Posted: August 15th, 2022

Network Management and Systems Administration

Network Management and Systems Administration
A network consists of two or more computers that are linked to share resources, exchange files or allow electronic communications. Network management, therefore, consists of installation, configuration and supporting of an organisation's internal systems, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN) or a section of a network. On the other hand, system administration is responsible for the computers including hardware and software installation and up keeping; setup and training of user accounts and security best practices maintenance; and backup and data recovery. Therefore, even though the two are closely related they have different functionalities that work hand in hand to ensure maximum efficiency.
The two very common types of networks include LAN and WAN, as indicated earlier. LAN is a network limited to a small geographical area such as a building while WAN connect networks in a larger area such as the world via satellite uplinks or transoceanic cabling. Computers connected to a network are categorised either as servers or workstations. Servers are computers that host resources over a network while workstations use these network resources (Posey, 2006). Humans interact mostly with workstations as servers require a high skill set, have security issues, and human interference may decrease performance and stability.
There is a set of rules that govern and facilitate communications between computers in a network; protocol. Protocol dictates that computers in a network need to speak the same language. For this to happen, the Open Systems Interconnection reference model was created. OSI subdivides a communication system into smaller parts called layers. A layer is a collection of conceptually similar functions that provide services to the layer above it and receives services from the layer below it (Kumar 2014). The OSI model subdivides communication into four layers; Ethernet (Physical/Data Link layers), IP/IPX (Network layer), TCP/SPX (Transport layer) and HTTP, FTP, Telnet, SMTP & DNS (Session/Presentation/Application layers)
Network hardware includes all computers, peripherals, interface cards and other equipment needed to perform data-processing and communications within the network. For network servers, the emphasis is placed on having the fastest processors, large amount of RAM, multiple hard drives, extra expansion slots and fast network interface cards. Interface cards can be either Ethernet cards which require an external receiver to be attached or wireless adapters that can be installed via USB or expansion slot.
For exchange of information to take place between devices in a network, a medium is required. The most commonly used medium, especially for LAN, are cables with different types of cables performing different types of functions. The type of cable chosen should factor in the network’s topology, protocol and size. Wireless mediums can also be used; high frequency radio signals, microwave transmission, infrared light beams or lasers to communicate between workstations, servers or hubs.
Network topology is a set of rules for physical linking of network elements and rules of communication through the transmission medium (Noite). Depending on the network topology, there are particular specifications for the physical topology. This dictates the cables, connectors and communication standards to be used. The commonly used cables include; Linear Bus topology (Twisted Pair/Coaxial/Fiber Cables), Star topology (Twisted Pair/Fiber Cables) and Tree topology (Twisted Pair/Coaxial/Fiber Cables). In all three cases, Ethernet is the preferred protocol.
A network operating system is defined as a collection of software and associated protocols that coordinate and allow a set of autonomous computers, interconnected by a computer network, to be used together conveniently and cost-effectively (Rajiv, 2016). The two major types of NOS are peer-to-peer and client/server. In a peer-to-peer NOS, all computers act both as workstations and as servers; access and host network resources. Meanwhile, in a client/server NOS, the server acts as a host by providing resources to the other devices (workstations/client). Peer-to-peer is decentralized, unlike client/server which is centralised.
The tutorial breaks down the nitty-gritty of network management and system administration into layman terms; each aspect is brought out at a quasi-beginner level. As such, the tutorial can cater to a wider audience outside the computer enthusiastic individuals/students. It is useful to computer science undergraduates who are getting into the market and the postgraduate students who have been tasked with educating undergraduate/high school computer students. Moreover, junior network managers and system administrators in small and medium scale enterprises may find the tutorial useful given that it is more personalised towards their area of expertise.
In conclusion, the tutorial does a good job. It provides the much needed knowledge on setting up and running a LAN network effectively. I have especially learnt a lot on the OSI Model and how topology is directly linked to the layer a network manager should use plus the preferred cabling for each topology type. I shall be able to transfer this knowledge directly into my working experience by actively contributing to my organization’s networking choices.

References
An Educators Guide to School Networks. (2019). Retrieved 18 October 2019, from https://fcit.usf.edu/network/
Posey, B. (2006). Networking Basics: Part 4 - Workstations and Servers. Retrieved 18 October 2019, from http://techgenix.com/networking-basics-part4/
Kumar, S., Dalal, S., & Dixit, V. (2014). THE OSI MODEL: Overview on the Seven Layers of Computer Networks. International Journal Of Computer Science And Information Technology Research, 2(3), 461.
RAJIV, C. (2016). OPERATING SYSTEMS. S CHAND & CO LTD.
Topology-and-structure-of-computer-networks. (2019). Retrieved 18 October 2019, from http://noite.pl/p/en/product.php?id_product=2