Network Environment of USEP

Interview your university network specialist. Ask how various parts of the system communicate with each other throughout the university. (Q) Given the chance to redesign the existing setup, enumerate and discuss your key points for an effective and efficient network environment ideal for the university.
(at least 3000 words)

Basically, all of our answers are all the same because we submitted a questionnaire to Sir Ariel Reyes as a class. We set a schedule for the interview with Sir Ariel Reyes last week but unfortunately there are problems occurred when the planned interview was about to take progress; the server had a problem so Sir Ariel Reyes needs to cut the planned session and move it to another time, but due to Sir Ariel’s busy schedule we didn’t had a chance to have a class discussion. So, the planned class discussion failed because due to some conflicts, later it turned out to be just leaving Sir Ariel Reyes a questionnaire so that he could answer all of the questions. Unfortunately, he didn’t answer all of the questions, so my answers are all base on Sir Ariel’s answers.

These were the questions that the class had come up with.

Questions:

1. In system development, how various parts of the system communicate with each other throughout the university? In what way?
2. What are the components involved in the system(s) in the university? (hardware, software, technology, etc.)
3. How do these communicate with one another? (topology, network connectivity, protocols, etc.) – may include data flow/ UML diagrams to better explain
4. What are the processes involved in the communication (each system to other systems)?
5. How do you go along with the maintenance of the system?
6. Does the system follow a specific standard? Explain Please.
7. How is the security of the system? Are there any vulnerabilities? Risks? Corresponding mitigation techniques? Access control?
8. Are there any interference? During what (most) times do these occur? Explain their effects especially with regards to the business of the university?
9. What are the current trends in network environment ideal for the university?
10. Based on your experience, can you enumerate and discuss your key points for an effective and efficient network environment that is ideal for the university?
11. Can those key points apply to the current trends for the university’s network environment? How it works?
12. Can you draw the general network architecture of the university?
13. On your own opinion, are the users satisfied with the current network setup?
14. What network architecture is used in the university?
15. What are the drawbacks that you found in the existing system? How would you treat these drawbacks?
16. On you own opinion; are there any changes that you want to change in the existing network architecture?
17. How would you see the university few years after implementing the newly developed system?

So basically, those where the questions that we had come up with and below are the answers that Sir Ariel Reyes had come up with.

• In system development, how various parts of the system communicate with each other throughout the university? In what way?

Answer of Sir Reyes:
Regarding System Development, the best person to ask is our University Programmers, Mr. Fortich and Dr. Mercado.

So here, Sir Ariel Reyes recommended Sir Japh Fortich and Maam Tammy Mercado to answer about the first question. I tried to communicate with Sir Japh but unfortunately I didn’t get him due to busy schedules.

• What are the components involved in the system(s) in the university? (hardware, software, technology, etc.)

Answer of Sir Reyes:
I am not in the right position to discuss the details of the software components used as there are other assigned personnel for such job. However, talking about hardware component and technology used, basically I, assigned as the network administrator, is entrusted to maintain our different servers to run 24/7. Currently, we have our Web Server hosted here in our University in our HP ProLiant ML350 Server. Its an old but stable server set-up here in our Networks Office and has been active since Engr. Val A. Quimno , not yet a dean, was appointed as the Network Administrator. The said server has the following specification:

-Intel Xeon 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, or 3.4 GHz processors (dual processor capability) with 1MB level 2 cache standard. Processors include support for Hyper-Threading and Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T)
-Intel® E7520 chipset
-800-MHz Front Side Bus
-Integrated Dual Channel Ultra320 SCSI Adapter
-Smart Array 641 Controller (standard in Array Models only)
-NC7761 PCI Gigabit NIC (embedded)
-Up to 1 GB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM with Advanced ECC capabilities (Expandable to 8 GB)
-Six expansion slots: one 64-bit/133-MHz PCI-X, two 64-bit/100-MHz PCI-X, one 64-bit/66-MHz PCI-X, one x4 PCI-Express, and one x8 PCI-Express
-New HP Power Regulator for ProLiant delivering server level, policy based power management with industry leading energy efficiency and savings on system power and cooling costs
-Three USB ports: 1 front, 1 internal, 1 rear
-Support for Ultra320 SCSI hard drives (six hot plug or four non-hot plug drives supported standard, model dependent)
-Internal storage capacity of up to 1.8TB; 2.4TB with optional 2-bay hot plug SCSI drive
-725W Hot-Plug Power Supply (standard, most models); optional 725W Hot-Pluggable Redundant Power Supply (1+1) available. Non hot plug SCSI models include a 460W non-hot plug power supply.
-Tool-free chassis entry and component access
-Support for ROM based setup utility (RBSU) and redundant ROM
-Systems Insight Manager, SmartStart, and Automatic Server Recovery 2 (ASR-2) included
-Protected by HP Services and a worldwide network of resellers and service providers. Three-year Next Business Day, on-site limited global warranty. Certain restrictions and exclusions apply. Pre-Failure Notification on processors, memory, and SCSI hard drives.

