Unit 3 Assignment Exemplar2

Unit 3 - Equipment and Systems Installation
Max Barraclough, #
Centre 61101
Page 1 of 25 Hardware and Systems Installation
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................3
Timing the Move..............................................................................................................................3
Health and Safety Considerations....................................................................................................3
Risk Assessment.........................................................................................................................3
Legal Regulations.......................................................................................................................3
Pre-Installation.................................................................................................................................5
Desktop Computers..........................................................................................................................5
Choice of Desktop Computers' Operating-System.....................................................................5
Choice of Desktop Computers' Software Packages....................................................................6
New Desktop Computers' Hardware and Supplier.....................................................................8
Custom Made or Pre-Built.....................................................................................................8
Supplier and Model................................................................................................................8
Installation.....................................................................................................................................10
Quality Control.........................................................................................................................10
Desktop Computer's Configuration...........................................................................................10
Plan for Upgrade of Desktop Computers..................................................................................10
1 Unpacking New Components............................................................................................11
2 Initial Quality Control.......................................................................................................11
3 Hardware Assembly..........................................................................................................12
Plan..................................................................................................................................12
Potential Problems...........................................................................................................12
4 Additional Quality Control................................................................................................12
Plan..................................................................................................................................12
5 Installing the OS................................................................................................................12
Plan..................................................................................................................................12
6 Additional Quality Control & Assurance..........................................................................13
Plan..................................................................................................................................13
7 Running for the first time..................................................................................................14
Plan..................................................................................................................................14
8 Installation of Drivers........................................................................................................14
Plan..................................................................................................................................14
9 Configuring.......................................................................................................................15
Plan..................................................................................................................................15
10 Moving the Desktop Computer to its Proper Location and Connecting Up...................15
Plan..................................................................................................................................15
11 Final Quality Control.......................................................................................................15
Network Configuration Plan..........................................................................................................15
Logical Architecture of Network..............................................................................................15
Office IP Scheme......................................................................................................................16
Servers...........................................................................................................................................16
Installation of Server's Operating-System, Configuration, and Physical Installation...................16
OS Installation...........................................................................................................................16
Plan.......................................................................................................................................16
Possible Issues......................................................................................................................17
Configuration............................................................................................................................17
Plan.......................................................................................................................................17
Potential Problems................................................................................................................18
Physical Installation..................................................................................................................18
Plan.......................................................................................................................................18
Potential Problems................................................................................................................18
Installation of Network..................................................................................................................18
Physical Installation of Networking Devices............................................................................18
Plan.......................................................................................................................................18
Possible Issues......................................................................................................................18
Configuration of Networking Devices......................................................................................18
Plan.......................................................................................................................................18
Possible Issues......................................................................................................................18
Appendix............................................................................................................................................19
............................................................................................................................................................22
Source List..........................................................................................................................................23
Glossary..............................................................................................................................................24
Introduction
SELCON is a travel agency company. It offers holidays and business trips, which are sold
through a web-site and through telephone. The company is soon to hire 15 more employees, to
bring its total to 55; it is moving to a bigger site for this reason. The company has 3 technical
support staff: a network manager, and two assistant technicians, including myself. The
company's managing director has a personal assistant. The sales manager and finance
manager do not have personal assistants. Of the remaining 48 employees, 30 work in sales,
and 18 in finances.
I have been assigned the task of planning the move of IT equipment from the current site to
the new one, purchasing and installing new equipment for new staff or as replacements for
current equipment, and planning and implementing the configuration of the equipment in the
new site.
Timing the Move

