Assessment 1 – Practical Activity
Assessment Objectives
• Analyse system functionality
• Review and update technical and user documentation for at least TWO systems or occasions
• Develop procedures to operate systems.
Assessment – Scenario
ABC is a privately-owned company. Their business is to provide accounting services to small and medium sized business, such as book keeping and tax returns.
They have following staff in the head office in Sydney:
1. Three Accountants
2. A director
3. A receptionist
4. A customer support person
5. An IT administrator
They have one Branch Office in Brisbane, where they have only one accountant.
In Brisbane they have 30 customers, and in Sydney they have over 150 customers.
They have following computing resources for their Staff.
1. Dell Inspiron 8 GB, i5 dual core processor Laptops.
2. Windows 10 Operating System
3. Office 365 and One Drive for all the staff
They have a business Internet solution from Telstra. Which provides them with NBN Internet in both Head Office and Branch Office. They also have a VPN connection between Head Office and Branch Office. They have Cisco IP based telephones and VOIP solution from Telstra.
Their customer support person uses a 1300 number for incoming and outgoing customer communication.
ABC uses QuickBooks Online for the purpose of managing accounts for their customers. This is a cloud-based software. They access it from anywhere. Some of the staff works from home sometime.
They have a server in the head office, where they have a shared folder. This folder is accessed by the staff using the VPN. The server is running on an HP ProLiant machine with Windows 2012 R2. The size of shared folder is over 10 GB. It holds all client related data.
There is a backup server, completing the backup of the shared folder every day. It is StorageCraft Shadow Protect backup software. The policy is to have a full back up every fifth Sunday. Then there is an incremental backup every day. The backup tapes are rotated to the home of the Director of company every fifth Saturday before a new full backup is taken. These are DDS3 tapes and tape drives.
Moreover, in both head office and branch office, they have a Cisco firewall and a Cisco 887 Router. They also have a 16 port Cisco SG100 switch for local area connection.
It is therefore necessary for the staff to have access to the internet, QuickBooks and the shared folder server to continue their business as usual.
In Appendix A, you are provided with the standard operating procedure of ABC information technology department, it is called the ABC IT Program.
Assessment tasks
You are required to:
1. Analyse and review system functionality for:
a. Cisco 887 Router and SG 100 Switch
b. StorageCraft ShadowProtect
You are to consider the business requirements for these solutions, why these solutions are used in ABC and how to optimize their usage to meet business requirements of ABC (related to these solutions).
1.1 Determine operational procedure requirements of these two solutions, using review outcomes
1.2 Develop or update operating procedures for the system
a. Develop operating procedure to harden Cisco router and Switch
b. Develop operating procedure to take full backup using ShadowProtect
1.3 Submit proposed operating procedures to your trainer
1.4 Obtain and record feedback from your trainer
2. Prepare User and Technical documentation for both systems
a. The technical documentation should cover the features of both solutions, their optimum configuration for ABC
b. The user documentation is the SOP you have created in Task 1.
2.1 Provide the documentation to your trainer and obtain feedback
2.2 Identify and document inaccuracies in your documentation, Review feedback and make appropriate changes
2.3 Review and update your documentation according to the feedback, update technical and user documentation to incorporate changes
2.4 Submit technical and user documentation to appropriate person for final approval
2.5 Distribute technical and user documentation as agreed with your trainer
3 Finalize standard operating procedures to operate both systems. Provide the draft version to your trainer and obtain feedback.
As you proceed to finalize your documents, you should be considering to:
3.1 Review current versions of technical and user documentation
3.2 Compare accuracy of technical and user documentation with current system functionality
3.3 Identify and document inaccuracies in the documentation
You should use following web-based resources to build your documentation:
1. For ShadowProtect : https://www.storagecraft.com/products/shadowprotect
2. Cisco 887 router: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/routers/887-integrated-services-router-isr/index.html
3. Cisco SG100 switch https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/switches/sg100-16-16-port-gigabit-switch/model.html
4. Hardening Cisco devices: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/ip/access-lists/13608-21.html
Assessment 2 Case Study
? Review Kmart website www.kmart.com.au. You are required to prepare a report on Kmart, describing:
? Describe the business domain of Kmart
? Describe current business practices of Kmart
? What IT hardware and software solutions could be in use by Kmart for its website? Consider the fact that this is an eCommerce website.
