Comprehensive Authentic Assessment Plan Deliverables

For this course AAP is a response for customer’s RFP or customer’s design requirements and type of solution used in network design. Typically a customer’s RFP includes following topics.

· Business goals for the project

· Scope of the project

· Information on existing network

· Information on new applications

· Technical requirements, including scalability, availability, network performance, security, manageability, usability, adaptability, and affordability

· Warranty requirements for products

· Environmental or architectural constraints

· Training and support requirements

· Preliminary schedule with milestones and deliverables

· Legal contractual terms and conditions

Your AAP should include responses to all of customer’s RFP and should include logical and physical component pf the design, information on technologies used in design solution, and proposal to implementing the design. The following sections describe the format of AAP:

A: Executive Summary (ES) –

The executive summary briefly states and emphasizes the major points of the customer’s requirements. The ES should be no more than one page and should be directed at key decision maker of the project who will decide whether to accept your design. The ES can have minimum technical information but NO technical details. The technical information should be summarized and organized in order of the customer’s highest-priority objectives for the design project. The ES should be organized customer top requirements.

B: Project Goal —

This section should state the primary goal for the network design. The goal should be business oriented and related to an overall objective that organization has to become more successful in core business. Your objective is to make it clear to decision maker that you understand the primary purpose and importance of the network design project. Below is an example of project goal was written for an actual design.

“The goal of this project is to develop a wide area network (WAN) that will support new high bandwidth and low-delay multimedia applications. The new applications are key to the successful implementation of new training programs for the sales force. The new WAN facilitate of increasing sales in the USA by 50% in the next fiscal year.”

C: Project Scope —

The project scope section provides information on extent of the project, including a summary of departments, field offices networks that will be affected by the project. The project scope section specifies whether the project is new network or modifications to an existing network. It indicates whether the design is for a single network segment, a set of LANs, a building or campus network, or a set of WAN or remote access network, VoIP, or enhancing security

D: Design Requirements

In this section, you provide major business and technical requirements of the network in priority order. In business goal explain the role network design will play in helping an organization provide better products and services.

The technical requirement section explain in general term how propose technical improvement is better than or meet the customer requirement.

Network Application: This section lists and characterizes the new and existing network applications.

PowerPoint Presentation

This section will include an online presentation in PowerPoint. Presentations should include the information in parts 1 through 4 of the AAP. You will be evaluated on the content and design of your presentation.

The purpose of this presentation is to get approval from upper level management. This presentation is geared towards upper management level. In this presentation two much details, or by providing too much technical content you could lose your audience. You need a balance approach. That means keep your focus on key business goals and explain them in simple language how this project will help in meeting those goals. There is no minimum or maximum numbers of slides for this presentation.

E: Current State of the Network:

This section briefly describes the structure and performance of the network. It should include a high-level network map that identifies the location of connecting devices, server farm, storage systems, and network segment

F: Design Solution:

This section includes:

· Logical Network topology which include high level one or more drawings to illustrate logical architecture of the proposed network

· Recommended LAN design to implement Client’s key requirements.

· Recommended Voice over IP solution

· Recommend solution to implement client’s key security requirements.

· Recommend solution to implement client’s key Active Directory requirements Recommend network management processes and products

G: Implementation Plan:

The implementation plan includes your recommendations for deploying the network design. The design implementation description should be detailed as possible. Implementation of a network design consists of several phases (buy and install hardware, configure system, test system and so forth). Each phase consists of several steps, and documentation for each step should contain the following:

· A project schedule

· Plans with vendors or service providers for installation of links, equipment or services

· Plan or recommendations for outsourcing the implementation or management of the network

· A plan for communicating the design to end users, network administrators, and management

· A training plan for network administrators and end users

· A plan for measuring the effectiveness of the design after it has been implemented

· A list of known risks that could delay the project

· A fallback plan if the network implementation fails

· A pan for evolving the network design as new application requirements goals arise

Sample Project Schedule Template

Date of Completion

Project Milestone

August 1

Design completed and a beta version of the design document distributed to key executives, managers, network administrators, and end users (end users depends on management)

