Network Operating System Report: Types, Services, and Performance

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Network Operating Systems (NOS). It begins by defining NOS and its role in managing network resources, covering various types such as Windows servers, Unix/Linux servers, and Netware, along with the services they offer, including printing, file sharing, routing, and network administration tools. The report then delves into the benefits of disaster recovery and NOS security, emphasizing their importance in maintaining business continuity. The report goes on to discuss the design and implementation of a NOS for a small organization, including planning, evaluation, testing, and performance baseline establishment. It also examines performance monitoring and optimization strategies. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and recommendations, providing a thorough understanding of NOS functionalities and management.

NETWORK OPERATING SYSTEMS
Alin Tita ID 14121

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................1
LO 1...........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Types of network operating system and services........................................................1
1.2 Benefits of disaster recovery and NOS security..........................................................2
1.3 Comparison of current NOS in use.............................................................................3
LO 2...........................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Planning NOS to implement in scenario..........................................................................4
2.2 Evaluate the plan and user feedback................................................................................5
LO 3...........................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Implementation of a NOS service....................................................................................6
3.2 Testing of user requirements..........................................................................................11
3.3 Test results against expected results..............................................................................11
LO 4.........................................................................................................................................12
4.1 Establish and justify the performance baseline..............................................................12
4.2 Monitor NOS performance against baseline..................................................................13
4.3 Justify performance optimisation and updates to NOS..................................................14
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................15

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Red level 3..................................................................................................................3
Figure 2: network simulation through cisco program................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Network operating system (NOS) helps to manage the resources effectively along
with implication of efficiency and security. The report will discuss various types of NOS and
related services. Various benefits of network security and disaster recovery will be discussed.
Later report will design the network and network operating system for a small organization.
The report will test and evaluated the implementation for capabilities in organizational
operations. The report will also establish and justify the network performance baseline
besides of network performance optimisation with various methods.
LO 1
1.1 Types of network operating system and services
Network operating system (NOS) is computer operating system to control and serve the
client machines in network. Peer-to-peer and client-server communication in network is
implemented with NOS. Majorly, following services are offered by the NOS in network:
 Printing services in network are handled and controlled to have remote access to
printers, scheduling of printing jobs and to react whenever the printers are not
available in network.
 Network operating system has the services to permit the access on remote file servers
and to determine the set off users those can have access on remote file system
associated with network (Kimand Feamster, 2013).
 Sharing of applications and internet services along with resources are under the
services of NOS as it controls the remote access to user resources in network
whenever the network implementation is transparent.
 NOS support routing services along with major routing protocols.
 Basic network administration tools are offered as services to administrators to manage
the simple mail transfer protocols and user activities in network.
Majorly there are three types of network operating systems:
Windows servers:
Windows servers like NT and 2000 are popular operating system. Functions of
directory services to manage the user accounts and information along with their credentials is
key point of attraction in operating system. Operating system supports a wide range of client
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operating system and offer interoperability with Macintosh and Linux variants. The user
authentication process in operating system is effective to guide the user to use the system.
The authentication process uses alternative options to confirm the login as password and
smart cards can be used to logon the system. File and printing services are in built to handle
the network operations. The server is capable to offer the remote resources as native access to
them so that user can work transparently with remote printers and servers (Lister, 2013).
Active directory and security functions in operating systems are effective to work inside a
network.
Unix/Linux servers:
Originally UNIX was created to support the protected multitasking on computers in
which high performance and stability of system is also addressed effectively. Unix/Linux
operating systems can perform heavy tasks without crashing the system, this is because
UNIX processes are handled separately by the operating system. Even if the main application
crashes, there is a way of managing everything. Unless something brings down X Windows
system, the operating system would keep performing. Also, servers managed in Linux or
UNIX systems can run for several years without crashing. The multitasking abilities of these
operating systems are very rapid. This makes UNIX or LINUX a perfect solution for server
systems. High quality software, multiuser capabilities, modular architecture, easy
customization and responsive graphical user interface make the system as effective choice to
use in network. UNIX and LINUX can be deemed as true multiuser systems. Several users
can be logged into the system for long times without affecting performance. From the Apache
server to the Mozilla 1.0 (open source code) everything makes use of the powerful Gimp
graphics manipulation software. The only trick is, UNIX or LINUX may not be compatible
with few software packages that are meant for Macintosh or Windows. UNIX/LINUX works
as a very good network operating system because of the use of TCP/IP as its standard
protocol stack. The protocol is used overwhelmingly by the operating system. The strength of
network to protect the data and resources from hacking attacks is high than other systems.
High interoperability with windows system through SAMBA, strong security implication and
authentication system are remaining major characteristics of system. Another reason behind
the use of UNIX/LINUX as network operating system would be its support for dumb
terminals. You can configure UNIX as a dumb terminal easily. In fact, the idea of traditional
dumb terminals was all about UNIX servers. However, the system has poor popularity in
common users due to difficult structure of applications.
