Project Proposal

CT 320: Network and Systems Administration

Group Work

Exploring New Technologies

The purpose of this assignment is to create a preliminary proposal for the semester project. This requires you to split into groups of three students. Select teams where all students share the same recitation.

Description

The goals of this assignment are:

• To introduce you to the process of exploring new technologies;
• To give you experience discovering and installing new software;
• To give you experience presenting technologies in a company setting;
• To promote peer discussions regarding the installation

The entire semester project is worth 20% of your grade! See the class syllabus for point breakdown.

You and your group have just been hired by a software company that has relied on telecommunications as their primary communication mechanism for years. Their customer base has become increasingly technology savvy—and are starting to ask questions about why your company does not use electronic mechanisms to make information available. This class has been hired to bring this technology to the organization. Each group will take primary responsibility of exploring one of the following technologies:

• Web Server: allows customers to create accounts and order products
• Company Wiki: provides customers with information about company products
• Bug Tracking: tracks defects in the software in a database
• Source Control: software repository, change management, and release tracking
• Network Protection: includes firewall and SPAM email filtering
• Something Else: got an interesting idea?

You will be working on this project inside and outside of recitation. See the class schedule for due dates.

PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL

• During the usual recitation time, interview the company executives (instructor) to gather requirements for each component. Have one member of your group send email to your instructor requesting a 15-minute interview slot during your normal recitation time. Copy the other group members on the email.
• Followup interviews can be done by appointment with the instructor.
• Document the requirements (Part 1) from the interview, and explain the criteria (Part 2) by which you will evaluate each requirement.
• Answer the basic questions for each technology (Part 3): who, what, when, where, how, why, and how much?
• Investigate each technology and identify four or more providers that will be considered by your group (Part 4).
• Add a section where the group details the work done by individual members (Part 5), written by the members themselves.

NOTE: Because the company has no money left after hiring your group, all software must be inexpensive (that is, free).

• IMPLEMENTATION
• SLIDE PRESENTATION and DEMO
• FINAL REPORT

Checkin

Submit a single ProjectProposal.pdf for the group that contains the above sections by the due date to RamCT. Assignments may be turned in up to 24 hours late for a 20% penalty.