A prototype web-based system Assignment Sample

Introduction To : Development Of A Prototype It Support System For Wearview Academy

WearView Academy is aimed at making the process of completing IT support faster for the staff members, by designing a prototype web-based IT support system. This effort is discerned from the need to augment interaction and feedback on the technical issues that teachers encounter in the class. The recommended system will enhance reporting problems, help in tracking of IT demands systematically and provide grounding for personnel to address and resolve problems that are indicated. This report aims to outline the server side and database, test strategies based on the requirements set by the academy and an evaluation of the developed system.

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Part A: Server-side and Database Development

In accordance with the requirement, PHP & MySQL has been deployed at WearView Academy for the IT support system. The following are some of the system's primary features:

Figure 1: Login page for staff and technician

(Source: Self-Created in VS Code)

User authentication: In this case, the staff members and the technicians are provided with easy to enter username as well as passwords which are already set. However this meets these requirements, it should be noted that there would not be session management and other advanced functionalities.

Figure 2: IT issue reporting page

(Source: Self-Created in VS Code)

Issue Reporting: Using an online form that requires the employee’s name, their email address, the location of the problem and a description of the problem, can be reported to the IT department. To enhance the accuracy of the entered data the form uses both server and client side validation.

Figure 3: Technician Dashboard page

(Source: Self-Created in VS Code)

Job Management: The performers have the option / possibility to view a list of those tasks that have not been completed yet and flag them as completed. The system offers the opportunity to track job’s status in real time.

Responsive Design: For flexibility of layout for purposes of view-port, the system comes with CSS for styling purposes.

Part B: Testing

Part C: Critical Evaluation

Strengths

Simple Authentication: The discriminator of the prototype therefore meets the prototype criteria via using a simple login mechanism, where one differentiates between staff and technicians(Clifford et al. 2022). In this way, users will be able to get to the role based options without a lot of implementation. As an ideal candidate for a production setting it not but as a proof of concept it advances the idea of role-based access control alongside some of the critical login capabilities such as hard-coded credentials.

Issue Reporting: The system provides an effective means to ‘shelter-in-place’ by offering employee’s avenue the thorough means of reporting any issues. It affords both name, email address, location and a detailed description of the IT issue. Such an approach ensures that the professionals are able to access relevant and adequate information concerning every reported problem for fast resolution of problems. The format of the form enhances freedom of interaction between the personnel and the IT support section.

Job Management: Technicians may view and fix the existing state of the reported jobs through easy to use job interface. When things are being built, the capability to mark things as done also offers a clear process for problem-solving(Nelson 2020). This tool being able to allow the technicians to assess their progress and also view the tasks that have not been able to work on improves efficiency. It also offers coming from the support viewpoint transparency since the status of each job is clearly visible.

Validation: The necessity of client-side and the need for client-side and server-side validation must both be met for the integrity of the data within the system to be maintained at all levels. The primary benefit of client-side validation is the fact that the user gets instant feedback since the problems must be detected before submitting the form(Dewit et al. 2020). At times client-side validation is underrated, nonetheless the server-side validation always acts as a backup to ensure that only proper data goes through the system and is stored. This two-pronged strategy reduces this likelihood drastically by providing consistency in terms of the collected data.

Responsive Design: The practical example of such a parameter is the availability of a single necessary CSS file, which indicates that the design is responsive, i.e., adjusted to work with various sizes of screens and devices. By so doing, access is enhanced and a user can easily manipulate the system through a PC, tablets or an iPhone. That is why responsive design makes people happier because it receive the same experience regardless of the device they are using. This is important when in school where different devices may be used For instance, most devices have HELP while others just have toolbar.

Weaknesses

Basic Security: User include well-documented security problems that stem from the application using hardcoded credentials and having no session management. If the source code is released, it is easy to invade hardcoded credentials amongst other things(Tatapudi 2023). User authentication statuses are not safely persisted across different requests because of bad session handling. This will expose the whole IT support fabric of the school as well as the data of the school to compromise in that the outside person will have complete access to the operations of the school as well as all the information stored end terminal of the system.

Restricted User Management: With regards to the system, the absence of registration feature for users and a password change option hinders the scalabilities as well as usability of the system. The procedure of adding or modifying the user credentials becomes ineffective as well as increases the chances of errors especially when a school has expanded or some of the staff has been recruited or replaced(Reddy 2021). However, because of this restriction, users themselves cannot create their account and are unable to perform operations on it, which in turn increases the operational burden on the IT staff. Possible security threats in a broader implementation for example can be high due to the minimal user control options available.

Lack of Password Hashing: It is an enormous security risk to compare and store passwords in raw format or as plain text. All user credentials are instantly retrievable if there is a breach in the database section. It is this vulnerability that might compromise other systems where one may be using the same credentials as are used on the IT support system. Password hashing has to be implemented, as the student’s credentials have to be protected plus the overall security of the school’s IT infrastructure.

