Mr. Khoza runs a small business in Midrand, Gauteng. His business has been steadily growing since
its inception in February 2019 in spite of the ill-effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns as well as the
ripple effects of the economic issues and financial markets such as rising fuel prices and inflation.
He, Mr. Khoza, has asked you to design a secure network for his small business. Additionally, he
would like you to design and build a cost-effective network for his business.
The current setup is such that every PC and laptop user uses a 3G dongle to connect to the Internet.
When users need to print, they either copy the work that needs to be printed to USB flash drives
or email their work to any one of the five users whose PCs are attached to a printer – all printers
connect via USB cables.
The new network, according to Mr. Khoza, should cater to at least thirty devices, fifteen desktops
(PCs), seven laptops including Mr. Khoza’s laptop, two servers and four BYOD devices. Additionally,
Mr. Khoza wants to allow visitors such as customers and suppliers to connect mobile devices to get
Internet connectivity. All users with PCs and laptops should still be able to print.
The premises where Mr. Khoza runs his business has six offices (rooms). All the rooms are located
on the same floor. Mr. Khoza has an office and does not share office space. There are two open�plan offices, the first open-plan office houses seven desktops and the remainder of the PCs are
housed in the second open-plan office. Two laptop users share an office while the other three
laptop users share a separate office. A small storeroom has been selected for use as a server room.
Write a report to present to Mr. Khoza that discusses the importance of building a
resilient network design. In your discussion, consider at least four factors to consider
to explain how resilience and redundancy can be built into Mr. Khoza’s network
infrastructure design.
• The report must be at least three pages and must not exceed five pages,
excluding diagrams.
• Reference all the sources including in-text referencing
A. The discussion adequately explains resilience in the context of
network design
B. The discussion adequately considers at least four factors when
considering network resilience as well as how Mr. Khoza’s
network can build redundancy into their network infrastructure.
C. The discussion adequately explains how Mr. Khoza can build
redundancy into their network.
Report Title: Building a Resilient and Redundant Network Design for Mr. Khoza's Small Business
Introduction:
In today's digital age, having a reliable and secure network infrastructure is crucial for the smooth operations and growth of any business. Specifically, for small businesses like Mr. Khoza's, a network design that is resilient and redundant is of paramount importance. This report aims to discuss the significance of building such a network design and highlight four key factors to consider for achieving resilience and redundancy. Additionally, the report will suggest ways in which Mr. Khoza can incorporate redundancy into his network infrastructure.
I. Importance of Building Resilient Network Design:
A resilient network design ensures that the business can continue its operations even in the face of unexpected challenges or failures. The following reasons highlight the importance of resilience in network design:
1. Minimizing Downtime: A resilient network design minimizes downtime by implementing measures that prevent or quickly recover from disruptions, such as system failures, power outages, or cyber-attacks. This helps maintain productivity and customer satisfaction.
2. Protecting Data: Resilient network design includes robust security measures and backups, ensuring the protection of sensitive business and customer data. This safeguards the business against data breaches or loss, which can have severe financial and reputational consequences.
3. Ensuring Scalability: A resilient network design accounts for future growth and scalability needs. It allows for the seamless integration of additional devices or users without disrupting ongoing operations.
4. Enhancing Business Continuity: By building a resilient network, Mr. Khoza can ensure uninterrupted access to essential resources, such as internet connectivity, servers, and printers, enabling employees to carry out their tasks without interruptions.
II. Factors to Consider for Building Network Resilience:
1. Redundant Internet Connections: Diverse and redundant internet connections are crucial to maintaining network resilience. By utilizing multiple service providers or technologies, Mr. Khoza's business can mitigate the risk of a single-point failure. This can be achieved through the deployment of technologies such as Dual-WAN routers, which can automatically switch between connections in case of an outage.
2. Network Segmentation: Implementing network segmentation provides additional security and resilience benefits. By dividing the network into different segments or VLANs, Mr. Khoza can control access rights, isolate potential threats, and reduce the impact of any network issues. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access or malware spreading across the network.
3. Redundant Hardware: Building redundancy into the network infrastructure through redundant hardware, such as switches, routers, and servers, is essential. This involves deploying backup devices that can quickly take over in case of hardware failures, ensuring uninterrupted network services.
4. Regular Data Backups: Implementing a robust data backup strategy is crucial for network resilience. Mr. Khoza's business should regularly back up critical data to an offsite location or cloud storage. This protects against data loss caused by hardware failures, human error, or cyber-attacks. Regular testing and verification of backups should also be conducted to ensure their reliability.
III. Building Redundancy into Mr. Khoza's Network Infrastructure:
1. Internet Connectivity:
- Acquire multiple internet service providers to ensure redundancy.
- Implement Dual-WAN routers to automatically switch between connections.
- Utilize Load Balancers to distribute network traffic across multiple connections, ensuring optimal performance and redundancy.
2. Network Infrastructure:
- Deploy redundant switches and routers in critical areas to minimize single points of failure.
- Implement Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) or Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) to prevent network loops and ensure network redundancy and resiliency.
3. Server Setup:
- Utilize two servers in a redundant configuration, such as active-active or active-passive, to ensure continuous availability of critical services.
- Implement RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology to protect against disk failures by creating redundant data storage.
4. Data Backup and Recovery:
- Set up automated and regular backups of critical data to offsite or cloud storage.
- Implementation of backup and recovery software to facilitate quick recovery in case of data loss or system failure.
- Regular testing and validation of backups to ensure reliability and effectiveness.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, building a resilient and redundant network design is essential for the successful and secure operation of Mr. Khoza's small business. By considering factors such as redundant internet connections, network segmentation, redundant hardware, and regular data backups, Mr. Khoza's business can mitigate the risk of potential network failures, protect critical data, and ensure continuous operations. The suggested strategies and technologies provide the foundation for a cost-effective and reliable network infrastructure, ideal for the growing needs of the business and the diverse range of devices and users.