? What IT hardware and software solutions can Kmart use for its website? Compare and contrast at least three alternate solutions with key features and capabilities in light with current industry best practices and standard products
Assessment 3 Questions and Answers
1. What should be the documentation standards in writing technical documents?
2. What should be documentation standards in writing user documentation?
3. What software tools you can use for user and technical documentation?
4. What are stakeholders?
5. What is the role of stakeholders in development of standard operating procedures?
6. What should be the degree of stakeholder involvement in documenting system operational procedures? Consider:
a. End Users
b. Managers
c. Executives
Appendix A
ABC Information Technology
Standard Operating Procedures

1. Purpose
The purpose of the program is to provide the ABC employees, and system users, high quality technical services provided by the ABC Information Technology and to assist ABC computer users in finding the appropriate resource to answer their questions, resolve any computer or network related problems, update applications developed inhouse, assist with specific program needs, and aid them in finding appropriate computer related tools to accomplish their job at the ABC.
2. Mission Statement
The mission of the Information Technology program is to provide opportunities for enhancement and improvement in the ABC operations by implementation and incorporation of technological advancements in hardware and software.
3. Organizational Description/Scope of Work
The IT Program provides technical assistance and maintenance and oversight of the ABC’s computer network, software, and hardware inventory, telecommunication network, and any technology initiatives within the ABC. The IT Program encourages all departments to be our partners in planning for future computing environments for the ABC. We also hope that by understanding the role the IT Program plays in maintaining the reliability and integrity of computer resources, our employees will be our partners in planning for future computing environments for the ABC.
4. Contact Information
The ABCIT Program is located in the ABC Building
Physical address: ABC Post Box 12x
Mailing address: PO Box 12x
Acting IT Manager: Scott Peterson Email: speterson@abc.com
Telephone: 11-111-1111 Ext. 8888
Network Technician: Allen Luca Email: aluca@abc.com
Telephone: 11-111-1111 Ext. 0000
5. Responsibility and Role of the IT Program
The IT Program determines and conceptually plans the best ways for technology to meet the goals of the program and the ABC. The IT Program will install, maintain, and upgrade systems as necessary. The IT Program will be responsible for researching and developing new ways to accomplish tasks in a productive timely manner. All computing devices and applications added to the ABC servers have an impact on the overall network. The IT Program’s ability to properly support new devices and applications often require additional resources that may take time to acquire and install. The IT Program will balance the load of services across resources as necessary. By including the IT Program in preliminary discussions, programs can start preparations to support and keep projects flowing smoothly. The IT Program is responsible for the following functions:
a. Virtual PBX's & Voice Mail Systems
b. Internet Access & E-mail
c. Computer/Laptop Hardware
d. Program Software
e. Copiers/Fax/Scanners – All peripherals
f. Video & Audio equipment
g. Maintains network security and performance; establishes workable directory structure, network security, and disk space allocation, etc,
h. Sets up user accounts according to set established policies, procedures, and limitations.
i. Tracks all problems or issues through work orders.
j. Plans new phone lines and data ports when needed.
k. Performs network maintenance, changes, and upgrades.
l. Enhances network by assessing new software and hardware products that would increase network performance and expand network services.
m. Directs the performance of regularly scheduled systems management and maintenance procedures designed to ensure the integrity of all programs by running backup procedures and diagnostic software routines.
n. Implements disaster recovery plans; runs system backups and disaster recovery operations.
o. Develops procedural documentation or policies as needed.
p. Provides technical advice and training to ABC operations staff in the operation, maintenance, and support of computer hardware and software system.
q. Trains and updates staff with respect to security systems.
r. Prepares reports and makes recommendation to ensure the optimum efficiency of equipment and systems in accordance with departmental needs.
s. Maintains stock of expendable and non-expendable computer equipment, materials, system, application, and supplies sufficient to ensure continuous and uninterrupted operation of systems; communicates with vendors regarding purchases.
t. Maintains professional and technical knowledge by conduction research; attending seminars, education workshops, classes and conferences; reviewing professional publications; establishing agencies and related organizations.