The company is to be moved into the new site by Monday August 25 2008.
It will be necessary to perform the move over the preceding week-end; if it were done during the
week, staff would have to be deprived of their IT facilities, which would greatly harm productivity.
As much as possible should be done before this time, to reduce the chance of running out of time at
the week-end when completing the move. New furniture and workstations should be installed
before hand, as there is no reason this should be left late.
Health and Safety Considerations
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment form: see Appendix.
Legal Regulations
The company will have to comply with health and safety legislation, specifically the Health and
Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The General duties of employers to their employees section of the
act states that
2. (1) It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the
health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of an employer's duty under the preceding subsection, the
matters to which that duty extends include in particular
● the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is
reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health;
● arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risks
to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and
substances;
● the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to
ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees;
● so far as is reasonably practicable as regards any place of work under the employer's
control, the maintenance of it in a condition that is safe and without risks to health and the
provision and maintenance of means of access to and egress from it that are safe and
without such risks;
● the provision and maintenance of a working environment for his employees that is, so far as
is reasonably practicable, safe, without risks to health, and adequate as regards facilities
and arrangements for their welfare at work.
(3) Except in such cases as may be prescribed, it shall be the duty of every employer to prepare
and as often as may be appropriate revise a written statement of his general policy with respect to
the health and safety at work of his employees and the organisation and arrangements for the time
being in force for carrying out that policy, and to bring the statement and any revision of it to the
notice of all of his employees.
(4) Regulations made by the Secretary of State may provide for the appointment in prescribed
cases by recognised trade unions (within the meaning of the regulations) of safety representatives
from amongst the employees, and those representatives shall represent the employees in
consultations with the employers under subsection (6) below and shall have such other functions
as may be prescribed.
(5) Regulations made by the Secretary of State may provide for the election in prescribed cases by
employees of safety representatives from amongst the employees, and those representatives shall
represent the employees in consultations with the employers under subsection (6) below and may
have such other functions as may be prescribed.
(6) It shall be the duty of every employer to consult any such representatives with a view to the
making and maintenance of arrangements which will enable him and his employees to cooperate
effectively in promoting and developing measures to ensure the health and safety at work of the
employees, and in checking the effectiveness of such measures.
(7) In such cases as may be prescribed it shall be the duty of every employer, if requested to do so
by the safety representatives mentioned in subsections (4) and (5) above, to establish, in
accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State, a safety committee having the
function of keeping under review the measures taken to ensure the health and safety at work of his
employees and such other functions as may be prescribed.
All employees are covered by this act so, in compliance with Section 3, standard procedures
should be established for staff to follow in order to ensure that they are not put at risk of injury.
The General duties of employers and self-employed to persons other than their employees
section of the act reads as follows
3. (1) It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure,
so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected
thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.
(2) It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as
to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees)
who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.
(3) In such cases as may be prescribed, it shall be the duty of every employer and every self-
employed person, in the prescribed circumstances and in the prescribed manner, to give to
persons (not being his employees) who may be affected by the way in which he conducts his
undertaking the prescribed information about such aspects of the way in which he conducts his
undertaking as might affect their health or safety.
These requirements should be satisfied by establishing standard safety procedures for the staff
to follow.
Pre-Installation
Desktop Computers
This, the time of the move, is an appropriate time to perform upgrades to the hardware and
software of the company's desktop computers, as it will cause less disruption than if it were
done during (and thus interrupting) a normal working week.
Currently, the company makes use of several desktop operating-systems. The use of a single
operating-system on all desktop computers in the company would provide benefits, even
irrespective of the operating-system chosen; it would eliminate the confusion possible when
multiple operating-systems are used, by eliminating the possibility of incompatibility issues and
by simplifying troubleshooting by desktop computers being more uniform (allowing technical
support staff to become familiar with the one platform). For these reasons, it would benefit the
company to upgrade all desktop computers to a the same desktop operating-system. The same
applies for software applications. It also applies for hardware, but it would not be a worthwhile
investment to upgrade all computers' hardware to the same.
In order to decide on the choice of operating-system, other software packages, and hardware,
the requirements of their users must be established:
In both the Finances and Sales departments, desktop computers see normal office use; email,
web-browsing, word-processing and spreadsheet work. None of these applications are
particularly computationally demanding, but use of a modern operating-system and application
suite require reasonably powerful hardware.
The physical positioning of the desktops is important in creating a productive working
environment, and so should be carefully planned. Factors to consider when planning the
positioning of desktops are:
● Enough physical space must be available to the user
● The desk used must be of appropriate height
● Power sockets must be available
● Lighting must be appropriate
● Legal requirements must be met
Choice of Desktop Computers' Operating-System

Operating System Cost Staff familiarity Other Advantages Other Disadvantages
System Requirements with the OS
Windows 98 Low No longer Some – was once No longer supported by
Recommended manufactured - a popular choice Microsoft.
minimum spec: limited availability. of desktop OS Has fewer features, is less
≈£20. stable, and is much less secure
online than newer OSs.
May not support some
software – for example,
Microsoft Office 2007 requires
Windows XP or Vista
Windows Medium Home Edition: RRP Great – this is the High availability of Support to be dropped in April
XP Recommended £117.99Source 8 most commonly software 2009Source 12
minimum spec: used desktop
Professional operating-system
128 MB RAM Edition: RRP
300 MHz £289.99Source 9
processor
Windows High RRP £69.99Source10 to Some – the latest High availability of

Vista 1 GB RAM, or £220.99Source 11 Windows software
512 MB for depending on operating-system,
Home Basic edition. Vista's popularity
edition Is often included in is growing, and is
1GHz new pre-built expected to
processorSource 13 computers replace Window
XP in the long
term
Mac OS X Medium/high £85.00 for a single Some – many Very secure if used Lock-in to Apple Mac brand,
10.5 Computer licenceSource 13 people use correctly. which is expensive and does
systems must be Is included with all Mac OS X Microsoft Office is not give the option of low-end
of Apple Mac new Mac computers available for OS X. hardware
brand
512MB RAM
1.5GHz Intel
Core SoloSource 14
Ubuntu Medium-Low Free of charge. Little - few ● Very secure if Although it can be run non-
Linux 8.04 700MHz Professional people use configured and used natively through either
processor support costs Ubuntu correctly virtualisation or Wine, many
384MB RAMSource $250US/yearSource 7 Free-of-charge nature popular software packages,
15
avoids inconvenience such as Microsoft Office, are
of software licensing not available as native Linux
and affords obvious applications
cost-savings
Windows XP is the best choice, as the end-users are familiar with it, there is much software
available for it, and it is faster and more secure than Windows Vista.
Choice of Desktop Computers' Software Packages

