National Diploma in Information Technology - 553/18/C0/0 PDF

# NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - 553/18/C0/0 ## PART I: COURSE REGULATIONS ### 1.0 TITLE AND LEVEL OF AWARD National Diploma in Information Technology ### 2.0 AIM The aim of the course is to develop an ICT Officer/Technician/Administrator with knowledge, skills and attitudes which w...

# NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - 553/18/C0/0 ## PART I: COURSE REGULATIONS ### 1.0 TITLE AND LEVEL OF AWARD National Diploma in Information Technology ### 2.0 AIM The aim of the course is to develop an ICT Officer/Technician/Administrator with knowledge, skills and attitudes which will enable them to satisfy the needs of the Information and Communication Technology industry. ### 3.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of the course, the student should be able to: - troubleshoot computer hardware and software problems - develop computer networks - develop software solutions - develop applications using object oriented programming techniques - apply research and project management skills in information technology research and projects - apply various mathematical tools in the analysis of systems in the business environment - apply critical, logical and objective approaches to problem solving - implement appropriate data structures and algorithms in problem solving - produce executable and well documented software system - develop database systems - develop quality websites for business and industrial applications using appropriate software - apply professional ethics in mitigating cybersecurity concerns - demonstrate appropriate industrial experience in information technology - demonstrate patriotism on national issues - apply entrepreneurial skills in the field of Information Technology. ### 4.0 STRUCTURE | SUBJECT TITLE | CODE | DURATION IN HOURS | |---|---|---| | **ND1** | | | | Computer Architecture and Servicing | 553/18/S01 | 200 | | Data Communication and Networks | 553/18/S02 | 200 | | Software Engineering | 553/18/S13 | 200 | | Programming in Visual Basic.Net | 553/18/S04 | 220 | | IT Research and Project Management | 553/18/S14 | 180 | | Mathematics and Statistics | 553/18/S12 | 200 | | **ND2** | | | | On the Job Education and Training | 553/18/S11 | One year | | **ND3** | | | | Computer Quantitative Methods | 553/18/S06 | 200 | | Data Structures and Algorithms | 553/18/S07 | 200 | | Software Project | 553/18/S08 | 200 | | Database Concepts and Design | 553/18/S09 | 200 | | Internet and Web Development | 553/18/S10 | 200 | | Cybersecurity and Ethics | 553/18/S15 | 180 | | *National Studies* | 401/13/S01 | 80 | | *Entrepreneurship Skills Development* (ESD) | 402/13/S01 | 80 | | **TOTAL** | | **2540** | *National Studies and Entrepreneurship Skills Development are exempted to those who have passed the subjects at the other levels.* ### 5.0 DURATION (CONTACT HOURS) 2540 hours plus On the Job Education and Training for all modes of study. - Full time: spread over at least two years institution based learning - Part time: spread over at least four years institution based learning ### 6.0 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS English Language and Mathematics passed at 'O' Level with grade C or better and any other three 'O' Level subjects or relevant NFC subjects and full National Certificate in Information Technology or equivalent. ### 7.0 MODE OF STUDY - Full time: 2540 hours - Part time: 2540 hours - Block Release: 2540 hours - ODL: 2540 hours ### 8.0 ASSESSMENT SCHEME | SUBJECT TITLE AND CODE | WRITTEN EXAMINATION 40% | CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT 60% | WEIGHTING | |---|---|---|---| | Computer Architecture and Servicing 553/18/S01 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | Data Communication and Networks 553/18/S02 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | Software Engineering TBA | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | Programming in Visual Basic.Net 553/18/S04 | Theory: 3 hour paper (Weighted 20%) Practical 3 hour paper (Weighted 20%) | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | IT Research and Project Management TBA | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | Mathematics and Statistics 553/18/S12 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments (in class) 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing (in class) 30% | 100% | | ESD 402/13/S01 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing (in class) 30% | 100% | | NAS 