Aside from it, our mail server running under Compaq Proliant ML330 Server, our oldest server, is also hosted here in our Networks Office. Together with other Servers, such as Proxy and Enrollment Servers, both proxy and our enrollment servers are running in a microcomputer/personal computer but with higher specifications to act as servers.

• How do these communicate with one another? (topology, network connectivity, protocols, etc.) – may include data flow/ UML diagrams to better explain.

Answer of Sir Reyes:
All Servers are connected in a shared medium grouped as one subnetwork. In general, our network follows the extended star topology which is connected to a DUAL WAN Router that serves as the load balancer between our two Internet Service Providers. All other workstations are grouped into different subnetworks as in star topology branching out from our servers subnetwork as in extended star topology. At present, we are making use of class C IP Address for private IP address assignments. Other workstations IP assignments are configured statically (example: laboratories) while others are Dynamic (example: offices). All workstations are connected via our proxy servers that do some basic filtering/firewall to control users access to the internet aside from router filtering/firewall management. So, whenever any workstation has to connect to the internet, it has to pass through software and hardware based firewall.

• What are the processes involved in the communication (each system to other systems)?

Answer of Sir Reyes:
As mentioned above, in item 3, all workstations are connected via a proxy server. It means that whenever a workstation is turned on, it requests for an IP address from the proxy server (for dynamically configured IP address) and connect to the network after IP address is acquired. As connection is established, each system can now communicate and share resources within the same subnetwork and to server following the concepts discuss in your Computer Network Class.

• How do you go along with the maintenance of the system?

Answer of Sir Reyes:
Basically, our servers are expected to be in good condition since it is required to be up 24/7. Daily, during my vacant period, monitoring on the servers are observed that includes checking logs, checking hardware performance such as CPU health, etc. If problems are observed, remedies are then and then applied. Once in a week, regular overall checkup is observed as preventive maintenance to ensure not to experience longer downtime if possible.

• Does the system follow a specific standard? Explain Please.

Answer of Sir Reyes:
As I was appointed as the Network Administrator, everything was already in place except for some minor changes. Basically, different networking standards was already observed such as cabling standards, TIA/EIA 568A-B, different IEEE standards as discussed in your Computer Networks Subject, etc.

• How is the security of the system? Are there any vulnerabilities? Risks? Corresponding mitigation techniques? Access control?

Answer of Sir Reyes:
As I have mentioned, we have implemented both software and hardware based filtering/firewall. Basically, Risks or vulnerabilities and different mitigation techniques were considered to increase security in our network. Aside from filtering/firewall, constant monitoring on networks activity also increases the security of the system.

• Are there any interference? During what (most) times do these occur? Explain their effects especially with regards to the business of the university?

Answer of Sir Reyes:
Major Interferences are normally encountered as an effect of unforeseen and beyond our control events such as black outs, and the like. The said interference would of course affect University’s day-to-day businesses for obviously this will paralyze all our activities that rely on electricity and further this might cause damage on our network devices, etc. that may later be the reason for longer downtime. Problems encountered by our providers such as connection to the National/International Gateway also affect University’s business such as correlating to University’s Business Partners outside and within the country.

