FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATICS AND ANALYTICS

INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT LOG-BOOK

AN INTERNSHIP REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE HONOURS IN
INFORMATICS

NAME OF STUDENT: Sibanda Modester

REG NUMBER: N0198781e
DEGREE PROGRAMME: Bsc Informatics
PERIOD OF ATTACHMENT: 09/10/23-30/06/24
NAME OF INDUSRTRIAL SUPERVISOR: Dandira L
NAME OF ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR: Mr. S Ncube

Attached at
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1. Introduction
This logbook serves as a comprehensive record of my weekly tasks and activities undertaken
at Midlands State University (MSU). It functions as an assessment tool to evaluate and
measure my performance throughout my internship. The logbook will provide a detailed
account of each task I am involved in, including the projects I am assigned to, and the lessons
I have learned from my participation in each of them.

The logbook is a mandatory requirement for obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Informatics at

the National University of Science and Technology. It serves as an official documentation of
the knowledge and skills acquired during my internship at MSU.

Midlands State is a well-established educational institute dedicated to producing well-

rounded graduates and staff who actively contribute to the advancement of industrialization
and modernization of the economy through a culture of research and innovation.

In summary, this logbook will serve as a comprehensive and vital record of my internship
experience, showcasing my tasks, projects, and the valuable insights gained during my time
at MSU

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2. Tasks Lists
Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 1 Orientation  Introduction to workplace  During the introduction to the ITS
9-13 OCT 2023 and workmates department, I had the opportunity to meet and
interact with the team members. They
provided valuable insights into the
department's functions, roles, and
responsibilities. This initial interaction
allowed me to establish a connection with the
team and understand the collaborative
environment within the department.
 The guided tour of the workplace was
comprehensive and aimed at ensuring that I
had a good understanding of the physical
layout and facilities available. The tour
included important areas that are frequently
used by employees, such as the kitchen,
where I learned about the policies for using
shared spaces and facilities. Additionally, I
was shown the restroom facilities and their

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
proximity to our workspace for convenience.
 One of the key highlights of the tour was
being introduced to my designated
workstation. This included a walk-through of
the area, familiarizing me with the equipment,
tools, and resources available for my daily
tasks. I was provided with an overview of the
IT infrastructure, including computer
systems, software applications, and any
specialized tools specific to the department's
operations.
 Overall, the introduction and workplace tour
created a positive and welcoming
environment, allowing me to feel comfortable
and acquainted with the ITS department and
the physical workspace. It provided a solid
foundation for starting my work and ensured
that I had the necessary knowledge to
navigate the workplace efficiently.
 Introduction to report writing

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
and project presentation at  I gained insight into the presentation of
MSU reports and projects during meetings. I
observed how reports were structured and
presented, including the use of visual aids. I
also learned about effective communication
during project discussions, such as
highlighting progress and addressing
challenges. This experience enhanced my
understanding of professional communication
and the importance of clear presentations in
conveying information effectively.

 Introduction Business  .As the university also prioritizes student

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 2 Training Requirements satisfaction, it is crucial that our products,
16-20 Oct 2023 Documents(BRD) such as websites and portals, are of the
highest quality to ensure accurate information
sharing. To achieve this, I was introduced to
the process of preparing Business
Requirements Documents (BRDs). BRDs
play a vital role when working on current or
new systems, as they outline the necessary
features, functionalities, and objectives of the
project.
 By learning how to create BRDs, I gained a
deeper understanding of gathering and
documenting business requirements. This
involved conducting thorough analyses,
engaging with stakeholders, and translating
their needs into clear and actionable
specifications. These documents serve as a
foundation for effective communication
between project teams, stakeholders, and
developers, ensuring that the final product

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
meets the desired goals and satisfies user
expectations.
 By emphasizing the importance of BRDs in
the development process, the university aims
to enhance the overall user experience and
provide students with reliable and user-
friendly platforms for accessing information.

