MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
INDUSTRIAL TRAINING REPORT
By
AHIMBISIBWE BAKER Reg.No.2009/BCE/003/PS Tel.;
+25677447374/+256704463610
Email: [email protected] Out At
Rimpscom Company LimitedSupervisors:
Rimpscom Supervisor
Lubega phaisalTel: +256783763778, Email:
[email protected] MUST Supervisor
Aggrey ObboTel: +256771674120, Email:[email protected]
June to August 2012
Declaration I Ahimbisibwe Baker hereby declare that this field
attachment report is original and has never been submitted to any
other higher institution of learning before. Whoever reproduces it
by any identified means such as photocopying, printing, scanning or
any other, whole or part of it will face legal circumstances.
Signed
Date
Approval This industrial training report has been submitted for
examination to Mbarara University of Science and Technology by;
Signed
Date...
Company supervisor: Mr. Phaisal Lubega Signed
Date...
University supervisor: Mr. Aggrey ObboDedicationThis industrial
training report is dedicated to the almighty God for having guided
me throughout this training and to my dear father for his endless
and tireless support he has given me may God reward his
efforts.
AcknowledgementIn the first place, i would like to thank the
almighty God who has protected me up this far, given me the energy,
wisdom, courage and strength throughout my industrial training
period.
I extend my sincere gratitude to the staff and management of
Rimpscom Uganda Limited especially the technical department for all
the cooperation and friendly treatment that was given to us during
internship .I am highly obliged to Mr. Lubega Phaisal for his noble
spontaneous and timely help that carried out me throughout my
endeavor and finally made a great success of the training. I also
wish to thank my fellow interns i worked with; they were creative,
encouraging and cooperative through exchange of ideas and advice
that has enabled me come up with the report.
Short summary/Abstract
This report describes what Rimpscom Company is and its
activities it renders to clients; critically it looks at different
types of skills achieved during the industrial training undertaken.
It talks about the practical aspects of the training which actually
is what is required of a student. This report was a collection of
the daily work compiled and executed from the commencement of the
training to the end. It gives an account of work performed, lessons
learnt and challenges in different areas. The report entails more
about diagnosing and troubleshooting personal computers, networks,
setting up local networks where necessary, Backing up of data,
Disassembling and reassembling of computer, Installation of
programs (software) like windows operating system windows XP II
& III and windows 2007, 0ffice 2003, 2007, antivirus, drivers
and other software, Repairs and maintenance of personal computers
that were at Rimpscom company limited, configuration networks.Hard
ware and software programming.
Acronyms /List of abbreviationsICS Institute of Computer
Science
NIC Network Interface Card
CPU Central Processing Unit
DDR Double Data Rate.CPU
Central Processing UnitLAN
Local Area Network
NIC
Network Interface Card
SATA Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
IP Internet ProtocolOS
Operating System
MAN
Metropolitan Area Network
WAN
Wide Area Network
SDRAM
Synchronous DRAM
DRAM
Dynamic RAM
RAM Random Access Memory
DC
Direct CurrentRAM
Random Access Memory
ATX
Advanced Technology eXtended
STP
Shielded Twisted Pair
UTP
Unshielded twisted Pair
AC Alternating CurrentCONFIG
ConfigurationWAMP Windows Apache Mysql and PHP
Table of Contents
iDeclaration
iiApproval
iiiDedication
ivAcknowledgement
vShort summary/Abstract
viAcronyms /List of abbreviations
2List of Figures
4CHAPTER ONE
41.0 Introduction
51.1 Background/ Profile of Rimpscom
51.2 Company clients/customers
51.3 Main activities/operation at Rimpscom
61.4 Location of Rimpscom
61.5 Vision of Rimpscom
61.6 Mission of Rimpscom
61.7 Values of Rimpscom
71.8 Objectives of Rimpscom
81.9 Organizational structure of Rimpscom
9CHAPTER TWO
92.0 Rimpscom orientation
92.1 Introduction to hardware identication and maintainance
92.1.1 Hardware basics:
192.2 Virtualization
202.3 Linux commands
212.3.1 File handling commands
222.3.2 Network commands
232.3.3 Archival Commands
232.3.4 System Administration commands
232.3.5 Process management commands
242.4 Hardware maintenance and Troubleshooting
282.5 Introduction to Networking and Data communications
282.5.1 Components required when setting up a network.
322.5.2 Cable termination
362.5.3 Peer to Peer networks
402.5.5 Local area network requirements
402.5.6 Configuring a remote desktop connection
442.6 Software development.
442.6.1 Software design process
442.6.2 System Overview
452.6.3 Logical design of the IT HELP SYSTEM
493.0 Experiences and Challenges
493.1 Experiences
503.2 Challenges
514.0 Recommendations and Conclusions
514.1 Recommendations:
524.2 Conclusions:
534.3 References:
544.4 Appendices:
List of Figures10Figure 1 : Basic Mother board
11Figure 2:ATX mother board
12Figure 3:Micro ATX mother board
13Figure 4:Micro BTX mother board
15Figure 5:CMOS battery
16Figure 6:Bios chip
17Figure 7:RAM Chips
17Figure 8:Connectors
18Figure 9:SATA and IDE cables
18Figure 10 :North and South Bridge
29Figure 11:Interface for password configuration.
30Figure 12: interface for setting the wireless name that is
broadcast to clients
30Figure 13: change the default IP for the router from this
interface and DHCP
31Figure 14:Interface showing Internet access policy restriction
of particular websites and protocols.
