KOSHIN TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE
P.O. BOX 4040-30100, ELDORET
Networking & Distributed Systems Formative Assessment 1 (50 Marks)
Section A: Short Answer Questions (20 marks)
1. Define "network." (2 marks)
2. List two key benefits of networking. (2 marks)
3. Differentiate between LAN and WAN. (2 marks)
4. Name one advantage and one disadvantage of a star topology. (2 marks)
5. What is a distributed system? (2 marks)
6. Give one example of a distributed system. (2 marks)
7. What is the difference between client-server and peer-to-peer? (2 marks)
8. Define synchronous communication. (2 marks)
9. Name one common network security threat. (2 marks)
10. What is load balancing? (2 marks)
Section B: Scenario-Based Questions (30 marks)
Scenario 1: Small Business Network (10 marks)
A small business with 20 employees needs a new network. They have two departments: Sales
(10 employees) who primarily use cloud-based CRM software, and Development (10 employees)
who require high-bandwidth access for software development and testing, including large file
transfers. All employees need reliable internet access.
1. Design a network for this business. Specify the network type (LAN, WAN, etc.),
topology, key network devices (routers, switches, access points, servers if needed), and
justify your choices. Consider both wired and wireless connectivity. (5 marks)
2. Outline the key security considerations for this network. Describe the specific security
measures you would implement to protect the business's data and network infrastructure,
considering both internal and external threats. (5 marks)
Scenario 2: Video Streaming Service (20 marks)
A startup is developing a video streaming service with the following requirements:
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Millions of potential users globally
High availability and fault tolerance
Support for live streaming and on-demand video
Personalized recommendations
Secure delivery of content
1. Propose a distributed system architecture for this video streaming service. Describe the
key components and their interactions, including:
o Client devices (types and how they connect)
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Edge servers/CDNs (role and placement)
Origin servers (function and redundancy)
Databases (for user data, video metadata, recommendations)
Load balancers (purpose and strategy)
Any other relevant components (e.g., message queues, caching systems)
Justify your choices based on the requirements outlined above. Consider scalability,
performance, and reliability. (12 marks)
2. Discuss the key security considerations for this video streaming service. Describe the
security measures you would implement to protect:
o User data (privacy, authentication)
o Video content (copyright protection, unauthorized access)
o The infrastructure itself (DDoS protection, intrusion detection)
Consider both internal and external threats. (8 marks)