Appendix B
LAN Operating Systems Scenarios
Read the three scenarios below, then answer the questions that follow each scenario.
1. You are the network administrator for a new company that has 10 users and plans to add five more users within a year. The files need to be accessed by all 10 users and each user must have different security rights. What kind of network would you install and how would the pieces and components of this network relate to each other? Define each component.
I would install a client-server network because a server network is ideal for sharing resources and data. In addition, server networks also provide security for those resources and data, allowing more clearance to those who need it, and less to those who don’t need it. These systems also have flexibility. As more clients join the system the established clients and servers remain the same. Since all of the data is stored on the server, data updates are easy. One of the best parts of a client-server network is scalability, where each computer client or server can be replaced when needed.
2. You are the network administrator for a company that has a peer-to-peer network. How would the pieces and components of this network relate to each other? Define all of the components of this type of network.
Peer-to-peer networks are the types of computers that users normally have because they essentially have all workstations, however, they do not have a centralized system. Connected through network cables, each computer can choose to share its resources to the others. In addition, they are easy to set up and maintain because they have no servers to maintain and they are left on their own to run. Because of this, peer-to-peer networks are typically for smaller networks and therefore are cheaper to run.
3. You are the administrator of a client-server environment. What kind of network would you install and how would the pieces and components of this