August 15

Comments on the design document due

August 22

Final design document distributed

August 25

Installation of leased lines between all buildings completed by WAN service provider

August 28-29

Network administrators trained on new system

August 30-31

End users trained on new system

September 6

Pilot implementation completed in Building 1 or head office or branch office

September 20

Feedback received on pilot from network administrators and users

September 27

Implementation completed on Buildings 2-5 or floors 1-6

October 10

Feedback received from buildings 2-5 from network administrators and users

October 17

Implementation completed in the rest of buildings or floors

Ongoing or December 31

New system monitored to verify that it meets goals

H: Project Budget –

This section should contain the funds the customer needs for equipment purchases, maintenance, and support agreements, service contracts, software licenses, training, and staffing. The budget can also include consulting fees and outsourcing expenses.

I: Design Document Appendix –

Most design documents include one or more appendixes that present supplemental information about the design and implementation. Supplemental information can include detailed topology drawings, device configurations, network addressing and naming details and comprehensive results from the testing of the network design. You can include business information such as list of contact name, numbers and e-mail addresses. The appendix can include warranty on devices, legal agreement, and any information which is not critical for design, but you have noted in your gathering information process.

Writing Instructions

Paper must have a minimum of 25 pages and a maximum of 35 pages of text excluding the required title page and bibliography and optional tables. Text must be Times New Roman, 12 font, 1″ margin on all sides, and double spaced.

Students must follow “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition (APA- 5)”, also known as APA style or format. Only a Microsoft Word file will be accepted as the final submission; no HTML or PDF files allowed.

All sources must be properly cited and must be credible. At least two sources must be Internet sources (for help in evaluating the credibility of web sources, go to www.umuc.edu/library/guides/evaluate.shtml). Once you have completed a good draft, it is strongly advised that you submit it to UMUC’s Effective Writing Center (EWC). In order to allow sufficient time for their review, you need to submit the draft to EWC two weeks prior to the paper’s due date.

Comprehensive Authentic Assessment Plan Deliverables

For this course AAP is a response for customer’s RFP or customer’s design requirements and type of solution used in network design. Typically a customer’s RFP includes following topics.

· Business goals for the project

· Scope of the project

· Information on existing network

· Information on new applications

· Technical requirements, including scalability, availability, network performance, security, manageability, usability, adaptability, and affordability

· Warranty requirements for products

· Environmental or architectural constraints

· Training and support requirements

· Preliminary schedule with milestones and deliverables

· Legal contractual terms and conditions

Your AAP should include responses to all of customer’s RFP and should include logical and physical component pf the design, information on technologies used in design solution, and proposal to implementing the design. The following sections describe the format of AAP:

A: Executive Summary (ES) –

The executive summary briefly states and emphasizes the major points of the customer’s requirements. The ES should be no more than one page and should be directed at key decision maker of the project who will decide whether to accept your design. The ES can have minimum technical information but NO technical details. The technical information should be summarized and organized in order of the customer’s highest-priority objectives for the design project. The ES should be organized customer top requirements.

B: Project Goal —

This section should state the primary goal for the network design. The goal should be business oriented and related to an overall objective that organization has to become more successful in core business. Your objective is to make it clear to decision maker that you understand the primary purpose and importance of the network design project. Below is an example of project goal was written for an actual design.

“The goal of this project is to develop a wide area network (WAN) that will support new high bandwidth and low-delay multimedia applications. The new applications are key to the successful implementation of new training programs for the sales force. The new WAN facilitate of increasing sales in the USA by 50% in the next fiscal year.”

C: Project Scope —

The project scope section provides information on extent of the project, including a summary of departments, field offices networks that will be affected by the project. The project scope section specifies whether the project is new network or modifications to an existing network. It indicates whether the design is for a single network segment, a set of LANs, a building or campus network, or a set of WAN or remote access network, VoIP, or enhancing security

D: Design Requirements

In this section, you provide major business and technical requirements of the network in priority order. In business goal explain the role network design will play in helping an organization provide better products and services.

