Assignment 1: XYZ Company Network Deployment

The top salesperson for XYZ Company is closing a deal to install $1 million of Cisco switches for a new customer, AtoZ Insurance. AtoZ Insurance’s leadership is apprehensive about the investment and unsure of the benefits of introducing Cisco switches to replace their Layer 2 switches from another vendor. The salesperson and executives of XYZ Company request that you, as the network engineer, file a report, discussing the new Cisco solution and what it can offer AtoZ Insurance.

About the organization: AtoZ Insurance provides health insurance coverage for small and large businesses. It supports over 1,000 office staff members in a 20-story building, as well as 100 staff members who work remotely off-site in various locations. As an organization that works with medical information, it is strictly regulated by government healthcare mandates, so security is a concern.

Write a 3-4-page paper (including exhibits) in which you fully address the following criterion:

Describe the Cisco Campus architecture and explain the primary reasons why it is important for AtoZ Insurance. Provide a rationale for your response.
Outline the key benefits of Cisco VLANs and determine the unique benefits they have for AtoZ. Justify your response.
Using Microsoft Visio construct a diagram that visualizes the solution with emphasis on architecturally differentiating a Layer 2 switch from a Layer 3 switch. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.
Explain the manner in which the integration of Cisco’s VTP technology is unique and suggest the way in which it can help AtoZ. Support your response with specific examples of VTP technology’s major benefits to AtoZ.
Recommend one additional Cisco specific switching technology that will benefit AtoZ, highlighting the specific benefits to AtoZ.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

This course requires use of new Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different from other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must be in professional business language. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. 

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Configure and implement VLANs in a campus network environment.
Implement high availability in a campus infrastructure.