Networking: Requirements Gathering and Network Design

This article discusses the requirements gathering process and network design for Excelfior Ltd. organization. It covers the techniques used for data collection, stakeholder analysis, design justification, and performance metrics for the network. The article also explores security objectives and reporting relevant data for decision making.

Running head: NETWORKING
Networking
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note

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Task 1
Requirements Gathering
For gathering the information for the development of the network for the organization
it is very important the organization provides the designer with the business goals for the
development of the network. The generally the main goals of the business of any organization
are improving the scalability of the network. Maintaining the availability of the network and
increase its performance. Requirement gathering is very necessary as the network designer
has to gateher useful information about the development of the network and also the
organization. After the designer has gathered a sufficient amount of knowledge on the system
design the designer of the network for the organization would be able to devise a network
plan successfully. The business rules specifications for the system has to be identified for the
system. Additionally, some business rules have been specified by the Excelfior Ltd.
organization such as:
The organization wants to rebuild the network so that the network load can be managed in an
efficient manner and the newer technologies can be accommodated in the network.
After acquiring the business goals for the organization it is very important that the
network equipment is identified and gathered and the network services are designed.
Additionally, the network protocols that are to be included in the network are to be allocated
within the network. All the devices are to be connected according to the network
requirements and the technical requirements.
Questionnaire/Interview:
The following set of questionnaire are to be directed towards the clients:
1. Who are your main users who would be using the system?
2. Do you have any type of wireless access requirements?

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3. Who would have all the access controls in the systems?
4. What are main activities that are to be performed in the system?
5. What are the additional features that is required by the system?
Users
The questionnaires devised below would be targeted towards the users of the system:
 What is the bandwidth requirement in the network?
 Do you need any further development in the network?
 What is the download speed in the network?
 What is the upload speed in the network?
 How would evaluate the performance of the network?
Management Staffs
The questionnaires devised below would be targeted towards the users of the system:
 What are the security concerns in the network?
 Please provide some insight on the access control features in the network?
 Is the data integrity maintained properly in the system?
 Is the internet connectivity stable at all-time within the network?
Stakeholder Analysis:
For the stakeholder analysis the main stakeholders of the system are analysed and the
main stakeholders of the systems are identified to be:
 Administrator: The administrator in the network should be provided with full access
to the network and hence,
 Users: The common users in the system should be able to send and receive data
packets within the network.

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 Finance Staffs: The network should be able to accommodate a sub network for the
staffs of the finance department.
 Marketing Staffs: The network should be able to accommodate a sub network for the
staffs of the Marketing department.
 Back end developers: The network should be able to accommodate a sub network for
the staffs of the Backend Developers.
 Front end developers: The network should be able to accommodate a sub network for
the staffs of the Frontend Developers.
Techniques used for the Collection
For the collection of the data for the development of the network design the
techniques involving fetching the data and information that are to be used for the
development of the network design. There is various process that have been used for the
development of design as stated below:
Questionnaire: A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions
(or other types of prompts) for the purpose of gathering information from respondents.
Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do
not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have
standardized answers that make it simple to compile data. However, such standardized
answers may frustrate users. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that
respondents must be able to read the questions and respond to them. Thus, for some
demographic groups conducting a survey by questionnaire may not be concrete.
Interviews: In the interview process the task of the designer is to make proper questions to
the clients and the users of the system. The results of the interviews would provide the
designers with very useful information about the development of the network.

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Meetings: The designers of the system are required to fix a meeting with the clients of the
Excelfior Ltd. organization. From, the meeting it can be inferred that the organization needs
to have access control in the system which is to be devised and the network should also be
accommodating the front end and the back end developers.
Stakeholder Analysis: The stakeholders’ analysis would provide the information about the
stakeholders who are associated with the system and their contribution towards the system.
Stakeholder analysis is taken to include stakeholder identification - figuring out who the
stakeholders of the system are, however it is to be noted that the designer can separate the
two very different processes. The whole process of stakeholder engagement (formerly more
commonly known as stakeholder management) has five main steps: identify, analyse, plan,
act, and review. When the designers analyse stakeholders, he gathers information and make
hypotheses about their interests, needs, perceptions, priorities, preferences, authority,
influence, power, and many other things.
Feedback system: The feedback system is to be used after the development of the system so
that the designer would be able to make an update to the system after receiving proper
feedback from the users.

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Task 2
Network Design
Design Justification
The design has been created using the main switch as the central peripheral device in
the network and the network has been sub netted using the switches. The routers and the three
other switches have been used for the development of the network in the system. The admin
router and the switch has been used for the development of the network around the
administrator. The administrator sub network includes the internet access which is then
circulated throughout the network. In addition to this the servers are also connected to the

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network and the also database access is circulated from this sub net. In addition to this, there
are the finance and management department which is also assembled with the network. In
addition to this, the access control is also managed by the administrator.
Performance Metrics
The factors such as the packet delay, jitter, packet loss and network latency would be
affecting the UDP-based Service quality to a great extent and also the other processes such as
video streaming and VoIP. In the other hand the TCP-based services such as SMTP and
HTTP helps in sending steady stream of data packets which is crucial in the case of VoIP
connections. In case some slight connectivity problems would not be able to cause or echo.
Security Objectives
· Identify the adequacy of security controls
· Clearly defined acceptable value
· Performance goals and objectives (efficiency, effectiveness)
· Meet security objectives and requirements
· Clearly defined
(2) Quantifiable, computed value
· Quantifiable information
· Scope of measurement
(Process, performance, outcomes, quality, trends, conformance to standards and probabilities)
· The value is objective and quantifiable
· Determine the Key-Performance-Indicator (KPI)

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(3) Method of Measurement
· Process of data collection, data from security assessment process
· Easily identified
· Quantitative indications by some attributes of a control or process
· Simple measurement
· Low cost and easy access
· Capability to measure accurately
(4) Analysis of Data
· Comparable to a scale/benchmark/Predetermined baseline
· Repeatable
· Apply formulas for analysis
· Track changes
· Quantifiable information for comparison
· Consistent value
· Accurate time and data
· Comparable and reproducible results
· Security controls are implemented correctly, operating as intended, and meeting the desired
outcome.
(5) Security
Indicator/Characteristics

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· Meaningful result (score, rating, rank, or assessment result)
· Monitor the accomplishment
· Increase confidence level
· Security improvement
(6) Reporting relevant data
· Communicated/Reported
· Intended audience
· Present to targeted audience/Stakeholder
(7) Decision making
· Facilitate decision making
· Facilitate corrective action
(8) Requirement to Standard, regulatory, financial and organizational reasons
· Align with business goals and regulations

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