Chapter 18 — Supervised technical project
Lesson map
Lesson 18 published. Map, example, EX069.
flowchart TD
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["18.1 Project scope"]
N2["18.2 Doing the work"]
N3["18.3 Verifying outcomes"]
N4["18.4 Presenting and reflecting"]
N5["Synthesis"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4 --> N5
N5 --> EX["Worked example"]
EX --> Q["Exercise EX069"]
Logical drawing
flowchart LR
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["18.1 Project scope"]
N2["18.2 Doing the work"]
N3["18.3 Verifying outcomes"]
N4["18.4 Presenting and reflecting"]
N5["Synthesis"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4 --> N5 --> Q["EX069"]
[Learning outcomes]
|
v
[18.1 Project scope]
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v
[18.2 Doing the work]
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v
[18.3 Verifying outcomes]
|
v
[18.4 Presenting and reflecting]
|
v
[Synthesis]
|
v
[Worked example] --> [Exercise EX069]
Learning outcomes
You will (1) complete a supervised project at the partner; (2) verify outcomes; (3) present and reflect.
18.1 Project scope
Amina's final project, supervised by Rosa and Leon, implements zone separation at Castleford's main office: separate subnets for staff, servers, printers, guest and management, firewall rules from the needed-flows list, and verified backups for the new configurations. The branch office follows later using her documentation. The scope is realistic for a short programme while delivering the change most needed: removing guest access to the housing system. Rosa and Leon sign the scope before work starts, and any request to add tasks is handled as a separate, later change.
18.2 Doing the work
The change happens on a Saturday with Rosa leading and Amina assisting under supervision. They follow the procedure tested in the lab: save configurations, create subnets, move devices, apply rules, check logs and run tests. Two printers with fixed addresses need manual changes, as planned. One staff laptop cannot reach the housing system because of a stale address; renewing it fixes the issue. The change completes in four hours, within the planned window. Amina ticks off each step on the printed procedure.
18.3 Verifying outcomes
Tests confirm that guest devices cannot reach servers, staff can reach their services, printers accept jobs from staff and management interfaces are reachable only from the management zone. Logs show denied guest attempts towards internal addresses, as expected from devices searching for printers. Backups of the new configurations verify against the manifest. Reachable zone pairs at the main office fall from twenty to seven, matching the needed flows. Rosa signs off the change. Test results are filed with the change record.
18.4 Presenting and reflecting
Amina presents the project to Leon, Rosa and a Castleford manager. She shows the before and after, the evidence and the remaining work at the branch office. In her reflection, she notes that preparation in the lab made the real change calm, that fixed-address devices took longer than expected and that clear communication with staff before the change avoided confusion on Monday. She plans to continue in a technical support role specialising in networks. Leon adds the project to the course's example portfolio.
Worked example
The main office change completes in four hours; reachable zone pairs fall from twenty to seven; all tests pass.
Synthetic case. The project is synthetic.
Errors and limits
Changes attempted without a tested procedure tend to overrun and cause confusion.
Exercises
- EX069 — Project focus. What was the most needed change the project delivered? Rubric: 3 = removing guest access to housing system via separation;; 2 = separation;; 1 = VPN;; 0 = none.
- EX070 — Stale address issue. How was the staff laptop problem fixed? Rubric: 3 = renewing its address;; 2 = renew;; 1 = rule change;; 0 = none.
- EX071 — Reachability result. How did reachable zone pairs change at the main office? Rubric: 3 = twenty to seven;; 2 = reduced;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
- EX072 — Reflection point. Name one reflection from Amina's project. Rubric: 3 = lab preparation helped; fixed addresses slow; communication helped;; 2 = one;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
Synthesis
A supervised, tested project delivers real security improvement and completes the technical programme.
Continue studying — chapter 18 of 18
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