What Is Network Services? – Features, And More

Introduction

Network  Services (DTS) operates a state-wide area network (WAN) and state local area networks (LAN) for all law enforcement agencies in the State of Utah. DTS also provides WAN services to State and other government agencies with enterprise-wide state network services.

The State WAN provides gateway services to the public Internet and acts as a personal fault-tolerant network connecting facilities in geographic locations across the State.

In fiscal 2009, the WAN and LAN services were merged into network services and also offer the agency’s customers jack-to-jack connectivity at a single price.

Network services include IP address, Domain Name System (DNS), primary domain mail service, Internet access, web content filtering, security products such as firewalls, VPN termination, intrusion prevention (IPS) systems, and the necessary tools personnel to support these services. Network services provide limited wireless connectivity for government agencies (see description of wireless services in the following sections).

Features And Descriptions

Long Distance Network

• High availability on several sites.
• Fault-tolerant network with redundant paths from data centers to geographic hubs; these different paths are provided by the radio services of the DTS network.

Local network

Consistent connectivity from all endpoints with best practices.

GENERAL FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

This product provides network consulting, planning, and engineering services. Services include delivery of network products, operational support of network products, network reconciliation, and also creation of network diagrams; However, the benefits do not include the costs of acquiring or maintaining other networked multimedia products.

Connection

• Monitor network usage and manage bandwidth.
• Last-mile connection of remote facilities to geographic hubs.
• Ethernet service connectivity to the Intermediate Distribution Framework (IDF), except when local support is provided.
• Connections on campuses are designed on a case-by-case basis to provide the most appropriate service to meet the needs of campus customers.

Analog Connection

Once the sites are switched to VoIP, any analog equipment, license, or connection is the agency’s responsibility.

Device

A network device is an object that carries information about any part of the state-owned network, including wireless devices.

Government officials who pay the monthly network service charge for using a desktop or laptop computer can use a mobile device, such as an iPad, without incurring additional network charges (a mobile device apply); However, employees cannot avoid network service charges by using only a mobile device or by “Bring your device” (BYOD) – in these cases, approved network service charges apply.

Devices supporting the network infrastructure are exclud.

Security

• Firewall services among the Internet and also the State WAN.
• Monitoring and management of backbone intrusions.
• Access Control Lists (ACLs) for local LAN segments, where officially possible.
• Note: Clients cannot connect to router access lists.
• Packet inspection to prevent IP address spoofing from external networks.

IP Addressing

Manage address blocks.

Manage subnets, VLANs, and public/private IP projects.

DNS Service

• Manage host, MX, alias, and PTR records.
• Host the newly registered DNS domains and manage the DNS records.
• Delegate the subdomains by agency request.
• Manage changes to DNS records.
• Provide instructions for registering new DNS names.

Email Services

Services provided by Google.

Internet Access

Content filtering and blocking of inappropriate or unauthorized access.

Personalized filtering is available on request.

VPN Sessions

DTS will provide secure VPN access to the state network from the Internet; Prior approval is require.

Wireless Services

Beginning November 1, 2017, DTS will offer the following wireless services. For small office buildings (fewer than 30 employees), DTS will provide up to four (4) access points for wireless coverage. For medium-sized buildings with more than 30 and up to about 100 employees, DTS will provide up to 12 wireless access points. Large buildings with more than 100 employees, DTS provides up to 20 wireless access points. For facilities with multiple departments, wireless access points are assign to each department in the building in proportion to the number of employees.

DTS Responsibility

• Maintain the jack-to-jack network; however, installation wiring is the agency’s responsibility.
• Coordinate notification to customers of planned maintenance and also breakdowns.
• Evaluate and also design appropriate network bandwidth based on agency business needs.
• Deliver network services efficiently and economically, including bandwidth monitoring statistics to justify improvements.
• Maintain the honesty and security of the State’s local area and also wide area networks by closing ports penetrated or violating network security policies.
• Perform regular audits of the number of devices defined by network devices and also published policies.
• Perform regular audits of special billing agreements (SBA) and update deals as needed.
• The network solutions engineer and technical support personnel should document the firewall configurations so that government agencies that need to access the applications can access them; H. Allow states to work together.

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