• What are the current trends in network environment ideal for the university?
• Based on your experience, can you enumerate and discuss your key points for an effective and efficient network environment that is ideal for the university?
• Can those key points apply to the current trends for the university’s network environment? How it works?
• Can you draw the general network architecture of the university?
• On your own opinion, are the users satisfied with the current network setup?
• What network architecture is used in the university?
• What are the drawbacks that you found in the existing system? How would you treat these drawbacks?
• On you own opinion; are there any changes that you want to change in the existing network architecture?
• How would you see the university few years after implementing the newly developed system?

As you can see, Sir Ariel Reyes hasn’t answered all of the questions because he explained that no time and he has a very tight schedule. Luckily, for us he manages to answer at least some of the questions.

In relevant to the second question about given the chance to redesign the existing setup, enumerate and discuss your key points for an effective and efficient network environment ideal for the university.

For me it all begins with a plan. Plan what is the best way to improve the network environment of the university. Planning on the thing that needs to be improved, these are the requirements of the university. What are the important processes that the university really relies on, from the businesses to school related processes such as enrollment and other processes. As we all know the university has some business related establishment that currently servicing customers such as the university dormitory. In relation to network communication, do the university dormitory needs to have a better network environment for communication or are they satisfied with it? so by looking at that we can get the requirements that is needed for the improvement. Now, we go to the enrollment system of the university, does the processes satisfying? or not? So it is really base on the requirement. After the requirements are set, the next thing to do is to analyze if what are the best solutions for the requirements. Do we need to relocate the servers? Do we need to change the server? Or do we need to change the specs of the server? These are the thing that needs to be considered. So after analysis, the next thing to do is design. What are the things to do when designing? What topology are we going to use in order to attain the said requirements. What standard are we going to use in designing the network environment? So these are the questions that would basically pop out when you want to design a network environment. As the design goes on, the next thing to do is to get started.

Here are some factors that affect network performance. Unfortunately, not all networks are the same. As data is broken into component parts (often known frames, packets, or segments) for transmission, several factors can affect their delivery.

• Latency: It can take a long time for a packet to be delivered across intervening networks. In reliable protocols where a receiver acknowledges delivery of each chunk of data, it is possible to measure this as round-trip time.
• Packet loss: In some cases, intermediate devices in a network will lose packets. This may be due to errors, to overloading of the intermediate network, or to intentional discarding of traffic in order to enforce a particular service level.
• Retransmission: When packets are lost in a reliable network, they are retransmitted. This incurs two delays: First, the delay from re-sending the data; and second, the delay resulting from waiting until the data is received in the correct order before forwarding it up the protocol stack.
• Throughput: The amount of traffic a network can carry is measured as throughput, usually in terms such as kilobits per second. Throughput is analogous to the number of lanes on a highway, whereas latency is analogous to its speed limit.

These factors, and others (such as the performance of the network signaling on the end nodes, compression, encryption, concurrency, and so on) all affect the effective performance of a network. In some cases, the network may not work at all; in others, it may be slow or unusable. And because applications run over these networks, application performance suffers. Various intelligent solutions are available to ensure that traffic over the network is effectively managed to optimize performance for all users.

And also, network configuration management refers to setting, changing, collecting and restoring information about network devices (bridges, routers, workstations, servers, switches and others).
Networks of any size are in a constant state of flux. Any of the engineers responsible for the network can change the configuration of the switches and routers at any time. Configuration changes to live equipment can have devastating effects on the reliability of the network and the services provided by it. The aim of network configuration management is to save you time & reduce errors on your network due to misconfiguration of network devices. A network configuration management system is designed to allow you to take control of network changes, to simplify the job of managing networks and to fix configuration errors quickly.

There are direct correlations between properly configured devices and network security. Today's network configuration management solutions are specifically designed to automate the process of changing, securing and managing devices throughout the network. Whether configuration changes are introduced through malicious attacks, manual update errors, or network product defects, devices can become vulnerable and place the business at risk.