33Figure 15 : Shows the color codes for straight through
cable-both ends are similar
34Figure 16: color codes for crossover cable for both ends
45Figure 17:Logical design of database
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
This report provides detailed description of all the activities
that were carried out during the period of industrial training
which was carried out at Rimpscom Company Limited from 1st June to
27th July 2012. Industrial training refers to a period of time when
an individual/student leaves the class room work and goes out into
the field to test his/her practical capability and learn new things
relevant to the course he is undertaking and at the end of the
training period a report is written to summarize what he/she has
done.
As a university routine all second year Bachelor of Information
Technology (BIT), Bachelor of computer science (BCS), second and
third year Bachelor of Computer Engineering students at Mbarara
University of science and technology (MUST) do industrial training
(IT) as initiated by the institute of Computer science (ICS) in any
IT related company or organization.
This takes place during recess term and students are exposed to
practical field environment for 8 weeks. This job training is a
contribution to their academic excellence and expertise. During the
course of the industrial training, many things are taught to the
students that require a lot of hands on skills. Such practical is
acquired in conjunction with an overwhelming volume of theoretical
material that is taught. To understand the material that is taught,
there is need to carry out Industrial Training in many
institutions, companies, schools, universities, industries and
ministries. This gives a student a chance feel of what happens in
the field and to open up the thinking capacity of the student.
Industrial training also shapes character and attitude of
students thus making them ready for employment. Vital aspects such
as responsibility, punctuality, organizational rules,
accountability, smartness, communication skills and team work
learnt from this training.
External partners also benefit from this training in that they
get exposed to a pool of potential employees from whom to select
and also get additional human resource for effective and efficient
service delivery.
The institute also benefits since it gets an opportunity to
appreciate client demands and the quality of graduates required to
fulfill these demands, access to placement facilities and resources
that are not available at the institute.
1.1 Background/ Profile of RimpscomThis company was established
in 2010 under the wise management of mr.Lubega Phaisal since then
it has gained popularity as a very fast growing and expanding ICT
consultancy firm dealing in computer repair and servicing,
Databackup and recovery ,and networking. The company has since by
that time had qualified technicians trusted by their clients and
has trained quite a big number of other prominent technicians
working in different organizations in Uganda.
1.2 Company clients/customers
Mizzi malungia
Healthy child Uganda
Mbarara Referal Hospital
Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
1.3 Main activities/operation at Rimpscom
i) Computer repair, servicing and maintenance.
This company has trained and qualified administrators, computer
engineers, technicians, and support team that come together to
handle their clients in various computer problems
on demand at any given time to the satisfaction of their
customers. This is achieved because of the reliable staff
available.
ii) IT consultancy
This company has a big team of experts in different part of the
country who are able to provide for the firm with quality
professional advice whenever called for due to constant need to
diversify their systems to satisfy clients because of the
advancement of computer technology day by day.
iii) Network Security Design and Implementation
Rimpscom company is a prominent firm that has done installation
of networks in different places within the country by the help of
their experienced technical team comprising of network system
engineers. They have many times got involved in:
iv) Management of information systems
a) Installation of networks, configuring routers and
switches
b) Website design and antivirus support
c) Human resource system
d) Data backup and recovery
1.4 Location of RimpscomMbarara High Street ,upper floor at
National Social Security Funds Office in Mbarara
1.5 Vision of RimpscomTo be the leading Information services
provider in Mbarara and Country at large.
1.6 Mission of RimpscomTo provide high quality distinguished
class of service through computer software systems, computer
maintenance services and computer network solutions at the most
convenient and affordable costs.
1.7 Values of Rimpscom Customer orientation Results orientation
Risk taking Great place to work Quality and Discipline
1.8 Objectives of Rimpscom Extend our silicon technology and
manufacturing leadership Deliver unrivaled microprocessors and
platforms Grow profitability worldwide Excel in customer
orientation1.9 Organizational structure of Rimpscom
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Rimpscom orientationI was introduced to Rimpscom Company
limited what it does, its future plans and what it intends to do in
the next generation for Mbarara district and the country at large.
I forwarded my
expectations as far as was concerned, i was assured to be
trained and my expectations were to be fulfilled ,this gave me
hope,motivation and drived me to work hard in whatever i was going
to be taken through as outlined in their curriculum.Mr.Lubega
phaisal our placement supervisor was going to deal with hardware
,Mugisha Samuel introduced himself to us and he was to be
responsible for software part that is with information
systems,webdesign,database design on top of that Oroni Ivan
responsible for mobile applications using j2me,Martin Galinsonga
responsible for Networking,troubleshooting networks ,router and
switch configurations.2.1 Introduction to hardware identication and
maintainance2.1.1 Hardware basics: - this was the first module
which basically introduced us to the different components within a
computer system. A computer system consists of a computer and
software. Basically, the idea behind this module was to get basic
knowledge about the different components, highlight the major
differences between laptop and desktop components and how the
different computer components function together to achieve the
desired operation of a computer system.
The different computer components are:-
i) Mother Boards: - This is the main Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
that connects all the components of a computer system. Chipsets are
components which are embedded on the mother board and they can be
simply defined as Integrated Circuits that allow computer
components to communicate with each other.
The figure below shows a Mother board and all its
components:-
Figure 1 : Basic Mother boardI looked at the different types of
mother boards which included ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) ,
micro ATX,BTX, Micro BTX (Balanced Technology Extended) and the
early versions which are included AT and baby AT (it important to
note that these two types have phased or if in use very hard to
find).ATX mother board:
Figure 2:ATX mother board
Main features of ATX that are used to differentiate it from the
other mother board types include:-
a) The processer is located close to power supply. b) The
orientation of the memory slots and PCI slots are at right
angles
Micro ATX mother board This is similar to ATX mother but the
difference only comes in with its form factor. ie it has a smaller
form factor compared to the ATX mother board.
Figure 3:Micro ATX mother board
BTX mother board:- how to tell if the mother board is BTX.