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Netware
It was the first network operating system to manage the local area network but the
popularity of other operating system has eaten Netware. Latest release of the NetWare also
support the other technologies implemented in enterprise level network. Multiprocessing
power, loadable modules and dynamic PCI configuration are key characteristics of operating
system. Netware is a great pick for network operating systems for its services. If a Netware
client is installed, it can take complete advantage of the NetWare Server. Important services
offered by Netware as a network operating system would be as follows:
1) File Services – Netware File Services works in line with the NDS database. NDS is
responsible for providing single-point login systems for users. This means, users will
see the network resources alike. Based on the client programs, the way you see the
network can differ. For example, you can use Windows to map Netware file servers
and the logical drive. Netware resources are usually shown as logical drives in the
system.
2) Security – Netware offers high levels of security. This includes logon security, trustee
rights and identified directory/file attributes. This means, actions carried out on each
file can be controlled.
3) Printing Services – The operating system features very transparent printing services to
the client computer. Print requests can be redirected to the file server. These requests
are then off handed to the printer. Printer devices can be shared with workstations,
servers or to other networks. Netware print services supports at most 256 printers.
4) Messaging – Netware uses Message handling service to send messages across groups
and individuals. MHS can be installed and configured for complete e-mail
distribution. MHS supports many popular e-mail technologies too.
System supports only the IP based file and printing services in network. Also the client
support and interoperability is poor with latest version of windows, UNIX and mac. RSA
algorithm based public key interface is used as security in network communication
(Rowe.et.al.2015).
Netware is indeed a great operating system for the network. To make various network
protocols run in Netware, the public protocols of IP should be incorporated and replaced with
Netware’s proprietary protocols. If the network is IP based, Netware may not be a good
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option. This is because the protocol has to be migrated to IPX Netware systems. This is an
expensive move and it requires close administration.
Comparison of current NOS
Parameter Windows UNIX/Linux Mac OS X
Software availability NOS has great support
for software tools as
there are many official
software are available
along with great
collection from
community. However,
the community
software are difficult
to trust for security
reasons.
Limited set of tools
are available but each
tool can be marked as
quality because there
is official channel to
verify the software and
to install them.
Security is high.
However, only few
developers has active
contribution in
software platform due
to limited scopes in
target market.
Most trust worthy set of
tools are available for
operating system as
highly skilled
professionals has
contribution in software.
However, most of
software are licenced and
has prices.
Scalability Each version is
effective to add more
users and devices to
operating system. The
operating system itself
has compact behaviour
due to proprietary
licence and ownership
so that scalability in
term of addition of
function is difficult.
The system has open
end architecture.
Modularised design
helps the developers to
prepare the software
and integration
according to demands.
As results, the
scalability is high in
term of users, devices
and software
integration.
This system also has
limited scalability to add
functions in operating
system but effective to
work with a very high
number of users and
resources in network.
Highly scalable for
network uses
(Sahebjamnia.et.al.2015).
Maintainability High maintenance due
to virus attacks and
vulnerability
possibilities.
Low maintenance due
to robust design. But
regular and stable
updates are required to
be free from bugs.
Low maintenance
requirements.
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Technical support High from official and
non-official sources
Limited support due to
number of variants.
Limited support due to
premium nature and
usages policies.
Device Availability File locking, provision
of redundant arrays,
client failover methods
and support of fault-
tolerant hardware
configuration are all
provided by Windows
network operating
systems. However,
Windows NT Server
V3.51 does not
guarantee device
availability.
UNIX/LINUX
promises high levels
of device availability.
RAID blends with this
operating system
seamlessly to ensure
performance,
availability and
accuracy.
Just like Windows, MAC
has a defined layout for
device availability. It
ensure quick turnaround
from downtime and also
provides a platform for
RAID and file locking.
User Management Windows provides
several levels of
security and
accessibility. It offers
no access, restricts
users to read only
functionalities and
provides write access
to some. Permissions
for network users can
be changed too.
Windows NOS uses
domain controllers to
manage user accounts
in one or several
systems. It is very
good with centralized
control of network.
UNIX/LINUX
provides multi user
mult session facilities.
It is known for its
remote login services.
This means, many
users can run private
sessions in UNIX. The
user has to log into an
emulated terminal or
character-based
terminal through a
network or serial
connection. TELNET
and RLOGIN
protocols are used to
login over the
network,
MAC is useful in small
or moderately sized
environments. It cannot
be adopted in large
corporate settings where
many users access the
network.
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1.2 Benefits of disaster recovery and NOS security
Disaster recovery means to access the resources and information in network whenever
the primary resources of network connectivity go down or fails due to damage and theft.
Roper strategies for disaster recovery and network security are required to ensure the
availability of information.
