ISDS 3075

Internship Report

Spring 2014

Lindsay Celino Haley

Louisiana State University Information Technology Services

200 Frey Computing Services Baton Rouge, LA 70803

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Table of Contents

My Experience ............................................................................................ 3

The Professional Worker ............................................................................ 9

Future Plans ............................................................................................. 13

Appendix .................................................................................................. 15

References ............................................................................................... 17

3

My Experience

Over the course of the past six years, I have had the pleasure of working as an

Associate Analyst and Student Team Lead with the University Network Engineering and

Architecture (NEA) group located in Frey Computing Services at Louisiana State

University (LSU). Working here has allowed me to be immersed in a world of a rapidly

changing technology that many end-users will never know about. I have learned how to

access and update Hewlett Packard (HP) and Cisco networking equipment as well as

how and why certain processes and procedures are necessary for the University’s

network to function. Additionally, I have gained a sense of leadership among the other

students in our group. Because I have worked in this position for such a length of time,

the other students frequently come to me and ask questions about different aspects of

our work. I am grateful that I have been able to have this experience as it has given me

a taste of what it is like in an information technology professional workplace.

Frey Computing Services is composed of many offices related to many functions

of LSU’s website and network. There are several groups that work on the varying levels

of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. Many groups involved in the upper

layers of the OSI model include programmers, network security, and user support. My

work is primarily involved with the groups in Layers 1-3, the physical, data, and network

layers. The groups involved in these three layers include Fiber, Installation, Telephony,

Network Maintenance, and Network Operations Center (NOC).

The fiber and installation groups work closely together creating fiber connections

and installing other network equipment. The install group also accesses and makes

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updates to switch and routing equipment. The telephony group is greatly involved with

installation and maintenance of Voice over IP (VoIP) phones across campus. The work

performed by the Network Maintenance group is relatively self-explanatory. They are

heavily involved in installation, maintenance, upgrades to LSU’s network. Additionally,

they are involved with other improvements upon the network such as making LSU’s

network IPv6 compatible, providing network support to nearby universities, and being a

testing facility of sorts for improvements to existing networking protocols and equipment.

The Network Operations Center, or NOC, is an integral part of the LSU network. They

are on campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ensuring that all of the networking

equipment is up and running. If they run across any issues or notice equipment failures,

they will either fix the issue or contact the proper personnel to return to campus to fix

the problem.

The network group that I am a part of is network maintenance. Much of my work

comprises of accessing networking equipment to either update documentation for future

projects or to update information on the switches and routers themselves. More times

than not, I am remotely accessing switches using SecureShell (SSH) protocol via a

software client called PuTTY. Most of the networking gear on LSU’s campus is Cisco,

but some locations have HP devices. Though they have the same functionality,

accessing HP and Cisco switches is slightly different because they have different

manufacturer protocols and configurations. Thus, many times I find myself scouring the

internet for the HP equivalent of Cisco commands. I am also involved in making

changes to and installation of wireless access points (WAPs). Here, WAP maintenance

can be performed through Cisco Optimus or by directly accessing the wireless controller

that the WAP is connected to. Other jobs I perform involve confirming documentation,

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picking up or delivering equipment for early morning maintenance upgrades, and

terminating networking cables, specifically console cables and RJ45s.

I am grateful that I have learned a great deal about networking not only from my

job but also from being a student in LSU’s Information Systems and Decision Sciences

department. At work, I have been given training about the OSI model, programming

schemes, and Cisco switches and routing. In class, specifically ISDS 4120, I have

gained a broader and more generalized view about how networks work and what

processes and equipment go into them. I have learned that ports on switches can be

divided into individual containers depending on the needs of the users. These

containers are called Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs). VLANs can be individually

customized so that only users within the same VLAN can communicate with one

another and have the same set of security and traffic protocols. Users on a given VLAN

cannot exchange data with those on other VLANs, but they can exchange data with

users who are on the same VLAN on another switch.

Since I have been working here for such a lengthy time, a great deal of trust has

been placed in me regarding large projects. I have given input regarding execution of

projects I headed as well as leadership in directing the other students when performing

tasks for our projects. Some projects I have performed involved working with customers

who were a part of a different department on campus. This project, the copy machine

project as I like to call it, lasted several months due to the schedule provided by the

customer.

