Reference no: EM132314590

IT Infrastructure and Security Assignment - Schyndelworks Website Project

Project Background and Description -

As the 2018 technology placements have been completed, SchyndelWorks now has a team of technology graduates that can help them setup their public facing website. These graduates will work with the cloud engineer to deliver a product that meets all the business requirements specified in sections 3 & 4 of this document.

Project Scope -

The web development team has already created the necessary code (PHP) for the SchyndelWork's public facing websites. This code must now be deployed to a public facing website hosted on the cloud.

Requirements - The new system must be able to meet the following business requirements:

Business Requirement (A): Creation of Web-Server-A

• After looking at the business requirements, the cloud engineer has specified that we create a new VM to host Web-Server-A on a "t2.micro" ec2 instance of AWS (or equivalent if using azure).
• On this VM compile & install a version of apache 2.4.25 from source.
• Since performance is a key concern, might be good to use an appropriate MPM.

Note: The cloud engineer is adamant that Apache installed via a package manager for Web-Server-A will NOT NECESSARILY be better/easier/meet all requirements. But, could still very likely be a possible path to go down.

BR (A).1.1 - Web-Server-A will initially be used as staging server so it must serve http via port 8070. Ensure that the port firewall is open & visible.

BR (A).1.2 - Server should be installed at /etc/apache2/schyndel/server_root

BR (A).1.3 - All necessary user key/password/group files for auth to be placed at /etc/apache2/schyndel/server_root/auth

BR (A).1.4 - As PHP web developers have been contracted to create site content, your website should have the capability of executing & serving PHP scripts

BR (A).1.5 -

• To allow continuity of business, SchyndelWorks requires all work done to be documented.
• You will need to create "business-requirement-a/a-report.txt" which documents all work that you have undertaken.
• Your report must document all the work done as a part of each business requirement.
• If you make any changes to configuration files, it must be commented & reference the business requirement id.
• For example, when setting the port, you will need to add the following comment in your configuration file

# BR (A).1.1: As per requirement, changed port from 80 to 8080

BR (A).1.6 - They've asked for a clear description as to why escaping and encoding URLs is important.

The Cloud Engineer has asked you to explain in a comment in the configuration (and in you're a-report.txt).

BR (A).2 - To allow ease of use, the server must be capable of dealing with misspelling/capitalization issues.

BR (A).3

• Documents should be served from /etc/apache2/schyndel/document_root
• The content to be served has already been written and the source code is available at the site labelled in this document as WEB_CONTENT_URL (See Canvas Spec for actual URL)

BR (A).4 - The default document to be served is index.html then index.shtml then index.php

BR (A).5 - Your server must permit Server Side Includes (SSI) for files with the .shtml extension.

BR (A).6 - Your site must not permit .gif files from being served.

BR (A).7 -

• Content in the /secure-basic folder must be protected via basic auth.
• You will need to create users bob & charlie with password ITIS
• All necessary user key/password/group files for auth to be placed at: /etc/apache2/schyndel/server_root/auth)

BR (A).8 -

• Content in the /secure-digest folder must be protected via digest auth.
• You will need to create users alice & dean with password ITIS
• All necessary user key/password/group files for auth to be placed at /etc/apache2/schyndel/server_root/auth)

BR (A).9 - All content served by the web server must respond with the following Response Header: "X-Served-Via: Web-Server-A" 4

Business Requirement (B): Creation of Web-Server-B

Now that the staging server has been created, a production web server now needs to be setup. This production web server will be identical to "Web-Server-A" except the changes listed below:

BR (B).1 - VM to host Web-Server-B on a "t2.micro" ec2 instance of AWS (or equivalent if using azure)

BR (B).2 - Port used to serve documents should be 8060

Ensure that the port firewall is open & visible.

BR (B).3 - All content served by the web server must respond with the following Response Header "X-Served-Via: Web-Server-B"

BR (B).4 -

• To allow continuity of business, SchyndelWorks requires all work done to be documented.
• Since most of the steps are similar to Business Requirement A you don't need to create a report, EXCEPT for all changes made to configuration files, it must be commented & reference the business requirement id.

