NTC 300 Experience Tradition- tutorialrank.com

1. NTC 300 Assignment Week 1 Class Discussion Questions For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com NTC 300 Discussion Week 1 Class Discussion Questions Discussion Question: Cloud Model System Requirements You are working for a company initiating a cloud environment, and you are presenting cloud deployment options to the non-IT executives in your organization. Describe the different system requirements for public, private, hybrid, and community cloud deployment models. Include network components and segmentation, DMZ, and storage in your descriptions. Post your descriptions to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider sharing insights about the differences between the system requirements. If you have experience with the deployment models, you might want to share an experience that applies to working with that model. Alternatively, you may comment on something you learned from another peer's post.

2. Discussion Question: Cloud-Based Solution Transition Process You are working for an organization that is planning to migrate from an internal private network to a private cloud environment. Describe the high-level steps that will be needed to complete the migration successfully, including change management and testing steps. Post your response to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider commending your peers for noting steps that would be especially critical to the success of the migration or for providing an answer that helped you learn or understand something. Alternatively, consider sharing experiences (as an IT professional or end-user) with migration difficulties and how they could have been avoided. Discussion Question: Workload and Environmental Constraints Define cloud computing workload and environmental constraints. Discuss how these concepts affect the performance and the capability of the cloud instance. Consider the effects of each individually as well as combined. Offer a solution to reduce cloud constraints on cloud performance.

3. Post your responses to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider suggesting additional solutions of elasticity, shared resources, or infrastructure consolidation to reduce the constraints while highlighting the benefits of the selected solution. ============================================== NTC 300 Assignment Week 1 Drotos Engineering Cloud Solution Proposal For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com Drotos Engineering Cloud Solution Proposal Includes: Current Network Evironment Visio Diagram Includes: Proposed Cloud-based Network Environment Includes: 4-page Summary Read the Drotos Engineering Cloud Migration Project Overview.

4. Imagine you are the only IT employee at Drotos Engineering. After discussing the company needs with the company owner, referred to as Senior, you recommended the company transition to a cloud-based IT management solution. Senior directed you to create a high-level overview of what it would take to migrate the company's internal, private network to a cloud-based solution. Create the following materials to review with Senior: • A diagram of the current network environment • A diagram of the proposed cloud-based network environment with annotations of what is new or changed from the current environment • A 3- to 4-page summary that includes: • A rationale for transitioning from the traditional network environment to a cloud-based environment (i.e., how the cloud-based solution is better than trying to modify and adapt the current network to meet the business needs) • The identification of new or different hardware requirements to support the cloud-

5. based environment • A listing of the high-level steps to implement the recommended cloud- based solution • A listing of additional considerations or information needed to create a more thorough listing • A final opinion as to whether the proposal will address all of the business's needs or whether additional modifications or solutions will eventually be needed Create your diagrams in Microsoft® Visio® and write your summary in Microsoft® Word. Note: You will use the proposed cloud-based network diagram in the Week 2 individual assignment, Drotos Engineering: Security Considerations. Compress your files into a ZIP file. Submit your assignment. Scenario You are the sole IT employee for Drotos Engineering, a 20-person, privately owned engineering consulting company. The company has a single location. It is growing and is expecting to hire 8 to 10 employees in the next year and use additional engineering consultants on an as- needed basis. The company owner, Drotos Sr. (referred to as Senior) is

6. planning to allow employees to work remotely rather than expand office space. Senior wants you to review the company’s IT network, hardware, and software capabilities and determine what is needed to meet the following organization goals: · Employees can access files and software locally and remotely. · Employee and workload growth is supported by IT systems. · The software applications and storage are scalable as employee numbers increase. · Employee growth does not negatively affect response time of software applications. · Maximize IT operational efficiency (IT isn’t getting one of the new hires). · Systems and client information are secure. · Business can continue even if the office or network is compromised.