Week 3 Human Resources staff  Preparation of a BRD for the  Upon my arrival, I joined a team of
23-27 Oct 2023 exit module Human Resources(HR) staff software engineers and developers who
exit module were working on a staff exit module for

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
the Human Resources department. This
module aims to streamline the process of
clearing outgoing employees who are
either dismissed, retiring, or have
terminated contracts. It ensures that these
employees are properly cleared of all
university properties and resources that
they may have used during their tenure at
the university.

 Use Case Diagram for the  As part of my responsibilities, I was

HR staff exit module assigned the task of creating the use case
diagram for the staff exit module. This
diagram provides a visual representation
of the interactions between different
actors and the system, showcasing the
various functionalities and actions

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
involved in the staff exit process.

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 4
30 Oct-03 Nov 2023 Human Resources staff  System process flow  Additionally, I was given the opportunity
exit module to contribute to the completion of the
system's process flow. This involved
mapping out the sequence of steps and
activities that occur within the module,
ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow.

 By working on these tasks, I gained

hands-on experience in system analysis
and design, as well as a deeper
understanding of how software
development aligns with the specific
needs of the Human Resources
department..

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 5 System improvements Introduction to PHP  Since most of the university's systems were
06-10 Nov 2023 developed using PHP, I was introduced to
tutorials that helped me get started with
understanding the language and how it is
used within the university's systems.

 These tutorials provided me with a

foundation in PHP programming, covering
essential concepts, syntax, and best practices.
I learned about the various features and
functionalities that PHP offers, allowing me
to comprehend and navigate the existing
systems more effectively.

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 6
13-17 Nov 2023  Introduction to PHP  The tutorials familiarized me with common
PHP frameworks and libraries used in the
university's development projects. This
knowledge proved invaluable in
understanding the architecture and structure
of the systems, as well as enabling me to
contribute to ongoing development tasks.

 By acquiring proficiency in PHP through

these tutorials, I was able to actively
participate in system maintenance, bug
fixing, and even contribute to new feature
implementations. This experience helped
me develop the necessary skills to work
with PHP-based systems and effectively
support the university's technological
infrastructure.

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 7 Introduction to Laravel-PHP  After getting introduced to PHP, the next
20-24 Nov 2023 Framework step in my learning journey was to
acquire proficiency in the Laravel
framework, which is extensively utilized
by the university's software engineers and
developers. I successfully grasped the
fundamental concepts of Laravel,
understanding its structure and how it
facilitates efficient web development.

 During this phase, I focused on learning

how to leverage Laravel's extensive
ecosystem, including its built-in features
and plugins. I gained knowledge on
integrating and utilizing plugins
effectively, enabling me to enhance the
functionality and capabilities of the
university's systems.

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 8  Introduction to Laravel-PHP  I familiarized myself with the necessary
27 Nov-01 Dec 2023 Framework configurations required when working
with Laravel within the university's
systems. This involved understanding
how to set up the framework, establish
database connections, and configure
various aspects to ensure optimal
performance and security.

 By acquiring proficiency in Laravel, I

gained the ability to contribute to the
development and maintenance of the
university's systems more effectively.
This knowledge allowed me to work
collaboratively with the software
engineers and developers, leveraging the
power of Laravel to create robust and
scalable web applications.

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)

Week 9 Examinations  Technical Support  During examination preparations, we

04-08 Dec 2023 assisted with setting up the exam venues.
This involved visiting the venue early in
the morning to help students scan their
student identity cards for entry into their
respective exam halls as well as assist
invigilators or any other staff with any
technical or software problems.
Week 10  Technical support  I continued to assist the technical support
11-15 Dec 2023 team with setting up exam venues as well as
help the staff on any software related
problems

Week 11 Semester and Year end  During this last week of the university
18-21 Dec 2023 year.I focused on submitting any work
that I had due as well as return the
university gadgets in my possession.
 During my first week back, I had the

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 12 ITS Director secretary-filling in opportunity to fill in as the Director's
22-26 January 2024 secretary. As part of this role, I had
various responsibilities, including
organizing and filing departmental
documents. Additionally, I handled
incoming calls on behalf of the Director
and received letters or any other
documents addressed to him during his
absence.