Micro BTX mother boardThis has a smaller form factor compared to
BTX
Figure 4:Micro BTX mother boardThe major differences between
laptop and desktop mother boards are:-
Laptop mother boardDesktop mother board
i) The laptop mother is printed both sides and this is for
purposes of conserving space
ii) There is a fiber connection which enables display on the
laptop screen
iii) There is no floppy connecter on the laptop mother board,
this is because due to evolution, floppies have been replaced by
Compact Discs (CDs)
iv) The have Ethernet and wireless connection. For wireless, the
antennas are hidden behind the display screens
v) Laptop mother board is very compressed hence a smaller form
factor. reason for printing them both sidesi) The desktop mother
board is only printed on one side.
ii) It has not fiber connection as the monitor is an independent
entity and connection is done using a cable
iii) These have a floppy connector on the mother board
iv) They have only Ethernet. If one must access wireless, he/she
has to purchase an extra wireless component/device.
v) They have a larger form factor and the component on the
mother board are relatively big compared to those on the laptop
mother board
The other important component that was reviewed is the CPU
socket. The CPU socket comes in two basic designs. These
include:-
Pin less CPU sockets: - This is evident in Pentium IV (P4)
computers. Most early versions i.e Pentium I-Pentium III is not
versed with such sockets. It was also noticed that the P4 computer
have a 24 pin power connector and an extra 4 pin CPU power
source.
Pinned CPU sockets: - These are evident in Pentium I-Pentium
III. It was also noticed that such computer have 20 pin power
connector.
ii) Heat sink: - This is another important component on the
mother board and its placed on top of devices that heat up due to
the functionalities they perform. Such devices include the North
Bridge and the CPU. Heat sinks are made out of aluminum, copper or
a black body that absorbs heat from devices on which are placed.
They are designed in form of fins, a design that enables them to
radiate heat generated by those devices on which are placed very
fast such that they may not heat up and exceed the expected heat
capacities which might cause mal functioning of the whole computer
system.
iii) Expansion buses: Expansion buses enhance the PCs
capabilities by allowing users to add missing features in their
computers in form of adapter cards that are slotted in expansion
slots.
iv) CMOS battery:- CMOS is an acronym for Complementary Metal
Oxide Semiconductor. The purpose of the CMOS battery is to keep
CMOS RAM chips with high speeds at low power and small separate
block of memory alive even when the power is off.
The purpose of CMOS RAM is to store basic information about a
PCs configuration which includes floppy and hard drive types, CPU,
RAM size, date and time, serial and parallel port information, plug
and play information and power saving setting.
Figure 5:CMOS batteryv)BIOS which is an acronym from Basic Input
Output System which include low level software that controls the
system hardware and an interface between the operating system and
the hardware.
BIOS contains all the code required to control key board,
display screen, disk drives, serial communications and a number of
miscellaneous functions. BIOS is ROM chip on the mother board used
by the computer during the startup routine to check out the system
and prepare hardware to run.
.
Figure 6:Bios chip
vi) USB (universal Serial Bus) port:- These are used for
connecting external devices like USB flash drives, external hard
disks, iPods, MP3 players and cameras.
vii)Main memory (Random Access Memory):- This refers to the
computer chips that temporarily store data dynamically when we are
working with our computers to enhance computers performance. When
one turns on power to a computer, certain operating system files
(such as the files that determine how the desktop appears) load
into RAM from a storage device such as a hard disk. These files
remain in RAM as long as the computer has continuous power.Its also
important to note that RAM is volatile. That is it loses its
contents when power is switched off. Therefore permanent storage
like ROM (Read Only Memory) is necessary since its permanent and
has a bigger storage capacity compared to RAM.
There are different categories of Dynamic Random Access Memory
(DRAM) where chips must be re-energized constantly or they lose
their contents include:- SD (Synchronous DRAM) synchronized to the
system clock and faster than basic DRAM. DDR1 (Double Data Rate
SDRAM) transfers data twice instead of once for each clock cycle.
DDR2 this is second generation of DDR and is faster than DDR DDR3
this is third generation of DDR that was designed for computers
with multi-core processors.The figure below shows RAM chips of
laptop and desktop
Figure 7:RAM Chipsviii)Connectors:- These include IDE and STA
cables which are used to connect a computers hard drive and optical
drive to the mother board. STA cable are preferred to IDE because
they have relatively high speeds when it comes to data transfer and
take up small space on the mother board. STA is a recent technology
and therefore the first versions of computers ie Pentium I- Pentium
III do not have these connectors.
The figures below show the two connectors
Figure 8:ConnectorsFigure 9:SATA and IDE cablesix) North and
South bridges (main chipsets):There are two main chipset in
computer system. These include the North Bridge and the South
Bridge.
North Bridge: - this is an important chipset. It bridges the
processor and memory. It heats up as its performing its duties
therefore as a remedy a heat sink is placed on top of it.
South Bridge: - this is used connect the CPU to Input/output
control and also to connect the PCI to the CPU.Figure 10 :North and
South Bridgex) ProcessorThis is also called the central processing
unit processor, (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic
instructions that operate a computer. The processor significantly
impacts overall computing power and manages most of a computers
operations. On larger computers, such as mainframes and
supercomputers, the various functions performed by the processor
extend over many separate chips and often multiple circuit boards.
On a personal computer, all functions of the processor usually are
on a single chip. Some computer and chip manufacturers use the term
microprocessor to refer to a personal computer processor chip. Most
processor chip manufacturers now offer multi-core processors. A
processor core, or simply core, contains the circuitry necessary to
execute instructions. The operating system views each processor
core as a separate processor. A multi-core processor is a single
chip with two or more separate processor cores. Two common
multi-core processors are dual-core and quad-core. A dual-core is a
chip that contains two separate processor cores. Similarly, a
quad-core processor is a chip with four separate processor cores.