7. · Network design and processes are documented to enable maintenance and troubleshooting, even in the IT manager’s absence. Current Network and Software Description Network Design The company currently has a private non-cloud IT network. The application is housed on a single server, with no redundancy and limited network attached storage. The system is behind dual firewalls and does not have remote access or backup functionality. Software Considerations The company employees use enterprise-wide versions of Microsoft® Office® applications and desktop versions of engineering specialty applications. Many of the specialty licenses are about to expire and the Microsoft® Office® package is several versions old. ============================================== NTC 300 Assignment Week 2 Drotos Engineering Security Considerations

8. For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com Drotos Engineering Security Considerations Includes: Microsoft Visio Diagram of Proposed Cloud-Based Network Environment Includes: 2-page Microsoft Word Recommendation Resource: Drotos Engineering Cloud Migration Project Overview Continuing with the Drotos Engineering cloud migration project, Senior has agreed to proceed with a cloud-based solution for the organization's applications. You are now working on establishing the security configurations and technologies for your solution. Part 1 Revise the Microsoft® Visio® diagram of the proposed cloud-based network environment you created in the Week 1 assignment Drotos Engineering: Cloud Solution Proposal. Your revision should include: • An explanation of the appropriate security configurations and compliance controls

9. needed to meet the basics of the cloud infrastructure design • An explanation of the appropriate access control list (ACL) to the target objects to meet access requirements according to a security template Part 2 Create a 1- to 2-page Microsoft® Word document that recommends: • Security technologies to use to meet your security requirements and design • Automated scanning and monitoring techniques or tools • High-level steps to implement the tools you recommend; identify the more critical steps Compress your files into a ZIP file. Submit your assignment. ============================================== NTC 300 Assignment Week 3 Class Discussion Questions For more course tutorials visit

10. www.tutorialrank.com NTC 300 WEEK 3 Class Discussion Questions Discussion Question: Patch Management Patch management is critical to ensuring system security and functionality. Non-IT professionals, however, may question the resources dedicated to ensuring proper patch management. Prepare to justify patch management and to explain how patch management works by answering the following questions: • What is the purpose of patch management? • What is the order of operations for patching? • Are patches cumulative? Why or why not? Research instances of security breaches that could have been avoided with sound patch management. Describe one example that could help persuade your non-IT colleagues of the importance and value of patch management. Post your answers to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider sharing your ideas about what elements should be considered in an overall patch management strategy.

11. Discussion Question: Cloud Automation Tools and Techniques You are working on an IT team designing a cloud solution for a new company. You are responsible for presenting options for automation tools and techniques. Research currently available automation tools and techniques. Describe two automation tools and techniques that can be used to assure efficiency in cloud solution operations. Include the circumstances that would indicate the use of one tool over another or what tools could be used in conjunction with another. Post your descriptions to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider sharing additional insights about the pros or limitations of the tools and techniques described by your peers. Discussion Question: Ensuring IT Accessibility and Functionality You are an IT manager in a small company. The company executives are leading a two-day disaster planning retreat to review and revise the company's disaster and recovery plans.

12. You are to present the IT department's plans and processes. Backup, restore, disaster recovery, and business continuity are all terms near and dear to IT professionals. However, because there will be presentations from many different disciplines (e.g., finance, HR, and production), you decide to start by defining terms from an IT perspective. Define each of the following terms: • Backup • Restore • Disaster recovery • Business continuity Explain how each term relates to the others and work together to ensure an organization's IT system remains accessible and functional. Post your responses to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider adding insights to improve your peer's answer clarity or completeness. Alternatively, note something you learned from your peer. ============================================== NTC 300 Assignment Week 3 Drotos Engineering Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity For more course tutorials visit

13. www.tutorialrank.com The Drotos Engineering cloud migration project is proceeding. Your applications require a 99.9% uptime. You are now working on the disaster recovery and business continuity plan to ensure that occurs. Senior wants to be assured Drotos Engineering is prepared to handle any disaster or business interruptions. Therefore, you decide to prepare a summary of your plan and a sample procedure from your disaster recovery and business continuity (DR/BC) plan to review together. Part 1 Write a 3-page summary in Microsoft® Word of your DR/BC plan that includes: An overview of your patch management strategy to ensure your systems and applications are up-to-date An overview of your backup strategy to ensure applications and all company data is available, including: oA schedule or plan for full and incremental backups oThe planned use of automated tools The types of disasters and potential causes of business interruption covered by your plan Part 2 Select an event covered by your DR/BC plan. Write a high-level DR/BC plan process that would be included in your DR/BC playbook for this event. Use the DR/BC Playbook Procedure Template to document your processes.

