Question 1

Answer the following questions regarding government and industry policies and guidelines, relating to the development of efficient and reliable, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) environments

1.1. Identify three (3) regulations, policies or guidelines related to virtual computing environments.

European Telecommunications Standards Institute

(ETSI)

NFV Security: This standard deals with the security rules and criteria for Network Function Virtualization (NFV) environments, which are widely used in telecommunications.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): This specification governs the processing, transmission, and storage of cardholder data in virtual environments and is applicable to businesses that conduct credit card transactions.

National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Special Publication 800-125B In this paper, recommendations for safeguarding virtual environments, such as hypervisors, virtual networks, and virtual computers, are given.

1.2. What are the four (4) outcomes expected of Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF)?

Confidence in the Australian Government: Increase public trust in the government's capacity to safeguard its citizens, resources, and information from security threats.

Protection of persons, information, and assets: Take action to protect personnel, information, and tangible and intangible property against security threats.

Strong governance: Ensure that

organizations

set up and keep up a reliable governance structure to handle security and risk efficiently.

Informed decision-making: Promote the application of risk management concepts to help people make well-informed decisions about protective security.

1.3.

Identify three (3) Best Practice Principles for Government agencies mentioned in the Australian Governments Secure Cloud Strategy Document (30-50 words)

 

Compliance and legal considerations: When adopting cloud services, government agencies are obliged to adhere to all applicable laws, rules, and policies. They should also

take into account contractual agreements to address their unique demands while upholding legal standards.

Risk-based approach: To determine if cloud services are appropriate for specific ICT requirements, government organizations are urged to use a risk-based approach.

Data sovereignty and privacy: Organizations should take data sovereignty and privacy requirements into account and make sure that sensitive data is handled and safeguarded in the cloud in accordance with industry standards

 

Question 2

Provide four (4) recommendations for IT managers to ensure sustainability for ICT design (50 -100 words)

 

Promote environmentally friendly IT practices such as electronic document management, power management guidelines, and device power-off when not in use.

Select hardware, data

centers

, and equipment with eco-friendly certifications that are energy-efficient. To

maximize

resource

utilization

and cut down on power usage, embrace virtualization and server consolidation.

Use cloud computing to share resources and increase scalability, reducing waste and energy usage.

Give long-term, upgradeable solutions first priority to cut down on electronic waste and prevent frequent replacements. Conduct sustainability audits to spot problem areas and include environmentally friendly procedures into ICT development and operation.

 

Question 3

Identify four (4) benefits of virtualization and provide an example of each (30-50 words for each benefit)

 

Better Resource Utilization: Virtualization makes it possible to use computational resources more effectively. To ensure optimal resource consumption and minimize idle capacity, a virtualized environment, for example, might dynamically distribute CPU and RAM to virtual machines based on demand.

Cost savings: Virtualization lowers the amount of hardware needed and operating costs. For instance, combining several virtual servers onto a single physical server might reduce the need for hardware purchases, power use, and data center space.

Better Disaster Recovery: Virtualization makes disaster recovery faster and more dependable. System restoration is made simpler by encapsulating whole virtual computers as files. A virtual machine can be easily transferred to another host, for instance, in the event of a server failure.

Flexibility and scalability: Virtualization make it simple to scale up IT resources. For instance, installing more virtual computers to swiftly meet rising user demand is possible without requiring a complex hardware setup.

 

Question 4

Explain the process and procedures to install virtualization software and virtual machines in an enterprise environment (100 -200 words)

 

Assessment and Planning

:

Examine the enterprise's needs, available hardware, and virtualization software alternatives (such VMware, Hyper-V, and KVM), then calculate the number of virtual machines and their resource needs.

Hardware and Software Setup

: Make that the server hardware complies with the virtualization program's requirements.

Create Virtual Machines

: Specify variables like CPU, RAM, storage, and network settings while creating virtual machines using the administration panel of the virtualization programme.

Operating System Installation

: Start the installation procedure by mounting the operating system installation disc on the virtual machine.

Integration and Management

: Improve VM efficiency and host system integration by installing integration tools or guest enhancements.

Security and Networking

: Set up the VMs' network settings to ensure optimal isolation and communication. Install firewalls and antivirus software into VMs as security measures.

Testing and Optimization

: Check the virtualized environment for compatibility, performance, and stability.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

: To ensure data safety, use backup solutions for virtual machines. To restore virtualized systems in the event of hardware failure or other problems, create disaster recovery strategies.