401/13/S01 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | Computer Quantitative Methods 553/18/S06 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments (in class) 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing (in class) 30% | 100% | | Data Structures and Algorithms 553/18/S07 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | Database Concepts and Design 553/18/S09 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | Internet and Web Development 553/18/S10 | Theory: 3 hour paper (Weighted 20%) Practical 3 hour paper (Weighted 20%) | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | | Cybersecurity and Ethics TBA | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) | 100% | | Software Project 553/18/S08 | See guidelines | Skills Competency Testing 30% See guidelines | 100% | | On the Job Education and Training 553/18/S11 | See guidelines | See guidelines | 100% | ### 9.0 GRADING - 0% to 49%: Fail - 50% to 59%: Pass - 60% to 79%: Credit - 80% and above: Distinction ### 10.0 CONDITIONS OF AWARD - A candidate should attend at least 85% of learning sessions to qualify for examinations. - The final mark should be obtained through aggregation provided the candidate scores at least 50% in each of continuous assessment and examinations. - The pass mark shall be 50%. - Candidates should pass all subjects. ### 11.0 RE-WRITES - Re-write(s) should conform to current course structure. - Candidates should pass at least two thirds of the course to qualify for a referral. - Any candidate who fails to pass at least two thirds of the course should repeat the whole course, including the subjects they would have passed. - There is no time limit for which to re-write a failed examination. - There is no aggregation for re-writes. - All re-writes should pass on performance in the examination. - If a candidate fails coursework he/she repeats the subject. ### 12.0 EXEMPTIONS - Exemptions are only granted in subjects already attained from a completed accredited qualification provided an exemption certificate specifying subjects of exemption is produced. - Exemption Certificate should be applied for at enrolment and produced before registration for examinations. ### 13.0 IRREGULAR PRACTICES - Cheating in continuous assessment and or examinations will result in disqualification from the whole course. The candidate will be suspended for two years from undertaking any HEXCO course. - The penalty for plagiarism shall be as in 13.1 ### 14.0 RESOURCES #### 14.1 LECTURERS' QUALIFICATIONS The minimum qualification for a lecturer is at least a Higher National Diploma in Information and Communication Technology OR equivalent, with a teaching qualification, plus at least two years post qualification experience. #### 14.2 FACILITIES, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT For an institution to successfully implement this diploma programme, the underlisted minimum infrastructure and equipment will need to be in place: **Computer Laboratory (for Programming)** - Personal Computers and a printing facility - Appropriate software - Computer Desks and chairs - One student per PC - Network facility - Internet connection - Writing surface for the instructor (e.g. securely-mounted whiteboard) **Computer Laboratory (for Computer Servicing)** - Appropriate software - Personal Computers - maximum of 2 students per PC permitted - Laptop Computers - Printers (different types) - PC Servicing Toolkits - Work Desks and chairs - Internet connection - Writing surface for the instructor (e.g. securely-mounted whiteboard) - Antistatic mats, grounded wrist straps - Protective Clothing (to be provided by student) **Computer Laboratory (for Computer Networking)** - Appropriate software - Personal Computers - maximum of 2 students per PC permitted - Laptop Computers - Printers - Networking toolkits - Switches - Routers - Internet connection - Network access points - Cabinets and patch panels - Networking consumables (cables, face plates, inserts e.t.c) - Work Desks and chairs - Writing surface for the instructor (e.g. securely-mounted whiteboard) - Antistatic mats, grounded wrist straps - Protective Clothing (to be provided by student) **Theory Classroom** - Classroom furniture - Writing surface for the Instructor (e.g. securely-mounted whiteboard) - Smart board - Computer and projector - Internet connection Adequately licensed computer software should be available for training purposes especially the under-listed: - Operating Systems e.g. Windows, Linux, MacOS, MS-DOS - Computer Fault