+4474648-84564 Unit 27 Network Operating Systems
· Aim
To provide learners with the knowledge, skills and techniques necessary to install, configure, troubleshoot and maintain a reliable network operating systems service.
· Unit abstract
Modern enterprise organisations rely on the use of a range of network operating systems (NOS), to establish the networking services necessary to run their IT infrastructure. Supporting a NOS is considered one of the primary roles of a professional network administrator. It is part of their duties to identify the NOS as required, undertake the installation and deployment of network servers, and configure, support and maintain the NOS. This may also involve routine administration, the management of systems and user security policies as well as more specific specialist tasks.
This unit will allow learners to install, configure, support and maintain complex NOS and servers. They will learn the skills and knowledge to use the NOS, to provide enterprise users access to the services and resources, in a secure environment, making sure that business data is protected against internal and external attacks or disasters.
· Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit a learner will:
- Understand network operating systems principles
- Be able to plan the implementation of network operating systems
- Be able to implement network operating systems
- Be able to manage network operating systems.
Unit content
1 Understand network operating systems principles
NOS: types eg standalone, infrastructure based, cluster based
NOS services: types eg file, web, print, remote access, proxy, terminal services, firewall, access control, infrastructure management, ecommerce
Disaster recovery: backup methodology, data recovery, mirrored systems, virtualisation, UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), backup-power supply, off site management, high availability, fault tolerance
NOS selection: open source, proprietary, general purpose, task specific
NOS security: management of updates/patches, anti-virus protection, physical access policies, service access policies, user access policies, policy management, user audits, group audits, continual vetting of access, authentication policies and practice, password policy
2 Be able to plan the implementation of network operating systems
Naming system: method eg registration of server on directory service, infrastructure requirement, issue of local name for server
Addressing: method eg allocation of addresses for NOS services
Installation: preparation eg selection of hardware, memory requirement, standalone, infrastructure, virtual server, storage requirement, disk partitioning, RAID allocation
Service: selection eg file, web, print, remote access, proxy, terminal services, firewall, access control, infrastructure management, ecommerce
Security: policy eg patch management, anti-viral management, access requirement, administrative rights, authentication, password policy
Disaster recovery: policy eg backup methodology, mirrored services, virtualisation, UPS, backup-power supply, off site management, high availability, fault tolerance
3 Be able to implement network operating systems
NOS: installation: eg selection of media, application of NOS to selected installation environment, application of naming system, application of addressing
Service: installation: eg file, web, print, remote access, proxy, terminal services, firewall, access control, infrastructure management, ecommerce
Security: configuration eg installation of updates, installation of anti-viral management, setting of administrative rights, setting of authentication policy, setting of password policy
Disaster recovery: configuration eg mirrored services, virtualisation, UPS, backup-power supply, off site management, high availability, fault tolerance services
Testing: eg access to
network, other devices able to access services
4 Be able to manage network operating systems
Performance: baseline eg establishing normal performance without load, establishing performance with load
Monitor: performance eg setting up and monitoring event logs, optimising server performance, using performance tools
Updating NOS: eg implementing a security policy and auditing system, applying
patches, security updates, reviewing user access, adding new services
Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
| Learning outcomes On successful completion of this unit a learner will: | Assessment criteria for pass The learner can: |
| LO1 Understand network operating systems principles | evaluate types of NOS and NOS servicesdiscuss the benefit of disaster recovery and NOS securitycritically compare a selection of current NOS’s in use |
| LO2 Be able to plan the implementation of network operating systems | plan the implementation of a NOS for a required service to meet a given specificationevaluate the plan and analyse user feedback |
| LO3 Be able to implement network operating systems | implement a NOS service based on a prepared plantest the NOS to meet user requirementsdocument and analyse test results against expected results |
| LO4 Be able to manage network operating systems | establish and justify a performance baselinemonitor NOS performance against the baselinejustify performance optimisation and update to NOS. |
Guidance
Links to National Occupational Standards, other BTEC units, other BTEC qualifications and other relevant units and qualifications
The learning outcomes associated with this unit are closely linked with:
| Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 |
| Unit 5: Managing Networks | Unit 2: Computer Systems | Unit 36: Internet Server Management |
| Unit 9: Computer Networks | Unit 24: Networking Technologies | Unit 43: Networking Infrastructure |
| Unit 10: Communication Technologies | Unit 25: Routing Concepts | Unit 44: Local Area Networking Technologies |
| Unit 32: Networked Systems Security | Unit 26: Design a Small or Home Office Network | Unit 45: Wide Area Networking Technologies |
| Unit 28: IT Support for End Users | Unit 46: Network Security |
This unit has links to the Level 4 and Level 5 National Occupational Standards for IT and Telecoms Professionals, particularly the areas of competence of:
- IT/Technology Infrastructure Design and Planning
- Systems Development
- IT Application Management/Support
- IT/Technology Management and Support.
Essential requirements
Learners must have access to a live or ‘detached’ network environment to create the network infrastructure and develop their skills; this may also be successfully accomplished using virtual machines.
This is a technical unit, which requires that learners are provided with an appropriate networking environment to allow them to practice all the skills and techniques outlined in the criteria, and to produce the required evidence to prove their competence.
Learners need to be provided with the opportunity to build a computer systems network of at least one client and one server, so they will be in position to install the NOS and configure it for client’s access. Learners must also install the networking services and configure them as required. This may be in a contained environment and could be via a training LAN or may be on one system using multiple virtual machine images.
