University Network Infrastructure Report: EZY-Books Case Study, ICT120

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the network infrastructure required for EZY-Books, a publishing company. The executive summary highlights the need for a complete network restructure, emphasizing the convergence of voice and text, the adoption of a switched LAN architecture, and the use of optical fiber cabling. The report details various aspects of the network, including LAN types, cabling plans, WAN connections, and networked services such as VoIP, WWW, Intranet, Extranet, and email. It also covers data processing facilities, including storage area networks, cloud storage, and distributed databases. The report recommends the implementation of IP telephony to bypass long-distance charges and the adoption of cloud storage for data storage. The report also covers the data processing model, including client/server and peer-to-peer models, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of a reliable and efficient network infrastructure for EZY-Books' continued success. The report aims to provide EZY-Books with a robust and scalable network infrastructure that supports its current operations and future growth.

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Network Infrastructure
By (Name)
Course
Professor
University
Date

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Executive summary
EZY-Book requires a complete restructure of its network infrastructure for the firm to be
relevant and continue offering services to customers. The company should consider converging
voice and text since they are the major forms of communication. A switched LAN architecture
will be useful in satisfying the needs of the business and the company plans are more successful
in a hierarchical design. Optical fiber cable has a higher bandwidth and it a powerful
telecommunications medium offering support to voice, data and video and even sensor
applications. The company need to deploy transport-independent WAN model that is single, and
which can be used over any type of WAN transport. Implementation of IP telephony will help
EZY-Books bypass long distance toll charges which are as a result of inter-office calls within the
company. Cloud storage is the most current and quite flexible form of storing data and
information which the firm should invest more in.

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Contents
Executive summary...................................................................................................................................2
Network Infrastructure for EZY-Books..................................................................................................4
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................4
Network Infrastructure.............................................................................................................................4
Convergence and Unified Communications........................................................................................5
LAN types...............................................................................................................................................5
Cabling plan...........................................................................................................................................6
WAN connection....................................................................................................................................7
Networked Services...................................................................................................................................8
Voice over IP (VoIP)..............................................................................................................................8
World wide web (www).........................................................................................................................9
Intranet.................................................................................................................................................10
Extranet................................................................................................................................................10
Email.....................................................................................................................................................11
Data Processing Facilities.......................................................................................................................12
Storage Area Network (SAN).............................................................................................................12
Cloud storage.......................................................................................................................................12
Distributed database............................................................................................................................13
Data processing Model............................................................................................................................13
Client/ server model.............................................................................................................................13
P2P(Peer-to-peer)....................................................................................................................................13
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................14
References................................................................................................................................................15

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Network Infrastructure for EZY-Books
Introduction
Smooth and reliable communication is significant for companies to realize economical
routine operations. There is need to provide seamless communication between EZY –Books
headquarters and the branch offices. A lot of time and resources are wasted in the traditional way
of storing information and data. It is quite worth noting that there are higher chances of losing
locally stored data. Data and information is a vital resource for any organization and there is
need to store and have a reliable back up. EZY need a centralized file server for faster access of
data and reliable back up preferably on the cloud.
A rebuild and integration of Information technology in the publishing company is
unavoidable to ensure better service delivery to the esteemed customers. Customers need a
better experience in submission of their orders and tracking the status for the same. Customers
need to be contented with the service they get from the company so that they remain loyal to the
publishing company. Automation of the company operations is necessary in order to remain
relevant in the current dynamic market. There is need to perform a complete overhaul of the
network to support the current operations within the company and support future possible growth
of the firm.
Network Infrastructure
EZY company is a medium sized company which entails digital communication with
data, voice and data. Communication is key to run the daily routine of the company and ensure
business continuity. Therefore, the company should adopt a properly designed LAN which
crucial requirement for conducting business.

