Abstract:

Laboratories play an important part in the teaching and learning methodology of STEM subjects. In the teaching of Computer Networking and Cyber Security students may be exposed to a range of computer systems and networking devices. A computer in a computing laboratory may host a range of operating systems, services and software applications depending on the requirements of a teaching and learning session. These requirements may differ between various modules on a particular course. Hosting multiple operating systems in a laboratory is usually achieved by utilising virtual machines or containers. Before a laboratory-based session can begin the host computers or virtualised systems may need to be restored to a prior state or configured to accommodate a particular session and they may also need to be updated to accommodate changes to teaching and learning material. Whilst scripts and configuration management tools are available to accomplish this the process is often dynamic in nature, since configuration requirements may vary between sessions, and may demand specialist knowledge and additional staff time to achieve successfully. One technique to simplify the process is by cloning the host operating system or virtual machines and then deploying the resultant image to the laboratory computers. Unlike business-based networks where data must be preserved, and configuration changes are incremental, laboratory networks often require a complete rebuild to return hosts to a default configuration. An application has been developed that enables configuration management of the laboratory. Initially it was only capable of managing changes to the configuration of laboratory computers, a separate application known as Free and Open-source Ghost being used to manage the computer cloning process in which disks or partitions can be re-imaged on the computers. The process can be managed through a web browser-based interface. However, Free Open-source Ghost has an Application Programme Interface that can be accessed by third-party applications and an investigation was conducted to incorporate these cloning functions into the existing configuration management application. This paper will examine the features necessary for managing a computer networking and cyber security laboratory and the concepts incorporated into the management application, particularly focusing on the development of an interface extension to simplify functionality and improve the efficiency of management processes.

Keywords:

Laboratory, configuration management, computer networks, cyber security, Free Open-source Ghost, development.