi-media proficiency so that for professors who are in need of
streaming their lectures materials such as cameras and microphones should be made available
(Allison, and Turner, 2017). These materials are used for the development of online
materials. Therefore, it is significant that the best software is chosen to allow for a range of
online class conveyance modes. Certainly, to be able to support online classes the university

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required to have legal certification from the government (Porter, Graham, Bodily, and
Sandberg, 2016, p. 18). Thus, the university has to get a license from the government to
enable it to deliver online classes. Some of these license permission include Course Info and
WebCT and other full packages that integrates a range of elements required in the lecture
delivery, online tests, and conferencing in addition to grade books and an assortment of
personal software packages need to achieve other needs. That is to mean that before the
commencement of AusEd Inc. online classes it has to ensure that it has all the software and
hardware convexities in place.
Nevertheless, not only software and hardware together with their linkage is sufficient
enough to support online classes. The faculty members have to be taught the importance of
the fair use of regulations for developing online class materials. Therefore, members of the
different faculties should be trained, on how to use the software, computers as well as the
way on how to design online class learning materials. It should be noted that the training has
to be continuous and not a one-time training as this will help the members to overcome the
rough spots. Accordingly, for the faculty requirements to be achieved in the best way
possible, there has to be a team of technical staff to support a face-to-face relational support
with faculty members.
Information Technology (IT) Network Requirements
Online teaching is growing very quickly thus its bandwidth is intensively increasing.
As a result, it needs a robust connectivity to the Internet as well as various web servers that
are needed to assure fast internet responsiveness and reliable services. Consequently, the
bandwidth requirements for the internet connectivity can only be determined by the number
of online students and the nature of learning materials offered online. On the same note,
graphics and steaming-intensive sites also need a lot of bandwidth. In the case of AusEd Inc.,

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it has more than 2000 individuals both learners and staff members who find access to the
internet thus it needs a greater bandwidth for it to meet the huge population accessing the
internet. For instance, in the case of AusEd Inc., the best minimum bandwidth is a DS-3
connection (which is 45 Mbps).
Similarly, as the population of distant online learners expand, the bandwidth
requirements also increase. That is to mean that since AusEd Inc. has students from various
parts of the world such as from New Guinea, Papua, the South Pacific Islands and Australia
itself. Consequently, because the university’s student comes from across the globe, AusEd
Inc. need a large bandwidth to cater for the wide apart students who have to access learning
materials from a central point. The large bandwidth will help to avoid cases of downtime by
the system which is likely to constrain the learning progress by making the system slow down
due to high traffic from both students and learners accessing the same resources (Anshari,
Alas, and Guan, 2016, p. 1667). To resolve this issue there is the need for the university to
install multiple servers to provide backup supplies. But instead of installing several servers it
will be more secure to save the learning and teaching materials in the clouds because it is
highly responsive as compared to the use of multiple servers (González-Martínez, Bote-
Lorenzo, Gómez-Sánchez, and Cano-Parra, 2015, p 135). The most essential subject matter
here is that online services have to be reliable and secure from both internal and external
attacks. With regard to AusEd Inc. huge student and staffing team, the best way to ensure that
its data is reliable and secure is by saving its information in the clouds.
In spite of storing the university data in the clouds, there is need to install several
servers for remote backup power supplies, technician to conduct troubleshoot and
maintenance for software and hardware parts of the online system as well as data backup
systems. The backup systems are as important as the sprinklers and fire alarm systems. Apart
from the data being stored in the remote server backups, it has to be stored in the clouds since

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at times a server can crash at any time of the year. Certainly, to avoid problem and chaos for
the loss of students and staff data the data can be retrieved from the back up in the clouds.
Also, AusEd Inc. should develop a website that has to be designed in a way that it will be
able to support the online learning. Despite the faculty using "Fernley" online lecture
packages, the web developers are supposed to customize certain materials which can be
placed in the virtual lectures. For the idea to become a success the web developers should
build connections from online lectures to the campus web pages as well as additional
ancillary online help sites.
Figure 1: Illustration of Information Technology (IT) Network Requirements

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Students Requirements IT Infrastructure Support
The online infrastructure has to support students’ requirements. Therefore, the
university will be forced to prove its students with a technical training and equivalent support
in accordance their respective faculties (van Rooij, and Zirkle, 2016, p. 3). The student will
need training on how to traverse the online classes, how to carry out research as well as the
way in which to communicate with their instructors and peers in addition to how to receive
student support services. While the process can be challenging because of the difference in
students location AusEd Inc. should develop an online workshop with its students before the
start of online classes. Indeed, these workshops will facilitate students with the basic
knowledge about the functioning of the system technologies in place such as software
requirement, modem connections, computers necessary for successful completion of online
classes (Battersby, and Verdi, 2015, p. 24). Additionally through the works learners get to
understand how to carry out research online, access to lectures, submission of assignments,
how to download class materials and communicating with their professors.