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Convergence and Unified Communications
Unified communications will seek to simplify and integrate voice and text as the major
forms of communication in EZY organization. The company has been using separate equipment,
wiring and personnel to enable operation and maintain voice and data networks. Such
architecture is costly to build and maintain and EZY has been incurring losses. It is hard for the
various networks with the headquarters and the branches. The company need to consider use of
Voice over IP which is delivered in digital form as packets of data. It will save much revenue in
future as it is free as users have internet access allowing them avoid charges that comes with
ordinary phone lines.
EZY need to establish a central call center which should be based at the headquarters.
Other centers need to be located at the branch offices for a better interaction with the customers.
Converged network will give EZY options that had previously not existed. The company will
incur lower cost of implementation and management.
LAN types
A switched LAN architecture will be useful in satisfying the needs of the business and
the company plans are more successful in a hierarchical design. A hierarchical network is quite
manageable and the company will find it easier to expand in future. Problems arising within the
network can be easily and reliably dealt with (Boyd, 2016 pp. 65). The switched LAN approach
will involve dividing the network into separate layers whereby each layer offers specific function
which explains its role in the entire network. Devices like Pcs, printers and IP phones will be
found in the access layer. The network will also have switches, routers, bridges and hubs at this
layer. The layer offers means of connecting devices to network and controlling those that should
be allowed to communicate on the network.

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Cabling plan
The management need to choose proper design for optical-fiber cabling plan. Optical
fiber cable has a higher bandwidth and it a powerful telecommunications medium offering
support to voice, data and video and even sensor applications. EZY will be dealing with voice
and, data and video and the main aim is to boost customer experience through effective service
delivery(Oliviero and Woodward, 2014 pp. 45). There is need for the company to consider optic
fiber which is an effective media to ensure there is proper connectivity that is designed into the
system. EZY will be best suited for structured cabling which uses hierarchical start topology
which can offer communication system that can support all topologies. Fiber applications will be
best suited for this role because it supports point-to-point, star, ring and bus topologies. The
company will find it easier to implement physical star cabling [as recommended by international
standards. For the case of EZY publishers, the optical fiber star topology supports the different
requirements of the structured cabling of the entire company. The main objective of the cabling
is to ensure that there is reliability and dependability of data and shared resources in the
publishing company. Redundant routing will be adopted in an effort to provide protection from
system downtime. A centralized optic-fiber cabling is a better alternative to be used as the
solution will be intended to support centralized electronics. Fiber-optic network management is
simplified and it enables an efficient use of orts and easy establishment of work-group networks.
Centralized cabling within the Headquarters and the branches will provide direct connections
from work areas by allowing pull-through cables.
WAN connection
EZY-Books will need path diversity and will basically have several transport networks
that support multi-region WAN. The company should migrate to hybrid access scheme which
can meet the current business requirements. The company need to go for premium WAN

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connections which offer less-expensive transport to meet the ever growing traffic demands at
lower costs. For, fast branch office deployment, the company need to consider cellular 3G/4G
LTE connectivity. The company need to deploy transport-independent WAN model that is
single, an d which can be used over any type of WAN transport.
EZY is using the traditional WAN and there is need to evolve its WAN for better service
delivery. Within then existing concept of the traditional WAN there are options that are relative
to the organizations WAN topology, applications and objectives. There is need for the EZY
publishers to modernize its WAN for mobility, cloud and Internet of things(IoT)(Nema and
Cota-Robles, 2016). EZY need to adopt mobile-cloud world where more applications can be
hosted in various areas. Applications may also be distributed across private data centers which
need more data transfer over the Wide Area Network (WAN). There is need to enable users and
customers for EZY-Books access data information from any device and this ensures
convenience.
For EZY-Books to remain relevant in the market there is need to modernize its WAN to
address mobility issues and cloud. Migration to hybrid WAN will require building transport-
independent architecture that will enables business to connect multiple access networks. Such an
approach will ensure that relay of data and information within the headquarters and the branch
offices will be faster and more efficient. There is need also to offer protection and optimize
application performance in order to improve application experience. The WAN structure need to
be designed to elevate security at the branch offices and provide infrastructure that quickly
expand business and ensure reliability. It is quite important to promote great automation and
orchestration by adopting software-based controller which abstracts network elements and allow
IT to implement policies with less resources.

