IT 640 Project Analysis Plan

IT 640 Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric

Project Analysis Plan Overview: For your final project, you will assume the role of a network consultant for SNHUEnergy Inc., an organization looking to expand its communication reach. Refer to the Final Project Scenario document for details. You have been tasked with analyzing the current network architecture of the organization and determining any key changes that should occur as the organization prepares for future growth. You will evaluate traffic patterns to determine critical aspects of your business and provide basic insight into what should be done to the network from a capability aspect and from a security viewpoint as the organization prepares for future growth. Ultimately, you will recommend a design for the future network architecture of the organization. Prompt: Your first milestone for this project will be the creation of a project analysis plan. Your plan will identify the network applications of the current network including a description of how the current network is designed by explaining how the different layers of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model relate to each other within the network. Refer to the following files when completing this milestone:

 Dallas Office Logical Design - Current

 Final Project Physical Diagram - Current

 Memphis Office Logical Design - Current

 Milestone One Physical Diagram - Current To complete this assignment, address the following critical elements:

 Identify the network applications that are a part of the current network.

 Identify and label the components of the network with the appropriate OSI network layer(s) (refer to Final Project Physical Diagram - Current file)

 Provide a nontechnical description of the role and functions of key components, including routers, switches, and firewalls.

 Provide a brief analysis of the current network configuration in terms of day-to-day business operations. Consider the following questions as a guide to your analysis:

o What is the impact of losing connectivity between the Dallas router and the Memphis router? Which applications might be impacted between locations?

o What is the risk of just having a single router or switch within the Memphis office? o How effective is the firewall in the current network?

 Summarize the project requirements and deliverables

Rubric

Guidelines for Submission: Your assignment should be 1 to 2 pages in length with double spacing and should conform to academic writing standard expectations for mechanics, content organization, and use of APA style.

Critical Elements

Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Network Applications

Identifies the network applications that are a part of the current network

Identifies the network applications that are a part of the current network, but response contains inaccuracies

Does not identify the network applications that are a part of the current network

15

OSI Model Identification

and Label

Identifies and labels the different layers of the OSI model according to the components of current network

Identifies and labels the different layers of the OSI model according to the components of current network, but the diagram is incomplete or contains inaccuracies

Does not identify the different layers of the OSI model according to the components of current network

15

Component Description

Provides a nontechnical description of the role and functions of key components including routers, switches, and firewalls

Provides a description of the role and functions of key components, but the description is overly technical, inaccurate, or incomplete

Does not provide a nontechnical description of the role and functions of key components

25

Network Analysis

Provides a brief analysis of current network configuration by describing the impact on day-to-day business operations

Provides a brief analysis of current network configuration by describing the impact on day-to-day business operations, but the analysis is incomplete or contains inaccuracies

Does not provide a brief analysis of current network configuration by describing the impact on day-to-day business operations

25

Project Summary

Summarizes and addresses key elements of project requirements

Summarizes and addresses key elements of project requirements, but summary is incomplete or contains inaccuracies

Does not summarize and address key elements of project requirements

15

Articulation of Response

Plan is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy- to-read format that addresses technical and nontechnical audiences

Plan contains errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Plan contains critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5

Total 100%