● For an office-suite, there are two main options: Microsoft Office, and OpenOffice.
The staff are familiar with Microsoft Office 2003; although there are many new features
available in the 2007 version and the user-interface has been changed significantly. The
new features may go unused, and it may be not worthwhile to retrain staff, so
continuing to use Office 2003 may be a better choice than upgrading to 2007.
OpenOffice has limited support for the file-format of Microsoft Office, and so could be
problematic in working with existing documents. Its user-interface is fairly similar to that
of Microsoft Office 2003. Its main advantage is that it is available free-of-charge, but this
is outweighed by its disadvantages.
For these reasons, Microsoft Office 2003 will be used for word-processing, spreadsheets,
and computerised presentations, as the staff are familiar with this software and have
existing work in the proprietary file formats of Microsoft Office.
● Firefox will be used as the web-browser, as it is is standards-compliant, fast, and can
have advanced functionality added as needed with Firefox add-ons.
A number of desktop computers currently in use at the company do not meet Windows XP's
minimum hardware requirements, so in order to achieve the goal of running Windows XP as the
operating system on all desktop computers, new hardware will be required.
Desktop Computers will not only have to meet the minimum system requirements of Windows
XP, but also those of the software to be run on them. The software package with the highest
system requirements is Microsoft Office 2007, so this is what desktop computers should be at
least as powerful as is necessary run MS Office 2007 on Windows XP. Preferably, they should
also be powerful enough to run MS Office 2007 on Windows Vista, to allow for a future upgrade
without replacing hardware.
XP's Minimum recommended specsSource 18 Office 2007's* required specSource 20
CPU 300 MHz CPU 500 MHz

RAM 128 MB RAM 256 MB
Hard-disk drive 1.5 GB Hard-disk drive †
1.5 GB
Optical-drive CD reader Optical-drive CD reader
*Office 2003 requires 400MB of hard-drive space, and otherwise matches Windows XP's
requirementsSource 22, and so need not be listed in full.
†
to run MS Office 2007 on XP would therefore require 1.5 GB+1.5 GB = 3.0 GB of hard-disk drive space.
In practice, the hard-disk drive capacity requirement will be much higher than 3 GB, as other
applications will have to be installed and data will have to be stored. 40 GB should be sufficient
for modern office use. Preferably, the desktop computers should meet the minimum
requirements for running MS Office 2007 on Windows Vista, in order that Vista can be installed
in future without modifying the desktop computers' hardware.
Of the total of 9 underpowered desktop computer, 5 feature these specifications:
Minimum required specs for office use in SELCON Specs of aforementioned desktop computers

Hard-disk drive 40 GB Hard-disk drive 2.0 GB
The desktop computers' CPU, RAM, and hard-drive capacity are insufficient.
Although it would be possible to upgrade all 3 to meet the specs, they would even then be far
inferior to modern desktop computers; the computers' motherboards are of an old CPU-socket
type, so they cannot be upgraded to the same spec as a modern desktop computer; they would
always perform much slower, and this would harm productivity. For this reason, it would be
better to instead replace these desktop computers with new ones, capable of running MS Office
2007 on Vista.
The 4 other underpowered computers meet the minimum requirements of Windows XP + MS

Office 2007, but would run notably slower than a modern desktop computer. Their
specifications are shown below, compared with the minimum requirements as before.
Required specs for office use with good performance Specs of aforementioned desktop computers

Hard-disk drive 40 GB Hard-disk drive 4.0 GB
These computers' motherboards have the CPU-socket-type of AMD Socket A, and so their CPUs
can be upgraded to a much faster chip. (The fastest Socket A-type CPU, the AMD Athlon XP
3200+, has a clock-speed of 2250MHz.)
The hard-disk drive capacity of only 2.0GB is insufficient, so their hard-drives should be
replaced by ones with capacity of at least 40 GB.
New Desktop Computers' Hardware and Supplier
Custom Made or Pre-Built

New desktop computers must be either ordered in component form and built by SELCON
technicians, or ordered pre-built from a supplier. The latter has the advantage that the supplier
should offer support for the computer in the form of a limited-term warranty and help-lines.
This option also saves technicians' time that would otherwise be spent in assembling
computers. For these reasons, pre-built computers will be used.
Supplier and Model

Previously, SELCON have used Dell as their supplier for all desktop computers, and has been
satisfied with their products, value, and support. For this reason, Dell would be the most
sensible choice of supplier, unless an alternative supplier can offer substantial benefits.
The choice of desktop computer should be decided on the following factors:
● In the interests of future upgradability, the computer must meet the minimum technical
requirements for Vista+Office 2007, specifically, it must have a at least
● 1GHz CPU
● 1GB of RAM
● 40 GB of hard-drive capacity
● The computer must have at least a 1 year warranty, and this warranty must be
extendable
● The computer must be reasonably priced
● A small form-factor would be beneficial in the interests of saving space, but is not a
requirement
Comparison of Dell with Acer for business desktop computersSources 23 & 24
Attribute: Dell Acer

