Integrative Network Design Project Essay

Kudler Fine Foods will be embarking on a new project to implement improvement to its existing network infrastructure. The end result will be the installation of a WAN to connect all three store locations together to enable better communication and sharing of data. A new WLAN shall also be implemented in order to provide more flexibility in the stores and make added new systems and features easier in the future. Lastly with the new network implementations there shall also be a new VOIP system added to the multi-store network. The first section shall cover the network’s fundamental characteristics components, and evaluation of the current network topology and a description of the standards applicable to this project. Kudler Find Foods currently has three locations, the La Jolla Store/Home Office, The Del Mar Store, and the Encinitas Store. All three locations are currently running on a 100 Base T Ethernet network as well as an HP Blade Server. Each location currently has a 25 Mb ps connection out to the internet, as well as a dedicated OC1 SONET connecting them to other stores. Of the three locations the La Jolla Store currently houses most of the infrastructure. There are currently 19 total computers, POS terminals for the store, and the NAS for backups. In the Del Mar and Encinitas stores the setup is identical with six computers, and the POS terminals for the store. When designing this new system the importance of both standards in network as well as the importance of communication protocols will help to make sure the network works smoothly and devices on the network can talk to each other. Currently Kudler is using a SONET which is â€Å"An ANSI standard, incorporated into the SDH standard, that defines a line rate hierarchy and frame formats for use with high-speed optical fiber transmission systems† (Goleniewski & Jarrett, 2007, p. 800) Standards bodies are essential in networking for the fact that they allow different developers, designers and maintenance teams to have a set of rules to follow when creating and maintaining a system. With this in place Kudler will keep using the ANSI standards when designing and developing the new systems. Along with these standards the system will need to work on a common communication protocol in order for all devices to be able to talk to each other as well as transfer data and other information correctly and efficiently. Each location has its own local network thus it is distributed across the company, however this has its pros and cons that can affect the company. With the implementation of a WAN as defined in Telecommunications Essentials â€Å"A wide area network (WAN) is a group of computer networks connected over long distances by telecommunications links, which can be either wireline or wireless.† (Goleniewski & Jarrett, 2007, p. 201) The benefits that a WAN will bring to Kudler Fine Foods is a centralized management of all systems and an ease of use communication from store to store. As stated earlier along with the WAN, each location will also be implementing a WLAN. This shall improve network coverage and give each location the ability to place computer systems or POS machines in locations that may have not been possible before due to the lack of a hardline or ability to install a new line. Wireless technology has greatly improved over the years and has transitioned from an additional layer that may not be needed or only added if there was room in the budget to a system that is almost a requirement in today’s ever evolving workplace. While implement these new features there are some inherent responsibilities in providing telecommunication services. Some of these responsibilities are security, privacy, reliability, and performance. Security is paramount as a loss of client data or client financial information could be extremely damaging to the Kudler brand. The security of the system and client information should be foremost in the system developer’s mindset. The next item is privacy which has become a hot topic as of late. The need to keep a customer’s privacy in tact will make them feel secure in becoming a return customer. Along with customer privacy is employee privacy. If an employee believes their privacy is intact while at work they will feel more secure as well. Lastly reliability and performance. These two will usually go hand in hand. When a system is reliable it will be able to perform as expected. Raising the performance can impact the reliability of the system and so a balance should be found and strived to be kept. This will allow the network  to operate at peak performance while still being able to work day in and day out. Goleniewski, L., & Jarrett, K. W. (2007). Telecommunications Essentials: The Complete Global Source (2nd ed.). : Pearson Education.