Limited Error Handling: Despite the fact that there are certain error handling inputs and outputs implemented. Through poor error handling, programmers are likely to find themselves handling system crashes, weird messages, or unusual system response(Lim and Han 2020). This is inconveniences users, and makes it even more cumbersome for admins to diagnose the issues. It is essential to control errors effectively and systematically to provide better opportunities to satisfy the consumer more dependably while availing the system, and to enhance system stability and to make the handling of IT support system maintenance easier.

Suggestions for Improvement

Implement Appropriate Authentication: Storing the login status of a user through PHP sessions can be beneficial for both, better protection and a more convenient stay on the site. Password hashing is helpful in that the user credentials cannot be accessed in case of hacking(Shambaugh 2023). Such measures are in place, the security of IT helpdesk system is improve and the leakage of sensitive information is prevented as well as deterring illegitimate access are prevented.

Improve User Management: There is more control and flexibility possible when registration and password policy for the user is done meticulously(Koustas and Losapio 2021). Services such as user profile management, password reset Self-registration and others are part of this. Such enhancements enhance liberty of users, reduce administrative weight, and ensure that users’ information remains secure and current in the system.

Improve Security: The enhancements that will help to increase security are incorporate of the anti-forgery tokens to protect the application from CSRF attacks. Another interesting finding is that it is possible to prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities quite effectively by using prepared statements for the SQL queries to be done(Rosen et al. 2024). Sanitizing of inputs reduce potential security threats because inputs that contain nasty information are eliminated with it. Thus, along with protecting from frequent web App vulnerabilities, those safety measures provide data purity and users’ trust.

Increase Functionality: Some of the tools include through the email notification, people are informed on issues are reported. All Authors stress that additional context provided by file attachments in issue reports makes the situation clearer for technicians. Implementing of the statistics dashboard affords a means of gathering aesthetically appealing information concerning the performance of the system. These extensions, while being more limited in functionality, enhance communication, provide more context to the issues and enable decision makers to make data-based decisions.

Conclusion

The conceptual framework for the WearView IT Helpdesk System used in the WearView Academy suggests a good foundation for managing IT support calls in school. It could be enhance especially for security, user management and others, however; it has good practices at simplicity such as user authentication, issue tracking and job scheduling. These risks can be remedied, and the improvements outlined when the vulnerabilities have been addressed enhance the progress of the system into being safe, fortified, and easy to use. There are such things that should be priority: enhancing security measures, expanding the set of user mechanisms, and authorization. Moreover, greater functionality and enhanced database utilization will greatly increase both the efficiency and utilitarian value of the system. These improvements are necessary to ensure a stable IT-based support system for WearView Academy’s staff and technicians since the demands are predicted to rise from this proof of concept phase to a large-scale implementation.

Reference List

Journals

• Clifford, G., Nguyen, T., Shaw, C., Newton, B., Francis, S., Salari, M., Evans, C., Jones, C., Akintobi, T.H. and Taylor Jr, H., 2022. An Open-Source Privacy-Preserving Large-Scale Mobile Framework for Cardiovascular Health Monitoring and Intervention Planning With an Urban African American Population of Young Adults: User-Centered Design Approach. JMIR Formative Research, 6(1), p.e25444.
• Nelson, J., 2020. An Automated Data Collection System to Capture the Co-evolution of Physical Prototypes and Designer Knowledge.
• Dewit, I., Latulipe, C., Dams, F. and Jacoby, A., 2020. Using the creativity support index to evaluate a product-service system design toolkit. Journal of Design Research, 18(5-6), pp.434-457.
• Tatapudi, G., 2023. Internet of Things: A Hypothetical and Prototyping Platform for CRASP Methodology. Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence Journal, 3(2), pp.161-177.
• Reddy, K., 2021. Developing reliable clinical diagnosis support system. Accessed July, 29.
• Lim, C. and Han, H., 2020. Development of instructional design strategies for integrating an online support system for creative problem solving into a University course. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21(4), pp.539-552.
• Shambaugh, D., 2023. Becoming a ganbu: China’s cadre training school system. Journal of Contemporary China, 32(142), pp.540-558.
• Rosen, M.S., Rogers, A.E., J Von Seggern, M., Grimm, B.L., Ramos, A.K., Schenkelberg, M.A., Idoate, R.E. and Dzewaltowski, D.A., 2024. Investigate-Design-Practice-Reflect: An Iterative Community-Engaged Action Process to Improve Population Health. Journal of Community Health, 49(6), pp.1106-1117.
• Koustas, S. and Losapio, S., 2021. Innovation Within the Lines: Implementation of a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship and Strategic Networking. In Team Academy and Entrepreneurship Education (pp. 45-58). Routledge.

Author Bio

Jordan Clarke   7 Years | Masters

I am Jordon and I am a resident of London. I have completed my master's from Imperial College. I have gold medals in bachelor's as well as master's. I have been a certified academic writer for 7 years or more. My passion is to help students write flawless assignments. I have also been a professor at two or three renowned universities in London, so I am very well aware of what the guidelines demand.