Business Requirements for International Plastics Inc – Infrastructure

Business Requirements for International Plastics Inc – Infrastructure

Outline of Business Requirements for International Plastics Inc.

1. High-Level Description of Current IT Infrastructure

Network Infrastructure:

1. Corporate Headquarters (San Jose, CA):
   • Backbone: 100baseT
   • Administration: Multiple operational functions, 36 VOIP telephones.
   • R&D: 1000baseF network, MAC-based, 15 employees.
   • Servers: WIN servers (IBM HS20 blade), UNIX server (IBM p series), NAS for backup.
   • Communications: Satellite link (Ka band, OC1 data rate) with encryption, T3 connection.
2. Albany, GA Plant:
   • Office Computers: 20 Dell Vostro computers, HP CP4225n Color Laser Printer.
   • Local Server: HP BL460P blade server.
   • Local NAS system.
   • Power Backup: 5KVA UPS.
   • Internal Network: 24-port Cisco switch.
   • WAN Connectivity: T2 connection.
3. Pontiac, MI Plant:
   • Office Computers: 45 Dell Vostro computers, various HP LaserJet printers.
   • Local Server: HP BL460P blade server.
   • Local NAS system.
   • Power Backup: 5KVA UPS.
   • Internal Network: 24-port Cisco switch.
   • WAN Connectivity: T2 connection.
4. China Headquarters:
   • Backbone: 100baseT
   • Administration: Multiple operational functions, 35 VOIP telephones.
   • R&D: 1000baseF network, MAC-based, 15 employees.
   • Servers: WIN servers (IBM HS20 blade), UNIX server (IBM p series), NAS for backup.
   • Communications: Satellite link (Ka band, OC1 data rate) with encryption, T3 connection.

Information Systems:

• Servers: WIN server, WIN Exchange server, UNIX server, IBM HS20 blade servers, IBM p series.
• Data Backup: Local NAS at each location.

Applications:

• ERP System: Corporate SAP ERP software hosted on UNIX server.
• Departmental Applications: For HR, finance, marketing, and corporate functions.
• General: Standard office applications (Microsoft Office 2007), Windows 7 operating system on workstations.

Mobile Computing:

• Infrastructure: Supports VOIP telephony and remote access capabilities.
• Details: Limited information available.

Data Management:

• Backup Systems: NAS at each location.
• Centralized Management: Through the corporate ERP system.

Business Intelligence:

• Tools: Primarily through the SAP ERP system for enterprise resource planning and reporting.

Security:

• Firewalls and Secure Routers: Ensure network security.
• Encryption: Satellite link encryption for secure communication between HQ and China facility.
• Power Backup: UPS systems ensure continuity of operations.

2. Overview of Operational Environment

1. Corporate Headquarters (San Jose):

1. • Functions: Centralized administration and R&D.
   • Computing Environment: Mixed, with MAC-based R&D and Windows-based corporate operations.
   • Core IT Operations: Data management, key decision-making, and strategic planning center.

1. Albany, GA Plant:

• Operations: Plastic beverage container manufacturing.
• IT Services: Local IT services for administrative tasks and production support.
• Infrastructure: Dell Vostro computers, HP blade servers, local NAS.

1. Pontiac, MI Plant:

• Operations: Custom plastic parts manufacturing.
• Computing Resources: Extensive administrative computing resources.
• Infrastructure: Dell Vostro computers, HP blade servers, local NAS.

1. China Facility:

• Operations: Manufacturing and joint venture operations.
• Communication: Satellite link to HQ for data and voice communication.
• Computing Environment: Similar to HQ with a strong MAC-based R&D section.

3. How New IT Infrastructure Will Improve Business Performance
4. Increased Efficiency

• Network Upgrades: Upgrading WAN links and internal network backbones to faster, more reliable technologies will reduce latency and improve data flow.
• Server Enhancements: Improved capacity and performance to support more simultaneous processes and reduce downtime.

1. Enhanced Security

• Advanced Security Measures: Improved firewalls, encryption, and intrusion detection systems to protect sensitive business data.

1. Scalability

• Modern Infrastructure: Easier scaling of operations as the business grows. Upgrading hardware and software applications will reduce downtime and enhance user experience, leading to increased employee productivity.
• Cloud Integration: Flexible resource management and disaster recovery options.

1. Improved Data Management

• Centralized Backup: Automated solutions will enhance data integrity and accessibility.
• Advanced Analytics: Enhanced data analytics and business intelligence tools will support better decision-making.

4. Technology Hardware Upgrades and Business Performance Improvement

Hardware Upgrade	Improvement
Upgrade Network Switches to 10GbE	– Significantly increases data transfer speeds (Chang, 2014).
	– Reduces network congestion and latency.
Implement Next-Gen Firewalls	– Enhanced security with deep packet inspection and threat detection.
	– Improved protection against cyber-attacks and data breaches.
Deploy High-Performance Blade Servers	– Increases processing power and efficiency of business applications.
	– Supports virtualization and cloud integration for better resource management.
Upgrade WAN Links	– Faster data transfer, reduced latency, improved communication between sites.
Implement Advanced NAS Systems	– Improved data backup, faster recovery times, enhanced data management.

References

Chang, Y. F. (2014). 6 40/100 GbE Physical Layer Connectivity for Servers and Data Centers. High-Speed Devices and Circuits with THz Applications, 125.

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Assignment Content

When it comes to working with infrastructure, assessing the current state of the business before starting the full project is a necessity.

Imagine this scenario: International Plastics Inc., a manufacturing company, hired you as a technology consultant to work with the company to review their resources and develop a plan for their infrastructure needs. Your first step is to become familiar with their current documentation and provide a status update to the executives.

Access and review the 6 documents located in the International Plastics Inc. Network Diagrams zip file.

Write an outline of the business requirements for International Plastics Inc. for an upcoming discussion with the CEO. As a general guideline, this type of outline could be used to create an executive summary later in the project. However, you will not be creating this executive summary for this course; instead, the information you gather in this outline will be used in your summative assessments in future weeks.

Include the following information for International Plastics Inc. in your outline:
A high-level description of their current IT Infrastructure, including network, information systems, applications, mobile computing, data management, business intelligence, and security
An overview of their operational environment
An explanation of how a new IT infrastructure will improve business performance
A chart listing at least 3 examples of technology hardware upgrades and how they will improve business performance