Network Operating Systems
Networking Assignment
Semester 1– 2012
Worth 10% of ITECH1002 /5002 Assessment
Section 2: Research (10%) Due: 4pm Wid of week 10
The aims of this assignment are:
• Section 2 (worth 10 marks)
To research aspects of technology related to ITECH1002 /5002 Network Operating Systems. You must write an individual technical report and in that report include at least one reference using APA style referencing.
In addition to answering all questions posed in the assignment description, both sections of the assignment require students to undertake practical investigations, capture associated screen shots and include them in their submission. Your screen shots must include either a directory or file that is named using your student number as this will uniquely identify your screen captures from those of other students. Practical investigations are best done in a VirtualBox environment either on university lab machines or your own machine.
Screen captures in the Linux and XP virtual machines can be copied to a USB memory stick for inclusion in assignment reports. The USB device is identified as z: drive in the XP virtual machine and as the /mnt/vbox/ directory in ubuntu.
Section 2: Research Report (worth 10 marks)
Acceptable report length - Approximate length: eight A4 sides.
This assignment is both theoretical and practical. You are expected to investigate aspects of Linux and Windows XP from books, electronic help or from the Internet. You are also expected to support your theoretical discussion with results that include at least 4 screen captures as evidence of personal practical investigation.
Students are required to provide approximately 1 A4 side for each and every one of the following topics. Each topic relates directly to the lecture material and hence effort on this assignment should help students answer questions on the end of semester examination paper and therefore lead to a better final grade in the course.
Task 2.1: Linux special bits (1 mark)
The SUID bit allows a program to run with higher than normal privilege while the Sticky bit allows the protection of files in a shared directory.
Describe how to set and reset the SUID and Sticky bits using the chmod command (symbolic notation). Then describe in far more detail than above the effect each of these two bits has on its associated file/directory.
Task 2.2: The effect of Linux r,w & x permissions (1 mark)
The Linux r,w & x bits cause different behaviour when applied to files as when they are applied to directories.
Describe the differences and offer some explanation as to why there are such differences. (Use at least one screen capture to support your discussion)
Task 2.3: The role of Access Control Lists in Windows File System Security (1 mark)
In standard Linux systems (like the ubuntu image used in labs) only three entities (owner, group and other) can be allocated file permissions, however in Windows environments ACL’s allows many users or groups to be allocated permissions.
To show that you understand the advantages of ACL’s over the owner/group/other method used by Linux:
1. describe the Linux method of allocating r,w & x permissions to file system resources.
2. then describe the ACL method used in Windows
3. hence show the advantages the Windows method has over the somewhat dated Linux method of controlling File System Security.
Task 2.4: Differences in Share level security & NTFS security ( 1 mark)
In networked environments share level permissions provide an administrator the ability to control the level of access network clients have to shared resources, whereas NTFS permissions provide local security to files and directories on local hard drives.
To show your understanding of the differences between share & NTFS permissions do the following:
Detail the different levels of share permissions and describe the effect each has on its associated directory. (Note – Share permissions can only be applied to directories/folders but not files)
Detail the different levels of NTFS permissions available and the effect each has on its associated resource
Describe what level of access a network client’s gets to a file system resource when both share and NTSF permissions are applied.
Task 2.5: Windows Rights and Built-in Groups ( 1 mark)
Built-in groups are used by Windows to allocate varying levels of administrative ability to different users. To show your understanding of how this is implemented in Windows do the following:
1. Describe how to view the list of Rights on a Windows XP system
2. List at least 5 such Windows Rights and briefly describe what functionality each right provides
3. Describe how to add a Right to a Windows Group
4. List the Windows Rights that are allocated to the following groups:
a. Administrators
b. Power Users
c. Guests
Task 2.6: Describe the roles of various Browser Service entities (2 marks)
Note – This section is not formally covered in this course until week 11, hence student are required to research this topic on the Internet or from other sources.
The Microsoft browser service underpins the way Microsoft servers share folders and printers to network clients. This service consists of the following three entities:
• Browse master
• Backup browser
• Network clients
To show your understanding of how the browse service works do the following:
1. Describe how the Browse Master (otherwise known and the Master Browser) determines the list of resources (shares & printers) available on a Microsoft network.
2. Describe the role of Backup Browsers
3. Describe how a client machine determines the resources available of an Microsoft network
4. Describe why Browse Master elections underpin the Microsoft Browser service
Your discussion of the Browser Service must include at least one reference from a book or journal article. To correctly include the reference in your report you must:
1. include a references section on the last page of your report and it must include the reference formatted in APA standard format.
2. Refer to the reference in 1. above somewhere within the body of your report using correct apa formatting
Students should refer to the university’s web site for details on how to correctly reference published material in APA format in academic reports.
http://guerin.ballarat.edu.au/aasp/student/learning_support/generalguide/
Assignment submission and Marking criteria
Submission
Students must submit an electronic copy of each section of their assignment by its associated due date. If the electronic copy is not submitted zero marks will be awarded for that part of the assignment. Electronic copies must be submitted to the ITECH1002/5002 Moodle site.
Electronic copies will provide a basis for automatic plagiarism detection.
Marking criteria
Section 1 (worth 10 marks)
This section will be marked on its technical content and presentation. This section of the assignment should be written in such a manner that a novice Linux user could understand how to use any command detailed in your Linux reference and also gain a better understanding of number systems, Linux file structure and other topics covered.
Students will receive low or zero marks if material is copied from man pages or other electronic sources. Students are expected to describe how commands work using their own wording.
Section 2 (worth 10 marks)
Marks will be allocated to:
1. Technical aspects of the submission 7 marks
Students must show good understanding of the technical
aspects of the topic, the report must also show evidence
of practical investigation in the form of screen captures that
contain a file or directory named the same as your student ID number.
2. English expression and presentation 2 marks
3. APA referencing (minimum of 1 reference) 1 mark