Network Design, Security, and Backup Solutions
Network Design and Implementation
I like the final network design. I went over the physical plan with Don Carson last week.
UPS Placement
By the way, where are you placing the UPS? In the IT closet, with the fireproof safe.
Cabling: Cat 6 vs. Fiber Optic
Did you decide on Cat 6 or Cat 5e cable? Cat 6. Don Carson suggested fiber optic, too. Cat 6 is fine. Fiber optic is too expensive. Agreed. Cat 6 is the best cable with a good price.
Data Backup Strategy
Sara, I think we should keep backup tapes offsite. That’s not necessary. The fireproof safe is secure enough.
Backup Frequency
How frequently will we delete files from general backup? We’ve decided to delete every six months. But we’ll keep special projects indefinitely. Good. We should save project backup tapes somewhere else. Good idea. We’ll need more storage space, though.
Network Security Discussion
Don, I’ve just finished a meeting with Brian. Yes, I got his e-mail about network security. He’s not sure that the Windows server is secure enough. It has all the security applications you need.
Server Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, and Novell
Brian’s been looking at Linux and Novell, too. They’re both great operating systems. Do their security features measure up to Windows? Of course. Windows is just easier to set up.
Security Features
Can you set user security authorization with encryption? Yes, on all of them. That’s good. Can you set network access protection? Of course. You’ll control restricted user access.
Choosing the Right Server
Now, I really don’t know which server to choose. I’ll send you some Internet sites with information about all of them. Thanks, Don. I’ll look at them tonight. You have to decide which server is best for you.
Backup System: Latter T80
Power Consumption
I see that the Latter T80 power consumption is quite low. Yes. It shouldn’t be more than 265W. That’s great. We need to save energy. The input power has both 120 and 240 VAC. In Europe, we’ll only need 240 VAC.
Connectivity and Backup Software
Will you be connecting with SCSI or Fibre Channel? Actually, I think we’ll use the iSCSI. Why? You know you can connect directly to all of them. I see. Does this system have its own backup software? Yes, but it’s also compatible with all major backup software.
Capacity and Scalability
That’s good. What’s the maximum capacity? Up to 80 TB, depending on how many slots you have. Thanks, Jason. I’ll get back to you tomorrow. Good. Don’t forget it’s a modular system.
Modular Design
I think this backup system is very affordable. Yes, the cost is good, and it has high capacity. Up to 80 TB. Can we add more slots and drives? It’s modular, so we can have up to 50 slots. How many drives will it hold? Four half-height, or two full-height LTO drives. That’ll be more than enough.
Documentation and Setup
Did you read the documentation I downloaded? Yes, I did. It’s easy to follow. I think the configuration process will be very easy. Is the power consumption really so low? It says 265 W maximum with 240 VAC input. Can this model fit on a tabletop? Yes, and it can also be rack-mounted. It sounds like a good backup library system. It does, but I have one more system to look at.
Firewall and Network Traffic Analysis
Firewall Adjustments
Hi, Brian. Did you find time to adjust the firewall rules? Yes. The whole system was misconfigured. Did you get rid of any rules? Yes, and I changed others.
Traffic Analysis
Did you see any abnormal traffic patterns on the log this week? Take a look at Wednesday’s log. There was heavy traffic in the evening. Do you think it was a virus? It might have been, but our antivirus would have deleted it.
Security Monitoring
That’s good. Does this happen frequently? Fairly often. That’s why I update the antivirus program regularly. We’ll have to investigate these attacks. I wish we could get rid of them completely. Me, too! Keep monitoring the log over the weekend. OK. I’ll e-mail you if there are any sudden changes.
Weekend Log Audit
Sara, did you audit the log this weekend? Yes. There was a high proportion of traffic Saturday evening. Higher than usual? Yes, but there were no attacks. Did we add anything to the site before the weekend? Yes, we added the new support materials for downloading. So these were ‘flash crowds’ to see the materials. I guess so. They seemed to be genuine visitors.
Log Monitoring Frequency
I wonder whether we should monitor the log more often. We should. The log provides great security feedback. True, but it’s hard to monitor it all the time. I agree, and the log gives a lot of unnecessary information. Maybe we should take another look at the firewall.
Antivirus Software: RIPE
RIPE vs. Other Antivirus Programs
Steve, you use the RIPE antivirus program, don’t you? Yes. It’s very efficient and updates daily. How does it compare to other programs? It’s good. It provides full protection by scanning all drives. Does that include local, network, and removable drives? Yes. It scans ZIP drives and visitors’ USB flash drives, too.
Scanning Capabilities
Does it scan your archived files? Yes, every once in a while. Are all attachments scanned? Yes, any attachments to incoming and outgoing POP3 e-mails.
Handling of Harmful Files
What does it do if it finds potentially harmful files? You can delete or rename them. That’s what antivirus programs usually do. True. But RIPE seems to identify patterns better. So no harmful files get into your inbox? Usually not, but you still have to be careful.
Virus Pattern Matching
What does RIPE do if it finds matched virus patterns? First, it compares them to downloaded signature files. Then what does it do? RIPE quarantines the file, if necessary. Do you still use disks? No, but I know RIPE can scan them.
System Resource Usage
Steve, is it really that easy on the system resources? Yes, but where did you read that? An anonymous reviewer wrote it in a review. It’s very light on the system resources, only using 11 MB. That’s a small amount. How often does it update? Every few hours. I’ll have to read up more about this program. If you have any other questions, give me a call.
Phrasal Verbs
- Ask about: Preguntar por/sobre
- Call back: Devolver llamada
- Come across: Dar/Topar/Encontrarse con
- Drop in: Dejarse caer/Pasar
- Drop off: Soltarse, desprenderse
- Figure out: Comprender
- Find out: Averiguar, descubrir
- Hang on/Hold on: Esperar, aguantar
- Look into: Investigar, estudiar
- Think over: Reflexionar, considerar
- Work out: Hacer ejercicio, entrenar
- Calling to ask for: Preguntar por
- Get rid of: Deshacerse de
- Take a look at: Echar un vistazo a
- Sold out: Agotada
- On sale: En oferta
- I’ll get back to you: Volveré a llamarte
Idioms
- Flash crowd: Oleada de usuarios
- Heavy: Abundante
- Major: Principal, básico, importante
- Affordable: Asequible
- Bear in mind: Tener en cuenta
- Change your mind: Cambiar de opinión
- Dodge the issue: Eludir el tema
- Have the final say: Tener la última palabra
- Flip a coin: Lanzar una moneda al aire
- Majority wins: La mayoría gana
- Make a snap decision: Tomar una decisión repentina
- Take into consideration: Tener en cuenta
- Measure up: Ajustarse a
- Closet: Armario