Product Model Name Vostro 200ST Veriton L410
Price £109 £193.97
Warranty 1 year 1 year
Included OS Vista Home Basic or XP Home Vista Home Basic
Monitor Not included Not included
CPU 2GHz Dual-core Pentium 2GHz Sempron 3600+
RAM 1024 MB 1024 MB
Hard-drive 80GB 140 GB
The Acer computer exceeds the hardware requirements; the additional power of the computer
is not likely to be very beneficial, and so is something the company would be best not investing
in. Unfortunately, Acer does not offer a less-powerful alternative.
The Dell computer meets, but does not excessively exceed the required specifications, and is
cheaper for this reason. It also has the option of shipping with Windows XP installed - this saves
the time and money that would be involved in licensing and manually installing Windows XP, as
would have to be done in the case of the Acer computer where Vista Home Basic is included.
For these reasons, Dell's Vostro 200ST would be the best choice of desktop computer.
The system does not include a monitor, however; this will have to be purchased separately.
For space-saving and ease-of-use, a widescreen flat-panel monitor should be used.
19"-diagonal is an appropriate size. Dell sells theseSource 25, but at a much higher price than other
resellers such as eBuyerSource 26. As support is not as great an issue in the case of monitors as it
is with computer-systems, it would be better for the company to buy monitors at the cheaper
price offered by eBuyer, even if their support may be inferior to Dell's.
Dell include a keyboard and mouse with the desktop system, so it will not be necessary to buy
these separately. It will not be necessary to invest in speakers for the computers, as these are
not necessary for their use in the company and would cause unnecessary clutter on users'
tabletops.
Installation
Quality Control
Quality control is of utmost importance in IT support, as it is the foundation of preventive
maintenance. With proper quality control procedures, faults are less likely to occur in both
software and hardware, as they both can be assured to have been properly functioning at the
time of installation. Although faults may develop afterwards, faults will occur less frequently;
for example, if a quality control procedure is in place which forbids use of improperly packaged
computer components, there will be fewer intermittent faults caused by ESD. This is important
to the business, as it means there will be fewer failures in their computers – such failures cost
the business time and money.
For this reason, quality control should be carried out throughout the upgrade.
Quality control should be present in all stages of the installation of a new computer system: Its
delivery, component assembly, OS installation and configuration, software package installation
and configuration, and physical installation. By ensuring that all the stages of the computer's
set-up are completed satisfactorily and that it performs as required once installed, the quality
of the system is assured.
As well as specific quality control measures, all stages of the installation should be properly
documented; this may prove useful if a fault arises in future, as it may provide some indication
as to the cause of the fault.
Desktop Computer's Configuration

The desktop computer will be configured to use DHCP to acquire an IP address. This is used in
the office in preference to manual configuration of IP addresses on desktop computers,
because it
● is much simpler to manage, as the computer's IP address, subnet mask, and default
gateway are all assigned automatically
● affords a small security benefit, as desktop computers' IP addresses change
● greatly eases configuration and reconfiguration (in case of a change to the IP addressing
scheme) as only the (re)configuration of the DHCP server is necessary; desktop
computers' IP addresses are updated automatically
Plan for Upgrade of Desktop Computers

1. Unpacking New Components
2. Initial Quality Control
3. Assembly of the Hardware
4. Additional Quality Control
5. Installation of the Operating-System
6. Additional Quality Control
7. Running for the First Time
8. Installation of Drivers
9. Configuration
10. Moving the Desktop Computer to its Proper Location and Connecting Up
11. Final Quality Control
1 Unpacking New Components

When unpacking, bear in mind the environmentally-friendly disposal of packaging; recycle as
much of it as possible.
Computer components are normally packaged in readily-recyclable cardboard boxes but are
padded with low-density plastics such as expanded polystyrene padding and ldpe cushions; for
which there are few recycling facilitiesSources 2 & 6.
When unpacking, ensure that the packaging used is appropriate for the component.
Motherboards, RAM, CPUs, and internal cards such as graphics cards, should be packaged in
anti-static bags (to prevent ESD damage) within protective padding in a cardboard box (to
prevent physical damage). If not suitably packed, the component should not be used. The
component should not even be tested; even if it passed component testing it is possible that it
would suffer intermittent faults, so testing the component would be pointless.
2 Initial Quality Control

● Physically inspect every hardware component to be used in the computer system. If a
component is not in satisfactory condition, do not proceed with the computer's
construction using this component. Just as in the case of inappropriate packaging, there
is no point testing the component, as this would not rule out the risk of intermittent
faults. Instead, establish to where the component should be returned, and return it for a
refund or replacement. Unless an equivalent component is available, construction of the
computer system will have to be postponed until the arrival of the replacement
component.
If this is delay is unacceptable, it may be necessary to purchase a replacement
component from a computer store like PC World. This will be more expensive, and less
convenient, than ordering online, but is the only way to avoid delivery delays and
acquire the replacement component within a matter of hours rather than days.
● Test the monitor by connecting it to a properly functioning desktop computer.
In the case of a TFT monitor, test for dead pixels and stuck pixels by filling the screen
with a colour and carefully checking the screen for small imperfections – do this for red,
then green, then blue. (How the screen is filled is unimportant – simply ensure that all
areas of the screen are tested with every colour.) If you spot a small imperfection and it
takes the form of an invariably dark point on the screen, this is a dead pixel. If the
imperfection instead takes the form of a wrong colour being shown (for example, if the
pixel shows blue when it ought to show red), this is a stuck pixel.
Dead pixels cannot normally be fixed, but it may be possible to 'unstick' stuck pixelsSource
1
. This is done by rapidly changing the colour being displayed on that pixel, which can
be done using a specialised applicationSource 14. These applications function by very
quickly changing the colour to be displayed on the subject area of the screen; this has
been known to 'un-stick' subpixels, ///small-area should be ok for epileptics, right?///.
Another technique is to firmly but carefully rub circles over the pixel; this technique may
damage the screen and void its warranty, and so should not be used
If there are a great many dead or stuck pixels, it may be possible to return it for a
replacement or refund.
● Test the hard-drive:
● Earth yourself - put on, and properly connect, an anti-static wristband
● Place the motherboard on a clear, clean, non-static surface. (For example, a
wooden tabletop is non-static, where carpet could cause static.)
● Wear a properly connected anti-static wrist-band to eliminate the risk of ESD
causing damage to hardware (see glossary for elaboration on ESD)
● Place a correctly functioning computer, one with support for the IDE interface of
the hard-drive, on a non-static surface. Do not connect the computer to
peripherals or to the mains.

