Introduction
The report presents a guideline proposal for the configuration and set up of windows network infrastructure for a company named Shiv LLC. Shiv LLC is an organization that operates by manufacturing and distributing solar panels for the consumer market. It is imperative to comprehend the physical location and the physical structure of the organization so as to provide a configuration that is pertinent to the needs of Shiv LLC. The company has three branches in three different locations. Its branches and offices are spread all over the country; Houston, Dallas and Los Angeles.
It is significant to point out that Houston and Dallas offices and braches host the main staff of the company. It is also worth noting that the company is growing and expanding its markets. This factor is significant in the design and configuration of windows network infrastructure given the additional users and data expected from the expansion. The network infrastructure should be designed to carter for the expected additional traffic, data and users. Besides the expected growth in traffic, the security of the organization’s information is vital given that the organization deals in intellectual properties such as patent and trademarks.
The proposal will utilize various feature of Windows Server 2012 operating system to design, configure and implement the network infrastructure criteria required by Shiv LLC for the company use (Bruzzese, 2016). Windows Server 2012 operating system grants various features and attributes which address most of the windows network infrastructure requirement needed by the organization. It is significant to configure and install internal information technology for Shiv LLC given that it has numerous branches located in different physical locations across the country. The installation ad use of internal information technology within the organization allows all the branches of the organization to remain in synch. Also, the proposed windows network infrastructure will address all the user needs from different branches and departments of the organization. It is significant to identify the needs and the number of users of different branches and departments in an organization so as to effectively address their entire requirement. The process should be completed before the configuration of the windows network infrastructure is started. In order to address the network requirement of the organization, it is important to configure and integrate Group Policy, Active Directory Services, File Services, WSUS and Remote services.
Active Directory Services
For an organization with more than two branches, the installation and configuration of Windows Server 2012 operating system offers various features which deem effective. The features presented by Windows Server 2012 operating system are effective in managing different branches located in different physical locations. Window Server has updated features which effectively address the needs of Shiv LLC organization (Carvalho, 2012). It offers an active directory for the organization which is helpful in the transfer and management of both information and data between the company’s users located in different branches and departments (Russinovich & Solomon, 2009). In addition, the active directory service will present the organization with a preset base for a distributed network infrastructure. It will grant Shiv LLC with secure, structured and hierarchical data and information storage in addition to the ability to manipulate various objects within their network like services, users and computers.
Forest Domain model
It is imperative for Shiv LLC organization to implement, adopt and configure Active Directory Domain Service so as to address its organizational needs in the best possible manner. The correct domain name that should be used for this organization will be www.shvllc.com. Active Directory Domain Services has numerous features offered by Windows Server 2012 operating system. Some of the features and attributes include the following;
Default server core: This will allow Shiv LLC to employ minimalist server core as the main server environment. The implementation of this type of server eliminates the dependency associated with GUI for administration. Also, it enables for the initial configuration of the server since it is an added feature. With this feature in place, the organization does not require additional installation of the operating system so as to eliminate GUI.
Apart from the default server core, another feature presented includes the omni-present power shell administration (Bruzzese, 2016). Windows server infrastructure utilizes the power shell as the main administrations tool. This application offers more than 2000 cmdlets which as used for server administration and control. This feature enables for the efficient administration of the rest of the applications available in windows server.
After the data and information pertinent to the configuration of the network has been collected, it is imperative to determine the perfect location where the domain controller will be placed. It is important to position the domain controllers alongside forest root domain controller, regional domain controllers and operation master role holder. Shiv LLC company will adopt the use of read only domain controller since it uses windows server 2012 operating system. Read only domain controller is a new type of domain controller that gathers read only sections of the active directory database (Carvalho, 2012). The feature has the ability to store all the items and features that are contained in a writeable domain controller besides passwords. However, this feature has a limitation since it does not allow changes to be made in the database stored using RODC. It is imperative to make the changes in the alternative domain controller then copied back to the RODC.
It is important to deploy and install RODC in a remote office environment with relatively low physical security, employees with minimal IT know-how, few users and poor network band width. Shiv LLC organization will deploy this feature in one of their branches which fit the requirements. Since security of data and information is one of the crucial aspects of Shiv LLC, it is imperative to install and configure RODC. The deployment of this feature results to improved security as well as high access to network resources (Russinovich & Solomon, 2009).
It is imperative for Shiv LLC organization to deploy forest root domain controller so as to create trust paths for the employees and users that need to gain access to the organization’s resources in a different domain apart from their own domain. The forest root domain controller shall be positioned and installed in hub locations and sites that hold datacenters. Furthermore, it is imperative to generate a shortcut trust between various domains within the same location so as to help in gaining access to network resources in the event of network unavailability. The implementation of shortcut trust help in maximizing authentication request done from different employees located in either domains (Bruzzese, 2016).