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Figure 2: IT Infrastructure support Requirements
Administrative Requirements Infrastructure Support
The administration for AusEd Inc. need to have the requirements for the online
learners, prior to registration, at the time of enrolment and after student graduation and all
these details have to be met at a distance (Laudon, and Laudon, 2016). Consequently, the
procedure demands a safe setting for these transactions which include student credit card
payments of fees and tuition and student records. Therefore, the most effective channel for
communication is the university website. Thus, it is vital that this website comprises an
inviting portal for prospective students and it should also provide them with complete
information needed by the university (Rittinghouse, and Ransome, 2016). Furthermore, it
should have the university contacts both email and cell phone numbers for the different
faculties.
Equipment and Devices for the System Design

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The equipment and device requirements in developing the student online system
comprise servers’ technician, computers, cameras, microphones, and cell phones.
Cost Analysis of the Infrastructure Design
The student online infrastructure comprises different equipment as well as devices
such as backup servers, fax, machines, network servers, personal computers, website, cell
phones, cameras, microphones among many others. That means that these system
requirements are likely to cost AusEd Inc. higher learning institution a colossal sum of
money to develop the student online system. The system infrastructure require monitoring
and maintenance, therefore, the university has to employ technicians to conduct support and
maintenance issues to the system. The approximate cost for developing the online systems
could cost the cost shown in the table below.
Equipment and Devices (Hardware
Components)
Costs
Remote Servers for each station 4 pieces @ $3,000 *4 = $12,000
Personal computers (Desktops) 10 pieces @ $1200*10 = 12,000
Digital Cameras 5 pieces @ $2,000*5 = 10,000
Cell phones 10 pieces @ $500*10 = 5,000
Fax machines 4 pieces $120*4 = 480
Network related equipment $4,000
Microphone 4 pieces $10*4 = 40
Software Components
Antivirus $40
Backup of data in the clouds (12 months) $ 120
Website development $3,500

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Technical Support Team
Technical support personnel (Monthly) 4
personnel
$12,000
Total $59,180
Approximately it is likely to cost AusEd Inc. $59,180 to come up with the IT
infrastructure system for the online student system.
System Hardware
The hardware components to be used in the system include backup servers, personal
computers, laptops, fax machines, cameras, microphones, cell phones network connectivity
equipment such as Ethernet cables, routers, hubs, wireless access points, thin Client,
switches, cables like fibre optic cables, shielded twisted-pair cables, and network interface
card.
Techniques used to Achieve Sustainable Global Economy and Environmental
Responsibilities
By AusEd Inc. supporting online learning for its students it helps to cut down the
costs involved in travelling to the institution by the students (Hoxby, 2014, p. 530). At the
same time, the opportunity of allowing students to learn from their respective places play a
significant in saving the ecosystem from the pollution that comes from the use of petrol and
fuel power used by most of the vehicles, aeroplanes as well as the ship (Nelson, and Staggers,
2016). Since the online students do not travel to the physical locale of the learning institution
it helps to save the environment from carbon monoxide from the exhausts of transport
machines. Certainly, online learning is also economical in the sense that the student does not
incur the costs of commuting to classes.

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Appendix
Figure 1: Illustration of Information Technology (IT) Network Requirements
Figure 2: IT Infrastructure support requirements

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Table 1: Costs analysis for developing AusEd Inc. online system infrastructure
Equipment and Devices (Hardware
Components)
Costs
Remote Servers for each station 4 pieces @ $3,000 *4 = $12,000
Personal computers (Desktops) 10 pieces @ $1200*10 = 12,000
Digital Cameras 5 pieces @ $2,000*5 = 10,000
Cell phones 10 pieces @ $500*10 = 5,000
Fax machines 4 pieces $120*4 = 480
Network related equipment $4,000
Microphone 4 pieces $10*4 = 40
Software Components
Antivirus $40
Backup of data in the clouds (12 months) $ 120
Website development $3,500
Technical Support Team
Technical support personnel (Monthly) 4 $12,000

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personnel
Total $59,180
Bibliography
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