CN Topic 10

Topic 10 Network & Server Software Computer Networks
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NCC Education Limited V1.0
Computer Networks
Topic 10:
Network & Server Software
Computer Networks
Topic 10 Lecture 1:
Network Software
Network &Server Software Topic 10 - 10.3
Scope and Coverage
This topic will cover:
Network software requirements
Wireless network software requirements
Configuringnetwork software
Configuring network software
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this topic, students will be able to:
Identify the software requirements for a computer
network
Install and run appropriate network software
di t d i ifi ti
according to a design specification.
Install and run software components for a wireless
network.
Test the correct operation of network and server
software
Network Software
We have already covered some of the essential
software for a network:
Antivirus
Firewall
Oth it ft
Other security software
We will concentrate on the operating system (OS)
software requirements.
Networks may require specific software depending
upon the business they serve.
Operating Systems (OS)
Computers use low-level software, an operating
system, to run programs.
An OS is present on:
PCs
PCs
Laptop computers
Mobile phones
Network routers
Embedded devices (e.g. elevator controls)
Personal Computers
Have familiar OS:
Microsoft Windows
Mac OS X
Linux
M th i t ti d b t
Manages the interactions and processes between
the computer and its peripherals (keyboard,
mouse, external monitor, printer, etc.)
This is a network of sorts.
We consider a network to have many computers.
Equipment Specific OS
Some OS have been designed for specific types of
equipment:
Google Android (a variant of Linux) and Symbian
for cell phones
Solaris, HP-UX, DG-UX, and other variants of Unix
for server computers
DEC VMS (Virtual Memory System) for mainframe
computers
Network Operating Systems (NOS)
Used to run computers that act as servers
Provide the capabilities required for network
operation
NOS are also designed for client computers.
g p
The distinction between network operating systems
and stand alone operating systems is not always
obvious.
NOS Software
Typical NOS software includes:
An implementation of TCP/IP protocol stack
Related utility programs like ping and traceroute
Device drivers
Device drivers
Software that will automatically enable a devices
Ethernet interface
Software to enable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other
wireless connectivity
NOS General Functions
File sharing
Print sharing
Account administration for users
Security
Security
Client/server functionality
Data sharing
Back-up facilities
File & Print Sharing
Access to a network drive where your personal
folders are held
Access to a shared drive where files and folders
are shared with other users
Canread and write to these folders in the same
Can read and write to these folders in the same
way as if they were on the workstation
If the network administrator has provided
permission for you to do this
Printers can be networked and also shared.
User Accounts
Network users have user accounts.
Users must be authenticated to access the
network.
Some users are not people, they may be software
processes that require network services
processes that require network services.
Authentication method is required
If passwords are used, there needs to be policy on:
How complex passwords should be
Frequency of change
Allocating Permissions
Exact process is OS dependent
Individual users can be given access to specific
folders, subfolders, etc.
Can be based on user profiles
Each user is a specific user type and permissions
ll t d thi b i ith ti h
are allocated on this basis with exceptions where
required.
Can be based on groups/domains
Each user belongs to a domain, which could be a
combination of job grade and department, and
permissions are granted to the domain.
Network Security
Covered elsewhere in the module.
User permissions are part of the security system.
Firewalls and anti-virus are sometimes part of the
OS.
There is usually an automatically created
administrator account with a standard password
when the OS is installed.
You must delete this or change the
username/password combination.
Client Server Functionality
Client/server NOS allow the network to centralise
functions and applications in dedicated file servers.
File servers provide access to resources &
security.
Cli h h il bl
Clients have access to the resources available on
the file servers.
The NOS provides the mechanism to integrate all
the components of the network and allow multiple
users to simultaneously share the same resources.
Data Sharing
Alongside the sharing of files, directories/folders
and system peripherals, a network may also
provide access to an organisations database.
Database access can be controlled in a number of
ways
ways.
RBAC is very common
Usually it is the database management system
(DBMS) that manages this.
The NOS must integrate with the DBMS.
Back-Up Facilities
Network backupdevices are important for
safeguarding important data.
Many organisations use external hard drives or
other off-line devices to backup files and data.
Wh d li i h b i fil
When dealing with business or customer files, an
automated backup system is ideal.
External drives are suitable as they are large and
fast.
Tape is still used.
Computer Networks
Topic 10 Lecture 2:
Configuring Network Software
Functions of the NOS
A network operating system can be described as
having three main functions:
Connecting all computers and peripherals
Coordinating the functions of all computers and
i h l
peripherals
Providing security by controlling access to data,
computers and peripherals
Client-Server Networks
Most networks of any size follow the client-server
model.
Typically, client-server networks have software on
both clients and server.
Cli k f id h li i h h
Client network software provides the client with the
functions it needs.
Server network software typically controls many
network functions.
Stand-Alone Computers
When a user types a command that requests the
computer to perform a task, the request goes over
the computer's local bus to the computer's CPU.
For example, if you want a directory listing of a
local disk, the CPU interprets and executes the
request and then displays the results in a directory
listing in the window.
Client Software
In a network environment, when a user initiates a
request to use a resource that exists on a server in
another part of the network, the request has to be
forwarded onto the network, and from there to the
server with the requestedresource
