FIT2018 Network administration - Semester 1, 2009

Unit leader

Lecturer(s) :

Additional communication information

The best opportunity for discussing unit topics is through tutorials and face to face consultations. These are scheduled regularly during the semester. Additional consultation is possible, but please e-mail the lecturer or tutor in order to make an appointment.

The Blackboard/MUSO discussion tool (forum) is another option. In some situations, this will be more appropriate, particularly where the question may be relevant not only the student posing the question. The response time, however, may vary. Lecturers and tutors will endeavor to reply in a timely fashion, but there is no guarantee of immediate electronic replies after hours, whether by e-mail or Blackboard/MUSO.

• On campus Lecture
• On campus Tutorial/Laboratory

Communication, participation and feedback

Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Face to face consultation is generally best, particularly when discussing unit topics. Apart from scheduled consultation hours and tutorials, students may arrange for alternative appointments via e-mail, either with the lecturer or their tutor.

In some situations, Blackboard/MUSO forums via the Discussion Tool will be preferable, particularly where the discussion will benefit not only the student raising the question. While the lecturer and tutors will do their best in responding to forum posts in a timely fashion, there is no guarantee of immediate replies, particularly after hours. 

Unit Schedule

Week	Topic	Key dates
1	Introduction to Network Administration	No tutorial this week
2	IT System Components	Tutorials begin this week
3	System Management
4	Configuration management
5	TCP/IP Network Administration	Quiz 1 during tutorials
6	Methods of Network Administration: SNMP & RMON
Mid semester break
7	Fault & Performance management
8	Desktop & Enterprise management
9	Network security
10	Network Simulation & Documentation	Quiz 2 during tutorials
11	Web-Based Network Management
12	The Future of Network Administration	Project demos during tutorials, and report due Friday
13	Revision & Exam preparation

Prescribed text(s) and readings

There are no Required texts for this unit, however please see the Recommended Reading section below.

Text books are available for loan from the Monash University library and for purchase from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

Recommended text(s) and readings

Primary texts recommended:

Burgess, M. Principles of Network and System Administration (2nd Ed), Wiley, 2004, ISBN 0470868074. (http://library.monash.edu.au/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=2017671)

Limonchelli, T. A., Hogan, C. J., Chalup, S. R. The Practice of System and Network Administration (2nd Ed), Addison-Wesley, 2007, ISBN 0-321-49266-8. (http://library.monash.edu.au/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=2253326)

Supplementary texts:

Burke, J.R., Network Management Concepts and Practice: a Hands-on Approach, Pearson, 2004, ISBN 0130329509.

Subramanian, M.. Network Management: Principles and Practice, Addison Wesley, 2000, ISBN 0201357429.

Stallings, W., SNMP, SNMPv2, SNMPv3 and RMON I and II (3E), Addison Wesley, 1998, ISBN 0201485346.

Stallings, W., Data and Computer Communications (7E), Prentice Hall, 2004, ISBN 0131006819.

Hunt, C., TCP/IP Network Administration (3E), OReilly, 2002, ISBN 0596002971.

Mikalsen, A. and Borgesen, P., Local Area Network Management, Design and Security, John Wiley and Sons, 2002, ISBN 0 471 49769 X.

Required software and/or hardware

You will need access to the following software:

• A Freeware Unix of some recent flavor, e.g., KNOPPIX (Linux), FreeBSD, Fedora Core Linux [Note that Unix installations, whether installed or running from a live CD, typically include certain tools that we will use, e.g., BIND, sendmail, nslookup, tcpdump, wireshark, etc..]
• Web browser for online reading references
• A word processor for writing up assignments, e.g., Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.
• A vector graphics tool for creating diagrams, e.g., Microsoft Powerpoint or OpenOffice.
• PDFCreator for generating PDF output (Adobe Acrobat file), if using Microsoft Windows.

PDFCreator and freeware Unix flavors such as KNOPPIX and others mentioned can be downloaded from the Internet. The KNOPPIX ISO image must be burned into a CD in order to boot into KNOPPIX Linux. FreeBSD, Fedora Core Linux and other flavors of Linux must likewise be burned into a CD in order to install to one's hard drive. PDFCreator must be installed into one's Windows installation by an administrator.

Note that alternatives for the above may all exist from different sources, e.g., Adobe Acrobat Professional instead of PDFCreator, although the former is a commercial product (and is therefore not free). 

Equipment and consumables required or provided

Hardware is provided for use during tutorials and projects in the Caulfield School of IT network laboratory for on-campus students. However, students will have to provide their own CDs for burning KNOPPIX Linux images into. The KNOPPIX CD must be brought along for lab work for all tutorials. Students are also encouraged to carry USB flash drives in order to store intermediate work, such as configuration files and scripts, or partial reports.

Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to 8 hours per week for reading and private study, including time for the use of a computer to access web-based discussion groups.

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

• This Unit Information outlining the administrative information for the unit
• The FIT2018 web site on MUSO, where lecture slides, weekly tutorial requirements, assignment specifications, sample solutions and supplementary resources and other material will be posted
• Web-based discussion groups that can be accessed from the FIT2018 unit web site.

