Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Holborow, and welcome to Computing.

I'm so pleased you could join me for the lesson today.

In today's lesson, we're going to be exploring the impacts of network failure and what can be done to reduce the risk of network failure.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit network fundamentals.

This lesson is called the "Impact of network failure." And by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain the effects of network failure and describe methods used to reduce its impact.

Shall we make a start? We will be exploring these key words in today's lesson.

Let's take a look at them now.

Resilience.

Resilience, the ability of a network to recover quickly from problems like failures or attacks, so services can continue with little or no disruption.

Redundancy.

Redundancy, having backup parts such as servers or power supplies in a network so it can keep working even if something breaks.

Look out for these key words throughout today's lesson.

Today's lesson is split into two sections.

We'll start by explaining impacts of network failure, and then we'll move on To describe methods to reduce network failure.

Let's make a start by explaining impacts of network failure.

Network failure is when devices can no longer communicate across the network.

This might be due to hardware faults, power outages, software errors, or cyber attacks.

Have you ever experienced when a network isn't working or you've not been able to access a service? Networks allow file sharing, access to internet services, communication, so either via email or instant messaging or maybe even video conferencing, and cloud storage and backup.

Failure disrupts these functions and can be really quite disruptive.

When a network fails, it can cause loss of data, problems with communication, financial losses for businesses.

Think about if a business cannot have their website up and running and they can't take any online orders.

That's going to have a financial impact and harm to an organization's reputation.

For example, if an organisation has suffered from a cyber attack, people may no longer trust them to store or hold their data.

Okay, time to check your understanding.

I have a true or false statement for you.

Network failure can only be caused by physical hardware faults.

Is this true or false? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

Did you select false? Well done.

Remember, network failure can be caused by various factors, including hardware faults, but also things like power outages, software errors, or cyber attacks.

If data is being transferred when a failure happens, that data may be lost or corrupted.

This is especially damaging if there are no backups.

When communication systems like email or messaging stop working, collaboration slows down or stops entirely.

For businesses that rely on the internet to sell products or services, network downtime means lost sales and will have a financial impact.

Many organisations rely on cloud storage and online software and network failure means users cannot access files or systems stored online.

This can stop work entirely, especially in remote or hybrid teams. Customers expect reliable service.

If a network failure causes long downtime or data breaches, customers may stop trusting the business and their reputation might be damaged.

In sectors like healthcare, emergency services or transport, network failure can delay responses or prevent access to vital data.

This can put safety at risk and cause severe disruption.

Okay, time to check your understanding.

I have a question for you.

What is a direct consequence for a business if network failure causes long downtime or data breaches? Is it a, increased network speed, b, higher customer trust, or c, potential loss of customer trust and sales? Pause the video here whilst you have a think.

Did you select c? Well done.

Potential loss of customer trust and sales is a direct consequence for a business if network failure causes long downtime or data breaches.

Okay, we're moving on to our first task of today's lesson, Task A.

For part one, explain two significant impacts network failure can have on businesses.

For part two, describe two ways network failure can affect individuals or essential services.

Pause the video whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on with the task? Did you manage to explain some impacts of network failure? Well done.

Let's have a look at some sample answers together.

So for part one, you were asked to explain two significant impacts network failure can have on businesses.

If businesses rely on the internet to sell products or services, network downtime means they lose sales and money.

If a network failure causes long periods of downtime or data breaches, customers may lose trust in the business, which can severely damage its reputation.

For part two, you are asked to describe two ways network failure can affect individuals or essential services.

Individuals might lose access to file sharing, internet services, email or messaging, which can stop collaboration and affect productivity, especially for remote teams. If data is being transferred, it might be lost or corrupted.

In essential sectors like healthcare, emergency services, or transport, network failure can delay urgent responses or prevent access to vital data, putting people's safety at risk and causing severe disruption.

Did you have some similar type responses? Remember, if you need to pause the video and add any detail to your answers, you can do that now.

Okay, so we've explained the impacts of network failure.

Let's now move on to describe methods to reduce network failure.

Resilience is the ability of a network to recover quickly from problems. It ensures that services can keep running or recover quickly even if something goes wrong.

Resilient computer systems and digital infrastructures are designed to withstand and recover from disruptions, threats, and unexpected events.