● Connect the hard-drive to the computer. Power up the computer and run a
SMART test on the hard-disk drive. (In Windows XP, this can be done using a free-
of-charge Microsoft utility from
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb961145.aspx)
If there is a fault in the hard-drive, this test will detect it. Generally, hard-drives
only fail after months of use, but this test should still be run as part of quality
control: to ensure the quality of the hardware being used.
3 Hardware Assembly
Plan
{{{timing!}}}
● Set up ESD prevention, as specified in its glossary entry
● As shown in the flowchart on page 21, unpack and check the components to be used in the
computer assembly.
● Place the motherboard on a non-static surface such as a wooden tabletop
● Unpack and install the PSU
● Unpack and install the CPU
● [[[go through every component?]]]
Potential Problems
If a component is damaged during installation, a replacement will have to be used. If none is
available, installation cannot continue.
4 Additional Quality Control
Plan
● Test the system's RAM using Memtest86+. This open-source utility is available free of
charge from its official web-site at memtest.org. The utility takes the form of a mini-
operating-system on either a CD or a floppy-disk; it can be run before the computer has an
operating-system installed on its hard-drive, or even if the computer has no hard-drive.
Doing this now, rather than after Windows XP is installed, has the advantage that it makes a
RAM fault apparent earlier.
Potential Problems
5 Installing the OS
Plan
After the desktop computer computer has been assembled, it will be necessary to install on it a
desktop operating-system. The desktop computer is to run Microsoft Windows XP Professional,
as this is the desktop operating-system with which the office staff are familiarised. The
operating system, and its “SP2” service pack, are installed from a CD. Installation of the
operating-system is done as shown below:
● Set up the computer at a convenient location; connect a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and
connect to mains power
● Power-up the computer and immediately open the optical-drive, insert the Windows XP
SP2 CD-ROM, and close the optical-drive
● When prompted, press any key to begin installation of Windows XP SP2
● When prompted, press enter to continue with the installation
● When prompted to agree to the EULA, do so. The company is familiar with the EULA,
and is prepared to agree to the conditions.
● [[[and the rest, with estimate timing. commented screenshots should be post-
installation]]]
Potential Problems
One problem that can arise when installing an operating-system is where the installer does not
support the computer's hard-drive interface chipsets. For example, older versions of the
Windows XP installation CD do not, by default, support some common SATA adapter chips. This
issue is resolved by providing the installer with a driver for the chip. In the case of Windows XP,
this can only be done by floppy-disk. This solution can cause a problem in modern computer
systems, many of which use SATA hard-drives but do not have floppy-disk drives. There are two
solutions to this problem.
1. Temporarily install a floppy-disk drive in the computer.
This may be inconvenient; it is a possibility that there will not be a floppy-disk drive
available. Temporarily removing the floppy-disk drive from another computer is an
option, but this could cause inconvenience, and relies on a computer with a floppy-disk
drive being available.
2. Use a more up-to-date version of the installation disc.
In the case of Windows XP, recently made discs include Service Pack 2 (to provide a
number of updates to the operating-system's security, stability, features, and
performance) and include more device drivers (including those for hard-drive adapter
chips) and are therefore less likely to have issues installing to a SATA hard-drive.
This is unlikely to be an issue, as the hard-drive being used has an IDE interface.
6 Additional Quality Control & Assurance
Plan
After the operating-system has been set up, we will run additional quality control and
assurance procedures, specifically:
● Check the motherboard manufacturer's web-site for firmware updates.
Motherboard firmware upgrades are dangerous; a failed upgrade can irreparably render
a motherboard unusable. For this reason, manufacturers generally recommend not to
upgrade unless absolutely necessarySource 27. Upgrade the motherboard's firmware only if
the benefits justify the risk, and do making use of a UPS, so that if a power-failure occurs
it does not lead to an incomplete upgrade (which would entail corrupted motherboard
firmware).
● Installation of Windows XP SP3.
This should be done using the 'offline' installer. The offline installer should be
downloaded and written to physical media (CD or USB flash-drive), and installed from
this physical media. This is faster and uses less Internet bandwidth than would Windows
Update, which would be the equivalent of downloading the offline installer once for each
computer to be upgraded.
● Run Windows Update to update the operating-system to the latest version.
Potential Problems
None foreseeable.
7 Running for the first time
Plan
Boot Windows XP on the desktop computer, for the first time.
In Windows XP, initial configuration of the desktop computer is performed on first boot-up; this
is covered in Section 9, below.
Potential Problems
One problem that can arise when running a computer for the first time after assembling it and
installing on it an operating system is that, although its drivers allow it to boot, it may not have
the necessary drivers to perform its intended function. For example, many wireless adapters
are not supported by Windows XP out-of-the-box; this could easily prevent a laptop from
performing its intended function. The solution is to download and install the latest driver from
the device manufacturer's website and install it. This should be done in preference to using the
driver disc included with the device, as that driver is likely to be an old version, where the
driver downloaded from the website will be the latest; using the latest driver may provide
benefits such as improved stability, security, and/or performance.
8 Installation of Drivers
Plan
The following must be installed:
● The latest drivers for the hardware components. These will be available from the web-
sites of their respective manufacturers. It is preferable to install the latest drivers, rather
than the ones provided with the components or operating-system, as the latest drivers
are normally improved versions of the older drivers, and are likely to be faster and more
stable. Specifically, the latest drivers are to be installed for the following hardware
components:
● Video card
● Sound card
● Network interface card
● USB adapter
● the various software packages required for office-use: a firewall, office suite, and the
company's choice of web-browser
Potential Problems
If driver installation fails, use Windows XP's "driver rollback" feature to revert to the driver that
was in use before installation of the replacement.
9 Configuring
Plan
In Windows XP, the desktop computer will, by default, use DHCP to acquire an IP address.
Configure the desktop computer to join the relevant domain.
Potential Problems
Assuming the local-network is operating correctly and the desktop computer is configured
correctly, there are no problems possible for this stage.
10 Moving the Desktop Computer to its Proper Location and Connecting Up
Plan
Move the computer and its peripherals to its proper location, as planned. Connect the
computer's peripherals and connect the computer and monitor to mains power.
Potential Problems
If a desktop computer or peripheral is damaged when being transported, a repair or
replacement will have to be arranged at a later time; until then, the unit will be unavailable.
Another possible problem is that physical space or power-sockets may be unexpectedly
unavailable.
If one of these issues does arise, it is unlike that it will be possible to continue with the
installation of the system.
It may be necessary to re-evaluate the floor-plan for the room. If mains power is unavailable, it
may be possible to make use of a multipoint to provide it.
11 Final Quality Control