14. Each process should be no longer than one page. Outline the DR approach on one page and the BC approach on the second. Refer to the Sample DR/BC Playbook Procedure as needed. Drotos Engineering Cloud Migration Project Overview Scenario You are the sole IT employee for Drotos Engineering, a 20-person, privately owned engineering consulting company. The company has a single location. It is growing and is expecting to hire 8 to 10 employees in the next year and use additional engineering consultants on an as-needed basis. The company owner, Drotos Sr. (referred to as Senior) is planning to allow employees to work remotely rather than expand office space. Senior wants you to review the company’s IT network, hardware, and software capabilities and determine what is needed to meet the following organization goals: • Employees can access files and software locally and remotely. • Employee and workload growth is supported by IT systems. o The software applications and storage are scalable as employee numbers increase. o Employee growth does not negatively affect response time of software applications. •Maximize IT operational efficiency (IT isn’t getting one of the new hires).

15. • Systems and client information are secure. • Business can continue even if the office or network is compromised. • Network design and processes are documented to enable maintenance and troubleshooting, even in the IT manager’s absence. Current Network and Software Description Network Design The company currently has a private non-cloud IT network. The application is housed on a single server, with no redundancy and limited network attached storage. The system is behind dual firewalls and does not have remote access or backup functionality. Software Considerations The company employees use enterprise-wide versions of Microsoft® Office® applications and desktop versions of engineering specialty applications. Many of the specialty licenses are about to expire and the Microsoft® Office® package is several versions old.

16. Drotos Engineering DR/BC Playbook Procedure Template Event [Enter the name and description of the event.] For example: Hacking: A specific application has been hacked. Disaster Recovery Responsibilities [Identify who is involved in diagnosing and resolving the issues.] Name Title/Role Emergency Number Email Responsibilities Initial Plan of Action [Describe what needs to be done to stop the damage, prevent further damage, and provide a current workaround or work process for employees to follow.] For example: If the event is that an application has been hacked, the initial plan of action could be: • Implement manual downtime protocol. • Shut down all internet access. • Shut down internal and external email. Troubleshooting and Resolution

17. [Identify the troubleshooting steps along with referencing or naming potential procedures.] For example: Using the example above, define the technical approach to bringing the application back online. • Segment the applications. • Scrub the application while off the internet, and refer to the antivirus/malware policy. • Check the open firewall ports, and refer to the firewall configuration documentation. • Ensure secure user access. Business Continuity Define your approach to ensure the business teams within the organization have a plan to conduct business while the disaster recovery process is in progress. Responsibilities [Identify who is involved in managing the business effects of the event while disaster recovery is in progress.] Name Title/Role Emergency Number Email Responsibilities Initial Plan of Action [Describe what needs to be done to enable business to continue.]

18. For example, if the event is that an application has been hacked, the initial plan of action could be: • Use manual downtime protocol. • Access internet and email via smartphones or alternate business locations. • Determine and execute internal and external communications regarding service limitations. Troubleshooting and Resolution [Identify the troubleshooting and resolution steps the internal business partners execute to support the technical resolution to the problem and the interim emergency protocols.] For example: Test access to the application (local and remote and with different devices) • User test • Administrator test ============================================== NTC 300 Assignment Week 4 Class Discussion Question

19. For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com NTC/300 WEEK 4 Class Discussion Question Discussion Question: Performance Tuning Best Practice Select a performance tuning best practice you learned about this week and answer the following questions: • How does this best practice contribute to an optimized implementation of a cloud system? • How does changing data or changes within a cloud environment alter how this best practice can be used for tuning? • How can this best practice be used to ensure alignment with a service level agreement? Post your answers to the discussion area.

20. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider sharing how a change to data or the environment could affect the value of the best practice. Discussion Question: Service Level Agreement Components You have been asked by your manager to draft a service level agreement (SLA) with your new third-party cloud service provider. Identify three components (e.g., uptime or storage availability) you believe are critical to include in the SLA. Describe the component and why the component is critical to include. Post your explanations to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider commenting on the value of the component your peer shared and related considerations that should be noted in the SLA. Where appropriate, include the monetary compensation importance. Discussion Question: New Tools Research news releases touting new cloud resource monitoring and management tools and services.

21. Identify a company with which you are familiar that uses a cloud-based solution of any kind. Write a brief description of the company and the cloud solution it uses. Select one of the tools you found and explain how the tool could be used by the company you identified to maintain its optimum security or performance. Post your response to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider sharing additional insights about how the tool could help the company you identified or noting something you learned from your peer. ============================================== NTC 300 Assignment Week 4 Drotos Engineering Cloud Management For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com Drotos Engineering Cloud Management Includes: SLA Content Summary

22. Includes: Issue 1 Provisioning Description Includes: Issue 2 Provisioning Description Resource: Drotos Engineering Cloud Migration Project Overview As you are the only IT employee in Drotos Engineering, you persuaded Senior that you need outsourcing support to design, deploy, and maintain the cloud-based solution for your applications. Note: You must include an introduction and conclusion for each of the following documents. The introduction provides context for what the reader will read and the conclusion is a summary statement of what was presented. Part 1 As the IT liaison, Senior tasked you with defining the technical components of the SLA with the consultants. Write a 2-page summary that includes: • A listing of the Drotos Engineering IT manager and vendor roles and responsibilities • A summary (in narrative or table format) with the acceptable metrics and measurements ranges, with definitions and rationale that will ensure optimum

23. performance. Include minimum and maximum information for: • Disk space use (e.g., for each system, the minimum amount of disk space required by the application/person/system to run efficiently) • Response time • Uptime • Vendor to Drotos Engineering reporting requirements Part 2 During the first few weeks your SLA is in place, you work with the consultant to resolve performance and optimization issues that arise. Your decisions will help create a template for the vendor to follow with later issues. Two issues arose that required documentation. Issue 1 The baseline performance for your system is 35% below what was projected to access data and store data. Monitoring indicates that the source of the poor performance could be the network, disk, or CPU. Write a 1- to 2-page description of how the vendor should address the issue using the following resource provisioning/deprovisioning options: • Usage patterns • Cloud bursting • Extending cloud scope, storage, and virtual machines • Application life cycle

24. • Business need changes Issue 2 Your engineering applications are subject to many regulations. You learn that a new security regulation requires the assurance of a 3- second response time to ensure the user's flow of thought remains uninterrupted because of the sensitive nature of the data on the system. Write a 1- to 2-page description that defines and describes the appropriate provisioning techniques the vendor is to follow to address the new regulation and to ensure your customers' and internal data remain protected. Compress the following files into a ZIP file: • SLA Content Summary • Issue 1 Provisioning Description • Issue 2 Provisioning Description Submit your assignment. ============================================== NTC 300 Assignment Week 5 Class Discussion Questions For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com

25. NTC 300 WEEK 5 Class Discussion Questions Discussion Question: Troubleshooting Overview You are part of a small IT service and support team. Your manager asks you to mentor a new person being transferred onto the team. You are advised to begin your task with an overview of the six steps of cloud troubleshooting methodology. Write a short overview of the six steps, including an example of how they are implemented. Post your explanation to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider sharing your thoughts on how you may alter the use of the methodology when troubleshooting different scenarios or issues (e.g., an issue related to a network, versus a server, versus general access to an application). Discussion Question: Troubleshooting in the Real World You lead an IT team assigned to support users of cloud-based applications. You are concerned the team members do

26. not appreciate the importance of identifying and resolving issues affecting the security or performance of the applications as quickly as possible. You decide to address this at the next team meeting. Research recent security events of cloud-based systems. Explain the event and its negative effects. Describe how a thorough troubleshooting process could have reduced the negative effects of the event. Post your response to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider offering additional troubleshooting options, tools, or other options you believe would have reduced the length or negative effects of the event. ============================================== NTC 300 Assignment Week 5 Drotos Engineering Troubleshooting For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com