These environments ensure the continuity of digital services, so things are there and continue to run, and operations even in challenging circumstances.

So, for example, maybe when we've got a power cut or something like that.

Time to check your understanding.

I have a true or false statement for you.

Resilient computer systems are designed to stop digital services from continuing if a disruption occurs.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

That's right.

Of course it's false.

It's the opposite.

Resilience systems are designed to ensure the continuity of digital services and operations even when facing disruption or threats.

Hardware redundancy involves having a backup or duplicate hardware components in a computer system or network.

The purpose of hardware redundancy is to ensure that the system continues to function properly, even if one or more of the hardware components fail.

Redundancy means having spare or duplicate parts.

For example, you could have backup servers, a backup power supply, like a generator or something like that, and extra network connections.

These can take over if something fails.

Regular maintenance helps prevent faults.

This can include updating software when there's new releases or patches available, checking hardware to see if it's working correctly or needs to have any maintenance, and applying security patches.

Disaster recovery is a plan for what to do if major failure occurs.

It covers how to restore systems, where to get data backups, and who is responsible for each task.

Disaster recovery sites are locations or facilities that organisations use to restore their IT infrastructure and operations in the event of a significant disruption or disaster.

These sites serve as backup environments that can be activated when the primary systems are unavailable or compromised.

The purpose of disaster recovery sites is to minimise downtime, ensure business continuity, and recover critical data and services quickly.

Physical security measures are designed to deny unauthorised access to facilities, equipment, and resources, and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm.

For example, the use of pass cards and biometric checks such as fingerprints, retinal scans, and facial recognition.

The organisation should regularly train staff so that they know how to recognise social engineering threats.

They should also use effective network rules like setting different access for levels of users.

So, for example, somebody who is a system administrator for the network should have more permissions and access than a general user of the network.

Acceptable use policies describe how users should behave on a network.

Security policies describe how data and systems must be protected.

These reduce risk and protect the network.

Resilience and redundancy and policies all help to reduce the impact of network failure.

They allow organisations to recover quickly and keep systems safe and reliable.

Time to check your understanding.

I a question for you.

What is the main purpose of using hardware redundancy in a network or computer system? Is it a, to make the system run faster, b, to save money on equipment costs, or c, to ensure the system keeps working even if a component fails? Pause the video whilst you think carefully about your answer.

That's right.

Well done.

C is the correct answer.

The main purpose of using hardware redundancy is to ensure the system keeps working even if a component or several components fail.

Okay, we are moving on to our second task of today's lesson, Task B.

A network manager for a large charity is implementing a new network.

Explain three different methods to help reduce network failure and ensure the charity systems stay running and secure.

Pause the video whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on with the task? Did you manage to explain some methods the charity could use to try and reduce or prevent network failure? Well done.

Let's have a look at a sample answer together.

So the first suggestion is the manager should ensure there are backup or duplicate hardware components such as spare servers or power supplies.

If a main piece of equipment fails, the redundant part can take over immediately preventing a total network shutdown and ensuring the charity's operations continue.

They should also schedule and carry out regular maintenance tasks.

This includes updating software, checking hardware regularly for issues, and applying security patches.

This proactive approach helps prevent many common faults and keeps the network healthy and secure from evolving threats.

A detailed plan for disaster recovery should be established.

This should outline what the charity will do if a major failure occurs like a cyber attack, a fire or a flood, for example, specifying how to restore systems and data from backups and who is responsible for each task.

This ensures the charity can recover quickly and minimise disruption to its vital work.

Physical security measures, employee training, and network policies are also acceptable methods to minimise network failure effects.

So you may have included these in your answer.

Remember, if you need to pause the video and add any detail to your answer or go back and have a look over the previous slides, you can do that now.

Okay, we've come to the end of today's lesson, the impact of network failure.

And you've done a fantastic job, so well done.

Let's summarise what we've learned together in this lesson.

Network failure can lead to severe consequences including data loss, communication breakdowns, financial impact, and damage to reputation.

Building resilience into a network is crucial to minimise these effects.

Resilience is often achieved through including redundancy, conducting regular maintenance, and having robust disaster recovery plans.

I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson and I hope you'll join me again soon.

Bye.