Each processor core on a multi-core processor generally runs at a
slower clock speed than a single-core processor, but multi-core
processors typically increase overall performance. For example,
although a dual-core processor does not double the processing speed
of a single-core processor, it can approach those speeds. The
performance increase is especially noticeable when users are
running multiple programs simultaneously such as antivirus
software, spyware remover, e-mail program, instant messaging, media
player, disc burning software, and photo editing software.
Multi-core processors also are more energy efficient than separate
multiple2.2 Virtualization
Computers today are very durable and very efficient. This would
mean buying several computers to perform several related tasks is
not ideal. For example buying different servers for mail, DHCP,
fire wall and proxy yet these would be implemented by the same
server.
The idea of virtualization solves this problem as its essence is
to economize resources. Virtualization can be best be described by
the diagram below:-
Common software used for virtualization are:-
VM ware
Virtual box
The Advantages of virtual machines are:-
a) They are portable that is they can be moved from one
environment to another.
b) They can be easily configured
Common terms used in virtualization are:-
i) Host OS: - This is where virtual machine software is
installed. Its important to note that for the guest operating
system to run, the host my must be having good resources which
include memory (RAM) and processor (ie the processor speed).
ii) Guest OS: - This is the virtual machine operating system.
When the two are running, they are independent of each other. But
for the guest operating system to run, the host must be power
on.
2.3 Linux commands
These commands are subdivided into file handling, text
processing, system administration, process management, archival,
network and file system. To run the Linux terminal, click
Applications>Accessories>terminal. The Linux terminal has a
unique look compared to the MS DOS command line. Its important to
note that commands in Linux are case sensitive, all commands must
be written in lower case.
2.3.1 File handling commands
mkdir This command makes a directory syntax: mkdir [dirName] eg.
mkdir mukama
ls list directory contents syntax: ls [OPTION]... [FILE]...
for example: ls, ls l, ls mukama
cd changes directories. Syntax: cd [DIRECTORY] for example cd
mukama
pwd Print name of current working directory. Syntax: pwd
cp copy files and directories. Syntax: cp [OPTION]... SOURCE
DEST
for example: cp sample.txt sample_copy.txtcp sample_copy.txt
target_dir
mv move (also rename) files Syntax: mv [OPTION]... SOURCE
DESTfor example: mv source.txt target_dir mv old.txt new.txt
2.3.2 Network commands ssh SSH client (remote login program).
ssh is a program for logging into a remote machine
and for executing commands on a remote machine
Syntax: ssh [options] [user]@hostname
For example ssh X [email protected] output
scp secure copy (remote file copy program). scp copies files
between hosts on a network
Usage: scp [options] [[user]@host1:file1]
[[user]@host2:file2]
example. scp file1.txt [email protected]:~/Desktop/2.3.3
Archival Commands
tar: to archive a file. Syntax: tar [OPTION] DEST SOURCE
for example: tar cvf /home/archive.tar /home/original
tar xvf /home/archive.tar
zip: package and compress (archive) files. Syntax: zip [OPTION]
DEST SOURSE
for example: zip original.zip original
2.3.4 System Administration commands
chmod change file access permissions. Syntax: chmod [OPTION]
[MODE] [FILE]
for example chmod 744 calculate.sh
chown: change file owner and group Syntax: chown [OPTION]...
OWNER[:[GROUP]] FILE...
for example: chown remo myfile.txt
su: change user ID or become superuser. Syntax: su [OPTION]
[LOGIN]for example: su remo, su
passwd: update a users authentication tokens(s). Syntax: passwd
[OPTION]for example: passwd
who: show who is logged on. Syntax who [OPTION]
2.3.5 Process management commands
ps: report a snapshot of the current processes. Syntax: ps
[OPTION]
for example: ps, ps el
kill: to kill a process(using signal mechanism).Syntax: kill
[OPTION] pid
for example: kill -9 2275
bg make a foreground process to run in background
Syntax: type 'ctrl+z' and then bg
fg to make background process as foreground process. Syntax: fg
[jobid]
jobs displays the names and ids of background jobs
Syntax: jobs
2.4 Hardware maintenance and TroubleshootingThe week was
intended for troubleshooting most of the hardware problems after
having been introduced to the basic of hardware and having gotten
sufficient knowledge on how each component in the system unit is
interconnected to ensure that they do not malfunction.
In order to troubleshoot, I was introduced to different tools
that one can use. One of the most important tools was the Digital
Multi Meter. This is device is used to measure the
following:-voltage,current,resistance and continuity.The digital
multi meter has basically two wires, that is red and black. The red
wire is a positive terminal and its connected to a positive
terminal of the component you want to measure. The black wire is
ground or earth and is connected to a negative terminal. Connecting
negative and positive terminals has to be done correctly especially
when measuring Direct Current (DC). This is because DC does not
change and measuring it requires that the black and red wires of
the digital multi meter are connected correctly (that is red to
positive and black to negative). Another precaution to take is that
the pointer has to be pointing to a voltage scale and close to the
value that you intend to measure.
Alternating Current which can be the amount of current running
in the wall socket does not have a fixed negative or positive
terminal, that is positive and negative terminals are always
switching and its for the same reason that it called AC. Its
important to note that AC carries a very high amount compared to
DC. AC carries about 240 volts compared to DC which ranges from
3.7v to 20v. Its very important to take care while measuring AC
because it can shock easily and sometimes lead to death.
Most electronic appliances use DC (like hoofers, radios,
televisions, laptops, and desktops). These devices have converters
which convert AC from a wall socket to DC to be used by the device.
