Vibrant MCSE BOOT Camp Notes :
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Familiarize Yourself with the Technical Issues

The following technical terms and areas are some of the most basic concepts needed to set up an intranet. If there is anything in the following list that you cannot at least define, you have more reading to do.

Hardware

NIC
Ethernet
CPU
RAM

Networking

Theory
OSI model
Internetwork
Protocols
NetBIOS
TCP/IP
IPX

Communication

ISDN
SLIP
PPP
T1

The following list contains some terms often presented in contrast to one another. Understanding what each term means and how it relates to its counterpart is essential for understanding your intranet. You should understand the meanings of and the differences between the following:

Analog and digital
LAN and WAN
Internetwork, the Internet, and intranet
Routers, bridges, and hubs
Server and client
Operating systems, such as DOS, Windows NT, UNIX, and MacOS
File systems, such as FAT, NTFS, UFS, CDFS, and HFS
Web Browser and Web Server (httpd)

MCKEON & JEFFRIES

M&J's server plan was relatively simple. The systems administrator was very familiar with the operating system and the server's procedures were not complex. Also, the server was not expected to receive a lot of traffic right off the bat. The accounting firm was in no hurry to initiate its intranet's entire audience at once; it planned to slowly introduce its users to the site.

To organize the initiation process, M&J started two separate log books: The first was for the systems administrator and her assistant, the second was for the administrators in charge of developing content on the site. The first log held all the pertinent information on how to start up and shut down the server, including where application and configuration files were stored and a record of problems solved or outstanding with the software or hardware. The second log kept all the information pertaining to the actual site itself: file naming conventions, times and processes for regular updates, templates for standard pages, usernames and passwords for administrative areas and e-mail, and the instructions for such basic administrative processes as setting up new message boards, adding a new user, and creating new folders on the FTP site.

THE SPORTING GOODS AND APPAREL ASSOCIATION

The SGAA needed a much more complex plan than M&J did. The new systems administrator worked closely with the consultants that built the back-end software to create a comprehensive reference document for future use. From the first time the server was turned on to the last piece of software installed, each configuration and modification was logged in a notebook. The notebook was eventually converted to HTML and used as an online reference vehicle for the systems administrator.

In developing the plan for the server, one of the first steps was to map out the hard drive space and decide what would go where on the drive. The consultants and the systems administrator simply mapped it out on paper, leaving space for expansion and placing system files, applications, and configuration files in logical and secure places. Several other steps were included to ensure that the file structure for the Web server and the database was secure.

Finally, the plan was implemented slowly. Over two weeks the server was configured and each function was tested. The security was tested completely before the server went online for the first time.

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