Across campus, copy machines were being replaced as part of a life cycle

overhaul. The copiers they were replacing were the large office-style ones that users

could connect to over the network allowing them to print documents from the comfort of

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their offices. Once we were notified of this project, in an effort to prevent future

headaches and streamline future documentation, we stepped in to ensure the new

copiers would function properly with the network. In the early stages of the project, my

job was to locate the preexisting copiers and document how and where they are

connected to the network. During the implementation of the project is where things

became tricky. My job was to place the switch ports that the copiers were connected to

into the correct VLAN and ensure that this VLAN had the correct access from the router.

One of the problems that arose was the discovery of port channels which made

connecting the printers complicated. Port channels are created to increase link speed

between network switches by grouping physical ports into one link. Whenever this was

the case, my supervisor would to step in to resolve it because I did not have the access

or knowledge to fix this type of problem. Additionally, some switches or routers did not

already have that particular VLAN programmed into them. So I had to update them to

allow traffic for that VLAN. A third problem that occurred was not the fault of either party,

but that of our NOC. The NOC replaced some of the networking switches that the new

copiers were connected to with some that did not have the most recent configuration.

Once I was notified, upgrading the configuration was an easy task to tackle. I am

excited to say that this project was completed on time and ran fairly smoothly for

something in which I had such an integral part.

Another major project that I was assigned was to traverse the entirety of LSU’s

Baton Rouge campus, including driving to South Campus, the Veterinary school, and

locations along River Road, to update device names, IP addresses, and labeling and

documentation information. While making these changes was a simple task, the most

rigorous part of this project was locating the telecommunications closets that housed

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our equipment. Nearly all of these telecom closets were in buildings I had never been

into before. Additionally it was a learning process for my supervisors and me as far as

how to enter each room. Although most telecom closets were easily accessible with our

keys, some locations took more effort to access. Some devices were housed in the

offices of graduate students or instructors. A few were located in restrooms, and some

telecom closets required that we borrow keys from LSU’s locksmith. There were also

other tricks that I had to learn to enter some rooms. For example, one closet is located

in the stairwell of the Cox building between the first and second floors. To reach this

door, you must use the main staircase to reach the second floor, and then walk down a

nearby stairwell to the closet because the first floor door was locked from the outside. I

think the first floor stairwell door has since been unlocked, but it was quite an interesting

process at the time. A huge plus from this project, aside from updating our

documentation, is that I now know the locations of most of the telecom closets across

campus (excluding those housed in the residential halls), and I am occasionally asked

where our closets are or how to access them.

As I mentioned before, some of the groups work very closely together, but not

exclusively with each other. For the most part, the groups within the first three levels of

the OSI model have cooperative projects. Occasionally, I have worked on smaller

projects in collaboration with other network groups in our office. One included replacing

and upgrading equipment at the Edward Gay apartment complex for the install group. I

was assigned to configure and deploy several switches into the complex as well as

remove the existing equipment. The configuration code for these was slightly different

than what is used in the main campus buildings, but it was a similar process to

accomplish this task.

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Another collaborative project was for the telephony group. Due to the nature of

their work, the telephony group has been granted limited access to networking switches

and routers. Sometimes I have been asked to locate IP address or switch information

regarding some of their VoIP phones across campus. A recent major project that I have

done with them involved ensuring that the all of the VoIP phones across campus were

assigned to a specific wall jack per phone. Prior to this upgrade, VoIP phone users

could plug in their phone somewhere other than their office and be able to make phone

calls. This was problematic because if the person’s phone is plugged into a different

location and they dial 911 in an emergency in which they cannot speak, emergency

responders would go to the location specified in the documentation, not to where the

phone was physically plugged in. By assigning the phone’s MAC address to a specific

switch port, VoIP phones would no longer be usable when plugged into ports not

assigned to them. Additionally VoIP users must now contact the telephony group to

activate or relocate their phones.

Overall, I am grateful for the many years of experience I have been able to gain

while working here. Working here has broken me out of my shell by making me more

involved and responsible, and it has given me leadership skills that I previously never

thought I would attain. Initially, I switched majors several times before settling on and

graduating with Psychology. After coming back to school and taking many ISDS

courses, I have gained a new meaning to what I do and why I am doing it. Working here,

I have gained insights into how information technology professional workplaces function

and what goes in to keeping and maintaining a large network for tens of thousands of

users.

