Overview
This unit equips you with the skills and knowledge necessary to design enterprise-level networks utilising the latest on-premises, wireless, and cloud networking technologies. It also provides you with the ability to gather business and technical requirements, as well as to justify the selection of network technologies when there are conflicting requirements, such as cost, performance, security, and business goals. The unit includes the application of industry-grade tools and techniques in network design, deployment, and management, including automation, remote access, high availability, testing, and documentation.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: COIT20261 Network Routing and Switching
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback
Link content to real-world applications.
Prepare lecture slides containing some examples with details of the latest technologies to be used in wireless LAN and wireless WAN design technologies and make them available on Moodle.
Feedback from Teaching team
Include prototype implementation of designed network.
Review the assessments to include prototype implementation on the cloud and/or using in-house hardware available in campus networking labs. Use of Cisco Packet Tracer networking simulation tool is another option to consider.
- Analyse business and technical requirements to create plans and designs for enterprise networks
- Justify the selection of network technologies when there are conflicting requirements, such as cost, performance, security and business goals
- Design networks comprising a range of technologies, including on-premise, wireless and cloud
- Apply industry-grade tools and techniques when designing, deploying and managing networks, including automation, remote access and high availability.
The Australian Computer Society (ACS), the professional association for Australia's ICT sector, recognises the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). SFIA is adopted by organisations, governments, and individuals in many countries and provides a widely used and consistent definition of ICT skills. SFIA is increasingly being used when developing job descriptions and role profiles. ACS members can use the tool MySFIA to build a skills profile.
This unit contributes to the following workplace skills as defined by SFIA 8 (the SFIA code is included):
- IT Infrastructure (ITOP)
- Network Design (NTDS)
- Network Support (NTAS)
- Information Security (SCTY)
- Security Operations (SCAD)
- Problem Management (PBMG)
- Service Level Management (SLMO)
- Change Control (CHMG)
The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Framework defines knowledge, skills and tasks needed to perform various cyber security roles. Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the NICE Framework is used by organisations to plan their workforce, including recruit into cyber security positions.
This unit helps prepare you for roles such as Systems Security Analyst, Network Operations Specialist and Systems Administrator, contributing to the following knowledge and skills:
- K0010 Knowledge of communication methods, principles, and concepts that support the network infrastructure.
- K0011 Knowledge of capabilities and applications of network equipment including routers, switches, bridges, servers, transmission media, and related hardware.
- K0029 Knowledge of organization's Local and Wide Area Network connections.
- K0050 Knowledge of local area and wide area networking principles and concepts including bandwidth management.
- K0053 Knowledge of measures or indicators of system performance and availability.
- K0061 Knowledge of how traffic flows across the network (e.g., Transmission Control Protocol [TCP] and Internet Protocol [IP], Open System Interconnection Model [OSI], Information Technology Infrastructure Library, current version [ITIL]).
- K0071 Knowledge of remote access technology concepts.
- K0088 Knowledge of systems administration concepts.
- K0104 Knowledge of Virtual Private Network (VPN) security.
- K0108 Knowledge of concepts, terminology, and operations of a wide range of communications media (computer and telephone networks, satellite, fiber, wireless).
- K0111 Knowledge of network tools (e.g., ping, traceroute, nslookup).
- K0113 Knowledge of different types of network communication (e.g., LAN, WAN, MAN, WLAN, WWAN).
- K0130 Knowledge of virtualization technologies and virtual machine development and maintenance.
- K0137 Knowledge of the range of existing networks (e.g., PBX, LANs, WANs, WIFI, SCADA).
- K0138 Knowledge of Wi-Fi.
- K0160 Knowledge of the common attack vectors on the network layer.
- K0180 Knowledge of network systems management principles, models, methods (e.g., end-to-end systems performance monitoring), and tools.
- K0318 Knowledge of operating system command-line tools.
- K0332 Knowledge of network protocols such as TCP/IP, Dynamic Host Configuration, Domain Name System (DNS), and directory services.
- K0333 Knowledge of network design processes, to include understanding of security objectives, operational objectives, and trade-offs.
- S0004 Skill in analyzing network traffic capacity and performance characteristics.
- S0033 Skill in diagnosing connectivity problems.
- S0035 Skill in establishing a routing schema.
- S0041 Skill in installing, configuring, and troubleshooting LAN and WAN components such as routers, hubs, and switches.
- S0073 Skill in using virtual machines. (e.g., Microsoft Hyper-V, VMWare vSphere, Citrix XenDesktop/Server, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, etc.).
- S0084 Skill in configuring and utilizing network protection components (e.g., Firewalls, VPNs, network intrusion detection systems).