Power up the computer system and test that word-processing and web-browsing work as
intended.
Network Configuration Plan
Logical Architecture of Network

The network should be designed to be as usable (i.e. reliable and fast) and manageable as
possible. For these reasons, the company network should be divided into a number of
subnets/VLANs (the two overlapping entirely).
The company's staff can be easily categorised into Sales, Finances, IT Support and a special
group for the company's managing director and his personal assistant. Subnet/VLANs should be
created for each of the Sales, Finances, and IS groups, to divide the network into more
manageable sections and to improve security and performance by making use of several
broadcast domains and IP subnets rather than just one. The managing-director and his
personal-assistant should be placed on the Finances VLAN, as it is not worthwhile creating a
fourth VLAN just for these 2 users, and as Finances is a more appropriate classification than
Sales.
A router must be used to enable communication between the subnet/VLANs. A router will be
necessary also to provide PAT to share the Internet connection across the network. There is no
reason that both these tasks could not be performed by the same router. The company's
existing Cisco router can be used for this task.
Due to there having always been more than 10 employees in the company, SELCON has always
used a client/server model rather than peer-to-peer. The company currently uses, and will
continue to use, 3 servers - one for each department. Each will serve as the department's
DHCP server, DNS server, file-server, POP3 email server, database server (for that
department's database), domain controller, and print server.
The role of DHCP server is assigned to the department servers rather than to the router, in
order to conserve the router's more limited resources and to ease configuration and
reconfiguration (as these are easier in Windows Server 2003 than in Cisco IOS), and for a
cleaner network design (as each department handles its own DHCP).
See illustration in Appendix, page 22.
Office IP Scheme
The IP addressing scheme for the office is as follows:
The SDSL modem's cat5e interface, and the router's cat5e interface connecting thereto, will
each have a manually configured static IP address – 192.168.0.254 and 192.168.0.253
respectively.
Desktop computers will have their IP addresses assigned by the server, through DHCP. This
affords a slight security improvement, as desktop computers' IP addresses will change with
each boot. A lease time of 24 hours will be used to ensure that workstations' IP addresses
change regularly (thus improving security). The desktop computers will have IP addresses from
192.168.X.1 to 192.168.X.230, where X is 1 for Finances, 2 for Sales, and 3 for IS.
Other devices requiring static network addresses, such as printers and wireless access points,
should be assigned the highest available IP address (i.e. starting with 192.168.0.252). There
are 22 addresses available for this purpose (192.168.0.231 – 192.168.0.252 inclusive), which
should be more than enough even if more devices are added in future – reserving any more
would needlessly reduce the number of addresses available for automatic assignment to
desktop computers, although there will never be 230 desktop computers at the office.
Servers
The use of one server per for each department will be sufficient even with the 15 new
employees; no new servers will be necessary.
SELCON's servers currently run Debian Sarge. Windows Server 2003 will now be the operating-
system used on the server, as it provides better integration with Windows XP (for file- and
printer-sharing) than do the alternatives.
Installation of Server's Operating-System, Configuration, and Physical