6. Software
The IT Program will maintain all software which is located on the ABC’s systems.
As it pertains to software, the following procedures will be followed:
a. The IT Program will maintain a current list of standard and recommended software.
b. To ensure software is compatible and not destructive to the ABC’s computer systems, the IT Program will approve any and all software programs.
c. If a user is interested in software that is not on the maintained list, the user will need to complete an IT Work Order to request assistance in determining if that software is sustainable on ABC computer systems and network.
d. The IT Program will determine if software is qualified as being compatible with ABC’s system.
e. If software is not qualified as being compatible with the ABC’s standard software or the ABC system, software cannot be installed on the system.
f. If a software program exceeds the specifications of the user’s computer system the user will be notified to look for alternative software or to find program funds to upgrade the system.
g. All software installed on ABC computers or on the servers must have a valid license.
h. Should sever-based software make a server unstable, the IT Program will be responsible for restoring any data that was stored on a server that is backed up by the IT Program’s backup server.
i. The IT Program is obligated by certain software vendors to monitor all software licenses in order to ensure compliance with the vendor’s license agreements.
j. Users may contact the IT Program to obtain additional guidance, quotes and advice on any software.
k. Types of Software used at the ABC:
i. Standard software is that software which is made available to users by the ABC and maintained by the IT Program. The IT Program installs all software and may upgrade it when new releases become available. If training is required for newly purchased software a work order must follow request.
ii. Departmental funded software is software that is used by one or more departments or programs that are specific to that program. All departmental software must maintain a valid license for such software.
iii. Individual funded software is approved software that a single user purchases for which they have a valid license and deems important to his or her departments success. User must submit a work order if installation of individual funded software on their local workstation’s hard drive is needed. To demonstrate legality of the software, the user must be able to produce the original installation of diskettes/cds and license at anytime. If any installed software somehow makes a computer unstable, the IT Program will remove the software and restore local station back to the standard configuration.
7. Hardware
The IT Program will maintain all hardware which is located on the ABC’s systems.
As it pertains to hardware, the following procedures will be followed:
a. The IT Program will maintain a current list of standard and recommended hardware.
b. To ensure hardware is compatible and not destructive to the ABC’s computer systems, the IT Program will approve any and all hardware programs.
c. If a user is interested in hardware that is not on the maintained list, the user will need to complete an IT Work Order requesting assistance in determining if that software is sustainable on ABC computer systems and network.
d. The IT program will determine if hardware is qualified as being compatible with ABC’s systems.
e. If hardware is not qualified as being compatible with the ABC’s standard software or the ABC systems, it will not be installed.
f. The IT Program will be responsible for all hardware that is associated with the ABC Servers.
g. Types of common hardware used at the ABC
i. Fully supported hardware are those hardware devices which are maintained by the IT Program. The IT Program recommends installs and tests for compatibility of such hardware with all supported environments, and may upgrade hardware when new drivers are released or become available.
8. Prohibited hardware and software
The IT Program will monitor the software and hardware installations within the ABC’s systems, the following are prohibited hardware and software:
a. Hardware or software that makes any portion of the network unstable.
b. Hardware or software that is used for illegal purposes
c. Hardware of software which there are licensing issues which legally prohibit its use.
d. Hardware or software may also be prohibited due to its tendency to destabilize or compromise the security of core network services.
