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killerasp

Gawd
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Jul 17, 2001
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Woohoo. I managed to get a 2nd round interview with this game company and this is what they want me to do for it:

A schematic diagram of a network as follows:
-2 Server Locations with one in NY and one in CA

-1 Firewall per location

-1 Load balancer per location - supporting 3 different application pools on 3 different IPs

-4 application servers in each location

-1 PDC in each location

-Please outline the software firewall rules you would place on all the machines

-1 DB server in each location

-Akamai for content delivery of the game "trial" download (exe file)

-Please select an IPS device or an Antivirus device which has IPS functionality as well which would be placed in our network and include it in your schematic.

-Demonstration of user interaction path using our server farm & Akamai - showing the request/response path.

-Please prepare a 10 minute presentation to technical management of why we should spend significant money (usually above 20K dollars) on an IPS/Antivirus appliance and explain both in business and technical terms the value it will bring.

-Examples of any application/systems documentation or procedure documents you have prepared.


one word: DAMN. And they told me it was for a entry level job. Jesus crist man. I dont even know were to begin. I really think i am underqualified for the job but im going to give it my best and see what happens. I wont know if i dont try.
 
if anyone can help me with my questions, great. If not, then thats cool too.

As the decription says, they want ONE load balancer and ONE firewall.

If you have one of each, there is no reduancy if one dies. If the load balancer dies, it becomes a single point of failure for the entire network.

It terms of redundacny, it seems wrong to have just ONE LB.
 
I think you should just draw some quiggly lines between some crappily drawn boxes on an paper napkin and hand that to them. For the 10 minute presentation, just bring in a mini stereo and dance to your favorite song. That will get you the job ;-)

On the serious note though, good luck. Sounds like that will be a nice position if they want you to do that much stuff.
Good point on the load balancer though, I think they are thinking that the ISP is going to drop the connection before your hardware does. You should bring that point up it will show you have the design skills to succeed.
 
Screw with their heads.....

Put the firewall in Iowa. Tell them the baddies come from the cornfields and thats the quickest way of stopping them.

Put all the servers in NY because "East coast pings are better"

Be sure to put a * and say "You weren't sure how to get NAV to run on a linksys router" for the av solution....
 
Bullitt said:
You weren't sure how to get NAV to run on a linksys router" for the av solution....
Click to expand...

Hahaha....that's freakin' funny. I bet Symantec gets those kind of questions too. haha
 
Heres my badly spelled noob advice...

Create 2 lists. One of hardware you "have" and another you "want"

Start in a room, how many workstations?, how are they connected? switch in the room?

Now move onto the things that make that network tick, the servers, where are they, what they do? now add them onto the network, then add in outside connections. then security. now add in redundancy should something fail.

Start it VERY simple! then justify the advanced fetures.

And even if they say only ONE whatever. put 2 in and JUSTIFY IT!
You are employed for your expertise. They dont know what a load balancer is, except it costs! so justify 2!

once your network is designed with a layout and general roles (such as which servers do DNS, DHCP, Mail, whatever else) go into software, what OS do these servers run? how much does it cost!

I cant stress cost enough! Two people walk in with great network designs, they justify them, but one would cost $10,000 more... why is that $10,000 better?

Your appealing to a business. NOT I.T!

Also, when your designing, dont go for first design. draw up several, then take the best bits of each, try diffrent topoligies.

Its not that hard, they just ask alot to throw you! but with your lists, you know what you have, you know whats added, you can explain each additional item. And even simple things! like why you want more than one run from the server room to the main switches. and why these connections are gigabit.

Ok thats was probably more confusing. hope it helped a bit tho!
 
That a lot of stuff and some of it i'm not familar with, but it looks like they aren't either. we are past the NT4 days no PDC for them. Without know specifics on there needs/application how can you set firewall rules? I would try and focus on the technology used. How are you going to connect both sites. Why use a gateway AV solution. What OS are youy using on the servers and how is it config. what DB software.
 
killerasp said:
if anyone can help me with my questions, great. If not, then thats cool too.

As the decription says, they want ONE load balancer and ONE firewall.

If you have one of each, there is no reduancy if one dies. If the load balancer dies, it becomes a single point of failure for the entire network.

It terms of redundacny, it seems wrong to have just ONE LB.
Click to expand...
So tell them that, I would.

For the IPS, look at Netscreen and Tipping Point. Do your homework on them and make a decision which you like better. I can tell you the TP will be slightly more expensive (by a couple K, last time I priced). You could also check out Trend Micro's Network VirusWall, it's sort of an IPS. It looks for viruses and worms at the network-level, but the way they've designed it, their signatures can look for other attacks besides just viruses and worms I just dont think they've taken it that far yet. It can also act a policy enforcement device for Trend antivirus clients, ensuring they're always on the latest policy (especially nice for VPN users). Go to trendmicro.com and read up on it.

As for placement...things you need to consider:
1) What is the security objective? They only want one..so is their ultimate objective to protect only the servers, or do they want to protect the network from inbound/outbound Internet traffic?
2) If they want to protect the servers (including from employees), what speed are their pipes to the servers?
3) Since you're getting only one IPS, do you need to factor in some kind of fail-open bypass unit?
4) If you're protecting them from inbound/outbound Internet traffic, do they have VPN tunnels? Do you want to protect the network from them too?

I'm just trying to give you questions to ask yourself here without giving you the answers. If this is the stuff you need to know for that job, you need to know it, not have someone give you the answers. But I think you already know that.
 
killerasp said:
one word: DAMN. And they told me it was for a entry level job. Jesus crist man. I dont even know were to begin. I really think i am underqualified for the job but im going to give it my best and see what happens. I wont know if i dont try.
Click to expand...

Dude, are u shittin me?! All that for an entry level position. What do u know about this company? Are they legit? The first thought that crossed my brain is that it sounded like they want work done but dont want to pay a consultant!

Anyway, hope it works out for ya!
 
Nybbles said:
Dude, are u shittin me?! All that for an entry level position. What do u know about this company? Are they legit? The first thought that crossed my brain is that it sounded like they want work done but dont want to pay a consultant!

Anyway, hope it works out for ya!
Click to expand...

its for a full time position at very large game company. their clients include top domains: yahoo, msn, etc. The hardware is there, im guessing this is all a test. they know damn well. i doint know jack shit about load balancers and stuff like that, but ive been cramming a butt load of knowledge in the last day or two. ill be doing the diagram this weekend when i have all the information i need.
 
killerasp said:
its for a full time position at very large game company. their clients include top domains: yahoo, msn, etc. The hardware is there, im guessing this is all a test. they know damn well. i doint know jack shit about load balancers and stuff like that, but ive been cramming a butt load of knowledge in the last day or two. ill be doing the diagram this weekend when i have all the information i need.
Click to expand...


Holy crap, if thats there entry level position, then I hate to see their top brass requirements. :eek:
 
IceWind said:
Holy crap, if thats there entry level position, then I hate to see their top brass requirements. :eek:
Click to expand...

They know my level of experience from my resume. They must be smoking weed or something.
 
Does anyone know how Akamai works? is it your typical web cacher? Are the servers host on site or at Akamai facilites?
 
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