So, for me I would suggest that we would really have our own building that is properly located in a good space. Then, we will put up the server in that building. So that it would be spacious and the network administrators can easily move in the server room with good space for be able to make good use of the time specially when you have server crashes and server down. The more space you have the better your work is because you can free work on problems when occurred. Next would be good network architecture. The more the architecture is the better the service it can offer. Example, cables that are properly arranged makes a better connection. No entangling of wires and cables. And it can also be a very good atmosphere when you are inside the server room. Next, is good ventilation and good cooling system for all of the hardware that is currently running, the more it gives good performance. As it is all set, the next thing to do is have a more adequate server unit. I’m not against of the specs of our server but it’s kind of old and needs a better one. But, if it is still at good condition and meets the requirements needed for the university then I shall say go. But, as we all know all things has its limits, maybe we need to let it go. The next point I want to say is that the network topology. With good network topology I think all communications throughout the university will be with no problem. There will be some problems but it is minimal, and with a proper security features I think its all going to be ok. As it is all set, the next thing to do is the maintenance. Once it is operational the main thing that should be done is the maintenance. So, it should have a weekly maintenance.

One thing that I want to point out is that our network security. As Sir Val Quimno told us, the security level of our network is not very high. It is prone to all attacks and unwanted events. So for me, they really need to focus on the security so that attacks cannot penetrate the system. And it can lessen the problems in a network environment. So if this are all been done and meet I guess it’s a good network environment.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_performance_management
http://www.networkdictionary.com/networking/ncm.php

Relative to Assignment 1

Relative to your answer in Assignment 1.... What’s your take on the design of the enrollment system?


As we all know that the issue of our enrollment system is the talk of the town or rather the main example of our discussions in SAD. The main thing is that all my experiences since the day I came in this University pertaining to the enrollment system of the university was satisfactory to the length that the enrollment system did change and did improve. As we all know that the University's enrollment system was one of the problems that the university is facing. The administration tried to improve the enrollment system of the University. As I stayed in this University I still have some hard time in enrolling myself in the school. Even if I am already a senior in this University still I really haven’t mastered the system yet. Although I already know the things or shall we say the processes in the enrollment system, there are still cases that confuses me. And also the time for the whole enrollment process would take me so much of the time.

So my suggestion for the design of the enrollment system?

Basically, my suggestion is simple. First is to make a formal planning among the developers of the new enrollment system. Planning is the key to all success. Planning to fail is not an option rather to plan not to fail. So planning starts with what will be the requirement, and what will be the wanted output. So if it is all set, then proceed to further study and analysis on the requirements. What are the things that are needed to be done. What are the steps in acquiring the said requirement. What are the possible way to improve the system. So, further analysis is needed to be done in order to attain the said requirement. After the analysis, go to design. So for the design, make it very simple and understandable by the users. Don’t make it complicated, just simple processes and very important processes. Eliminate unnecessary processes that would not be very relevant to the enrollment system such as to many fees to pay, why make it into one payment for better and faster process. And also, there should be one booth per department so that the process of all transactions will be more efficient especially in the finance department. So to add in the design they should be more man power for more coverage of the processes. So basically, the main thing is that, do the following things; plan, analyze, and design in order to attain the goal. But, support from the administration is also the key to have a better enrollment system for the university. So basically that’s it. Thanks..

Accounting 2

MOVING TO DESIGN

Systems design is the process of describing, organizing, and structuring the components of a system at both the architectural level and a detailed level with a view toward constructing the proposed system. Systems design is like a set of blueprints used to build a house. The blueprints are organized by the different components of the house and describe the rooms, the stories, the walls, the windows, the doors, the wiring, the plumbing, and all other details. To understand the various elements of systems design, we must consider two questions: What are the components that require systems design? What are the inputs to and outputs of the design process?

A second important idea underlying systems design is that of the different levels of design. During analysis, we first identified the scope of the problem before we tired to understand all of the other details. We called this step top-down analysis. Analysis, as it was presented, included both top-down activities (for examples, scope first, then details) and bottom-up activities (for examples, DFD fragments first, then the middle-level diagram). The same ideas apply during design will use the term architectural design.

During the activities of the analysis phase, we built documents and models. For traditional analysis, models such as the event table, data flow diagrams, and entity-relationship diagrams were built. For object-oriented analysis, we also used the event table and developed other models such as class diagrams, use case diagrams, and use case descriptions. Regardless of the approach, the input to the design phase activities is the set of documents and models that were built during earlier phases. Design is also a model-building activity.

Designing the application architecture involves specifying in detail how all system activities will actually be carried out. These activities are described during systems analysis in great detail as logical models, without indicating what specific technology would be used. After a specific design alternative is chosen, the detailed computer processing – the physical models – can be designed. A key decision is to define the automation boundary, discussed in chapter eight, which separates the manual work done by people from the automated work done by computers.