In all cases, any hardware or software that makes any portion of the network unstable will be immediately removed from the network and the system will be restored to its standard configuration
9. Portable Devices
The users of portable devices are responsible for such devices and will be held accountable for the care of such devices. The term “portable device” includes but is not limited to the following: a) Laptops
b) External hard disk drives
c) USB data devices
d) Portable music players
e) Storage media – CD/DVD/SD/mini SD/memory sticks
f) iPads
g) Mobile phones – basic and smartphones
h) Data access points – MiFi cards
These devices should be stored properly while not in use and shall have approved anti-virus software installed and up-to-date (if applicable). All users are required to have proper
authorization of a portable device from their supervisor prior to being issued such device. The IT Program will maintain a list of all issued devices and will monitor the user’s activity of such devices.
10. Replacement Plan
The ABC will follow a 4 year Computer Replacement Plan. This plan will provide for the systematic replacement of older computers that are connected to the ABC network but are:
a. Not adequate to provide access to all services available on the ABC’s network or
b. Not adequate to support advanced needs of the specific user.
If a system requires an upgrade before the scheduled computer replacement date, an IT Work Order will need to be sent to the IT Program requesting a quote and providing a detailed justification for why the computer must be replaced.
11. Relocation of Computers or Printers
The IT Program will be responsible for relocating all computer systems and peripherals. An IT Work Order must be submitted to the IT Support email address at least 5 business days in advance of the relocation to avoid delays in the setup process. In the case of an extreme emergency, the user must contact the IT Manager.
12. Equipment to be Checked Out
The IT Program maintains equipment for use by tribal users. This equipment (digital camera, laptops) can be check out by completing an IT Work Order. All items may be checked out for ABC business purposes only. When using the equipment, it is important for the user to follow all applicable rules and regulations associated with such equipment. When checking out the ABC camera, users are not to record that infringe upon copyright laws without the prior permission of the copyright holder. Please be advised that in certain cases the copying of images from performances, exhibitions, or commercial properties by means of a camera or other device may contravene copyright or other legal rights even if the image was shot for business use.
13. Website
The ABC website is designed to provide outside access to information regarding the ABC and the ABC’s governmental operations and entity operations. The following apply to the ABC Website:
a) Departments / Programs are responsible for ensuring their webpage is updated at least every 30 days.
b) All content submitted for posting on the website must state a source. All external sources will be credited.
c) Copyrighted material must be accompanied by a properly executed release from the author and/or photographer.
d) Copies of properly executed release forms are required when posting photos of minors and non-users.
e) The website calendar is provided for government/community events only.
f) Links to websites found to be under construction or inactive will be removed. No links to personal websites will be posted.
14. Disposal of Electronic Equipment
The IT program disposes of outdated electronic equipment. In order to have the IT Program dispose of equipment, the user must complete an IT Work Order and submit it to the IT Support email address. The IT Program will keep outdated equipment in storage for at least 60 days, after which, the equipment will be disposed of at a environmentally friendly electronics recycle location where the hard drives will be destroyed and a certificate of destruction will follow.
15. Data Backup/Disaster Recovery Plan
The IT Program provides complete automatic backup services on ABC servers located at various locations. Data is backed up to provide disaster recovery only – not to provide for future retrieval. The ABC’s Disaster Recovery Plan {Attachment A} describes the IT program’s procedures for technology disaster recovery, as well as the process levels related to the recovering critical information. The IT Program’s plan minimizes disruptions of critical functions and ensures the capability to recover operations expediently and successfully.
16. Maintenance
The IT Program will schedule quarterly maintenance on the network to perform hardware & software updates and checking for errors.