Diagnosis Software - C++ compiler - Spreadsheet (Windows based) - Database packages e.g. Oracle, MySQL, SQL Server - Web Editing software - Graphics editing software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop) - Network emulation software e.g. packet tracer, GNS3 - UML diagramming software (e.g. star UML, Argo UML) - Word-processor (Windows based) - Internet and E-Mail software - Statistical Package - Microsoft Visual Studio at least 2010 - Microsoft Projects - Screen reading software for the visually impaired e.g. JAWS, NVDA, ORCA ### 14.3 SUGGESTED REFERENCES 1. Antani, V. (2016). *Mastering JavaScript*. Packt Publishing, Birmingham 2. Barnett G & Tongo L. D (2008) *Data Structures and Algorithms: Annotated Reference with Examples 1st Ed.* dotnetslackers.com 3. Beales R.P, (2013) *PC Systems Installations and Maintenance*, Taylor and Francis, New York 4. Beasley, JS and Nilkaew, P. (2016). *Networking Essentials: A CompTIA Network+ N10-006*. 4th Ed. Boston: Pearson. 5. Bertsekas, DP and Tsitsiklis, JN. (2008) *Introduction to Probability*. 2nd Ed. Massachusetts: Athena Scientific. 6. Billstein et al (2015) *A Problem Solving Approach to mathematics for Elementary School Teachers* Pearson, Canada 7. Boehm, Anne (2015) *Murach's Visual Basic*, Mike Murach & Associates 8. Bostock, L and Chandler, S. (2015) *Core Maths for A Level*. 4th Ed. Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham 9. Bryan Newsom (2015) *Visual Basic*, wrox 10. COMER, D (2017) *Essentials of Computer Architecture* 2nd Ed CRC Press 11. Comer, DE. (2015). *Computer Networks and Internets* 6th Ed. Boston: Pearson. 12. Cormen T. H et al (2009) *Introduction to Algorithms* 3rd Ed. The MIT Press 13. Coronel C and Morris S (2017) *Database Systems: Design, Implementation and Management* 13th Ed. Cengage Learning 14. Creswell, J. (2014) *Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches* 6th Ed. Sage Publications, London 15. Crookshanks E (2015), *Practical Software Development Techniques*, Apress 16. Crwashaw, J and Chambers, J. (2014) *Advanced Level Statistics*, Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham. 17. Dooley.L (2011), *Software Development and Professional Practice*, Apress 18. Downey A. B (2017) *Think Data Structures: Algorithms and Information Retrieval in Java* O'Reilly Media 19. Downing, D. et al (2012). *Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms (Barron's Business Dictionaries)*. 11th Ed. Barron's Educational Series. 20. Dr. Sachin Kadam (2010) *Computer Architecture and Maintenance* Arizona Business Alliance 21. Drozdek A (2013) *Data Structures and Algorithms in C++* 4th Ed. Cengage Learning, Boston 22. Elmasri R. and Navathe S. B. (2016) *Fundamentals of Database Management Systems* 7th Ed. Pearson 23. Forouzan, BA. (2012). *Data Communications and Networking*. 5th Ed. London: McGraw-Hill. 24. Foster.E.C (2014), *Software Engineering*, Apress 25. Francis A (2008) *Business Mathematics and Statistics*, 6th Ed. Cengage, London 26. Garcia-Molina H, Ullman J. D, Widom J (2013) *Database Systems: The Complete Book* 2nd Ed. Pearson 27. Gillenson, M. L. (2012) *Fundamentals of Database Management Systems* 2nd Ed. John Wiley & Sons 28. Goldie, S and Porkess, R. (2012). *Pure Mathematics 1*. Hodder Education, London 29. Gordon, A., Malik, J. and Hernandez, S. (2015). *Official (ISC)² guide to the CISSP CBK*. 4th Ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group. 30. Halvorson. M (2012) *Learn Microsoft Visual Basic 2012*, Microsoft Press 31. Henessy J.L and Patterson D.A (2011), *PC Technician Black Book*, Paraglyph Inc Press, New Dehli, India 32. Hughes A.J (1993) *Applied Mathematics: For Business Egonomics and the Social Sciences* Irwin Professional Publishing 33. Jeffrey R. Shapiro (2010) *Visual Basic(r).NET: The Complete Reference*, McGraw-Hill/Osborne 34. Jenkins, S. (2013). *Web Design All-in-One For Dummies* 2nd Ed. New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons. 35. Knowles, A. (2016). *Tough Challenges in Cybersecurity Ethics*. [online] Security Intelligence. Available at: https://securityintelligence.com/tough-challenges-cybersecurity-ethics/ [Accessed 20 Sep. 2017]. 36. Korth S. F., Sudarshan S and Silberschatz, A (2010) *Database System Concepts* 6th Ed. McGraw-Hill Higher Education 37. Kurose, JF and Ross, KW. (2017). *Computer Networking A Top-Down Approach*. 7th Ed. New York: Pearson. 38. Lockhart, J. (2015). *Modern PHP: New Features and Good Practices*. CA: O'Reilly Media. 