Installation
As the hardware is already functional, no hardware assembly, repair, or upgrade is necessary.
All that must be done is the installation and configuration of the new operating-system, as well
as the loading of the necessary files for file-sharing.
OS Installation
Plan
Start
Backup the file-sharing shared files to 2 other computers
This should be performed by simply downloading all the files onto the other computers.
As these files are of critical importance, at least 2 computers should hold the data, in
case of hardware or software failure in one that might prevent data recovery.
5 minutes later
Begin installation the new operating-system proper
Put the Windows Server 2003 disc in the server's optical-drive, reboot, and when
prompted, press any key to begin installation.
Configure and perform installation
When prompted, configure a single NTFS partition to occupy the full capacity of the
server's hard-drive.
When prompted, configure UK QWERTY keyboard type
When prompted, configure London-GMT as the time-zone, with daylight-savings
When prompted, configure a secure hash for the administrator password
45 minutes later
Windows 2003 will load for the first time.
Possible Issues
As with Windows XP, a driver issue could cause a problem in installation. This potential problem
should be handled just as it is in the case of Windows XP.
Configuration
Plan
Plan for Domains

Each server is to act as the domain controller for that department's domain. In the case
of the Sales and Finances departments, the department managers should be given
rights to both read and write from/to the server's shared-files folder, whereas the other
staff of the department should only be given the right to read.
All staff should be given permissions to use their department's printers.
In MS Access, this should be implemented through use of groups - SalesStaff,
FinancesStaff, SalesManager, and FinancesManager groups should be configured with
the appropriate rights. Use of groups for the managers is preferable to use of
customised user objects, as it allows for easier adding of staff with their permissions in
future (for example, if the Finances manager is given a personal assistant).
The managing director and his assistant should both be given read-only rights to both
departments' shared files and read+write rights to a special shared folder only for their
use. They should also be given permissions to print on any server in the company.
In MS Access, this should be configured by use of ManagingDirector group, of which both
the MD and his PA should be members.
IS staff should be given read-only rights to the shared files on the IS department server,
apart from the network manager who should be given full read/write rights on all servers
to help him to resolve issues.
Configure the server for use as a file-server (with the correct levels of rights), DHCP server,
DNS server, POP3 email server, database server (for that department's database), domain
controller, and print server.
Upload the file-sharing files to the server, from one of the desktop computers onto which the
files were backed-up.
Potential Problems
None foreseeable.
Physical Installation
Plan
Move the server to its safe and secure location, connect it to power and the local network, and
power it up.
Potential Problems
If power or physical space is not as expected, the server will have to be temporarily set-up
somewhere else, as it is critical to the company and must be operational.
If the server is physically damaged in transit, it should be repaired as soon as possible, as it is
of critical importance to the company.
Installation of Network
Physical Installation of Networking Devices
Plan
Install all networking devices in their planned locations, and connect to mains power.
Lay cabling and physically connect-up to networking devices. Ensure that appropriate cable is
used - plenum-grade cabling must be used when cabling is being run through a plenum, for
fire-safety reasons. Ensure also that the distance of cat5e cable between any two devices does
not exceed 100m, as this is the specification's maximum length.
Possible Issues
A hardware-failure during installation in either the router or one of the switches would require
that the company's backup router or switch be used in its place. The company has already
invested in a backup router and a backup switch, in order to allow rapid networking-device-
replacement and so minimise the impact that a device failure could have on their critically
important local network and Internet connection.
Configuration of Networking Devices
Plan
Configure the network devices by connecting a computer to the networking devices' console
ports by means of a DB-9 adapter and a rollover cable.
Possible Issues
If the router or a switch does not behave as expected when configuring a certain feature or
service, consult the device's documentation. The web may also provide a useful source.
Appendix
Illustration 1: Quality Control - Taking a Delivery

Illustration 2: Quality Control - Computer Assembly

Illustration 3: Logical
Topology of the New LAN
Source List
Source 1 - “How to Fix a Stuck Pixel on an LCD Monitor”, http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-a-Stuck-
Pixel-on-an-LCD-Monitor
Source 2 - RSSI's recycling FAQ, http://www.recycle.com/faqs.html, see #4 to "What do the little
numbers on the bottom of plastic containers represent or stand for?"
Source 3 - 2007 Microsoft Office system requirements, http://office.microsoft.com/en-
us/products/HA101668651033.aspx
Source 4 - “Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974”, http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm
Source 5 - “Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974”, http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/haswa.htm
Source 6 - "The Expanded Polystyrene Packaging Group",

http://www.eps.co.uk/recycling/recycling_main.htm
Source 7 - "Professional support services from Canonical Ltd",

http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid
Source 8 - Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade with Service Pack 2 on Amazon.co.uk,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windows-Home-Upgrade-Service-Pack/dp/B00061H57Y
Source 9 - Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 on Amazon.co.uk,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windows-XP-Professional-Service-Pack/dp/B00061H58I/
Source 10 - Windows Vista Home Basic Edition on Play.com,

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/-/684/891/-/5375162/Microsoft-Windows-Vista-Home-Basic-with-
Service-Pack-1/Product.html
Source 11 - Windows Vista Ultimate Edition on Amazon.co.uk,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Windows-Vista-Ultimate-Service-Pack/dp/B0013O77GM/
Source 12 - "Microsoft announces extended support for XP",

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070124-8691.html
Source 13 - Mac OS X v10.5 'Leopard' on Apple's UK store