Week 13  As I continued with the role of the Director's

29-02 Feb 2024 secretary, I also assisted in forwarding
important documents to other departments.
This allowed me to gain valuable knowledge
about the university's different departments
as I moved around and interacted with
colleagues from various areas.

 I had a firsthand experience in administrative

duties and developed a better understanding

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
of the department's operations. It also
provided me with the opportunity to
contribute to a smooth workflow and
improve my organizational and
communication skills
Week 14 Data Analytics  Introduction to Big Data  After spending some time working with
05-09 February 2024 extensive student files, I recognized the
potential of utilizing data analysis and
processing techniques to derive valuable
insights. Motivated by this realization, I
proactively sought to deepen my knowledge
in this area.
 Consequently, I embarked on a journey to
explore the impact of data analysis and
familiarize myself with various tools and
ecosystems associated with it.

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 15 Big data Analytics. Getting started with analytics  To enhance my understanding, I engaged in
12-16 February comprehensive learning activities, including
studying case studies within the university
context. These case studies provided valuable
insights into the realm of big data analytics and
shed light on its potential benefits for an
institution like MSU

 By immersing myself in this learning process, I

aimed to acquire a deeper understanding of how
properly analyzed and processed data can
contribute to informed decision-making and
optimization of university operations. This
knowledge will not only benefit my current
internship but will also serve as a solid
foundation for future endeavors in the field of
data analytics.

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Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)

Week (start and end Company: Project Description Skills and Lessons Learnt
date)
Week 16 Introduction to Hadoop  To enhance the analysis of student data
19-23 February sets assigned to me during my internship,
I made the decision to leverage Hadoop.
This powerful framework provided me
with the necessary tools to process and
analyze the data effectively. However,
before delving into the actual analysis, I
dedicated time to comprehending the
Hadoop ecosystem.
 Exploring the Hadoop ecosystem
involved gaining a thorough
understanding of its four key stages: data
ingestion, data storage, data processing,
and data analysis. Each stage plays a
crucial role in the overall data
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management and analytics process.

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Week 17
26 Feb- 1 Mar  HDFS As I familiarized myself with Hadoop, the
subsequent step was to delve into the Hadoop
Distributed File System (HDFS) and
comprehend its practical application. I
embarked on exploring the functionalities and
capabilities of HDFS to evaluate its
feasibility for implementation within a
university setting, aligning its purpose with
the institution's specific requirements.

To assess the suitability of HDFS, I

conducted practical experiments and applied
the system to the student data sets provided to
me. This hands-on approach allowed me to
gain valuable insights into the
implementation process and gauge the
potential benefits it could offer to the
university.

Week 18  HBase  As I progressed in my learning journey,

exploring the intricacies of the Hadoop

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4 - 8 March Distributed File System (HDFS), I also

acquired knowledge about another
crucial component called HBase. HBase,
running on top of HDFS, emerged as a
significant discovery. It serves as a fault-
tolerant storage solution specifically
designed for handling sparse data.
 HBase provides an efficient and scalable
way to store sparse data sets, ensuring
fault tolerance and high availability.
Sparse data refers to datasets with a
significant number of missing or empty
values. HBase's architecture
accommodates such data patterns,
making it an ideal choice for scenarios
where efficient storage and retrieval of
sparse data is paramount.

Recognizing the capabilities of HBase in

handling sparse data opens up possibilities for
universities and other institutions to

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efficiently manage and analyze datasets that

exhibit similar characteristics. Its fault-
tolerant nature ensures data reliability even in
the face of failures, making it an appealing
solution for organizations dealing with
complex and incomplete data structures.
Week 19  Hadoop Cluster  I further expanded my knowledge by
11-15 March delving into the concept of a Hadoop
cluster. A Hadoop cluster is indeed a
collection of computers, referred to as
nodes, that work together to process and
analyze large datasets efficiently.
 In a Hadoop cluster, there are typically
two types of nodes: the master node and
the worker nodes. The master node, also
known as the NameNode, manages the
overall coordination and organization of
the cluster. It keeps track of the metadata
and file system information, ensuring
proper distribution of data across the
worker nodes. On the other hand, the
worker nodes, known as DataNodes,