39. Lucey, T. (2004). *Quantitative Techniques*. Cengage Learning, Boston 40. Lucey, T. (2014) *Management Information Systems* 8th Ed. London: Gill Macmillan Ltd. 41. Luis Ayala (2016), *Cyber-Physical Attack Recovery Procedures*, Apress 42. MacDonnell Ulsch (2014), *Cyber Threat!*, Wiley 43. Malik D. S (2010) *Data Structures Using C++* Course Technology, Boston 44. Martti Lehto, Pekka Neittaanmaki (2015), *Cyber Security*, Springer 45. Masterson, C. (2017). *JavaScript: Advanced Guide to Programming Code with JavaScript*. Boston: Kindle e-books. 46. Mehlhorn K. & Sanders P. (2010) *Algorithms and Data Structures: The Basic Toolbox* Springer 47. Mihajlov M. (2016). *HTML QuickStart Guide: The Simplified Beginner's Guide to HTML*. New York: ClydeBank Media. 48. Mir, NF. (2014). *Computer and Communication Networks* 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall, New York. 49. Novac.I et al (2010), *Visual Studio 2010 and .NET 4 Six-in-One*, Wrox 50. Oakshott, L. (2016). *Essential Quantitative Methods: For Business, Management and Finance* 6th Ed. Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire. 51. Orsborn, JW. (2008). *Best Practices in Quantitative Methods*. Sage Publishing, London. 52. Owen F. & Jones R. (1994) *Statistics* 4th Ed. Pitman Publishing 53. Patton, MQ. (2015) *Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods* 5th Ed. London: Sage Publications 54. Peterson, L. L. and Davie, B. S. (2010). *Computer Networks: A Systems Approach (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Networking)*. 5th Ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 55. Pressman, Roger (2014) *Software Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach* 8th Ed, McGraw Hill, New York, NY. 56. Priyadarshi Tripathy, Kshirasagar Naik (2015), *Software Evolution and Maintenance*, Wiley 57. Quinn, M. (2013). *Ethics for the information age*. 5th Ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education/Addison-Wesley. 58. Ramakrishnan, R (2009) *Database Management Systems* 3rd Ed. The McGraw-Hill 59. Robbins, JN. 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(2015). *Cybersecurity: The continuing evolution of insurance and ethics*. *Defense Counsel Journal*, 82(2), pp.192-198. ## PART II: SYLLABUS ### SUBJECT TITLE: COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE AND SERVICING ### SUBJECT CODE: 553/18/S01 ### DURATION: 200 HOURS ### 1.0 AIM The aim of the subject is to equip the student with knowledge, skills and attitudes to install, troubleshoot and maintain computer hardware and software in compliance with recommended health and safety practices. ### 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of the course the student should be able to: - describe computer organization - explain microcomputer structure and operation - practice appropriate workshop safety and equipment care when working in an it environment - describe, install, configure and troubleshoot computer peripherals - describe, install, configure and troubleshoot microprocessor components - describe, install, configure and troubleshoot computer memory components - describe, install, configure and troubleshoot storage devices - describe, install, configure and troubleshoot motherboard components - describe, install, configure and troubleshoot operating systems - draw up hardware and software maintenance plan - apply customer care principles in dealing with clients ### 3.0 TOPICS - MICROCOMPUTER STRUCTURE AND OPERATION - REGISTER STRUCTURE - SAFETY AND THE I.T ENVIRONMENT - POWER SUPPLY - MICROPROCESSOR - MEMORY - STORAGE DEVICES - MOTHERBOARDS - INTRODUCTION TO OPERATING SYSTEMS - HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE - CUSTOMER CARE ### 4.0 CONTENT #### 4.1 MICROCOMPUTER STRUCTURE AND OPERATION - Describe the following computing words: - Binary data - Coded data - Instruction - Describe the general operations of computer systems: - The computer instruction - The state diagram - Micro operations - Specify the functions of microprocessor components: - The register element - Data bus, Address bus - The ALU - The control element (R/W control lines, I/O control) - The memory element (Reset, Ready, wait states) - Memory referencing - Data Movements - Compare different microprocessors (e.g. Intel, Motorola, Cyrix and AMD) covering the following: - Data bus, Address bus, and Instruction bus - R/W control lines - I/O control lines - Reset in state - Ready (application to wait states) - System clock - Describe the configuration and installation of peripheral components: - Input ports: - Keyboard - Mouse - Pointing device connectors/ports e.t.c. - Output ports: - Monitor(VGA, SVGA video port) - Speaker - Printer e.t.c. - COM ports - USB - Hard Disk Drive controllers (IDE, EIDE, SCSI) - Specify common errors and troubleshooting for peripheral components #### 4.2 REGISTER STRUCTURE - Describe and give examples of the different logic devices in a microcomputer: - Flip-flop operations: - SR flip flop - JK flip flop (including master-slave) - T flip flop - D flip flop - Control states - Timing diagrams - Clocked flip flop #### 4.3 SAFETY AND THE IT ENVIRONMENT - Explain the concept of green computing - Describe the functions of hand tools - Apply hand tools - Observe safety precautions against Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) - Explain the functions of power management equipment (UPS, SPS, Surge Suppressor, Power conditioner) - Develop strategies to create and maintain a clean and safe working environment e.g. cleaning, heat, ventilation, fire - Identify health hazards in repairing computers (e.g. High Voltage-CRT, Power Supply, Lasers, high power light sources). - Develop strategies for safe disposal of computer components #### 4.4 POWER SUPPLY - Outline the following: - Functions - Characteristics - Form factors - Describe power supply components (Resistors, Capacitors, Diodes, Transistors) - Outline cooling methods and devices - Describe power supply installation - Specify common power supply errors and troubleshooting techniques #### 4.5 MICROPROCESSOR - Outline the process of installation and configuration of microprocessors - Explain microprocessor packaging - Outline processor architectures including microprocessor modes and manufacturers - Explain processor virtualization - Specify common microprocessor errors and troubleshooting techniques #### 4.6 MEMORY - Outline the process of installation and configuration of memory components - Explain the following: - Memory types (SRAM, DRAM, EDO RAM, SDRAM, ROM, EPROM, and EEPROM) - Memory Packaging (DIP, SIMM, SO-DIMM, DIMM) - Cache Memory, Video Memory, BIOS, Virtual Memory - Memory Banks, Parity - Describe DMA management - Specify common memory problems and troubleshooting techniques #### 4.7 STORAGE SYSTEMS - Explain the following types of storage systems: - Secondary - Tertiary - Offline - Compare the following storage concepts: - DAS - SAN - NAS - Cloud - Explain RAID technology #### 4.8 MOTHERBOARDS - Outline the following: - Motherboard form factors - Motherboard components - Outline the process of installation and configuration of motherboards - Describe the following: - System Board Architectures (Integrated, Non-Integrated) - Bus Architecture: address bus, data bus, control bus - Explain the following: - Expansion bus types (e.g. ISA, EISA, PCI, AGP, PCMCIA) - POST - CMOS and IRQ settings - Interpret BIOS error codes - Outline cooling methods and devices - Specify common motherboard errors and troubleshooting techniques #### 4.9 INTRODUCTION TO OPERATING SYSTEMS - Outline the history of operating systems - Explain operating system services - Outline operating system process management: - Process states - Scheduling - Prioritization - Outline the process of installation and configuration of operating systems and virtual environments - Specify common operating systems problems and troubleshooting #### 4.10 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE - Outline the types of maintenance - Formulate a maintenance plan - Apply hardware and software maintenance tools - Outline the structure of a hardware/software inventory register - Explain the process of: - Disassembly and assembly of a computer - Cleaning and maintaining PC components - Explain the software patch management process #### 4.11 CUSTOMER CARE - Outline the process of planning for good service: - Establishing personal rapport with the customer - Interview the customer - Dealing with customers - Problem escalation - Develop strategies for user training ### 5.0 ASSESSMENT SCHEME | SUBJECT TITLE AND CODE | WRITTEN EXAMINATION 40% | CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT 60% | WEIGHTING | |---|---|---|---| | Computer Architecture and Servicing 553/18/S01 | 3 hour written examination | A minimum of 3 Field Work based assignments 30% (weighted 10% each) Skills Competency Testing 30% | 100% | ### 6.0 ASSESSMENT SPECIFICATION GRID | OBJ | TOPIC | WEIGHTING % | |---|---|---| | 1 | MICROCOMPUTER STRUCTURE & OPERATION | 10 | | 2 | REGISTER STRUCTURE | 10 | | 3 | SAFETY AND THE I.T ENVIRONMENT | 8 | | 4 | POWER SUPPLY | 10 | | 5 | MICROPROCESSOR | 10 | | 6 | MEMORY | 10 | | 7 | STORAGE SYSTEMS | 10 | | 8 | MOTHERBOARDS | 10 | | 9 | INTRODUCTION TO OPERATING SYSTEMS | 10 | | 10 | HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE | 10 | | 11 | CUSTOMER CARE | 7 | | | **TOTAL** | **100** | ### 7.0 SUGGESTED REFERENCES 1. Beales R.P, (2013) *PC Systems Installations and Maintenance*, Taylor and Francis, New York 2. COMER, D (2017) *Essentials of Computer Architecture* 2nd Ed CRC Press 3. Dr. Sachin Kadam (2010) *Computer Architecture and Maintenance* Arizona Business Alliance 4. Henessy J.L and Patterson D.A (2011), *PC Technician Black Book*, Paraglyph Inc Press, New Dehli, India 5. Stallings, W (2010) *Computer Organisation and Architecture* Prentice Hall ### SUBJECT TITLE: DATA COMMUNICATION AND NETWORKS ### SUBJECT CODE: 553/18/S02 ### DURATION: 200 HOURS ### 1.0 AIM The aim of the subject is to equip students with knowledge, skills and attitudes in data communications and computer networking concepts & fundamentals. ### 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of the course the student should be able to: - describe the fundamental concepts of a computer network - identify and describe network standards - explain the function of each of the layers of the OSI reference model including the protocols involved. - explain the TCP/IP model and compare it with osi reference model - plan, design, install, configure, test and maintain a network ### 3.0 TOPICS - INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW - NETWORK STANDARDS - OSI REFERENCE MODEL - TCP/IP MODEL - NETWORK ADMINISTRATION ### 4.0 CONTENT #### 4.1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW - Outline the fundamental components of a computer network - Explain the following data transmission concepts: - Analogue and digital Signaling - Frequency, Bandwidth, Data rate - Simplex, Half-Duplex, Duplex - Synchronous and Asynchronous Transmission - Describe the following communication media: - bounded (Twisted pair, fibre optic, coaxial) - unbounded (microwave, radio e.t.c) - bandwidth/data rate / cost tradeoffs - Explain network switching techniques (circuit, message, packet) #### 4.2 NETWORK STANDARDS - Explain the role of networking standards - Outline and discuss various standards (ISO/IEC, IETF, IEEE, ΕΙΑ/ΤΙΑ and IANA) - Explain the IEEE 802 specification (Wired and Wireless etc.) - Describe the following data communications technologies: - PSTN (including DSL) - ISDN - N-ISDN - Evolution of PBX - B-ISDN and ATM - VoIP - Outline and discuss mobile communication: - Wireless networks - Satellite systems - Telecommunication technologies (GSM, UMTS, CDMA LTE) #### 4.3 OSI REFERENCE MODEL - Describe the following layers: **4.3.1 Physical layer** - Physical layer functions - Physical layer protocols - Physical medium attachment, accommodating various possibilities in the medium - Transmission technique (baseband (digital) or broadband (analog) signaling. - Physical medium transmission: electrical, optical **4.3.2 Data link layer** - Link establishment and termination - Data link layer sublayers - Data link layer functions - Frame format - Error detection and correction methods - Hamming code - CRC - Parity check - Data link layer protocols (PPP, SLIP, MPLS, ATM, HDLC) **4.3.3 Network Layer** - Network layer hardware - Network layer functions - Network layer protocols - Routing algorithms (e.g. Distance Vector, Link State) **4.3.4 Transport Layer** - Transport layer functions - Transport layer protocols - Flow and error control methods - Congestion control methods **4.3.5 Session Layer** - Session layer functions - Session layer protocols **4.3.6 Presentation Layer** - Presentation layer functions - Presentation layer protocols - Character code translation: for example, ASCII to EBCDIC. - Data encryption methods (e.g. hashing, symmetric and asymmetric) **4.3.7 Application Layer** - Application layer functions - Application layer protocols - Network application architectures - Network virtualization #### 4.4 TCP/IP MODEL - Outline the development of TCP/IP - Explain TCP/IP layers - Discuss the application of TCP/IP - Compare TCP/IP with OSI reference model #### 4.5 NETWORK ADMINISTRATION - Outline the steps involved in network planning - Develop strategies for network security - Explain network management systems e.g. SNMP - Outline cabling standards - Outline steps involved in network setup and configuration (hardware and software) - Develop strategies for implementing network maintenance