Objective

• Consolidate, clean up, and improve the basic infrastructure at customer’s site to provide a stable working environment that will allow smooth day-to-day operations



• Provide a framework from which the customer can grow and enhance their infrastructure to support new technology as needed



• Offer solutions to allow pro-active monitoring of the environment to allow preventative maintenance to occur as appropriate



• Ensure the ability for IES to provide rapid response to cutomer’s problems as they occur and to satisfy customer’s operating needs

Fig. 1 Customer's network rack

Requirements
Organize materials and plan for the systematic overhaul of the computer infrastructure with keeping interruptions to the daily office production environment to a minimum.

Strategy Summary
The cleanup tasks included:

• Re-wiring the network equipment with proper length cables



• Labeling all equipment



• Removing unused equipment: one switch, one VPN server (see VPN server notes)



• Organizing arrangement of required equipment to facilitate access



• Sorting and organization of storage area and vaccuumed

VPN Server Note
There is a fourth generic server called VPN that is not even turned on. It was supposed to be a VPN gateway for the remote offices, however it was never implemented. The customer uses GoToMyPC for their remote connections. The capabilities of this machine are unknown, but since it is unused, it was removed. Should the customer choose to replace the GoToMyPC methodology for connecting to the office resources, then the existing VPN equipment (Linksys Router) or new VPN routers will be used to establish reliable, secure connectivity.

Speed enhancements include:

• IES recommended replacing the 2 existing Ethernet devices with a single 48 port managed Gigabit Ethernet switch. Replacing main switch with a Gigabit switch, the workstation adapters will begin to function at the higher speed



• The ‘managed’ aspects of the switch will allow IES to monitor the network fabric and quickly and easily review the integrity of the network on a regular basis

IES consolidated and organized the Windows Domain environment at customer’s office.
Activities included:

• Ensure all client workstations log into one Windows Domain



• Remove unnecessary Active Directory objects



• Create a new user template to simplify addition of new users



• Document procedures for creating and deleting users on the network

Server and Work Station passwords need to change on a regular basis
Windows 2000 server has the ability to support a group security policy where all users can be forced to change their passwords at a specified interval, typically every 30 days. IES implemented a security policy that satisfies this requirement

Professional staff needed access to their email while out of the office:
IES recommended two solutions

• Option 1: Since all of the professional staff currently has e-mail accounts through the Yahoo Premium Messaging service, we can ensure that the Outlook clients are set to leave copies of incoming e-mail on the Yahoo server. The staff can then access their e-mail from the web-based Yahoo client when they are not in the office.
  
  Advantages:
  
  1. Inexpensive
  
  
  2. Available from any computer with WEB Browser
  
  
  Disadvantages:
  
  1. Only the mail in the ‘inbox’ will be available as the mail stored in user folders will be removed from the server
  
  
  2. Need to investigate e-mail server quota and the ‘size’ of typical e-mail and attachments received to determine if there will be a storage problem on the e-mail server
  
  



• Option 2: A more robust solution would be to implement remote connectivity to the office using secure VPN connections. The staff would be provided with a WEB based client that will allow access to the office resources. Once connected, staff members could access their workstation remotely.
  
  Advantages:
  
  1. Allows access to all e-mail stored on the office workstation
  
  
  2. Provides access to all office resources since VPN connection allows remote user to use their workstation in the office
  
  
  3. Establishes a foundation for remote access to office resources
  
  
  4. If files are used directly from office workstation, then no synchronization of copies on remote system is needed
  
  
  Disadvantages:
  
  1. Cost associated with office network equipment and/or client software depending on technical solution implemented
  
  

IES recommended pursuing option 2 as this not only provided the mobile users with access to their email, but also established the capability for ALL office users to access the office resources from a remote location.

Maintenance Program
IES developed a monthly maintenance plan to ensure the customer’s infrastructure is kept up to date and healthy. Monthly maintenance includes but is not limited to, Antivirus updates, application and operating system updates, firmware upgrades for network equipment, backup integrity check, network and server health check.

Results
Customer’s network closet was cleaned up and re-organized to better suit the demands of the office. Documentation on the environment was completed and given to the customer to keep on file. Remote connections to the office for the professional staff are up and running. Day to day infrastructure issues are logged and completed either remotely by support staff or on site in a timely manner.


Fig. 2 Network rack after IES intervention