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LAN Architecture
Internet access and WAN Connectivity
Security
E-mail
Web site
Backup protocol
Printers, shared storage, peripherals
Workstations and servers
Support and maintenance
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Internet Access and WAN Connectivity
Dial-up:
Every business needs at least dial-up Internet service, and most need some sort of
broadband connection. So many business tools and services today are offered over the
web, that broadband connectivity is rapidly becoming a "must have": payroll services,
accounting services, HR services, supplier catalogs and order processing, etc.
Cost and Availability:
Cost and availability are key to broadband service provider selection. Many DSL and T1
providers have weak business models that put their future viability in question. Dozens
of seemingly large providers have ceased operations, and more are "going under" with
regularity. Getting service from the cable company or the phone company is a safe bet,
but availability and reasonable installation schedules are often lacking.
Shared Internet Access: Using a single Internet connection as a shared resource in
your office: is essential if paying for a broadband connection. It is easier to use and
maintain even with dial-up connectivity. A router is required with a WAN interface on
one side, and LAN interface on the other. Having a "backup" connection to the Internet
(a dedicated 56K analog dial-up line in addition to your primary dial-up or broadband
connection) is essential as your business operations increasingly depend on your access
to the Internet.
Remote Access: Remote access from satellite offices or home offices can be
accomplished by several technologies: VPN over Internet, dedicated private network
(nailed up T1's, direct-connect dial-up), ASP applications, web mail.
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Security
Data is the lifeblood of your business: financial information, customer lists, project
proposals, personnel information, and more. When using computer applications to
generate and manage this data, it is essential to protect the data's integrity from
damage, loss, or theft. Appropriate backup protocols must be rigorously followed, but
network security and virus protection must also be up-to-date.
Network vulnerability:
Internet users with dial-up connectivity are often nave to the risk to their network
because their limited connection time has allowed them to miss being an attack target,
even if the avoidance is due solely to good luck and nothing else. An "always-on"
broadband Internet connection increases the opportunity for an attack and necessitates
the migration from reliance on luck for network protection to a secure firewall. Firewalls
can be implemented in software on a gateway server, or within a WAN router, or within
an external dedicated firewall device. Cost, complexity, and levels of protection vary,
with different approaches appropriate for different situations.
Virus protection:
Computer viruses continue to evolve in their sophistication and ability to do damage.
The majority of viruses are transmitted through e-mail, but many also take advantage
of security weaknesses in operating systems and web servers. Some viruses are
capable of invisibly implanting themselves on your network and using it as a launching
platform to infect your customers and partners. Cleaning up a virus attack can be a
costly, time consuming process involving the use of specialized procedures often unique
to each virus. Data may be lost, and sometimes machines need to be completely
rebuilt. Protection requires:
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e-mail
Customers and suppliers expect any viable business to have reliable email, rendering
the following a "must have" for any business.
POP mail vs. web mail:
POP mail requires a client mail application such as Outlook or Outlook Express. Mail is
temporarily stored on the server until the client application downloads it. Mail messages
can then be managed and archived on directories on your client workstation. Web mail
is accessed through a web browser, and mail is stored and managed on the mail server.
This has the advantage of being easily accessible from any location that has Internet
access, but the disadvantage of limited storage space on the shared remote server.
Utilizing a service that simultaneous supports both POP mail and web access to the mail
server provides the best of both approaches.
Remote hosting vs. internal mail server:
Deploying and maintaining your own mail server is becoming less and less attractive as
the availability of robust commercial hosting services continues to expand. Commercial
hosting services have the advantage of much more sophisticated infrastructure,
support, and backup than one business might be able to afford for itself.
Uniform addressing that matches business URL:
It has become a "cultural norm" for businesses to have e-mail addresses of a form
similar to "first-initial-last-name@yourdomain.com". If your employees have a bunch of
different e-mail addresses it communicates the wrong message to your customers and
suppliers that your business is not technologically up-to-date.
Anyone@yourbusiness.com:
This capability forwards mis-identified or misspelled e-mail directed at your business
domain to a recipient who can direct it to the appropriate department or person in your
business. Not responding in a timely and appropriate manner to all e-mail from your
customers and partners is like not answering or returning phone calls promptly. It
projects the wrong message about your business.
Reliable service:
"My e-mail is down, I can receive but I can't send, I didn't get the attachment; I didn't
get the message but the customer swore they sent it, my mail server is returning error
messages to the sender." E-mail is an essential utility that is expected to work reliably
most of the time. Anything less is damaging to your business.
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Web Site
Most businesses understand the importance of backup, but fail to establish a backup
protocol and delegate the responsibility of assuring the protocol is being followed. The
following items need to be considered when establishing your backup protocol.
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Drive Type
Capacity
Cost
Travan
20 Gbytes
$500
DAT
40 Gbytes
$1,000
DLT
80 Gbytes
$1,500
220 Gbytes
$5,500
that change frequently, you will require a fat pipe and adequate slack time (late night)
to accomplish the backups.
As a general rule of thumb, if you have small amounts of data to backup and no one to
assure that it is done consistently, remote backup is the way to go. However, if you
have large amounts of data with dedicated personnel to handle the backup, the
investment in on-site high end tape backup will provide the best payback.
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Printers, Shared Storage, Peripherals
Dedicated printer:
(not accessible over network, but only accessible from one workstation): Appropriate for
printers used with special paper or forms where you don't want multiple users to
inadvertently be generating print jobs when special paper or forms are loaded in printer
Network accessible printers:
Useful for most printers; increases utilization of the printer and ROI of the capital
investment, reducing need for additional printers. Some printers are "network ready"
with ethernet interfaces built in to them. If not, they can be "shared" on the network via
the workstation or server that they are plugged into.
Peripheral devices:
Devices such as scanners or CD burners can also be configured to be network
accessible, increasing the convenience and productivity for multiple users.
Speed and resolution of the printer:
Speed and resolution should be targeted at the expected application and utilization
requirements. Occasional use versus heavy-duty daily use would suggest different
solutions. The right printer for the right job ultimately saves money and delivers the
best results.
Disk Storage:
It is useful to have some disk storage somewhere on the network (either server disk
space or network storage appliance) that can be accessed by everyone on the network.
This is a more efficient way for sharing data among users than e-mail or floppy disk,
especially when files are larger (e.g. graphics files, large PowerPoint files, big Excel
financial models, large Word documents, etc.).
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Workstations and Servers
Adequate disk space: As disk utilization goes above 75%, application performance
degrades considerably, and can lead to system reliability problems and crashes
Adequate memory: Memory requirements depend on what applications and what
operating system is being used, but too little memory can also cause system reliability
problems
Upgrading vs. replacement: New OS's and applications typically require up-to-date
hardware. If computer are older than 12-18 months, it is usually cheaper to replace
them than upgrade them.
Ownership and maintenance: Ownership and maintenance of application servers
significantly more costly than client workstations. Strategies to reduce cost and