No system exists in a vacuum. A new information system will affect many other information systems. Sometimes one system provides information that is later used by another system. Other times systems exchange information continuously as they run. The component that enables systems to share information is the system interface, and each system interface needs to be designed in detail. From the very beginning of systems design, analysts must ensure that all of these systems work together well. Some system interfaces link internal organizational systems, so the analyst may have information available about the other systems.

Designing the database for the system is another key design activity. The data model (a logical model) created during systems analysis is used to create the physical model of the database. Sometimes the database is a collection of traditional computer files. More often, it is a relational database consisting of dozens or even hundreds of tables. Sometimes files and might be used instead of relational databases. Analysts must consider many important technical issues when designing the database. Many of the technical (as supposed to functional) requirements defined during systems analysis concern database performance needs (such as response time).

During the design phase, it is important to continue creating and evaluating prototypes. Prototyping can also be used to confirm design choices about user interfaces, the database, networking architecture, controls, or even programming environments being used. Therefore, when analysts consider all of the design activities, they think about how prototypes might be used to help understand a variety of design decisions. It is also important to recognize that rapid application development (RAD) approaches develop prototypes during design that evolve into the finished system. In those cases, the prototype is the system.
A final design activity involves ensuring that the system has adequate safeguards to protect organizational assets. These safeguards are referred to as system controls. This activity is not listed last because controls have to be or it is less important than the others. On the contrary, it is a crucial activity. It is listed last because it is less important or the controls have to be considered for all other design activities – user interface, system interface, application architecture, database, and network design.

The initiation of design activities is a pivotal point in the development project. The focus changes from discovery to solution development and the whole tenor of the project changes. Coordinating all of the ongoing activities is challenging for even the best project managers because myriad details and tasks must be handled to keep the project on track. Even though analysis for iteration is essentially complete at this point, some analysis tasks remain. Every new system has a multitude of business rules that must be integrated into it missions are calculated, what happens to commissions on merchandise returns, when commissions are paid, how the commission schedule varies to encourage sales of high-margin items and sale items, and so forth.

The fundamental tool to coordinate the various project teams’ activities is the project schedule. As the activities of the design phase begin, the project manager must update the schedule by identifying and estimating all tasks associated with design and implementation, as well as any outstanding tasks associated with ongoing requirements definition. The project schedule usually must be reworked substantially to ensure that the project remains organized. Weekly, and sometimes daily, status meetings are held. If this group includes people at remote locations, teleconferencing support may be required.
As a customer support system project moves forward into design at RMO, the project team has been enhanced with the addition of new team members. Consistent with the earlier discussion, RMO initiated two new subprojects at this time, one for data conversion and one for the system and acceptance test plans. To integrate new people into the team, Barbara Halifax reorganized the structure of the project team. Those who had been on the team through-out the analysis phase are now key players in getting the new team members up to speed.

As design moves forward, the development teams begin to generate a tremendous amount of detailed information about the system. Modules, classes, data fields, data structures, forms, reports, methods, subroutines, and tables are all being defined in substantial detail. The most common and widespread technique to record and track project information is to use a CASE tool. Most CASE tools have a central repository to capture information. A major element in a CASE tool system is the central repository of information.

In chapter eight, you learned that defining the deployment environment is an activity that bridges analysis and design. The deployment environment consists of the hardware, system software, and networking environment in which the system will operate. In this section, we describe common deployment environments in detail, and in the next section we’ll explore related design patterns and architectures for application software. Single-computer architecture is an architecture that employs a single computer system executing all application-related software. A multitier architecture is an architecture that distributes application-related software or processing load across multiple computer systems. A clustered architecture is a group of computers of the same type that share a processing load and act as a single large computer system. A multicomputer architecture is a group of dissimilar computers that share processing load through specialization of function. The term centralized architecture describes deployment of all computer system in a single location.

