Reference no: EM133628331

Homework: Alternate Processing Site Proposal

Overview

R&D Media, LLC has asked you to develop a proposal for an Alternate Processing Site. Your task is to:

1) Conduct research on the latest technologies and strategies for Alternate Processing Sites (feel free to use your teamwork for this part of the homework).

2) Determine who the company's stakeholders are. You can adopt the role of an internal or external consultant for your perspective.

3) Using the results of your research, develop a technical proposal that best addresses the stakeholder's requirements and incorporates innovative technologies in the recommendation.

4) Within your proposal you must also consider cost and what R&D Media, LLC can afford.

5) Develop and document the requirements for R&D Media, LLC's alternate processing site building upon the concepts addressed in class materials and discussion topics.

Homework Checklist - Be sure that you capture the following eleven sections in your report:

The needs of R&D Media, LLC's stakeholders are considered within the plan.

List of mission critical applications/list of non-critical functions that can be dropped and describe how data will be protected through encryption and other means.

New technologies for Alternate Processing Sites are utilized.

A plan for updating alternate processing site software during normal operation.

Documentation showing a simple rack diagram and a network diagram.

A network configuration overview (IP, DNS, etc.).

Information security architecture (firewalls, VPNs).

Network bandwidth estimates.

Power consumption estimates.

Plan for cutting over to the alternate plan during a recovery scenario.

Plan for cutting back to the main site (a.k.a. hand back) to resume normal operations.

Scenario:

R&D Media, LLC

R&D Media, LLC is a small 100-person business that produces short animation movies for advertiser clients. Their clients are located worldwide and need to communicate securely with R&D Media, LLC as they collaborate on their advertising shorts. R&D Media, LLC uses its high- speed Internet connection both to support the exchange of movie shorts as well as for email and general Internet web connectivity.

Local Area Network and Workstation Description

The business occupies one floor in an office building which is supported by a LAN. Everybody has a work computer on his or her desk, which can contain unshared work. There are also servers to support web, file and print sharing, email, database services. Additionally, a small 3D render farm (consisting of a rack of 20 quad processor Xeon servers running Red Hat Linux) generates high-resolution video animations that R&D Media, LLC produces for its clients.

The desktop systems consist of Apple Mac Pro desktops running the latest version of the Mac OS for the creative staff, and the latest version of Windows on computers for general use. The servers are running the latest version of Windows Server running Microsoft Exchange, web server, and file and print service.

Remote Devices and External Network Connectivity

Ethernet and the network hardware are a mixture from Cisco and Hewlett-Packard. Employees, business partners, and clients may visit R&D Media, LLC's office with laptop computers in order to collaborate on projects that connect with LAN. The laptops will obtain their IP configuration from the DHCP server at R&D Media, LLC.

R&D Media, LLC has 10 megabit/second Internet access and uses a SOHO firewall that doubles as a DHCP server. This firewall filters out Internet-based attempts to access R&D Media, LLC's servers and desktop computers, but admits email, web, and SFTP (Secure FTP) traffic destined for specifically hardened servers.

The network has the following additional specifications:

The network is all TCP/IP based using Cisco routers and switches.

All desktop computers include email, web, database access, and office productivity software.

All server and critical network equipment are in a secure server room, with some connected peripheral devices (e.g., printers) located throughout the office.

The multimedia department uses high-end workstations for video rendering and animation with authoring software installed.

A load-balancing dual firewall connects the network to the Internet.

Security Policy Details

All email must be secured so it cannot be inadvertently sent to the wrong party or intercepted, including use of encryption for confidential information.

All network resources and equipment must be password protected.

Company equipment may not be used for personal business and only limited personal use.

All Windows-based PCs must run approved anti-malware programs.

Clients may use the Secure FTP (SFTP) server to send or receive multimedia files, but under no circumstances should one client be able to view the files of any other client.

The mail server must be configured not to forward email that originated on the Internet.

Password aging must be enforced on all servers and desktops.

All server configurations must be readily available to rebuild a failed system.

Offsite backup is required, with 24/7 access to that location.

All employees will demonstrate they understand the security policy as set by a security officer who reports to company leadership.