You are required to research a current technology or topic directly related to networking, then write an academic paper that analyses the requirements of a deployment of the technology, then designs the deployment and includes a plan for implementation.

The paper must adhere to APA style manual standards, and must be referenced to those standards. 

Aim

To provide students with in-depth understanding of the concepts and procedures used in requirements analysis, design, and installation of computer and communication networks.

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyse network design considerations, network management protocols, network monitoring and monitoring tools.
2. Evaluate concepts and processes of network requirements analysis and flow analysis.

What is needed

• You are required to research your chosen topic in both the mainstream media and academic journals.
• Your paper will show that your research has covered your chosen topic in depth.
• A range of technology options should be researched.  For each option outline the design characteristics applicable.  This section should identify common and unique characteristics of each option.  Relevant network management protocols should be identified.
• Monitoring strategies and tools should be identified.
• You should use the example of a network you are familiar with (either actual or fictional) to describe the design and monitoring environment of a network.
• Use the concept and process of Flow Analysis (McCabe etc) define and diagram the flows inherent in the network you have described.
• Your paper should include a summary that clearly shows that your options selected, and concepts described are consistent with current academic research outcomes.

The length of the paper is 2000 - 3000 words.

Credit Value

This assignment contributes 50% of the final course weighting for this 15 credit paper.

Assignment Format

Format

Remember, your paper format should be similar to the format of papers you have found in the Literature.

References/Bibliography

You must list (in APA format) every book, journal article, Internet article etc you have used to prepare your paper.  This includes those that you did not make a direct quote from, but from which you used ideas. It is vital to acknowledge other people’s work and contribution when dealing with academic work. You must use correct APA (6^th edition) referencing as taught in the Research in Information Technology paper.

If you have quoted directly or paraphrased from any of your sources you must provide a citation immediately after the quote in correct APA (6^th edition) format as taught in class and also a full reference for the source in your Reference Section.

Your references should enable someone reading your paper to easily identify and refer to any works you have used.