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?nplm=MB427
Source 14 - Subpixel-unsticking programs,

http://killdeadpixel.com/
Source 15 - Windows Vista system requirements

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/systemrequirements.mspx
Source 16 - Mac OS X 10.5 system requirements,

http://www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs/
In reference to the processor requirements of Mac OS X 10.5: it runs on any Intel Mac, the
weakest processor of which is a 1.5GHz Intel Core Solo in the first version of the Mac Mini
Source 17 - Ubuntu system requirements,
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements
Source 18 - Windows XP system requirements,
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/evaluation/sysreqs.mspx
Source 19 - Windows 98 system requirements, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/182751
Source 20 - Microsoft Office 2007 system requirements,
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101668651033.aspx
Source 21 - Windows Server 2003 system requirements,
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/bb430827.aspx
Source 22 - Microsoft Office 2003 system requirements
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822129
Source 23 - Dell's 'Vostro' series of business desktops
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/4x_vostro_200st?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1
&l=en&s=bsd
Source 24 - Acer's 'Veriton L410' business desktop (a supplier's web-site)
http://www.acerdirect.co.uk/Acer_Veriton_L410_Desktop_PS.L41C2.U01/version.asp
Source 25 - http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/category.aspx?category_id=6198
Source 26 - http://www.ebuyer.com/product/128645
Source 27 -
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/BIOS_Model.aspx?ProductID=1622
Glossary
Corrective Maintenance
Refers to the remedying of a fault that has developed in an existing system, i.e. repairs.
Compare with preventive maintenance.
ESD
Electro-Static Discharge. This is where static electricity in the human body discharges into a
computer component, potentially causing it irreparable damage; it is a serious risk in computer
assembly, repair, and upgrade.
To prevent this from happening, the person assembling the computer should always be earthed
when handling computer components, so that static electricity discharges to earth rather than
the hardware components. This can be achieved by wearing an anti-static wristband connected
to a mains power socket. Equivalent means, such as connecting the person to a radiator (i.e.
earth) by means of securely-tied wire, are also effective.
EULA
End User Licence Agreement. The terms and conditions that must be agreed to before you may
use of a software package. The company should be familiar with any EULAs that it is agreeing
to.
Preventive Maintenance
Refers to maintenance performed on a properly functioning existing system, in order to prevent
faults arising. Compare with corrective maintenance.
Wine
A software-package for GNU/Linux (and related operating-systems) which allows for Windows
applications to be run, without use of a Microsoft Windows operating-system.

Computer-Equipment Delivery Report Form
Computer ID:
Name of staff-member signing for delivery:
Date (DD/MM/YY) and time: ____/____/____ ____:____
Components List
Component Number of Number of Number of
Boxes in
Boxes Boxes
Unacceptable
Expected delivered Condition
If any components were in an unacceptable condition:
Component Description of box condition

Risk Assesment
Risk Severity (mark Affected Staff and Devices Handling
appropriate)
Minor
Little
Some
Significant
Hazardous
Minor
Little
Some
Significant
Hazardous
Minor
Little
Some
Significant
Hazardous
Minor
Little
Some
Significant
Hazardous

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Unit 3 - Equipment and Systems Installation

Timing the Move

Health and Safety Considerations

Choice of Desktop Computers' Operating-System

Windows High RRP £69.99Source10 to Some – the latest High availability of

Choice of Desktop Computers' Software Packages

XP's Minimum recommended specsSource 18 Office 2007's* required specSource 20

CPU 300 MHz CPU 500 MHz

Of the total of 9 underpowered desktop computer, 5 feature these specifications:

CPU 500 MHz CPU 200 MHz

The 4 other underpowered computers meet the minimum requirements of Windows XP + MS

CPU 1500 MHz CPU 600 MHz

New Desktop Computers' Hardware and Supplier

Custom Made or Pre-Built

Supplier and Model

Attribute: Dell Acer

Desktop Computer's Configuration

Plan for Upgrade of Desktop Computers

1 Unpacking New Components

2 Initial Quality Control

peripherals or to the mains.

4 Additional Quality Control

operating-system is done as shown below:

6 Additional Quality Control & Assurance

7 Running for the first time

10 Moving the Desktop Computer to its Proper Location and Connecting Up

11 Final Quality Control

Network Configuration Plan

Logical Architecture of Network

Installation of Server's Operating-System, Configuration, and Physical

Plan for Domains

Physical Installation of Networking Devices

Configuration of Networking Devices

Illustration 1: Quality Control - Taking a Delivery

Illustration 2: Quality Control - Computer Assembly

Source 4 - “Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974”, http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm

Source 5 - “Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974”, http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/haswa.htm

Source 6 - "The Expanded Polystyrene Packaging Group",

Source 7 - "Professional support services from Canonical Ltd",

Source 8 - Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade with Service Pack 2 on Amazon.co.uk,

Source 9 - Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 on Amazon.co.uk,

Source 10 - Windows Vista Home Basic Edition on Play.com,

Source 11 - Windows Vista Ultimate Edition on Amazon.co.uk,

Source 12 - "Microsoft announces extended support for XP",

Source 13 - Mac OS X v10.5 'Leopard' on Apple's UK store

Source 14 - Subpixel-unsticking programs,

Source 15 - Windows Vista system requirements

Source 16 - Mac OS X 10.5 system requirements,

applications to be run, without use of a Microsoft Windows operating-system.

Component Description of box condition

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