Library access

The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching.  To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.

The Educational Library and Media Resources (LMR) is also a very resourceful place to visit at http://www.education.monash.edu.au/library/

Students should also check the Monash Library reading list for this unit, which includes digitized pages from selected references.

Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

All unit and lecture materials are available through MUSO (Monash University Studies Online). Blackboard is the primary application used to deliver your unit resources. Some units will be piloted in Moodle. If your unit is piloted in Moodle, you will see a link from your Blackboard unit to Moodle (http://moodle.monash.edu.au) and can bookmark this link to access directly. In Moodle, from the Faculty of Information Technology category, click on the link for your unit.

You can access MUSO and Blackboard via the portal: http://my.monash.edu.au

Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then Blackboard under the MUSO learning systems.

In order for your Blackboard unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.

For example:

• Blackboard supported browser
• Supported Java runtime environment

For more information, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html

You can contact the MUSO Support by phone : (+61 3) 9903 1268

For further contact information including operational hours, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html

Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

Unit assessment policy

To pass a unit which includes an examination as part of the assessment, a student must obtain:

• 40% or more in the examination, and
• 40% or more in the unit's non-examination assessment, and
• an overall unit mark of 50% or more.

If a student does not achieve 40% or more in the unit examination or the unit non-examination assessment, then a mark of no greater than 44-N will be recorded for the unit.

Assignment tasks

• Assignment Task

  Title : Tutorial Quiz 1

  Description :

  Students will take a quiz for a topic covered in the previous weeks on the basics of networks, systems and configuration management. This quiz will include theoretical as well as practical components.

  Weighting : 5%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Answers to quiz questions and exercises will be marked in increments of half-marks (0.5).

  Due date : Your Tutorial in Week 5 (30 March - 3 April)

• Assignment Task

  Title : Tutorial Quiz 2

  Description :

  Students will take a quiz for a topic covered in the previous weeks on fault, accounting, performance and security management. This quiz will include theoretical as well as practical components. Changes to the coverage will be announced up to a week prior to the quiz.

  Weighting : 10%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Answers to quiz questions and exercises will be marked in increments of half-marks (0.5).

  Due date : Your tutorial in Week 10 (11-15 May)

• Assignment Task

  Title : Network Administration Project

  Description :

  This project will entail both practical and theoretical aspects of the unit. Students will be required to build a small network, configured with a few basic network services. Concise documentation will also be required for submission. Specific requirements will be made available to students in Week 8, but assessment of this project will require the following:

  1. A practical demo of the installation, configuration and operation of the network and its services. Students will be expected to answer questions during the demo. 
  2. A concise report that documents the network will be submitted on Friday, 29 May.

   Students will be given time to work on their project during tutorial hours using lab equipment.

  Weighting : 25%

  Criteria for assessment :

  The assessment criteria will be released with the assignment details.

  Due date : Week 12 (25-29 May)

Examinations

• Examination 1

  Weighting : 60%

  Length : 3 hours

  Type ( open/closed book ) : Closed book

  
  

Assignment submission

In order to be a valid submission, documentation for the Network Administration Project must be submitted electronically via Damocles: http://viper.infotech.monash.edu.au/damocles/submit/. You will be required to log in using your authcate details.

Electronically submitted documents must be in the following formats:

• Word Doc -- not docx, or
• non-scanned PDF (Adobe Acrobat).

Multiple submissions are possible, with previous submissions to be overwritten, but only the latest submission will be marked.

Note that Damocles is not simply a submission system: it detects and rates plagiarismbased on matches between assignments, across semesters, as well as withonline sources. Plagiarism between students or from publications,online or not, are offenses that will be subject to disciplinary actionby the Faculty's Discipline Committee. 

Assignment coversheets

The Network Admin Project documentation/report must be submitted electronically online via Damocles (as described above). However, printed coversheets, read carefully, filled out completely and signed, must be dropped into assignment boxes at the school office on or before the particular deadline for that assignment or report. Coversheets (filled out completely and signed) may also be scanned and emailed to the lecturer, with the subject given as "FIT2018 Net Admin Project report coversheet".

Blank coversheets may be downloaded from http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/assignments

Due dates and extensions

The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

Requests for extensions must be made in writing or by email at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the receipt form or other written communication giving permission for an extension must then be attached to the assignment submission.

Late assignment

Assignments received after the due date, without previously arranged extension (see 14.8 Extensions, below...), will be subject to a penalty of 5% per day, including weekends. Assignments received later than one week (seven days) after the due date will not normally be accepted. In some cases, this period may be shorter if there is a need to release sample solutions.

This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment.

Return dates

Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt. Uncollected submissions will be retained by the Lecturer until the end of the following semester, after which unclaimed material will be discarded.

Plagiarism, cheating and collusion

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with the University Plagiarism policy and procedure (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/plagiarism-procedures.html) which applies to students detected plagiarising.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Register of counselling about plagiarism

The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.

Non-discriminatory language

The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:

• Faculty of Information Technology Student Service staff, and / or
• your Unit Coordinator, or
• Disabilities Liaison Unit

Deferred assessment and special consideration

Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.