 

Question 5

Explain the process for configuring a virtual machine into a network design using VMware VSphere (100-200 words)

 

Network Planning

:

Establish the virtual machine's (VM) network requirements, including its IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS settings. Choose whether the VM should be on the host's network or a different network.

Create Virtual Switch

:

Create or utilize an existing virtual switch (vSwitch) with the vSphere Client. Physical networks and other virtual machines running on the same host are connected through the vSwitch. Set up the required network adapters and uplinks on the vSwitch.

Port Group Configuration

:

On the vSwitch, create a port group by entering the VLAN ID and other network parameters. The network segment to which the VMs will connect is specified by the port group.

VM Network Adapter

:

Add a network adapter and modify the VM parameters. For the VM to connect to the target network, choose the proper port group.

Network Configuration within VM

:

Configure the network settings in the VM's operating system in accordance with the anticipated network needs. This involves configuring the DNS, IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.

Test and Verify

:

Once the VM is running, make sure the network connection is stable. To ensure appropriate communication, do network connection tests.

 

Question 6

Identify and explain three (3) industry standard tools and software applications that can be used to manage virtual machines in an enterprise environment. (30 -50 words for each)

 

Microsoft Hyper-V

: A virtualization platform with built-in integration that comes with Windows Server. Through the use of capabilities like resource monitoring, live migration, and connection with Windows-based systems, Hyper-V enables businesses to construct and manage virtual machines.

VMware vSphere

: A thorough virtualization management platform that enables businesses to build, set up, and control virtual machines. For effective VM administration, it offers capabilities like centralized management, resource allocation, high availability, and disaster recovery.

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

: A virtualization system built on Linux that makes use of the virtualization features in the kernel. KVM offers businesses outstanding performance and scalability on Linux-based systems while enabling the easy creation and management of virtual machines. Tools like

virt

-manager and command-line interfaces can be used for management.

 

 

Question 7

Identify and explain how to configure software applications to manage virtual machines. Provide three (3) examples.  (30 -50 words for each)

 

Install the Virtualization Software: Install the preferred virtualization software on the host computer, such as VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, or VirtualBox.

Create Virtual Machines: Create virtual machines by providing hardware resources like CPU, RAM, and storage using the management interface. Put guest operating systems on the virtual machines.

Configure Networking: Create virtual networks and join virtual machines to them to enable communication between VMs and the outside network.

Assign Resources: According to its needs and workload, assign each virtual machine the appropriate amount of CPU, RAM, and storage.

Install Integration Tools: Install guest enhancements or integration tools to enhance virtual machine performance and activate features like shared files and smooth mouse interaction.

 

Examples of software applications to manage virtual machines:

VMware vCenter Server

: For managing VMware vSphere environments, vCenter Server provides a centralized platform to create, configure, and monitor virtual machines, clusters, and resource pools.

Microsoft Hyper-V Manager

: Included with Windows Server, Hyper-V Manager allows users to create, edit, and control virtual machines on Hyper-V hosts.

VirtualBox

: A cross-platform virtualization solution that offers a user-friendly interface to create, manage, and run virtual machines on various host operating systems.

 

 

Question 8

Identify and explain configuration required to integrate virtual machines into existing network design. Provide three (3) examples.  (30 -50 words for each)

 

Network Adapter Settings: Establish a connection between the network adapter of the virtual machine and the proper network segment or VLAN using the virtualization software.

IP Address Configuration: Give the virtual machine a special IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS settings that are compatible with the current network's IP addressing structure.

Firewall and Security Settings: Establish firewall rules and security policies to guarantee that the virtual machine may communicate securely with other devices on the network while abiding by the accepted security standards.

Examples of configuration for integrating virtual machines into an existing network design:

Bridged Networking

: Set the virtual machine's network adapter to bridged mode so it may connect to the physical network directly and obtain an IP address from the active DHCP server.

NAT (Network Address Translation)

: Set the virtual machine's network adapter to NAT mode so that it may remain separate from the rest of the network while still being able to connect with the outside network using the host's IP address.

VLAN Tagging

: In VLAN-enabled environments, set up the virtual switch and network adapter to tag the virtual machine's traffic with the proper VLAN ID, ensuring that it connects with other virtual machines on the proper VLAN segment of the current network.