Introduction

This is an individual project.  This project is related to the Case Study project.  Each student must complete anArchitectural Diagram that illustrates the placement of security and other technologies within the converged network solution.  The foundation for this project is the requirements analysis and proposal document that you completed for the Case Study project.  The target audience will be the organization’s Chief Information Officer (CIO).  The Architectural Diagram deliverable is an MS Word document.

The completed Architectural Diagram deliverable is due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the due date shown in the Course Schedule.  See the Additional Information section of the syllabus for the penalty for late or missed assignments and projects.

The Architectural Diagram is valued at 10% of the course grade.

Case Study

Company Overview

Catacomb, Inc. is a globallogistics provider that offers fully integrated freight and supply chain services through managed warehousing and domestic and international freight forwarding. Services range from door-to-door domestic and international delivery services to total supply chain management. With branches across the United States and Europe and partners worldwide, Catacomb continues to expand, and it has experienced rapid growth through acquisitions.

Note: The term supply chain refers to all the elements involved in bringing an organization’s products from the raw-goods stage to the customer.

The Association for Operations Management (APICS) dictionary ((http://www.apics.org/Resources/APICSDictionary.htm) defines “supply chain management (SCM)” as the design, planning, execution, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities with the objective of creating net value, building a competitive infrastructure, leveraging worldwide logistics, synchronizing supply with demand and measuring performance globally.

The Business Challenge

Catacomb is competing in an environment where freight transport is as much about keeping customers informed as it is about on-time delivery. The company has adopted web-based technologies for tracking freight, differentiating its services, keeping customers informed, and ensuring the on-time delivery that is Catacomb’s hallmark. As a result, Catacomb enjoys a very high level of customer satisfaction.

Its mobile workforce has rapidly increased, with drivers using PDAs to scan consignments, which are then synced in real time via GPRS links to headquarters applications that track the consignments. Customers use Catacomb’s web services to view the progress of orders, from dispatch to warehousing to final delivery. Customers also use Catacomb’s web-based systems to create freight documentation and generate reports. With the EDI interface, invoices and payments are transferred directly between the customers’ systems and Catacomb, saving both time and money.

As the company has expanded, the data flowing in the system have increased as well. Now, with more than 5,000 employees and thousands of customers worldwide, Catacomb is suffering from the effects of explosive growth. Demands on its wide area network (WAN) are exceeding capacity. The main data center has experienced several network outages and unscheduled downtime. The aging ISDN telephone system is failing, as the company has avoided the costly upgrades necessary to keep it operating at optimal performance. Telephone bills have increased without warning, and the voice mail system is overloaded.

The Opportunity

Catacomb wants to provide increased bandwidth between all 47 of its US offices and the main data center. There are five (5) metropolitan areas that have four (4) to eight (8) Catacomb locations that need to coordinate among themselves: Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, and San Diego. The company desires a reliable and secure network to accommodate its planned growth as well as the unexpected.

The company does not want to spend any more on telephone services than it does today, and its goal is to upgrade the services while protecting against escalating costs from its ISDN service provider.

Efficiency and productivity goals for this rapidly growing company are of paramount importance, and there is a desire to provide capabilities and services that incorporate technology solutions to improve in those areas as well as retain the high level of customer satisfaction. Catacomb is also interested in reducing travel between its sites by implementing video conferencing.

In addition, Catacomb wants to be able to monitor and manage data and voice services, and ensure that capacity and usage is appropriate to its business needs.

The Deliverable

For this assignment, you will use your proposed solution for the Catacomb requirements analysis. Briefly describe the proposed technology solution and list the business requirements (including security requirements) that are satisfied.  This should be done on one (1) page. Then provide a diagram that illustrates the placement of various communications components within the context of developing an effective, efficient, security posture for the proposed solution for Catacomb’s converged network.

Your deliverable is a single 2-page MS Word document that contains:

• A 1-page description of the proposed technology and a list of the business requirements (including security requirements);
• An architectural diagram that illustrates the placement of various communications components; and
• Contains the following section headings:
  • Description of the Proposed Technology Solution
  • Architectural Diagram

The architectural diagram can be developed using other applications (MS Visio or PowerPoint, CAD, etc.).  However, the diagram must be incorporated into the MS Word document as a bitmap, gif, jpeg, etc.  It must be properly positioned (centered) on the page and must not be off-centered or bleed over the edges or margins of the page.

Your deliverable will be scored according to the Scoring Rubric below. Be sure you have incorporated all required aspects of the assignment.

Scoring Rubric

Attribute

Full points

Partial points

No points

Possible Points

Description of the Proposed Technology Solution

Description of the technology solution, including the business and security requirements, clearly outlines the proposed converged network components contained in the diagram.  The description demonstrates understanding of course concepts, analysis, and critical thinking.

Description of the technology solution, including the business and security requirements, partially outlines the proposed converged network components contained in the diagram.  The description does not fully demonstrate an understanding of course concepts, analysis, and critical thinking.

Description of the proposed technology solution is not included.

2

Communications components are clearly identified

Communications components are clearly identified; properly labeled; and are applicable to the proposed technology solution. Work demonstrates understanding of course concepts, analysis, and critical thinking.

Communications components identified are somewhat appropriate; they may only partially address the business requirements of the proposed solution.

No architectural diagram is provided.

3

Technology diagram

Communications component layout is appropriately integrated in the architectural diagram. Work demonstrates understanding of course concepts, analysis, and critical thinking.

Communications component layout somewhat appropriately integrated into the architectural diagram; work may be lacking in demonstration of understanding of course concepts, analysis, and/or critical thinking.

No architectural diagram is provided.

3

Diagram quality

The architectural diagram is professionally presented, is clear, and appropriately conveys the information.

The architectural diagram could be clearer, and/or could be improved to adequately convey the information.

No architectural diagram is provided.

1

Document format

The document reflects effective organization and correct sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; it is presented in a professional format; and any references used are appropriately incorporated and cited, using APA style.

The document is not well-organized, and/or contains grammar and/or spelling errors; and/or it does not follow APA style for references and citations.

The document is extremely poorly written and does not convey theappropriate  information.

1

Total Points

10