10.0.1.2 Class Activity – Application Investigation (Instructor Version – Optional Class Activity)
Instructor Note: Red font color or gray highlights indicate text that appears in the instructor copy only. Optional activities are designed to enhance understanding and/or to provide additional practice.
Objectives
Explain how the Application layer provides support to end-user applications.
Background / Scenario
It is the beginning of your work week. Your employer has decided to install IP telephones in your workplace, which results in the network being inoperable until next week.
However, your work must continue. You have emails to send and quotes to write for your manager’s approval. Due to possible security issues, you are not allowed to use personal or external computer systems, equipment, or off-site equipment and systems.
Your instructor may ask you to complete the questions from both scenarios below. Answer the questions fully for the scenario(s). Be prepared to discuss your answers in class.
Emails
- What method(s) can you use to send email communication?
- How can you send the same email to multiple recipients?
- How can you get a large attachment to multiple recipients?
- Are these methods cost effective to your corporation?
- Do these methods violate any security policies of your corporation?
Quote for Manager’s Approval
- You have a desktop application software package installed on your computer. Will it be relatively easy to produce the quote your manager needs for the new contract due by the end of the week? What limitations will be experienced while trying to complete the quote?
- How will you present the quote to your manager for approval? How do you think he or she will send the quote to the client for their approval?
- Are these methods cost effective to your corporation? Justify your answer.
Instructor Note: This optional Modeling Activity is introductory in nature. Its purpose is to focus on how the application layer is necessary in order for networking to operate effectively. To save classroom time (for discussion), students may complete only one of the two scenarios.
Reflection
What steps did you identify as important to communicating without network applications available to you for a week in your workplace? Which steps were not important? Justify your answer.
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To resolve this issue, some alternatives to pursue might include:
Emails:
What method(s) can you use to send email communication? Correspondence might have to take the form of post-office mail or hand delivery. Messages may be handwritten or printed locally.
How could you send the same email to multiple recipients? Once the handwritten letter is finished, copies can be made for all recipients. Then, the copies can be sent individually to the recipients.
If a large attachment was necessary to send, how would you get it to multiple recipients? Multiple copies would have to be made of the large attachment to send with the locally-produced letter.
Are these methods cost effective to your corporation? No, this would take a lot of time, resources, and steps to ready the mail and attachment for delivery
Quote for Manager’s Approval:
You have a desktop application software package installed on your computer. Will it be relatively easy to produce the quote your manager needs for the new contract due by the end of the week? Yes, the local application software should not be affected by having no access to the network.
When you finish writing the quote, how will you present it to your manager for approval? How will he or she send the quote to the client for their consideration for approval? The quote will need to be printed (or saved to media). The hard copy (or media copy) will need to be delivered personally to the manager. Post-office mail probably would need to be used to send the quote to the client in this example.
Are these methods cost effective to your corporation? No, it takes time to print the quote, deliver it to the manager, get it ready for post-office delivery, etc.
Identify elements of the model that map to IT content:
- Network applications make communication in the workplace easier.
- Network applications affect the amount of work done on a daily basis.
- Processing time is increased without the use of network applications.
- Network applications reduce the cost of completing business communications.