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Networked Services
EZY-Books has to consider networking some of the common services to reduce on cost
and offer services. Data networks are more viable to support various services and converging
networks is the new concept that is gaining popularity in the market. It is time for EZY-Books to
consider strategies that will work best for it within the existing infrastructure and that which will
support future expansion of the business.
Voice over IP (VoIP)
Implementation of IP telephony will help EZY-Books bypass long distance toll charges
which are as a result of inter-office calls within the company. The company will save a lot on
the off-network calls within the enterprise and replace costly Private Branch Exchanges (PBXS)
that only serve a few customers in the branch offices(Ramachandran et al., 2012 ). The PBXs
are known to be quite expensive to maintain as compared to the IP phones. Deployment of IP
telephony will be a major milestone for the company. The organization will need to put the
VOIP on the WAN because converging voice and data will be the most appropriate approach.
VoIP on the WAN will depict the real advantages of toll bypass.
The company will save on costs especially for long distance phone calls. There will be a
need to have VoIP gateway which will be necessary for transmission over the IP-based WAN.
EZY –Books has to make the choices on how the phones will be configured at the desktop and
their connection to the network. In order to lower costs of installation, it is advisable we daisy-
chain desktop PC to the IP phones by basically sharing the network switch port and cable. This
connection assists in rapid deployment and it facilitates maintenance. A call server need to
designated at the headquarters. The call server need to have a distributed backup server
throughout the network. The call servers will be responsible in the management of features and
dial plans of phones and all call-setup and call-hand off.

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World wide web (www)
It is quite noting that the overwhelming interest in research and keeping updated on the
current confirms the argument that business communication and public relations needs a better
knowledge of the world and business alerts. There is need for all stakeholders within EZY
company to use the world wide web as a research tool and information resource where all users
may access the information they need. The web in our case offers cognitive needs that are
relevant to seeking of information, knowledge and understanding of the environment. It will
mostly depend on the individual’s passion to understand and control the environment based on
the information they get.
The web will be able to offer real-time and comprehensive information on business
trends to the management and all stakeholders of the company(Rathod et al., 2018 pp. 30). In
the modern dynamic market trends, the web offers up to date information that can strengthen
people aesthetic and emotional experiences. Mass media is essential for the satisfying people’s
desire to have pleasure and entertainment. A lot of information from the web will meet the
individuals’ need associated with self-esteem, confidence and even status. The web is a reliable
tool that can be easy to use within EZY-Books. Information can be accessed any time so far there
is access to the internet. It makes it the most convenient source of information as it is a quick
resource to seek specific information.
Intranet
There is need for EZY-Book to adopt a low cost method of securely connecting the
headquarters to the branch offices. EZY need to leverage the permanent internet connections
that are in place and avoid security risks that are attributed to making data transfers over the
internet. An implementation of VPN technology can be a good approach where we have a switch
at the headquarters and routers at the various branch offices. EZY need to ran a server-to-server

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VPN between the different remote office and the main office. Each remote or branch office
should then have its own connection to the main office and can remotely have a secure
connection to the headquarters. The branch offices then have a secure connection to the
headquarters intranet over its VPN. The VPNS in this structure provides a better security and
flexibility that would have been offered by leased lines.
The branch offices should be connected to the internet through the most appropriate
method and try to avoid carrier and compatibility issues. The best thing with VPN is that they
will provide low-cost connections between the headquarters and the branches. By use of VPNs,
EZY-Books provide connections that are secure than leased line and the cost of company’s
infrastructure hardware is paid back within a short time. The high speed connections allow a
seamless interaction between the head office and the branches integrating it into a single virtual
unit. The intranet offers control over the company network and it boosts its performance. The
company is able to manage networks and simplify the detection and elimination of loopholes and
related problems.
Extranet
The company extranet will enable it to maintain and improve the performance by having
a positive impact on the competitive strategy and efficiency of operations. EZY-Books should
focus on how services are delivered and more so how the company is connected with its
stakeholders. Adoption of extranet will contribute to cost leadership and will offer standardized
and effective customer service and differentiation strategy by offering a tool for customization
and value added services. Under the cost leadership, extranet contributes to efficient operations,
reduced transaction costs and standardized and efficient customer service. Extranet under EZY-
Books will provide value added services, differentiated exchange experience and tailored