9

The Professional Worker

The first of the two readings from Michael Hammer, “From Worker to

Professional”, discusses how the workforce has changed from workers in the Industrial

Revolution to professionals today. In the Industrial Revolution, much of the workforce

consisted of laborers and craftsmen who left their lives of autonomy and uncertainty to

gain certainty with their life and earn wages, while becoming dependent on their

employers. Now, at the close of the Industrial Revolution, the workforce is in a stage of

reassessment and is slowly moving back to an autonomic environment. Companies

today are more focused on the needs of the customer as well as processes of

production and their impact on the environment. Hammer goes on to explain three types

of work activity: value-adding, non-value-adding, and waste work.

He describes value-adding work as work that customers are willing to pay for,

such as goods and services. Value-adding work is something that can continually be

improved upon, such as bettering the product, improvements to communications with

customers, or changes in procedures and policies. Non-value-adding work is required to

perform the value-adding work, but has no value to the customer. It is becoming more

prominent in businesses than value-adding work. It includes administrative work, like

reporting, controlling, and supervising. A problem with non-value-adding work is that it is

needed for the organization to function, but it is a major source of errors and delays in

production or processes. Waste work refers to redundant, erroneous, or meaningless

work performed that does not add nor enable value to any party involved. Hammer

gives a plethora of examples regarding ways to either enhance or combat the three

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types of work activity and the implications each has on the worker, the company, and

consumer.

Network analysts’ primary concern is customers. Whether or not they keep them

in the forefront of their minds, customers are the ones who benefit from the work they

perform. Do the customers, or in our case the students, actually know who we are, what

we do, and how we are benefitting their lives? Probably not, but that is what makes this

business-customer relationship so profound. We are tending to the internet connectivity

needs of tens of thousands of seemingly anonymous users across campus and trying to

be several steps ahead with their needs before they know they need them.

In relation to Hammer’s “From Worker to Professional” article, the value we

provide to customers is the accessibility to connect to the network and the internet. By

having the NOC constantly monitoring the network, we ensure the customers will have

access to the internet at all times. This is an example of value-adding work, if the NOC

did not exist, the customers’ needs for network connectivity would not be satisfied. An

example of non-value-adding work is my copy machine project. The copier users would

not have noticed any change in service even though I made VLAN changes on their

respective switches. This project was for our organizational and documentation needs

rather than the needs of the customer.

As mentioned before, the NEA and NOC groups are heavily involved in

maintaining network equipment. In addition to network maintenance, they are also

responsible for keeping accurate records of our networking equipment. There is a

shared network drive that is used to store telecom closet information, including switch

IPs, port information, and fiber connections. Another way we share documentation is

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through the network maintenance Wiki. The Wiki contains information about past and

present projects, which employees are working on them, and the status of projects. The

Wiki also has pages with procedural information for accessing configuring and switches

for example, as well as switch configuration templates, and switch and routing IP

addresses and other information. It is important for our professional workplace to

maintain current and accurate records to reduce waste work and prevent network

conflicts.

Hammer goes on to explain how the term “professional” has changed over time.

It has moved from being a reference to physicians and lawyers to one that defines a

person who is “responsible for achieving a result rather than performing a task.”

Hammer also explains that professionals today are responsible for solving the problems

of the customers and giving the customers value in their response. In contrast, the term

“worker” refers to someone whose goal is to please their employer by performing the

work he is assigned. Additionally, he discusses how professionals are “a cross between

worker and manager, responsible both for performing work and for assuring its

successful completion.” This thought seems reasonable in that they are performing a

task at their own discretion, rather than taking assignments from a manager and

supervisor.

I feel like I have gone through this transition within myself, going from a worker to

a professional. Six years ago, I was a freshman in college and I needed a job. The work

was related to the major I was in at the time, Computer Engineering, and it sounded like

a great way to earn money on a flexible schedule. I worked on my assignments quickly

and efficiently, well before the expected due date. Oftentimes, I would double check my

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work before submitting it. Time went on; I graduated and was unemployed. My work

experience in combination with a psychology degree made me overqualified for some

jobs, and made me under-appreciated for others. I returned to school for a degree in

ISDS and was able to have my student job again. After taking some courses, I have

gained new meaning in what I do, a greater sense of responsibility, and experience

working with professionals.

