Design and Implementation of Electronic Infrastructure for Academic Establishment

Abstract

Most establishments, including academic institutions, undergoes the lengthy process of paper-based document handling such as direct mailing, indexing and tracking. This daily task is time consuming and resource-intensive. Using a private network dedicated for such document management would benefit the establishment increasing operational efficiency. In this paper, the Information and Communication Engineering [ICE] department was used as a model to determine the requirements needed to build the Intranet network. A Packet Tracer simulator was used to build a virtual intranet architecture. Then the simulation report was examined to ensure optimum functionality. Upon establishing a stable behavior, an intranet infrastructure building commenced using the available hardware components and software. The system architecture was based on Windows 2012 R2 server to manage three separated sub-networks connected to three switches and one router. Running the intranet for one semester proved its success in providing a fast, cheap and simplified service for all department needs. The accomplished system is a step forward to achieve a full electronic department in scientific establishments.