This is because most components inside the most electronic
appliances are run by relatively a low voltage. A few exceptions
like kettles use AC.
To clearly understand troubleshooting we were presented with a
series of problems. These scenarios were as follows:-Scenario 1
Consider a computer which has been function properly. And this
computer mistakenly fell down form a table and on powering it, it
would start but not display anything on the screen.
Solution
Troubleshooting steps
Switch off and power it up again.
At start up one should try to listen very carefully to check if
there are beeps produced by the computer. If there is any you can
tell which component is loosely fixed depending on the number of
beeps. For example 3 beeps would mean there is no memory or memory
is loosely fixed.
The next step would be to check if there was memory in computer
as its one of the components in a computer system that enables
display. If it has been displaced from its location or loosely
placed, try to fix it properly and power the computer again.
Scenario 2
Consider a desktop computer which when powered on does not
respond to the action performed. So its very hard to tell if power
is entering the computer system. But we were reliably informed that
this computer had a short circuit before it started behaving in the
way it was.
Solution
Troubleshooting steps
We opened the upper part of its casing and connected the power
cable to the power supply. Checked if any of the LEDs on the
motherboard were lighting which could show that the motherboard is
being powered. This did not work because none of the LEDs seemed to
be lighting.
It was suspected that power supply could be faulty. We changed
the power supply and tried a power supply from a working computer.
But the behavior was still the same. We tested the suspected faulty
power supply by joining the green wire which carries 5v with black
which is ground (negative). By completing the circuit, the power
supply fan started working, so we had to give the idea of the power
supply being faulty.
Having in mind that the computer was earlier subjected to a
short circuit, we removed the motherboard to take a closer look. We
found out that the wires of the chip that connected to the
motherboard were not independent and this was caused by the short
circuit.
We resolved that the motherboard should first be cleaned such
that each joint is independent and tried to check the behavior of
the computer after that.
The problem was still pending. More troubleshooting steps to
come after that.
Scenario 3
Consider a desktop computer which when power on does not start.
The scenario is in one way or any other similar to scenario 2.
Solution
Troubleshooting steps
Having prior knowledge if testing the power supply, we joined
the green wire with the black wire but the behavior was static (as
before). The power supply fan did not start. We therefore resolved
that the power supply was faulty.
We opted for another power supply that was working. On
connecting it to the motherboard and connecting the power cable, it
behaved as expected (that is the LEDs on the motherboard started
lighting).
We opted for the display (monitor) to check if the computer
would display, but there was not any display at all. We suspect
that probably the memory might be faulty. We are opting for some
other memory chips to continue with trouble shooting.
The problem is still pending..
Scenario 4
Consider a laptop that beeps on start up. But it was starting
normally. Originally it would display but never load the operating
system. But we were told by the owner that it fell done once.
Solution
Troubleshooting steps
We started the computer normally and read the contents it was
display on the screen. We also went to the BIOS set up to check the
most important components if the computer system like memory. RAM
was being display but the hard disk which had the operating system
on it was showing none.
We tried to locate the hard disk removed and fixed it properly
and we switched on the laptop again to check if there was any
change. On startup it loaded it loaded the operating system. The
beeps reduced but they were just a few.
Since we told that the lap top had earlier fallen down, we
thought that may be there could be some other component that were
loosely fixed. We therefore opened the computer and put all the
components aside and tried to fix them one by one.
We reassembled it. The beep number still reduced, so suspect
that there could be another component that is loosely fixed by the
computer is now running very well. We recently installed a new copy
of windows.
2.5 Introduction to Networking and Data communications
A network is basically a set of two or more articles that are
linked so the computers can share resources, such as printers,
software, and internet connections. Networked computers can also
share files without having to transfer data using a disk or data
key. And users of networked computers can also communicate
electronically without use of the internet.
Networks are created by connecting personal computers (PCs)
together via cables, wireless and some in built network software
especially in windows called Remote Desktop Connection. Networks
allow the connected computers to share data and other resources
like drivers. Computers connected together can share file,
documents and drivers for other devices like printers. Print to
shared printers, Share an Internet connection, Provide
communication (email, audio and video conferencing, network-based
fax services, etc.), Enable remote control of connected hardware
devices (entire offsite computers, cameras, devices installed as
expansion cards and peripherals, etc.), Run software installed on a
separate machine, Provide data collection, manipulation, use, and
storage between machines.
2.5.1 Components required when setting up a network.
i) Network Interface Card (NIC): I was convinced by the
supervisors at Rimpscom that a computer connects to network via
NIC. NIC allows a computer to send and receive radio waves. They
also have an Ethernet Adapter that is inside the back panel of the
computer and connects to the cable or DSL modem. The NIC controls
the flow of data between the computers internal data bus and the
serial stream of data on the network cable.Wireless network
interface card (NIC) is used mostly for laptops that have NIC slot
were users can insert a wireless card that connects to the network
and internet.
ii) Hub: This is a device that is used to link more than two
computers together, a device to circulate packets, or blocks of
information. When a computer is linked to a network it makes a
request for data from another computer, which in turn request will
be sent out to the hub.
iii)Router:A router is an internetworking device that forwards
packets between networks by processing information found in the
datagram or packet (Internet protocol information from Layer 3 of
the OSI Model). In many situations, this information is processed
in conjunction with the routing table (also known as forwarding
table). Routers use routing tables to determine what interface to
forward packets.
I looked at the LinkSys wireless router which i went ahead to
configure. This router had a default IP address which was
192.168.1.1 and a default network name which was LinkSys. I
performed several configurations on the router which included
changing the default network name and IP address, assigning
particular users to access the wireless network by adding their MAC
address to the router, blocking certain websites and protocols
(like File Transfer Protocol and Telnet). I captured several screen
shoots that show the particular configurations that I did. They are
as below:-
Figure 11:Interface for password configuration.