server with the requested resource.
This is done by the redirector.
Drive designators are used by the redirector to
locate the network resource.
The Redirector - 1
Sometimes referred to as the shell or the requester
A small section of code in the NOS that:
Intercepts requests in the computer
Determines if the requests should continue in the
local computer's bus or be redirected to another
server
Redirector activity originates in a client computer
when the user issues a request for a network
resource or service
The Redirector - 2
The user's computer is referred to as a client,
because it is making a request of a server.
The request is intercepted by the redirector and
forwarded out onto the network.
Th h i db
The server processes the connection requested by
client redirectors and gives them access to the
resources they request.
In other words, the server services the request
made by the client.
Drive Designators
Associated with shared network resources
Used by the redirector to locate network resources
A shared directory on a remote computer can have a
letter of the alphabet, e.g. W, assigned to it.
You canthen refer to the shared directoryon the
You can then refer to the shared directory on the
remote computer as W and the redirector will locate it.
Designators mean users have no need to worry about
the location of data or peripherals.
Designators can also refer to the local printer or the
network printer.
Peripherals
Redirectors can send requests to peripherals as
well as to shared directories, for example:
A local computer sends a request to a print server
The request is redirected away from the originating
computer and sent over the network to the target
computer and sent over the network to the target
In this case, the target is the print server
Using the redirector, users don't need to be
concerned with the actual location of data or
peripherals, or with the complexities of making a
connection.
Server Software
Users on client computers can share the server's
data and peripherals including:
Printers
Plotters
Directories
E.g. a user requests a directory listing on a shared
hard disk.
Request is forwarded by the redirector onto the network.
It is passed to the file server with the shared directory.
Request is granted and the directory listing is provided.
Resource Sharing
Makes it possible for users on machines to share
the server's data and peripherals
Also determines the degree of sharing:
Allowing different users different levels of access to
the resources e g a file server could give Read
the resources, e.g. a file server could give Read,
Write, or Read AND Write permissions to different
users.
Coordinates access to resources to ensure that two
users do not use the same resource at the same
time.
Managing Users - 1
Allow an administrator to determine which people,
or groups, can access network resources.
Create user privileges, tracked by the NOS that
indicate who gets to use the network.
Grant or deny user privileges on the network.
Add or remove users.
Managing Users - 2
Allow the creation of user groups
By classifying individuals into groups, the
administrator can assign privileges to the group.
When a user joins the network, the administrator
can assign the newuser to the appropriate
can assign the new user to the appropriate
group, with its accompanying rights and
privileges.
Managing the Network
Some NOS include management tools to help
administrators keep track of network behaviour.
If a problem develops on the network, management
tools can detect signs of trouble and present the
g p
details.
With these tools, the network manager can take
corrective action before the problem halts the
network.
Choosing a NOS
Network planning takes into account the services
and resources required of the network.
Those resources, and how they are shared and
accessed, are determined by the network operating
system
system.
It is likely a client-server model will be used.
You need to determine how elements of the
network will operate together (interoperability).
Interoperability
Each NOS addresses interoperability differently.
Interoperability will be dealt with:
as a service on the network server.
as a client application on each networked
computer.
p
Server-based interoperability is easier to manage
because it is centrally located.
It is not uncommon to find both methods (a network
service on the server and network client
applications at each computer) in a single network.
Network Services
When choosing a NOS, first determine the
networking services that will be required.
Standard services include:
Security
File sharing
g
Printing
Messaging
For any given NOS, determine which
interoperability services or networking clients are
best implemented to suit your needs.
Small Business Server Software
We will only briefly consider some common
network server software for small businesses.
Other solutions are available for large enterprises.
Common server solutions include:
Mi f Wi d S ll B i S
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server
Novell Open Enterprise
Mac OS X Server
In reality, these are large software packages that
include many individual items of software.
Windows Small Business Server - 1
Integrated server suite fromMicrosoft designed for
running the network of small and medium
enterprises having no more than 75 workstations or
users.
Offers features such as:
Integrated setup
Enhanced network monitoring
Single management console
Remote access
Windows Small Business Server - 2
Really a bundle of server technologies
Includes:
Mail server
Web server
Web server
File sharing applications
Mail client
Fax server
Centralised updating across the network
Novell Open Enterprise Server
Can be run over a Novell Netware or Linux kernel
Can include nodes that have both types of kernel,
giving flexibility of use
An upgrade of a very commonly used Novell
N OS
Netware OS
Offers features similar to the Windows server
Mac OS X Server
Apples server software
A Unix-based server
Has the same architecture as its desktop
counterpart, but with additional features for a
server suchas:
server such as:
Workgroup management tools.
Administration tools.
Many additional services in later versions, such as
calendar, wiki and chat servers
References
Price, B. (ed) (2003). Networking Complete, 3
rd
edition. Sybex.
Lowe, D. (2009). Networking for Dummies, 9
th
edition. J ohn Wiley & Sons.
Topic 10 Network & Server Software
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Topic 10 Network & Server Software Computer Networks

V1.0 Visuals Handout Page 1

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