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 30% | ||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 20% | ||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
| 4 - Research | ||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||
| 8 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
Top-Down Network Design
- Edition: 3rd (2011)
- Authors: Priscilla Oppenheimer
- Cisco Press
- Indianapolis Indianapolis , IN , USA
- ISBN: 978-1-58720-283-4
- Binding: Hardcover
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Cisco Packet Tracer
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
z.wang@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 04 Mar 2024Module/Topic
Introduction to Enterprise and Cloud Networking
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 11 Mar 2024Module/Topic
Analysing Business Goals and Constraints
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 18 Mar 2024Module/Topic
Characterising Existing Networks and Traffic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 25 Mar 2024Module/Topic
Resource Planning for Network Design
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 01 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Network Topology Design
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 08 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 15 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Selecting Network Technologies
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 22 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Networking in the Cloud
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 29 Apr 2024Module/Topic
Remote Access
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 06 May 2024Module/Topic
Reliability in the Cloud
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 13 May 2024Module/Topic
Wireless Networks
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 20 May 2024Module/Topic
Network Management and Automation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 27 May 2024Module/Topic
Review and Discussion
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 03 Jun 2024Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 10 Jun 2024Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
For any queries, please contact the unit coordinator: Zhenglin Wang (e-mail: z.wang@cqu.edu.au)
1 Written Assessment
In this assessment task, leveraging insights from weekly group discussions, you will analyse the provided scenario to strategically plan and design an enterprise network, applying the knowledge and skills acquired in this unit. The process involves active participation in weekly discussions, brainstorming, and conducting weekly lab exercises, ultimately consolidating these efforts into an initial report accompanied by a presentation. This assessment comprises two parts: a presentation (Part A) and a written report (Part B), to be completed collaboratively in groups of 3 or 4 students. While this assessment task is a group assignment, you are required to submit your work individually; failure to do so will result in a zero mark.
Additional details regarding this assessment task are available in the Assessment Item 1 specifications on the Moodle unit website.
Week 6 Monday (15 Apr 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 8 Monday (29 Apr 2024)
Late submissions with or without extension approvals may be returned after the above dates.
Your report and presentation will be evaluated based on quality, correctness, and clarity using specified marking criteria. The two parts of this assessment task carry the following weightings:
- Presentation (Part A) – 10%
- Written Report (Part B) – 20%
Additional details regarding the assessment criteria are available in the Assessment Item 1 specifications on the Moodle unit website.
- Analyse business and technical requirements to create plans and designs for enterprise networks
- Justify the selection of network technologies when there are conflicting requirements, such as cost, performance, security and business goals
2 Portfolio
The Portfolio requires students to maintain a diary/journal for tutorial questions and/or lab exercises (e.g., screenshots, testing results, reflections, etc.) in a computer lab on a weekly basis from Week 1 to Week 10. This assignment is individual, and students collaborating in a group are required to submit their distinct work separately from others.
Week 12 Monday (27 May 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Friday (7 June 2024)
Late submissions with or without extension approvals may be returned after the above dates.
The Portfolio will be evaluated according to the clarity, relevance, and quality of the consistent contributions documented in a diary/journal for tutorial questions and/or lab exercises each week. Lab exercises recorded in the Portfolio will account for 20% of the total assessment. Further details regarding the assessment criteria will be available on the unit Moodle website.
- Analyse business and technical requirements to create plans and designs for enterprise networks
- Design networks comprising a range of technologies, including on-premise, wireless and cloud
- Apply industry-grade tools and techniques when designing, deploying and managing networks, including automation, remote access and high availability.
3 Written Assessment
In this assessment task, building upon your initial network design from Assessment 1, you will perform an extended network design that incorporates optimization, justification, and security strategies to enhance the network robustness. Working collaboratively with your team (3 to 4 members), you must deliver a comprehensive report, detailing both teamwork and individual contributions to the network design within the specified scenario. While this assessment task is a group assignment, you are required to submit your work individually; failure to do so will result in a zero mark.
Additional information regarding this assessment task will be available in the Assessment 3 specifications on the Moodle unit website.
Review/Exam Week Monday (3 June 2024) 11:45 pm AEST
Assessments will be returned on the Certification date (It is required for the unit without an exam).
You will be evaluated based on your capacity to design a network, encompassing both on-premise and cloud network designs for the provided scenario, utilizing the knowledge and skills acquired from this and previous courses. The two components, teamwork, and individual contributions will receive separate evaluations, as outlined in the provided marking table.
For additional information on the assessment criteria, please refer to the Assessment 3 specifications on the Moodle unit website.
- Justify the selection of network technologies when there are conflicting requirements, such as cost, performance, security and business goals
- Design networks comprising a range of technologies, including on-premise, wireless and cloud
- Apply industry-grade tools and techniques when designing, deploying and managing networks, including automation, remote access and high availability.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