Figure 12: interface for setting the wireless name that is
broadcast to clients
Figure 13: change the default IP for the router from this
interface and DHCP
Figure 14:Interface showing Internet access policy restriction
of particular websites and protocols..
iv)Modem: A modem is a device that allows a person to connect to
your Internet service provider. Because modems only provide one IP
address each, the best way to use a high-speed modem is to share
its services among computers.
v)Ethernet Cable:It is needed to allow the transmission of data
from one networked device to another. To set up a wired network,
Ethernet cables are needed that allow the transmission of data from
one networked device to another. Category 5 (Cat 5) cable is one of
the most common types of Ethernet cable.vi) Switch: A switch is a
device that distributes packets, or blocks of data, between
computers in a network. Switches function in a similar fashion to
hubs, but are much more efficient. A switch can send a packet
directly to a specific destination, instead of sending it to every
computer in a network.
2.5.2 Cable termination
In order to start on cable termination i was first introduced to
the different cables used. These included CAT5, CAT5E and CAT6 as
the most commonly used. These cables differ in speeds used in data
transfer. For purposes of learning we used CAT6 and RJ45 connectors
for terminating. It was also important for me to note that color
codes are important especially in terminating the different types
of cables
I used different tools to terminate the cables. These tools
included a stripper which is used to remove the cable cover,
clipper which is used for terminating RJ45 and cable tester which
is used to test if the cable is functioning as expected.
I terminated two types of cables that is a straight through and
crossover.
i) Straight through cable: - this is type is used for connecting
devices that are un similar like a switch and a computer or a
router and a switch. The color codes for a straight through cable
are the same at both ends. I used a tester to confirm if the cable
was functioning. A tester has 8 LEDS which are numbered 1-8 and the
cable ids functioning they are all supposed to be blinking green.
They are as follows:-
Figure 15 : Shows the color codes for straight through
cable-both ends are similarConnector Pin NoColor Code
1White/Orange
2Orange
3White/Green
4Blue
5White/Blue
6Green
7White/Brown
8 Brown
ii) Crossover cable: - this type is used for connecting similar
devices for example connecting of a computer to a computer or a
switch to a switch. The color codes for a crossover differ at both
ends but one end has color codes that are similar to of a straight
through cable. To check if the cable is functioning, on the tester
on of the LEDs is skipped, that is does not light. The color codes
for the other end are as follows:
Figure 16: color codes for crossover cable for both
endsconnector Pin NoColor Code
1White/Green
2Green
3White/Orange
4Blue
5White/Blue
6Orange
7White/Brown
8 Brown
iii) These are the steps of terminating cables.Step 1
Using a crimping tool, i trimmed the end of the cable i was
going to terminate, to ensure that the ends of the conducting wires
are even.
Step 2
Being careful not to damage the inner conducting wires, I
stripped off approximately 1 inch of the cables jacket, using a
modular climping tool.
Step 3
After that i separated the 4 twisted wire pairs from each other,
and then unwinded each pair, so thati could end up with 8
individual wires. I flatten the wires out as much as possible,
since they needed to be very straight for them to be properly
inserted into the connector.
Step 4
I held the cable with the wire ends facing away from me. I
arranged the wires in a flat, side-by-side ribbon formation,
placing them in the following order: white/orange, solid orange,
white/green, solid blue, white/blue, solid green, white/brown,
solid brown. The table below explains straight through and cross
over arrangement.
Step 5
I held the RJ45 connector so that its pins are facing away from
me and the plug-clip side was facing down, carefully inserted the
flattened, arranged wires into the connector, pushing through until
the wire ends emerge from the pins. For strength of connection, I
also pushed as much of the cable jacket as possible into the
connector so that no loss of signals takes place.
Step 6
I made sure that the wire ends coming out of the connectors pin
side are in the correct order if not i would rearrange them into
proper formation, and re-insert them into RJ45 because once the
connector is crimped onto the cable, its permanent. If at all i
realized that a mistake has been made in wire order after
termination, I would have to cut the connector off and start all
over again.
Step 7
I inserted the prepared connector into the RJ45 slot in my
crimping tool. I firmly squeezed the crimpers handles together
until I couldnt go any further. Released the handles and repeated
this step to ensure a proper crimp.
Step 8
After completing the first termination,I repeated the process on
the opposite end of my cable.
2.5.3 Peer to Peer networks
In a peer-to-peer network, devices are connected directly to
each other without any additional networking devices between them.
In this type of network, each device has equivalent capabilities
and responsibilities. Individual users are responsible for their
own resources and can decide which data and devices to share.
Because individual users are responsible for the resources on their
own computers, the network has no central point of control or
administration. In order to set up a peer-to-peer network connect
the ends of a network crossover cable to the network ports on both
of the computers. I double clicked on the network places icon from
the desktop which can also be accessed from the control panel.
Then from the network tasks double clicked on the setup home or
small area network.
Continued following the instructions of the network setup wizard
up to the time when i were prompted to select the type of
connection and i selected others.
In other type of networks I chose a network without
internet.
Then I gave it a description and name ,after I gave it a
workgroup name.Clicked accept to finish the wizard.After the
computer restarted.I repeated the procedures for all other
computers and gave them different names but same workgroup.after
restarting I went to my computer double clicked Network places from
my desktop then left clicked on properties clicked on TCP/IP and
clicked OK.The IP address for computer 1 is 192.168.0.1 and for
computer 2 is 192.168.0.2 and the subnet is automatically
255.255.255.0.2.5.4 Wireless ad hocs
To create a new ad hoc network i opened Control Panel then
viewed network status and tasks.
