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! only – Executives Use
Front Office & Meter Office is not permitted to have 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:

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 ed 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 Web server
Final site will be published on 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:

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