17. Security
Maintaining data security is the responsibility of the IT Manager. The security of the ABC’s computer system is a major priority of the IT Program. The following are components to how the IT Program monitors the system’s security:
a) Each Department and Program will determine what data is considered public, confidential, or for official use only.
b) The IT Manager will review all security alerts.
c) The IT Manager will setup logs and review them to monitor possible security breaches.
d) The IT Manager must maintain backups as needed to recover from deliberate security threats and damage.
e) The IT Program will use email security software to protect the ABC’s network from email threats in the form of viruses and SPAM.
f) The IT Program staff will log onto the email appliance to monitor mail activity with the intent of detecting email threats.
g) The IT Program is able to log on to the server remotely to ensure the network’s security is effective.
h) The ABC network is equipped with a firewall to secure encrypted tunnel for remote users to gain a secure connection from outside the network.
i) The ABC network is equipped with content filtering which allows for control of the users Internet access to the web. This service is used to monitor user’s website visits and block inappropriate websites.
j) If a user suspects security violation, they should submit an IT Work Order to the IT
Support email address detailing the time and error that occurred on the user’s system.
18. Remote Access
Remote access to the ABC’s computer system and information is only permitted through secure, authenticated and centrally managed access methods. This access must be approved by the user’s supervisor and can only be used to conduct ABC business. The IT Manager will establish a VPN connection and will ensure the connection is authenticated and encrypted.
19. User Accounts, Email & Passwords
The IT Program assigns updates and monitors all ABC email addresses and accounts.
Additionally, the IT Program monitors and updates all systems passwords as appropriate for each individual user. Every new employee whose position requires them to use a computer will be assigned an email account with a password at the time of hire. Each supervisor must make an appropriate request for a new user setup to the IT Program through an IT Work Order to set up a new user account. All computer users must change passwords every (6) six months. Each users computer system will prompt them to change passwords automatically. The IT Program reserves the right to have users change their passwords at any time if the system has been compromised.
20. Internet Access
The internet provides access to a variety of information, both good and questionable value and is not a secure means of communication. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure the ABC’s Computer, Intranet, and Internet Use Policy is being followed. The IT Program will monitor user activity through monitoring and filtering software to prevent access to sites which are illegal or against ABC policies.
21. Teleconferencing / Audio Visual
The IT Program will assist all departments and programs with any teleconference or audio visual needs. To ensure a successful conference or presentation, the following must occur:
a) An IT Work Order must be received by the IT Program at least 24 hours in advance to ensure adequate staffing is available for the request.
b) Requests for teleconferencing that require more than 3 lines to be teleconferenced into a ABC telephone line require at least five (5) business days advance notice.
c) The IT Program will call the Work Order initiator to ensure the details of the project and plan accordingly.
d) Detailed instructions for the teleconferencing systems in the ABC Council Chambers and at the Public Works Conference room are available at each location.
22. Telephones / Communications
The IT Program manages and monitors all land lines telephones and cellular telephones. Telephone lines, long distance codes, data cards, and cell phones must be first approved by the user’s supervisor. The supervisor will make the request to the IT Manager to install or add a line for a user via IT Work Order.
23. Quote Requests
If a quote is required for any peripheral device or software, an IT Work Order must be submitted to the IT Support email address. A detailed account of what specifications are necessary by the user must be included in the Work Order.
24. Problem Resolution
The IT Program strives to provide the most effective and efficient services to the ABC employees and other users of the ABC network. If for some reason there is a complaint regarding the IT Program services or staff, this should be expressed to the program. If this does not lead to improvement, the complainant should be direct through the appropriate chain of command; the Administrative Services Director, Chief of Operations, and then the Governor.
25. Reporting
The IT Program shall provide progress reports to the Administrative Services Director on a quarterly basis or as requested. Timelines of the ABC Annual Report and annual budget narratives are determined on an annual basis. The IT Program staff is responsible for ensuring all timelines are met according to directives.
26. IT Work Order
If a user is experiencing a problem with their computer system or other electronic device, they must complete an IT Work Order {Attachment B} and send the document to the IT Support email address, interoffice mail, or personal delivery. In the event of an emergency or email is not working, the user can call the IT Staff at 552-5777 or 552-7030 to begin the troubleshooting process. The remedy will be addressed according to the severity of the problem. There are times when a problem is actually department or organization wide problem. These types of problems will require the IT staff to do further research and often requires them to coordinate solutions with third parties.