On clicking the view network status and tasks, i got new window
as shown below.
A new window appearedwhich is as below. I Clicked set up a
wireless ad hoc network and clicked next and followed the different
prompts. After successfully creating a wireless network, any
wireless enabled device could connect to it.
Finally the network was showing a small window which was at the
right most corner of the computer. It was showing waiting for users
since there were no computers connected to that network.
In order to view the computers connected to that network, i went
to start menu and clicked run or i could use the desktop short cut
which is windows + R.alternatively I can also use the backward
slashes to view connected devices. In order to select which device
to connect to,I could just select and click ok. The illustration
below shows the connected devices.
2.5.5 Local area network requirementsA network of a few
Computers connected together is known as local area network (LAN)
.To connect two or more Computers in a network we require a network
card for each PC, CAT-5 Cable of suitable length, RJ-45 connectors
(two for each PC ).
A Network Switch (or Hub) is required If we wish to connect
three Computers or more. If we have to connect only two Computers
then we do not require a Network Switch (or Hub). We can cross
crimp one of the connectors. A hub enables transmission of data
between a single pair of points in the network. For simultaneous
Transmission of data between more than one pair of points we have
to use an Ethernet Switch. For computers to be connected to a wired
network must have following:
Each computer must have a network interface card (NIC) such as
internal network adapter, a USB network adapter, a mother board
based network chip.
Must have external router or switch.
Must activate Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) on the
router.
Each computer must be having a network cable running from NIC to
a port to a router or switch
Each computer must have a unique name
Every computer on the network must belong to the same
workgroup2.5.6 Configuring a remote desktop connectionIn windows
7
I opened Control Panel on my computer that has windows 7 as an
operating system, and selected System as shown below.
In the new window I clicked Advanced System settings.
Went to the Remote tab, and checked allowed connections only
from computers running remote Desktop with Network Level
Authentication.
I Selected users to add user accounts that have the right to
connect to Remote Desktop on my computer.
After that I went to start button inputted Remote desktop in the
search field, then clickedRemote Desktop Connection.
Then input the ip address or hostname of the computer you want
to connect to, click connect then input the username and password.
Now you have connected to this remote desktop
After I logged in the user of the computer that I logged in was
logged out.2.6 Software development.
Software development was our third module. This commenced with
first learning basic SQL commands. These include
SELECT*FROM [table name]; this is an SQL commands that returns
all the information from the selected table.
CREATE DATABASE [database name]; this is a command that is used
to create a database.
USE [database name] this is a command that is used to switch to
the database that you would wish to use.
2.6.1 Software design process
The first stage during the design of a software system was to
gather and analyze the requirements. At this this point we were
presented with a real world scenario to gather the requirements of
an order tracking system which we did together with our software
instructor and i was later assigned my first software project
together with other two trainees. The assigned system was a
Helpdesk system which was developed using PHP and MySQL. We
accomplished it in one week.2.6.2 System Overview
Building the system was fairly straight forward. First, i
obtained the functional requirements for the system. This was done
in two ways; careful thought and asked questions to obtain up
to-date solutions.
The next step was to build the database according to information
retrieved in the first stage of requirement analysis. The database
was designed by first tackling its logical design, this was done
using Mysql workbench. It consisted of three tables; consultants,
inquiry, and solution as shown below:
2.6.3 Logical design of the IT HELP SYSTEM
Figure 17:Logical design of databaseLogical design where we used
the Mysql workbench to draw the entities and make clear
relationships between them and we were advised to first know what
we want the system to do and this will enable us to go ahead and
design the interface.
I exported the logical design to WAMP server to help build the
physical database. This was done by forward engineering the sql
script using My SQL workbench.
Building the database was followed by the need to create a
suitable interface for the user to interact with the system. We
made this possible using Adobe Macromedia Dreamweaver while
programming in PHP and html. The user interface had six pages
namely; index (system start point page), inquiry page, consultant
registration, consultant login and the solution page.
The index page is the system entry point where the user gains
access to the inquiry page which receives any inquiries posted. The
consultant registration contains a form to register any new help
desk personnel.
The consultant login is responsible for consultants login and
the solution page is responsible for replying any inquiries
made.
As already stated before, our scope defines an offline system
therefore the messages are posted to the users and likewise the
consultants email addresses.
When the user interface was done, we connected to our database.
This was done using a PHP script. The script was later used to
connect the different form fields to the related tables in the
database.
Adding functionality to the system was the next step to be
tackled. The functionalities added included a validation procedure
to satisfy proper registration and logging in of the consultant and
a way to handle user sessions.
When the consultants log in, they are able to view any inquiries
posted and make any necessary replies accordingly. This is done
from the solutions page. The reply is sent to the users email
address which he submits in before writing the message.
Start page:
Inquiry page:
Consultant login and sign up fields: The project is safe and
secure to use for Mbarara University of science and Technology. We
hereby disclaim any misuse or irrelevant use of the system that may
result into harm towards the user in anyway.
CHAPTER THREE3.0 Experiences and Challenges
3.1 Experiences
For the two month training placement that I underwent at
Rimpscom, a lot was done and gained in respect to the projects that
I undertook and that was Helpdesk system development.
During this time, I learnt how to plan for any software
development that is identifying the various steps and how they are
supposed to be carried out while designing the system.
I learnt some ways/ (more than one) of designing an interface
for a system that is using tables, div tags and modifying templates
to fit my interests.
I also learnt some programming in PHP and I was able to write
codes/ scripts to insert data to the database, retrieve the
inserted data and validating the various form fields.
I learnt how to create forms and modify them by creating CSS
codes/files for them.