The technical requirement section explain in general term how propose technical improvement is better than or meet the customer requirement.

Network Application: This section lists and characterizes the new and existing network applications.

PowerPoint Presentation

This section will include an online presentation in PowerPoint. Presentations should include the information in parts 1 through 4 of the AAP. You will be evaluated on the content and design of your presentation.

The purpose of this presentation is to get approval from upper level management. This presentation is geared towards upper management level. In this presentation two much details, or by providing too much technical content you could lose your audience. You need a balance approach. That means keep your focus on key business goals and explain them in simple language how this project will help in meeting those goals. There is no minimum or maximum numbers of slides for this presentation.

E: Current State of the Network:

This section briefly describes the structure and performance of the network. It should include a high-level network map that identifies the location of connecting devices, server farm, storage systems, and network segment

F: Design Solution:

This section includes:

· Logical Network topology which include high level one or more drawings to illustrate logical architecture of the proposed network

· Recommended LAN design to implement Client’s key requirements.

· Recommended Voice over IP solution

· Recommend solution to implement client’s key security requirements.

· Recommend solution to implement client’s key Active Directory requirements Recommend network management processes and products

G: Implementation Plan:

The implementation plan includes your recommendations for deploying the network design. The design implementation description should be detailed as possible. Implementation of a network design consists of several phases (buy and install hardware, configure system, test system and so forth). Each phase consists of several steps, and documentation for each step should contain the following:

· A project schedule

· Plans with vendors or service providers for installation of links, equipment or services

· Plan or recommendations for outsourcing the implementation or management of the network

· A plan for communicating the design to end users, network administrators, and management

· A training plan for network administrators and end users

· A plan for measuring the effectiveness of the design after it has been implemented

· A list of known risks that could delay the project

· A fallback plan if the network implementation fails

· A pan for evolving the network design as new application requirements goals arise

Sample Project Schedule Template

Date of Completion

Project Milestone

August 1

Design completed and a beta version of the design document distributed to key executives, managers, network administrators, and end users (end users depends on management)

August 15

Comments on the design document due

August 22

Final design document distributed

August 25

Installation of leased lines between all buildings completed by WAN service provider

August 28-29

Network administrators trained on new system

August 30-31

End users trained on new system

September 6

Pilot implementation completed in Building 1 or head office or branch office

September 20

Feedback received on pilot from network administrators and users

September 27

Implementation completed on Buildings 2-5 or floors 1-6

October 10

Feedback received from buildings 2-5 from network administrators and users

October 17

Implementation completed in the rest of buildings or floors

Ongoing or December 31

New system monitored to verify that it meets goals

H: Project Budget –

This section should contain the funds the customer needs for equipment purchases, maintenance, and support agreements, service contracts, software licenses, training, and staffing. The budget can also include consulting fees and outsourcing expenses.

I: Design Document Appendix –

Most design documents include one or more appendixes that present supplemental information about the design and implementation. Supplemental information can include detailed topology drawings, device configurations, network addressing and naming details and comprehensive results from the testing of the network design. You can include business information such as list of contact name, numbers and e-mail addresses. The appendix can include warranty on devices, legal agreement, and any information which is not critical for design, but you have noted in your gathering information process.

Writing Instructions

Paper must have a minimum of 25 pages and a maximum of 35 pages of text excluding the required title page and bibliography and optional tables. Text must be Times New Roman, 12 font, 1″ margin on all sides, and double spaced.

Students must follow “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition (APA- 5)”, also known as APA style or format. Only a Microsoft Word file will be accepted as the final submission; no HTML or PDF files allowed.

All sources must be properly cited and must be credible. At least two sources must be Internet sources (for help in evaluating the credibility of web sources, go to www.umuc.edu/library/guides/evaluate.shtml). Once you have completed a good draft, it is strongly advised that you submit it to UMUC’s Effective Writing Center (EWC). In order to allow sufficient time for their review, you need to submit the draft to EWC two weeks prior to the paper’s due date.