Network Operations, Security, and Services

This unit focuses on hands-on network operations: maintaining, securing, and delivering common network services for small to medium environments. Students will perform routine maintenance (patching, updates, backups, account management), configure core services (DHCP, wireless, NAT, shared drives/printers), and compare virtualization and cloud deployment models to select appropriate infrastructure solutions.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze and document routine maintenance workflows and troubleshooting procedures by developing a knowledge base entry, a patching/backup schedule, and a fire‑drill recovery checklist.
• Configure core network services—including DHCP scopes, wireless access points, NAT, shared folders, and printer sharing—and demonstrate correct file transfer and permission management on a server.
• Implement security and resiliency practices by applying OS/application patches, securing user accounts (password resets, disabling/enabling, policy forcing), enforcing physical controls, and executing scheduled backups and a disaster-recovery test.
• Evaluate virtualization and cloud options (public, private, hybrid) and select suitable virtualization hosts and server operating systems for a given scenario, justifying choices based on scalability, cost, manageability, and security.