It is significant to minimize the number of regional domain controllers so as to save cost of operation and installation. The geographical location as well as communication links should be reviewed so as to establish whether the identified site can be used as a hub. Additionally, the physical security of hub and satellite sites alike should be guaranteed so as to keep unauthorized personnel from gaining entry.
FSMO Role placement
During the process of FSMO placement and installation, the schema master shall be positioned on the PDC of the forest root domain. Also, the domain naming master shall be positioned above the forest root PDC. Since Shiv LLC company is an ever-busy organization, PDC will regularly experience the highest CPU utilization. This fact is attributed to the fact that it administers and manages pass-through authentication and password updates. It is imperative for Shiv LLC to employ the use of additional CPUs with high speed so as to curb problems related to high CPU utilization. Also, the problem can be tamed through additional replicas, elimination of global catalog, addition of extra memory to cache the items in the active directory, reduce the amount of incoming and outgoing replication partners and increase replication schedule (Carvalho, 2012).
Active Directory backup and Recovery
Active directory is regarded as a mission critical part of the windows network infrastructure. It presents one of the most crucial parts in windows network: backup and recovery. It is very important for Shiv LLC to have an effective active directory backup and recovery plan. The plan is significant for business security, continuity and regulatory compliance. Shiv LLC shall employ and implement crucial features of windows server 2012 operating system so as to attain backup and recovery of active directory. The features which shall be used include Volume Shadow service of the active directory as well as Windows Server Backup utility (Bruzzese, 2016). The windows backup utility for active directory will be installed through the use of server manager. After the installation of the backup utility feature, it will be configured to perform backup services for the active directory services. Furthermore, Volume Shadow Copy service will be installed through the use of Window Server Backup for recovery in addition to backup. This process shall be conducted using three different methods; the application copy all of the source volume as soon as it is initiated, the blocks for the source volume are then replicated by the Window Server Backup, and finally a VHD image for each of the backed up volume is generated.
Group Policy
Group policy is very important since it allows for the managed set ups to be specified in computers and users by using various settings available in the group policy. The confihuration process shall utilize the Local Group Policy Editor to address the settings that influence only a local system or user. The use of group policy will allow Shiv LLC to exploit the benefits that are associated with expanded support for IPv6 (Bruzzese, 2016).
One more setting and reason that present group policy benefits is the policy caching. Group policy comes with the ability of editing the latest version of a specific policy to a local store. Besides the policy caching and the support for IPv6, the implementation of group policy also aids in event logging. Supplementary and essential group policy settings include resetting local administrator password, set up of windows firewall with enhanced security, and the regulation of attachment of local administrators.
DNS
Shiv LLC shall employ the use and implementation of the same namespace as the name of the organization. It will be a single word for the company name and the other abbreviations: SHIVLLC. Since a novel Domain Name System server is not set up on the domain controller, it is crucial to perform various tasks so as to set it up. The first duty will be the generation of a reverse and forward lookup zones (Carvalho, 2012). Additionally, it is also necessary to establish if the server will sustain unsecured updates as well as dynamic updates.
Numerous instantaneous live migrations; the existing Windows Server 2012 operating system has the ability to support many live migrations running immediately. The simultaneous live migration is attained via the functions of HyperV3.0. This feature enables the operation and movement of virtual disks, virtual machine’s snapshot files and configuration to new storage location (Carvalho, 2012).
SMB 2.2: Windows server 2012 operating system has a considerably enhanced file sharing technique. This feature grants the ability to diligently add file server devoid of any special configuration. The new feature allows for the storage of various databases such as MS SQL. This feature presents the database with SMB 2.2 advantages devoid of any change in the configuration.
Remote Services
In order to attain the obligation of remote services, Shiv LLC shall execute the use of virtual private network technology (VPN). Virtual Private Network grants protected line of communication as well as resource sharing between two or more branches of Shiv LLC organization across the internet. Furthermore, Remote Desktop Service shall be implemented in order to address remote services.
WSUS
It is imperative for the organization to securely set up WSUS. Server and client updates shall be attained through the use of various features of windows server 2012 operating system like SUS database, the multi-server support in management feature and Server Cleanup Wizard.
References
Bruzzese, P. (2016). 3 ways Windows Server 2012 makes Group Policy easier. InfoWorld.
Retrieved 12 February 2016, from http://www.infoworld.com/article/2616263/windows-server/3-ways-windows-server-2012-makes-group-policy-easier.html
Carvalho, L. (2012). Windows server 2012 Hyper-V cookbook. Packt Publishing Ltd.
Russinovich, M., & Solomon, D. A. (2009). Windows internals: including Windows server 2008
and Windows Vista. Microsoft press.