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perform the actual data processing and

storage tasks.
 Expanding my knowledge to include
Hadoop clusters has broadened my
understanding of the underlying
infrastructure required to harness the full
potential of Hadoop's capabilities. This
newfound knowledge will prove
invaluable as I continue to explore and
contribute to data processing and analysis
during my internship.
Week 20   As the week commenced, one of my
18-22 March primary objectives was to explore the
Hadoop environment comprehensively. I
dedicated time to understanding its inner
workings and familiarizing myself with
the various extensions and libraries that
operate within this environment.
 I actively sought to expand my
knowledge of the extensions and libraries
that seamlessly integrate with the Hadoop
environment. These extensions and

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libraries enhance Hadoop's functionality

and provide additional tools for data
processing, analysis, and visualization.
 Some notable examples of popular
extensions and libraries within the
Hadoop ecosystem include:
1. Apache Hive: A data warehousing and
SQL-like query language for Hadoop,
enabling easy data summarization,
querying, and analysis.
2. Apache Pig: A high-level scripting
language designed for data manipulation
and processing on Hadoop, providing a
simplified programming interface.
3. Apache Spark: A fast and general-
purpose cluster computing system that
offers in-memory processing capabilities
for real-time data analysis and iterative
algorithms.
Week 21 Apache Spark  Introduction to Apache  During this week of my internship, I
25- 29 March Spark focused on Apache Spark. I explored the
reasons for its popularity and learned

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MODESTER SIBANDA N0198781E
Week 22  Common  After getting started with Apache PySpark, I
1- 5 April Transformations and prioritized expanding my knowledge of common
functional programming basics.
Optimization transformations and optimization techniques. By
Additionally, I gained knowledge about
Techniques in Spark diving deeper into these areas, I aimed to enhance
parallel programming with RDDs,
my understanding of how to efficiently
worked with DataFrames, and discovered
manipulate and process data using PySpark.
the capabilities of Spark SQL.
 In addition to exploring common transformations
 I actively engaged in hands-on exercises
and optimization techniques in Apache PySpark, I
and practical examples to solidify my
delved into rule-based transformations and further
understanding of Apache Spark's
examined the optimization techniques employed
functionalities. By gaining proficiency in
in Spark.
Apache Spark, I aim to enhance my data
 By studying these rule-based transformations and
processing skills and contribute
optimization strategies, I aimed to improve my
effectively to future projects.
ability to write efficient and performant Spark
 These activities helped me develop a
code.
solid understanding of Apache Spark's
Week 23  Spark Architecture  During this week, I focused on learning Apache
functionalities and its role in processing
8- 12 April Spark. I started by gaining an understanding of
Apache Spark Cluster Modes, which provide an
overview of how Spark applications can be
deployed and managed in different environments.
Additionally, I learned how to run a Spark
application, which involved setting up the
necessary configurations and executing the
application to process data efficiently. These
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activities helped me familiarize myself with the
fundamentals of Apache Spark and its deployment
process.
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MODESTER SIBANDA N0198781E


During this period, I focused on several

key tasks. Firstly, I learned how to install
a Spark Master and Worker using Docker
Compose, enabling me to set up a local
Spark cluster for development and testing
Practise on how to monitor
Week 26 purposes. Additionally, I created a Python
and debug Spark application
29 Apr - 3 May script that contained a Spark job, allowing
through Web UI
me to perform data processing and
analysis tasks using Spark's capabilities.
Furthermore, I explored how to submit the
Spark job directly from Python,
leveraging Spark's APIs and libraries to
streamline the execution process. It's
worth noting that in the Kubernetes Lab, I
will learn how to submit Spark jobs from
the command line in a Kubernetes
environment, further expanding my
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knowledge and skills in Spark application
deployment.


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Supervisors Comments

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