For example, when setting the port, you will need to add the following comment in your configuration file

# BR (B).2: As per requirement, changed port from 80 to 8050

Business Requirement (C): Performance Testing

BR (C).1 -

• To convince the cloud engineer of your configuration choices, you are required to produce a report.
• This report requires you to conduct benchmark OR perf tests (choose ab or httperf) on apache.
• You should run at least 3 load tests on apache & then average out the results.
• The scripts to load test are /load/cpu.php & /load/io.php.
• Based off estimates from business, your load tests need to allow for /load/cpu.php has a concurrency of 10 & test 150 requests and /load/io.php has a concurrency of 10 & test 200 requests.
• This report can be written as a word file but MUST be submitted as a pdf (businessrequirement-c/c-report.pdf).
• It is important that you take valid screenshots of the results of each benchmark test that is carried out. Please add these to your report.
• (Hint: Since the VMs could differ in spec, might be good to factor that into your report) On the VM you may need to install: apt-get install apache2-utils (this gives you access to ab) and apt-get install httperf (this gives you access to httperf)

BR (C).2 -

• To allow continuity of business, SchyndelWorks requires all work done to be documented in your report.
• Any and all changes made to configuration files for this BR must be commented & reference the business requirement Identification Number (BR ID).

Business Requirement (D): Creation of Load-Balancer

• Since SchyndelWorks expects a large volume of end users to use their site, they would like to serve content from either Web-Server-A or Web-Server-B via a Load-Balancer.
• As a part of this requirement you will be creating a new VM that will be used as a loadbalancer.
• The cloud engineer has instructed you to use "t2.micro" ec2 instance of AWS (or equivalent if using azure) for your load-balancer to prevent network saturation constraints).

BR (D).1 -

• The cloud engineer has instructed you to use Apache 2.4's mod_proxy_balancer module to setup the load balancer.
• To accomplish this, you will need to create a new instance of apache 2.
• The engineer has specified that the apache server on this VM can be installed via a package manager (apt-get install apache2).
• This apache server must serve content via port 80. Ensure that the port firewall is open & visible.
• The actual content served is via Web-Server-A or Web-Server-B (this is just a load balancer).
• The cloud engineer has instructed you to use mod_lbmethod_byrequests module as the Load balancing scheduler algorithm.

BR (D).2 -

• When setting up the Load-Balancer using mod_lbmethod_byrequests, apache gives you the option to set a "loadfactor".
• This is the member load factor - a number between 1 (default) and 100, which defines the weighted load to be applied to the member in question.
• The cloud engineer is unsure of what load factor needs to be applied here.
• It is your task to ascertain what is the appropriate loadfactor to be applied & configure apache to use your loadfactor.

BR (D).3 -

• To convince the cloud engineer of your decision made in BR (D).2, you are required to produce a report.
• This task is very similar to your initial benchmarking in BR (C).
• This report requires you to conduct benchmark OR perf tests (choose ab or httperf) on apache (directing the requests to the load balancer).
• You should run at least 3 load tests on apache with an initial loadfactor applied & then average out the results.
• You should then run at least 3 load tests on apache with an updated loadfactor applied & then average out the results.
• The scripts to load test are /load/cpu.php & /load/io.php.
• Based off estimates from business, your load tests need to allow for /load/cpu.php has a concurrency of 10 & test 150 requests o /load/io.php has a concurrency of 10 & test 200 requests.
• You then need to compare the 2 averaged out results sets & state in your report what loadfactor setting is the most appropriate.
• This report can be written as a word file but MUST be submitted as a pdf (businessrequirement-d/d-report.pdf).
• It is important that you take valid screenshots of the results of each benchmark test that is carried out. Please add these to your report.
• (Hint: Since the VMs could differ in spec, might be good to factor that into your calculations of the appropriate load-factor)
• Your cloud engineer has recommended that you create a new VM ("Load-Testing" VM) using a "t2.micro" ec2 instance as your load testing server. This is done to ensure that network throughput is not an issue. It has also been recommended that this particular vm ("Load-Testing" VM only) be terminated once you have finished your load tests. On the vm you only need to install: apt-get install apache2-utils (this gives you access to ab) and apt-get install httperf (this gives you access to httperf)

BR (D).4 -

• To allow continuity of business, SchyndelWorks requires all work done to be documented in your report.
• All changes made to configuration files, it must be commented & reference the business requirement id.
• For example, when setting the loadfactor, you will need to add the following comment in your configuration file

# BR (D).2: As per requirement, set loadfactor to X for node X

Business Requirement (E): Alternative load balancing algorithm

BR (E).1 -

• As you have already completed "Business Requirement D", the cloud engineer has asked to look at an alternate Load balancing scheduler algorithm (lbmethod_bytraffic or lbmethod_bybusyness or lbmethod_heartbeat).
• You need to pick one and compare it to the performance of lbmethod_byrequests.
• Again, your proof for ascertaining the appropriate load balancer algorithm must include at least 3 benchmark/perf tests completed for the /load/cpu.php & /load/io.php script with the new algorithm.
• You then need to compare it with your results from the tests you ran as a part of "Business Requirement D" and you need to create a new report.
• This report can be written as a word file but MUST be submitted as a pdf (bonus- business-requirement-e/e-report.pdf).

Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar