IST 220: Group 2

1. IST 220: Group 2 Networking and Website Project for State College Borough Water Authority

2. Outline • Introduction • Where we Started • 1st Meeting with SCBWA • Networking Layout • Website Goals & Design • How we Accomplished It • View our SCBWA website

3. Group Members & Jobs • Jenn – Group Leader • Mike Conners – HTML Design • Mike Rubin – HTML Design • Huy – Assistant to M. Rubin • Varun – Assistant to M. Conners • Jim – Collected Meeting Information

4. Where we started • Jenn coordinated the group and found out from her former project manager at RBA Professional Data Systems, Bob Hirsch, that their customer, State College Borough Water Authority, needed a Website • Jenn set up the meeting with the three executives, Max, Dave, & Marsha to find out exactly what they needed

5. State College Borough Water Authority

6. Step 1: 1st Meeting at SCBWA Introduced group to Max, Dave, & Marsha who are executives at SCBWA Collaborated ideas of a website with them Toured SCWA building & networking room

7. Current Network Layout - LAN (Local Area Network) • Servers: Novell & Unix – uses Informix • Shared File Servers, Printers, and Ethernet Lines • One main Database for billing, customer information, & meter reading info • Network is maintained by RBA Professional Data Systems

8. Network Servers

9. Network Servers • File Server: Novell – file & printer sharing capability • Database Server: Unix w/ Informix • Application Server: Unix

10. Network Hardware & Software • LAN Workstation Software: • Windows-98 • Application Software – Utility billing on Unix Machine • LAN System Software – Novell

11. Office Software • Unix Machine runs utility billing software • Individual Workstations use office software • Executives use WordPerfect, Microsoft Publisher, RealWorld Accounting & Payroll programs • Meter Shop Workstations use special software for to support wireless meter readers, which dumps information into Unix (billing software program)

12. Network Topology • Ethernet Topology • 100 Base-T (100 Mbps baseband medium w/ twisted pair wires as medium) 2 switches Full Duplex: (24 ports) – gives multiple access to multiple servers from workstations • Collision access and detection, if two packets are sent at the same time, collision is detected and retransmitted

13. Topology • Current Networking Typology is almost overkill for traffic over network because there are not many users (15 or less) • Benefits: Network is efficient and effective for their day-to-day needs • Security – use firewall which is built into the Internet modem (56k shared access) – low problems because dial-up & hang up is automatic • Intranet only between Executives

14. Why use LAN? • LAN is used because no remote sites & no data is being transferred • Example: Remote well fields have staff that maintain them, but don’t use PC’s on site, therefore they do not use any electronic form of data transfer

15. Applications Implemented • Netscape Brower – Instant Internet • ExpressIt! Email only – Executives Use • Front Office & Meter Office is not permitted to have email access

16. Proposed Additions for Network from Paper • Add a Webserver to host new website. Hosting currently provided by RBA Professional Data Systems • Change from dial-up to Wireless or DSL for faster Internet speed & allow front office Internet access • Could connect all well fields back to central office – must use wireless connection though • Enhance their backup planning for remote site back up storage

17. SCBWA Website

18. Goals for Website • Inform and Announce to SCBWA customers about the following information regarding their water service • Updates of current water conditions or problems in local areas

19. Target Audiences • Local Centre County Community, includes communities & townships such as: • State College - Borough • Lemont - Benner • Pine Grove Mills - Ferguson • Boalsburg - Harris • Shingletown – Harris • College Township

20. User Considerations • Users will be interested in a very basic web design that is easy to: • Download • Access • Read • Navigate

21. What the Site Provides to Users • Users will be able to view any information about the SCBWA • How to read their water bill • Rates • Annual Water Quality Report • Posted Board Meetings • Conservation Tips • Frequently Asked Questions

22. User Profiles • 80 – 90% of customers use Netscape 4.0 or higher version • No specific age group, age varies from 18 – 65+ • Most customers in this area have 56k modems and average technology skills • Reference: www.census.gov

23. User Pros & Cons • Pros of Site: • Easy to read, simple layout, easy navigation • Cons of Site: • Water Quality Reports may take a while to load depending on their modem capabilities • Search options have not been provided

24. Steps of project • Collected Data for Website • Created two test Websites • Got final approval from SCBWA • Revised & Finalizing Site

25. Website Design Ideas • Create an image map with various links to informative pages • SCBWA graphics – building, water tanks • Advertising water services • Address and phone number of SCBWA building • Easy to read characters and fonts on all pages • Links that are easily found to navigate through pages • Color Schemes – white background with blue headers, nothing too flashy, per their request

26. Step 2: Collecting Data for Website • We collected information that Dave and Marsha had ready for us to scan: (Meeting 2) • Water Quality Reports • Board Meeting Updates • Pictures of their building, water tanks & well houses

27. Step 3: Beginning of the Website • After the SCBWA information was scanned and then emailed to group members, Mike Rubin and Mike Conners began to do web layouts • Varun and Huy provided assistance to them when needed (graphics, related links)

28. Step 4: Fulfilling Requests from SCBWA • Max, Dave, & Marsha requested that we create two front pages so that they could have a variety of layouts to choose from • On our 3rd meeting we showed them the sites and they critiqued each front page • They liked the combination of Mike Conner’s logo and links & Mike Rubin’s frames and pictures

29. Choices Between Website Styles

30. Step 5: Putting the Two Sites Together • Both sites were pieced together and more information (provided by Dave & Max) was added to the site: • History of SCBWA • Water Bill • Rates • FAQ • Related Links • Water Conservation Tips

31. Step 6: Final SCBWA Meeting • We presented our “in progress” Website to Max, Dave, & Marsha for their approval • Executives were very happy with what they saw and had a few additional requests to add a few more pages to the site

32. Physical Design of Site • HTML & JavaScript • Macromedia Flash was initially used, but then taken out because of browser plug-in requirements • Most customers would not have been able to access the image map logo with all of the available links to pages for two reasons: • 1) user would not have wanted to deal with or know how to download plug-in • 2) user may not go back to site if image map would not open because of plug-ins • SCBWA dismissed idea of using Flash

33. Requests vs. Desires • The design of this website was requested to be very simple because it is a government page and needed to remain in a specific type of framework • Based on this, our group did not use frames, animated graphics, scrolling messages, rolling banners, etc.. • If we were not requested to do this, we would have added all of those extra interfaces in the page, but we respected the decisions of the SCBWA – this is how the “real world” works!

34. Implementation & Testing of Site • Tested website using www.personal.psu.edu Web server • Final site will be published on www.scbwa.org Web server for “live” site to be readily accessible for SCBWA users • Additional changes (if needed) & maintenance will be made to Website by the staff at SCBWA with assistance from RBA beginning in May

35. Step 7: Revise & Finalize Site • Currently, the group is adding the final additions to the page & putting the finishing touches on the site for Friday’s deadline • What we have so far: http://www.scbwa.org

36. Networking or Website Questions or Comments?????