Centralized architecture is generally used for large-scale processing applications, including both batch and real-time applications. Such applications are common in industries. Any application that has two or three of these characteristics is a viable candidate for implementation on a centralized mainframe. Current trends in conducting e-business have instilled new life into centralized mainframe computing because of the transaction volumes of many business-to-business (B2B) processes. Centralized computer systems are seldom used as the sole hardware platform for an information system. Most systems have some transaction inputs that must be accepted from geo-graphically dispersed locations and processed in real time – for example, a cash withdrawal from an ATM.

A computer network is a set of transmission lines, specialized hardware, and communication protocols that enable communication among different users and computer systems. Computer networks are divided into two classes depending on the distance they span. A local area network (LAN) is typically less than one kilometer long and connects computers within a single building or floor. The term wide area network (WAN) can describe any network over one kilometer, though the term typically implies much greater distances spanning cities, countries, continents, or the entire globe.

The internet is the infrastructure on which the Web is based. In other words, resources of the Web are delivered to users over the internet. An intranet is a private network that uses (usually members of the same organizations or workgroup). An extranet is an intranet that has been extended to include directly related business users outside the organization (such as suppliers, large customers, and strategic partners).

Simple deployment environments, such as a single centralized computer with video display terminals, can be matched to relatively simple application architectures. More complex distributed and multitier hardware and network architectures require more complex software architectures. This section describes common examples of application architectures for distributed and multitier deployment environments and the design issues and decisions associated with each. A server manages one or more information systems resources or provides a well-defined service. A client communicates with a server to request resources or services, and the server responds to those requests. Like earlier forms of client/server architecture, three-layer architecture is inherently flexible. Interactions among the layers are always requests or responses, which makes the layers relatively independent of one another. It doesn’t matter where other layers are implemented or on what type of computer or operating system they execute. The only interlayer dependencies are a common language for requests and responses and a reliable network with sufficient communication capacity.

Client/server and three-layer architecture relies on special programs to enable communication between the various layers. Software that implements this communication interface is usually called middleware. Middleware connects parts of an application and enables requests and data to pass between them. There are various methods to implement the middleware functions. Some common types of middleware include transaction processing monitors, object request brokers (ORBs), and Web service directories. Each type of middleware has its own set of protocols to facilitate communication between the various components of an information system.

The Web is a complex example of client/server architecture. Web sources are managed by server processes that can execute on dedicated server computers or on multipurpose computer systems. Clients are programs that send requests to servers using one or more of the standard Web resource request protocols. Web protocols define valid resource formats and a standard means of requesting resources and services. Any program (not just a Web browser) can use Web protocols. Thus, Weblike capabilities can be embedded in ordinary application programs.

Modern organizations rely on networks to support many different applications. Thus, the majority of new systems must be integrated into existing networks without disrupting existing applications. Network design and management are highly technical tasks, and most organizations have permanent in-house staff, contractors, or consultants to handle network administration. The analyst for a new project begins network design by consulting with the organization’s network administrators to determine whether the existing network can accommodate the new system. In some cases, the existing network capacity is sufficient, and only minimal changes are required such as adding connections for new servers or modifying routing and firewall configuration to enable new application layers to communicate.

Location-related information gathered during analysis may have been documented using location diagrams, activity-location diagrams, and activity-data matrices. During network design, the analyst expands the information content of these documents to include processing locations, communication protocols, middleware, and communication capacity. There are many different ways to describe the network infrastructure for a specific application. The diagram embodies specific assumptions about server locations, which would be decided in consultation with network administrators. The Web/application servers could have been distributed outside an establishment data center, which might have improved system response time and reduced data communication capacity requirements on the private WAN.

The network diagram is also a starting point for specifying protocol and middleware requirements. For example, the private WAN connections must support protocols required to process Microsoft Active Directory logins and queries. If the WAN fails, messages are routed through encrypted (VPN) connections over the Internet, so those connections must support the same protocols as the private WAN.

Data size per access type is an educated guess at this point in the system design because none of the software layers, interlayer communication dialogs, or database has yet been designed. So basically, that was the summary of the chapter moving to design. The points that where tackled where the issues related to managing and coordinating the design phase of SDLC. Explain the major components and levels of design, and describe each design phase activity, and describe common deployment environments and matching application architectures and lastly, develop a simple network diagram and estimate communication capacity requirements.