In a network, disaster can be anything that puts the entire system and its operations at
risk. This includes equipment failures to cyber attacks to natural disasters. Disaster recovery
aims to keep the business going or at least close to normal operation after a disaster. The
disaster recovery process involves two important stages: planning and testing. And, it may
have separate physical sites for carrying out the recovery operations. Disaster Recovery is
very important because businesses have become less tolerant to downtime and are reliant on
high availability. Also, network downtime can devastate the overall functionality of the
business. Two important elements of recovery and downtime would be recovery time
objective and recovery point objective. In a network setting, disaster recovery plans are
structured procedures. These procedures are designed to respond to unplanned incidents that
threat the network carefully. In most cases, the disaster recovery plan happens in step by step
stages to bring up the disrupted system and reduce the negative impact it has on the company’
overall operations.
Here are few reasons why disaster recovery is important:
1) The financial impact of a lost network or slow internet connectivity can cost the
business millions of dollars.
2) Disaster recovery improves the overall quality of life.
3) During extreme emergencies, loss of contact can be disastrous
4) Business investments should be balanced against many practical considerations and
complexities that prepare for the future. This is where disaster recovery comes into
the picture:
a. Cost – to comprehensive disaster recovery
b. Testability – disaster recovery plans can be technically difficult
c. Overemphasis – without proper provisions, a sophisticated server solution can
become futile
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When disaster recovery happens is also important. The best way to handle disaster recovery
is through prevention and planning. The plan has to happen at an earlier stage. It involves the
following aspects:
1) Detect all possible disaster effects
2) Notify affected parties
3) Isolate affected systems
4) Repair the critically affected systems
Effective disaster recovery helps the organization to retrieve the information even when the
connection to server get failure as information can be saved to local backup devices or RAID
storages. Major advantage is in the form of data availability as resources can be renewed but
data collection and availability may affect the business operations. There may be certain
options to back up the data as secondary hard disk, optical drives, magnetic taps can be used
to generate copy of information but the most effective is RAID (redundant array of
inexpensive disks). RAID can be used in six standard levels in which RAID devices may be
organized in different manner to enhance the performance and data storage capabilities. It
offers high availability and security in NOS for the information so that disaster recovery can
be perform effectively (Marshalland Schrank, 2014).
Basics of RAID
RAID is the short-form for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. This is a way of
combining several small disks to form a large storage structure. The disks are also known as
array members. RAID disks are grouped together in several RAID levels. Each RAID level is
characterised by its Fault tolerance, Performance and Capacity. In a network, RAID
organization depends on two important factors. The aspects are clearly distinguished by the
following:
1) Organization of data in the array. Three important RAID storage techniques would be
as follows: Parity (a storage technique that uses checksum methods and striping),
Striping (breaking a flow of data in certain block sizes) and Mirroring (a method of
copying data in storage).
2) Installation of RAID hardware and software
There are several RAID levels. This includes the following:
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1) RAID 0 – this is based on stripping. It does not provide complete fault tolerance.
However, write and read speeds are improved, thus improving performance.
2) RAID 1 – this is based on mirroring techniques. It provides fault tolerance and
improves read speed only in certain cases.
3) RAID 0+1 – this is a blend of mirroring and stripping techniques. It has both fault
tolerance and performance.
4) RAID 1E – this is a blend of mirroring and stripping techniques. Has the ability to
survive the familiar of several non-adjacent disks.
5) RAID 5 – Uses striping and parity techniques. This allows better performance and it
survives the loss of a single disk.
6) RAID 6 – this is quite similar to RAID 5, however it has two different parity
functions. Performance of RAID 5 and RAID 6 are similar.
Figure 1: Red level 3
(Source: RAID level 3)
1.3 Comparison of current NOS in use
LO 2
2.1 Planning NOS to implement in scenario
Windows server is selected as the network operating system for company. Following
steps are considered to follow in implementation process:
Installation:
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Windows system needs to have powerful processor with or above 2.2 GHz along with
4 GB of RAM. Computer hardware must need to have storage about 50 GB of space for
installation and user files in hard disk (Finn.et.al.2013).
Addressing:
Company can use Class C IP addresses between the range 192.168.168.0 and
192.168.168.24 as servers can be addressed with main address like 192.168.168.0 for web
server, 192.168.168.1 for mail server and so on. Workstations and printers in network can be
addressed with subnet IP addresses as it helps to make use of domain of IP addresses to
connect with more devices than the actual addresses. Devices under the web server as
workstations can be assigned with addresses from 192.168.169.0
Security:
Password policy is prepared to have password length of at least eight character long
and the combination of alphanumerical characters. Security is ensured with complicated
passwords. Security patches are bugs those can help the attackers to hack the data are closed.
Simulation:
Cisco packet tracer and simulation program is used to simulate the network structure.
Figure 2: network simulation through cisco program
2.1.2 Disaster recovery Strategy
RAID system is used with RAID 3 to ensure the data recovery in case of failure and damage
(Maekawa.et.al.2012).
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