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solutions. There is an improved relationships and cost effective to offer to a broad scope of
partners. The company will have the benefit of reduced cost and improved cash flow. Extranet
will ensure there are low costs when it comes to procurement and logistics management, better
production planning and reduced inventories. EZY-Books will have improved delivery times and
reduced sales costs, reduced order processing and service costs. Adoption of extranet will have a
potential in improving market and customer knowledge. It will simplify workflows in ordering,
reporting and managing customer support. Extranet offers a less expensive method of
communication as compared to email and phones. It will reduce massive printings of many
numerous mailings, documents and manuals.
Email
Electronic mail is the most used service in the internet because one can send a message
any time and at any place. The company need to have an email service which should be used as
the official communication. It makes things official as messages may be sent to multiple people
at the same time and information can be forwarded to co-workers within the organization. Email
need to have the domain name for the organization to ensure data is confidential(van Hoof and
Thiell, 2014 pp. 245). The company need to consider patches proposed by software developers
which offers updates to improve security of the mail. It is crucial to use up-to-date virus
software because a terminal may be contaminated by introduction of a virus. Use of encryption
software will ensure that message is confidential as contents of the message are encoded making
it difficult to decipher. There is need to frequently modify passwords so that they are not known
and they cannot be accessed without authorization.

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Data Processing Facilities
Storage Area Network (SAN)
Storage Area Network is the most appropriate architecture that can be used by EZY-
Books due to its hug throughput and low latency. The company may store its data in a
centralized shared storage a concept that can enable it apply consistent methodologies and tools
protection of data. SAN is quite effective as it is block-based and it leverages a high-speed
architecture which connects server to the logical disk units(Condict, Cosby &Hinkle, 2018
pp.12). By deploying the best technologies, well designed SAN may easily withstand multiple
component failures. EZY-Books will enjoy best speeds when it comes to small data requests
which servers process frequently(Nema & Cota-Robles, 2016 pp. 43). The SAN will be able to
handle high traffic due to great input and output.
Cloud storage
The company may consider adopting cloud storage as a strategy to store data and files.
Cloud storage facilities offer drag-and –drop accessing and syncing folders and files between
devices and the cloud drive. The Dropbox option will allow for collaboration and mobile App
support. Collaboration offers the ability of sharing files and folders with Dropbox account users
and allows updates to be viewed by the collaborators(Ramesh, 2014 pp.15). The storage facility
supports mobile applications and users can access data and information using their phones and
tablets. It will be possible for the staff to access files within the network be it they are in the
headquarters and even the branch offices. The whole concepts save costs and there is easier
access of data and information.
Distributed database
Distributed database is a great concept that EZY has to work with. It will allow for
shared processes and resources and save on cost and time. The architecture of the database will
enable for dedicated and shared server processes. Employees will be able to handle one user

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processes or multiple user processes depending on their needs from the system(Faleiro and
Abadi, 2015 pp 15.). It is worth noting that the database will be able to manage user privileges
and roles. System privileges are assigned by the administrators and they allow users to perform
specific database operations.
Data processing Model
Client/ server model
Client/ Server architecture data processing model will work for EZY-Books. The model
is applicable to programs within a single computer and it is a crucial concept for
networking(Dhull, Alam and Hassan, 2017 pp. 268). Client machines will establish connection to
the servers through the available EZY-Book LAN and response in form of data or resources will
be granted. Computer operations whereby server responds to request from clients is the main
concept for network computing(Govindan et al., 2016 pp. 60). The file or software servers may
be distributed or centralized and users can send requests through the network. It is a complete
architecture of a file server system where if have all the clients connected by a local area network
to a file server this file server in turn manages all the data.
P2P(Peer-to-peer)
Peer to peer model architecture may be applicable whereby all the machines may be
dedicated servers and clients at the same time. All the nodes may be decentralized and distribute
the workload among the peers. All the nodes will have equal contribution and consumption of
resources within the network without bothering of a centralized server(PM, Mohan and
Srinivasa, 2018 pp. 107). Some machines especially at the headquarters may be made super
peers where they will have more resources and have a higher contribution than the others. Edge
peers will also be excluded from contributing since they are meant to consume resources from

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the network. It is a perfect model that can be beneficial when it comes to file sharing, instant
messaging and high performance computing.
Conclusion
Automation of processes is a key aspect in the modern business. EZY need a complete
overhaul of its IT infrastructure so that it can save on processing time and cost incurred in the
paper work. Loss of crucial data is quite possible with the existing system since there is no
reliable back up. A proper and operational network need to be set up to connect the headquarters
to the branch offices. All requirements need to be put into considerations for a better service
delivery and the structure should accommodate future expansion. The main objective is to create
the best customer experience by fast and quality service delivery.

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