While it is debatable that a student worker is considered a professional, there is

still a great deal of experience that can be gained at a professional university office.

Working here, I have gained a sense of community. Not only do the various groups in

our office collaborate on projects together on occasion, but they also enjoy spending

time with each other outside of the office. I have also learned about time management

and leadership being student team lead for our group. Teaching and guiding the newer

student workers in our group and being able to coordinate with each other to complete

tasks within a timely manner are both leadership roles I have fulfilled. Working here has

given me a stronger sense of responsibility and improved my communication skills. I

have been given numerous solo projects to work on over the years, but only one truly

stands out in affecting my personal growth. The copy machine project gave me nearly

full responsibility to complete as well as communications with customers. Prior to this

project, I have never worked directly with a customer before. It gave me a taste of how

customers would react to problems and showed me how capable I am to solve their

problems.

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Future Plans

In Hammer’s article “What I Tell My Children”, he discusses how the work

environment will have changed from one with a high degree of certainty to one that is

difficult to fully anticipate. He explains how there is no clearly defined formula for a

successful career in the 21st century and that “there is [no longer] a single winning

career path” like there was in the 20th century. He also tells of how there will be no one

career that will be spared of unemployment or economic downfalls, creating a “new Age

of Anxiety”. He further discusses how automation and technology have made human

resources even more available than before. The hiring and selection process has

shifted from one where few skills and little thought were required in the automation

industry to one asking who you are as a person and how well you think and apply your

knowledge and skills. I feel like this article was very thought-provoking as to how the

work environment has changed over the course of the past century. A great deal of

what is said in this article still feels applicable today, though it was written nearly 20

years ago.

I still have another year before graduation and at this point I am not fully certain

as to what I will be doing immediately afterward. I do plan to have a career within the

networking technology industry, but what aspect I am not sure. Through feedback from

failed job interviews, I have learned that I am a more process and business oriented

person. I feel that this is true to some degree, but it is greatly due to my being in the

ISDS degree program. The ISDS program is one that gives a taste of several different

aspects of a technological field. It is what I call “Computer Science Lite”, but with a more

business-oriented way of thinking rather than mathematical, logical, or theoretical.

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Those with ISDS degrees are typically ones who can act as an in-between for analysts

or technicians and users or CEOs. They are like the translators of technical jargon to

layman’s terms, making it possible for everyone to understand. Others with ISDS

degrees go on to become analysts or technicians, performing work on databases,

networks, or programs.

I feel that between the two paths I just mentioned I will more likely be a part of

the former than the latter. I am more business oriented in the way that I work, so I intend

to be a translator of sorts for users and networking technicians. And I am also process-

oriented, preferring a path or procedure clearly laid out to accomplish a goal. If I do take

the latter path, I am interested in taking Cisco’s CCNA certification exam, as well as any

other certifications I foresee as beneficial to my work or future company. I feel that

Cisco has a greater presence in the industry world-wide than most other companies and

it would be one of the most versatile certifications for me to have in the working world.

As mentioned before, taking ISDS courses has given new meaning and a sense

of importance to everything that I have accomplished while working at IT services.

When I first started working here, I had an attitude of just doing what I was told and not

fully understanding what it was that I was doing, why it was important, or who benefitted

from my performance. Ask questions on how to do it, do what it takes to get the job

done, and do it right the first time. That was me being process oriented. But now I am

grateful for being allowed to go back to school, to come back to work in my prior

position, and to have such a new understanding and sense of completeness in what I

have been doing all this time.

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Appendix

Displayed below is information from one of the Cisco networking switches in the Business Education Complex, showing wireless access points and the router connected to that switch.

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Below is a screenshot of the software that we and the employees in the Network Operations Center use to monitor devices across campus.

This is a screenshot from Cisco Prime, the Wireless Access Point software we use to monitor and configure WAPs.

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References

Hammer, Michael. “From Worker to Professional.” Beyond Reengineering. London: Harper Collins Business, 1996.

Hammer, Michael. “What I Tell My Children.” Beyond Reengineering. London: Harper Collins Business, 1996.