27. Drotos Engineering: Troubleshooting Includes: All Flowcharts and Overview • Drotos Engineering Cloud Migration Project Overview • Section 16, "Flowcharts," of "Visio® 2007 Essential Training" with David Rivers from Lynda.com® The Drotos Engineering cloud migration project went well. The company is also doing well, and Senior decided to purchase another engineering application to enable the company to pursue another line of business. Looking back at the initial cloud migration project, you realize that having some troubleshooting documentation and guidance would have been helpful. You decide to create a troubleshooting flow chart, or decision tree, to help with the deployment and implementation of the new software. Part 1 Use Microsoft® Visio® to create a flow chart that will help identify and resolve issues related to: • Deploying a new cloud-based application • Access and performance issues related to a cloud-based application Incorporate the standard cloud troubleshooting methodology and sound logic in your flow charts. Part 2 Annotate the flow chart to show paths to follow for troubleshooting: • An issue related to the deployment of an application on a server • An employee not being able to access an application

28. Note: You may review Section 16, "Flowcharts," of "Visio® 2007 Essential Training" with David Rivers from Lynda.com® if you are unfamiliar with creating flow charts in Microsoft® Visio®. Part 3 Provide a 1-page overview in Microsoft® Word of the flow chart. Include the following in your overview: • The purpose of the flow chart • High-level instructions of how to use the flow chart Compress your diagram and summary into a ZIP file. Submit your assignment. ============================================== NTC 300 Entire Course For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com NTC 300 Assignment Week 1 Drotos Engineering Cloud Solution Proposal

29. NTC 300 Assignment Week 1 Class Discussion Questions NTC 300 Assignment Week 2 Drotos Engineering Security Considerations NTC 300 Assignment Week 2 Class Discussion Questions NTC 300 Assignment Week 3 Drotos Engineering Disaster Recovery And Business Continuity NTC 300 Assignment Week 3 Class Discussion Questions NTC 300 Assignment Week 4 Drotos Engineering Cloud Management HRM 300 Assignment Week 4 Class Discussion Question NTC 300 Assignment Week 5 Drotos Engineering Troubleshooting NTC 300 Assignment Week 5 Class Discussion Questions

30. ============================================== NTC300 Assignment Week 2 Class Discussion Questions For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com NTC/300 WEEK 2 Class Discussion Questions Discussion Question: Types of Cloud Security Solutions You work for an IT department that has weekly IT roundtables. This week the topic is cloud security and you will lead one of the conversations. Select one of the following types of security that can be included in the cloud: • Layering • Least privilege • Separation of duty

31. Research whether the security type you identified is frequently used by businesses and why or why not. Post your responses to the following prompts to the discussion area: • Provide a short summary about what you found to be the usage of the security type in business. • Describe the circumstances in which the security type would be appropriate. • Describe the circumstances that would indicate the security type would not be appropriate. • What are some high-level steps to implement the security type? Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider sharing additional information or insights about how technologies may affect the use of security solution. Alternatively, consider sharing an experience or something you read to further the solution described. Discussion Question: Mandatory and Discretionary Access Control Lists

32. Explain the difference between mandatory and discretionary access control lists. Post your explanation to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider sharing ideas about when to implement these types of access control lists or why these types of lists are used during an implementation of cloud technology. As appropriate, include pros or cons of each type. Discussion Question: Security Automation You are part of a team initiating a new cloud environment. Your team is presenting an overview of the security plans. You are to give an overview of single sign-on. Define single sign-on. Provide an example that explains how single sign-on is used and its benefits. Research an article describing an implementation of single sign-on that demonstrates the benefit of the example you identified. Cite your article according to APA guidelines. Post your answer to the discussion area. Respond to at least one of your peers. In your response, consider offering your opinion regarding the potential security risk the automation of access through single sign-on provides and alternative automation ideas.

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