Enrollment

Assuming you were tapped by the university president to evaluate the new enrollment system implemented this semester, enumerate your observations/comments and suggest possible areas and ways where improvements can be made. Your observations/suggestions should be properly validated with facts and literatures... (You may start with the diagrams posted in the strategic locations of the university)... (1000words)

Before I suggest my comments and observations first I will just explain to you the things that are going on in our current enrollment system. First is the enrollment procedure for the shiftees. First is that they go to the student accounts to do the following check the student account, check the balance, and then signing of their clearance. The next step would be going to his/her department to request that he/she will shift, and then the recommendation that he/she can shift to another department. Then he/she will go the new department that he/she will be transferring, and then evaluating the student, and then advising or pre-registration process. The step four is that they update the student profile. The next step would be the payment of other fees, encoding, assessment of fees, and then temporary COR (Certificate of Registration) printing. After that, the student will go to the student accounts if he/she is a scholar, and if not he/she can directly go to the cashier for the payment of the matriculation. After that process, he/she will go to the registrar to present clearance, present official receipts, and printing the student’s original COR. After that he/she is officially enrolled. The image below represents the enrollment system of the shiftees.

The next one is for the old students of the university. It is pretty the same with the enrollment system of the shiftees, the only difference is that if you are a scholar you go to the OSS office to renew your scholarship grant, but if your not a scholar then you can directly proceed to advising. Then, if your still taking up NSTP subjects you go to the office and enroll to the NSTP programs either ROTC or CWTS. After that, you go to your department for advising then encoding and printing of the temporary COR. Then, if you’re a scholar you go to the student account for posting of accounts, and if you’re a paying student you will go to the cashier to pay your matriculation. After that presenting of clearances, official receipts, and then printing of the original COR, and then you are officially enrolled. The image below represents the enrollment system of the old students.

The last thing would be for the new students. The processes are different here because the starting enrollment process is from the admission process. The student will evaluated and then if accepted they will issue an admission slip. After that you go and take the USEPAT exam and if you passed the exam you can proceed to the next step. The next step will be done in the University Guidance and Testing Office (UGTO). Encoding of student information and assigning the students ID number. After that, if the new student is a scholar he/she will go to the OSS office for scholarship application, but if you’re not a scholar then you can directly proceed to advising. Then, he/she will enroll to the NSTP programs either ROTC or CWTS. Then after that they go to the college/department that they will be enrolling and then present all the enrollment requirements, and then go for advising, paying the other fees such as local council fees and etc. then after that is the encoding and then printing of the temporary COR. If you’re a scholar you first go to the student account for posting of accounts. If not, you go to the cahiers for payment of matriculation and printing of official receipts. Then, go to the registrar then submit all the enrollment requirements such as form 137, photocopy of NSO birth certificate, USEPAT entrance exam result, admission slip, medical certificate, certificate of good moral, 2 pieces 2x2 picture, prospectus of the enrolled course, 1 piece long brown envelope and the official receipt. After that printing of the original COR and you are already officially enrolled. The image below represents the enrollment system of the new students.

So basically, those are the things that are happening if it is enrollment time in the university.

Now, the things that I notice in our enrollment system is that when you pay the other fees such as the headlight and the others is that you are going to go to their office in order for you to pay the fees. For me, I would suggest that every payment are all in one place, an example would that they’re would be one representative each office to handle such payments. Let’s take it for an example, if you’re in the IC department all payments should be handled in that department in order for a faster process. When the collection is already done that’s the time the representative will submit the payments to its office.

The other thing that I observed is that the diagrams of each enrollment system are adequately confusing such that the arrows and images seem didn’t fit. For me, I would suggest that make the diagrams more simple and understandable.
One thing that I also want to point out that if there is funds that are available for the improvement of our enrollment system why would they just make each department have their own finance office so that it would be faster if one cashier per department same goes to the registrar, one registrar booth per department.

Basically, the new enrollment system of the university had quite improved since the first day I got here. Basically, the processes are quite fast as to compare before that people in each steps wait in such long queues. But for me, still I’m not satisfied with the enrollment system of the university. I may also include factors that are involved in the said matter, maybe financial issues that no enough funds are available for such actions. As we all know cost is really a key factor in creating new systems.

I’m not really satisfied in the current enrollment system but at least some of the processes in the enrollment system had improved if not much at least in a little way.