I got practical experience in dealing with computers and also
got to know more about computer hardware and software.
I gained skills on how to communicate with employers and
workmates and relating with different characters of different
people through interacting with them
I gained experience and got exposed to pressures and demands of
a work place.
I acquired skills in installing softwares such as VM ware,
windows 7 operating system and other application soft wares
I also learnt responsibilities of different professionals and to
embrace them accordingly.
I gained experience in problem solving which is desired skill in
any industry or working environment
I also learnt how to interact with different personalities.
I leant how to take responsibility with less supervision in a
working environment.
I also learnt how to design/ create a database using mysql
command line client and some of the various commands that are used
in its design.
I learnt how to link forms to the database and to insert,
retrieve and validate the different form fields using PHP as a
programming language.
I learnt how to design the interfaces using tables and div tags
and modifying websites templates to fit websites of my
interests.
I learnt the design/ beautifying of interfaces using css.
3.2 Challenges
The programming languages that were used in developing the
helpdesk system gave me hard time to learn and master. These
included PHP, and the various MYSQL commands used to create the
database were also tricky.
It was hard to relate theory got from lectures to the practical
bit of information technology.
The fear of damaging computer components due to the fact that i
had been told that i would replace any component damaged. This
therefore meant buying new ones
Inability to master everything i was shown and not done
practically by myself
Limited hours of exposure to hands on
Lack of transport funds to facilitate me throughout the
internship.
Being a group leader, managing a group of people most of who
were uncooperative was a big challenge to me.
Sometimes we used not to finish the sessions because of lack of
a standby generator to act as a supplement in case electric power
shortages or emergencies.
During the training, i was exposed to too much of workshop work,
which was good, but there was need of more details of the operation
of computers and deep networking.
I had very big financial problems, the training was supposed to
be paid for, sacrificing USHS.200, 000 was not so easy.
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Recommendations and Conclusions
4.1 Recommendations:
In order to combat the problems and challenges faced by me
I recommend Rimpscom to either provide computers that can be
shared appropriately by the number of interns taken or creates a
room for the interns with enough chairs and computers to cater for
large number of students conducting intern ship and prevent
congestion especially in a trainees room.
I recommend that industrial training under the ICS be scheduled
at least twice in a persons academic carrier i.e. first year and
second year long holiday to enable students to get enough
challenges and solutions to these challenges and to enable them
cover quite much when still in school because for example me it has
helped me much ,I didnt know all that now I got to know and yet I
was in third year ,imagine I was doing BIT ,it would be a
shame.
I recommend the ICS should improvise some books to act as log
books for students instead of carrying single papers that we are
supposed to photocopy. This will give out a good picture of the
university being more serious and organized apart from reducing on
the expenses the students get in downloading them from their emails
and then making copies.
The University should provide some funds to facilitate students
who are to do their internship because the burden shouldn't be
solely dependent on the parent/guardian only.
I finally recommend that for purposes of reducing the number of
students doing internship they should give interviews to students
and they sieve out the number of students they want which will make
internship meaningful through paying student.
4.2 Conclusions:
In my conclusion industrial training is good and essential for
every student doing their bit because most of the practical skills
related to this course are gained while doing this
training.Advancement in computer technology has to be appreciated.
Great thanks to Rimpscom company limited, without them i would not
have known where my ability could reach and what technology has
brought to this new generation.
I will treasure and cherish Rimpscom company limited wherever i
go for allowing me to study from their company, long live, all the
best.
I performed various tasks, some of them being trouble shooting
which confirmed the idea i had that Information Technology is not a
job that does not only involve technical skills, but implies a fair
amount of communication and negotiation with the clients hence the
need for good communication skills.
The training has not only helped me gain technical skills but
also has adjusted my intended future prospects. Much as the
training was enriching, much was looked at, so a lot remains to be
done in order to support the experience gained.
Finally to be sincere ,I think there is a lot to do at the
university for the students to gain skills since they are crucial
to the working environment,most students take what is taught in
class for granted but it is very crucial especially in
programming.
4.3 References:[1] http://www.rimpscom.co.ug.[2]
http://www.sqlcommands.net/
[3] http://www.w3schools.com/php/default.asp [4]
http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp[5]http://i.ehow.com/images/Globalphoto/Articles
[6]http://computer.howstuffworks.com[7]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en4.4
Appendices:
I/O ports to the right of the mother board
Memory slots and PCI slots at right angles
Similar to ATX but different in form factor
I/O ports are to the left of the mother board compared to ATX
where the are on the right
Memory slots and PCI parallel to each other
Processor remote from the power supply
The major difference between BTX and micro BTX is the form
factor.
Expansion slots
CMOS battery
CMOS battery
BIOS chip
RAM chip for a desktop computer
RAM chip for a laptop computer
STA connectors
IDE connectors
SATA cable
IDE cable
North Bridge. Always placed under a sink because it generates
heat
South Bridge
One physical computer
Sub computers (virtual computers) inside one physical
computer
Click here to continue
Click set up new connection network
VGA port
Audio out jack/Microphone jack
USB ports
Capacitors
CPU socket
RAM slots
Expansion slots
CMOS battery
IDE connectors
Power connector
North Bridge
South bridge
SATA connectors
BIOS chip
MANAGING DIRECTOR (MD)
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR
ADMINISTRATOR
ASSISTANCE MD/CREDIT CONTROL
ASSISTANT SALES MANAGER
TECHNICAL MANAGER
RECEPTIONIST/OFFICE MESSANGER
COLLECTOR,
ACCOUNTANT,
AUDITOR
SALES,
STORESTAFF
WORKSHOP
CORDINATOR
ENGINEERS, TECHNICIANS
TRAINEES/
STUDENTS
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