Digital Technology Infrastructure - 2024 entry

***DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP STUDENTS ONLY***

This module provides an introduction to basic computer system organisation and network infrastructure with an overall focus on the services and capabilities that network infrastructure solutions enable in an organisational context.  You will gain the knowledge and skills that they need for the planning, design, implementation and management of computer networks and understanding of the network infrastructure capabilities and limitations.

• Can plan, design and manage computer networks with an overall focus on the services and capabilities that network infrastructure solutions enable in an organisational context.
• Identifies network security risks and their resolution.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge

1. Plan a computer system network based upon estimated business data traffic needs that will meet the future business needs

2. Analyse business and technical requirements and select appropriate network technologies and topologies as part of the network design

3. Identifying network security risks and their remediation

4. Give an overview of computer architecture and functions, CPU, memory, instructions, instruction cycle, I/O, interrupts, peripheral devices, instructions and memory architecture.

5. Explain how software is run and how operating system services create an interaction between hardware and software.

6. Describe the fundamental building blocks (e.g. routers, switches, hubs, storage, transmission) and typical architectures (e.g. server/client, hub/spoke) of computers networks and the Internet

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge

7. Explain what is meant by data and protocol and how they relate to each other.

8. Describe a data format and a simple protocol in current use.

9. Describe failure modes in protocols, for example reasons why a protocol may ‘hang’ and the effect on a protocol of data communication errors.

10 Describe the main features of a selected subset of network protocols in widespread use on the Internet and their purpose and relationship to each other, including the physical and data link layer  (e.g. https, HTTP, SMTP, SNMP, TCP, IP, etc.)

11. Explain some of main factors that affect network performance (e.g. the relationship between bandwidth, number of users, nature of traffic, contention) and propose ways to improve performance (e.g. application of traffic shaping, changes to architecture to avoid bottlenecks, network policy that prohibit streaming protocols).

12. Discuss issues that may arise in the day to day operation of networks.

13. Explain sustainable development approaches as applied to digital and technology solutions such as green computing.

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge

14. Communicate orally and in writing

15. Solve problems creatively

16. Think analytically and critically

17. Organise your own work

18. Work to a deadline

19. Collaborate and negotiate

20. Conduct independent research

Computer architecture, components and functions (3 weeks)

•          CPU, memory, peripheral devices

•          Memory architecture

•          Instructions, instruction cycle, I/O, interrupts

•          Representation of data; decimal, binary, hexadecimal

Software (3 weeks)

•          Interaction between hardware and software

•          Operating systems and services

•          Application software

Networks (3 weeks)

•          Components and functions

           o          Routers, switches, hubs, transmission

           o          Firewalls, load balancers, intrusion detection/prevention systems

           o          Network storage

•          Architectures

           o          Server/client, hub/spoke, multi-tiered, etc.

•          Data, formats and protocols

           o          Physical and data link layer protocols

                       - HTTP/HTTPS, SMTP, SNMP, TCP, IP, etc.

           o          Failure modes and data communication errors

•          Issues in day to day operation of networks; troubleshooting

Network performance (1 week)

•          Factors affecting performance

           o          Latency; bandwidth, number of users, nature of traffic, contention, server/client hardware, etc.

•          Improving network performance

           o          Traffic shaping, changes to architecture to avoid bottlenecks, network policy

Network planning and design (1 week)

•          Analysing business and technical requirements

•          Network technology and topology selection

•          Identifying network security risks and their remediation

Enterprise technology (1 week)

•          Data centres

•          Computing as a service; cloud services

•          Virtualisation

•          Ensuring continuity

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be deferred in the assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you may be required to sit a referral. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%.

ELE: https://ele.exeter.ac.uk/

Reading list for this module: