COURSE DESCRIPTION

Focuses on the management of LAN file, print, and communications server activity emphasizing up-time and system backup. Teaches proper structuring of security systems. Explains print queues, disk management, and other LAN issues. Presents concerns and issues for the purchase and installation of hardware and software upgrades. Lecture 3 hours per week.

GENERAL COURSE PURPOSE

This course teaches the principles of LAN management and the skills necessary to maintain and manage a network. It will provide an overview of LAN operations, the importance of servers, backup, security, user service, and acquisition and installation in LAN operations, the role of LAN managers in these functions, and other topics related to server and client management and performance. The course will help prepare the student to function as a LAN manager and/or LAN system administrator.

This course focuses on the management of a LAN operating system including user and group management, file systems, print services, and system backup. It teaches the proper structuring of security systems, explains print queues, disk management and other LAN issues, presents the concerns and issues for the purchase and installation of hardware and software.  This course may focus on Microsoft NT products, but it also relates features and interrelationships with other products such as Novell Netware and Linux.

ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES

Prerequisite is IST 200 - "Local Area Networks". Students must be able to read and write at a college level.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will have a working knowledge of networking administration concepts such as:

A. Operating System Basics

1. Role of the Operating System (OS) in computer architecture
2. Relationship of the OS to BIOS and device drivers
3. Interaction between OS and Operating Environment (OE)
4. User Interfaces - commands vs. GUIs

B. Hardware Requirements

1. Essential elements of communications
2. Overview of LAN hardware and software
3. Server memory and processor concepts and requirements

C. File System Management

1. Types of file systems
2. Planning file systems
3. Accessing volumes, directories, and applications
4. Understanding and creating deive mappings

D. User/Group Management

1. Creating accounts
2. Modifying accounts
3. Types of account groups
4. Managing groups

E. Security Management

1. Understanding printer objects
2. File and directory permissions/attributes
3. Share permissions
4. Login and password security

F. Network Printing

1. Understanding printer objects
2. Printer communications
3. Connecting a printer to the network
4. Sending print jobs to network printers
5. Redirecting output to the network printers
6. Managing printer connections and print jobs

G. Server Management

1. Startup procedures and configuration files
2. Performance management and optimization
3. Managing virtual memory
4. Network messaging

H. Installation of a Network Operating System

1. Network work group and domain concepts
2. Installation process

A. Hands-on Experience
B. Virus Protection
C. Network domain interaction
D. Network application installation