Definition of the business technical problem
This document is aimed at providing the Chief Information Officer with high-level information for establishing a network management architecture which will provide UMUC with a high-reliable network and support infrastructure. Ullman, Manly & Ulysses Corporation has been relying on its network as well as outsourcing network infrastructure for its business operations. UMUC is faced with unreliable network infrastructure that keeps failing thus interrupting the firm’s operations.
Problem within the context
However, over the years, its exponential growth has overwhelmed the telecommunication capabilities of its network infrastructure, and the third party that was recruited to provide network infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the firm’s increasing networking demands since its services still pose bottlenecks to UMUC operations as occasioned by frequent network failures, e-mail interruptions, and delayed customer service. Thus, this creates the need to develop a network management strategy that is directly based on ISO management models since they have been proven to work well.
Network management solution: Microsoft Windows Cloud
This paper recommends that UMUC considers implementing a network solution based on cloud technology and that in particular, the firm implements Microsoft Windows Cloud model. Microsoft’s cloud solution lets a business to solve all matters related to configuration, performance, security; reporting and accounting (Microsoft Inc., 2015). It also has strategies that relate to incident and problem management in network operation. This cloud solution helps the UMUC CIO to focus on network requirements that are based on documented network objectives and network management philosophy. This Cloud solution provides the manager with capabilities to keep inventories of hardware and software resources within the organization so that they can monitor growth and what needs to be done so as to ensure the network infrastructure can still serve the company adequately despite massive expansions.
For UMUC, the most viable network management solution given the bottlenecks the company is experiencing is one that is reliable, scalable and one that effectively provides visibility in the company’s network infrastructure. The cloud network design, in particular, is capable of supporting the UMUC business objectives and goals since the company is able to pay only want it wants to use, and when it needs more resources it simply pays for more resources. Microsoft Cloud Solution provides organizations with maintenance and operational capabilities. The service ideally ensures that networks are optimized to be highly efficient when under any load conditions and still sustain a good performance (Microsoft Inc., 2015). It provides organizations with a network configuration that supports network equipment, monitors network usage, identifies network problems that are related to network facilities, communication protocols, and facilities that are likely to compromise the reliability of the organizational network and protects the organization’s network from fraudulent use and, by extension, ensures that customers’ privacy is guaranteed.
The using Microsoft Windows Configuration Center, companies can periodically update network configurations so that privileges and user authorizations for real human users and processes are frequently checked and updated according to the dynamics of the organization (Microsoft Inc., 2015). The configuration center has network performance metrics used to monitor the network performance. It also has an accounting function that limits resource usage for processes and users within the cloud-hosted network based on demonstrable and legitimate technical need for the resource. When they are allowed the use of the requested resource or process, they must prove that they are real authorized users and processes that have no malicious intentions to misuse it. This function is important minimizing incidents of network misuse that may clog the network and, perhaps, cause a denial of services.
Performance management in the configuration center calculates the current status of the network and its devices, compares it with standard performance levels and sets thresholds that alert the network managers when those levels have been exceeded. It considers network traffic for business applications, backbone network links, and devices, thus enabling the CIO to make informed decisions on what needs to be upgraded depending on the traffic being handled.
Security focus area within the network addresses security issues that apply to the hardware of the network or the users logging to a bridge or router. The network management system has an alarm detection that also incorporates reporting capabilities. This area focuses on controlling access to the networks resources and especially those that are critical for the operation of the business. It protects user and customer sensitive information from unauthorized access by requiring constant vigilance. This intervention is carried out by identifying sensitive network resources, distinguishing groups of users and processes that access particular resources and monitoring access points to the network resources and in the process blocking access points that are likely to present threats and risks to the business organization.
Possible Risks
Despite the benefits that cloud network management solutions brings to organizations, it offers to organizations regarding cost benefits and availability. It should be noted that cloud networks may suffer from threats of traffic hijacking in which case the organizational staff and customers may lose essential data and credentials. Intruders may eavesdrop a transaction or communication in a cloud network and even manipulate the message or drive the communication message to the rival business (Brodkin, 2008). Network cloud solutions are also susceptible to data breaches where the data stored in the cloud may be destroyed along the way or manipulated while in transit.
Mitigation of Risks
Data breaches and hijacking of communications in cloud network solutions can be mitigated by educating company staff members on best practices such as keeping their credentials that they use to access the cloud network secret and requiring that they are changed regularly. This is also mitigated by ensuring single user access model within the network is implemented so as to reduce network traffic. The company should also consider the types of data that are passed through cloud network and only allow data that is of low confidentiality or importance to be handled by cloud solution providers, which, in this case, is Microsoft, while sensitive data is handled within the firm’s internal network. This entails separating data to be handled through public cloud network from that to be handled within the internal company network infrastructure. Doing the separation minimizes data loss and data breach. Strong encryption is also an important security factor when mitigating data loss and hijacking of data.
In conclusion, Cloud-based network management solutions such as those provided by Microsoft are aimed at addressing network problems such as congestion and aim at achieving a precision of desired and legitimate technical needs that can be demonstrated to fairly allocate the access of network resources, have transparent disclosures, be auditable, and proportional to achieving business goals.
References
Brodkin, J. (2008). Gartner: Seven cloud-computing security risks. Infoworld, 2008, 1-3.
Microsoft Inc. (2015). Features and capabilities of System Center Configuration Manager. Microsoft TechNet. Retrieved 17 June 2016, from https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt628063.aspx
