Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Prepare existing network may include:
checking for incompatibilities with existing systems
configuring domain names system (DNS) to support mail server
installing any prerequisites
reconfiguring other network services to support mail
removing unsupported legacy components
updating server operating systems to latest version
using vendor tools to check network for readiness to install mail server.
Mail server may include:
Axigen Mail Server
Linux or Unix Sendmail
Microsoft Exchange
Open Xchange Server
Postfix.
Mail-client access may include:
authentication
certificates
internet message access protocol (IMAP)
integration with other services, such as file sharing
mobile devices
post office protocol (POP).
Message integrity may include:
certificates
encryption
Information Rights Management
secure or multipurpose internet mail extensions (SMIME or MIME)
transport layer security (TLS).
Mail-system performance may include:
connectivity:
mail clients to server
simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) client to server
SMTP server to server
databases
mail flow.
Measures to provide high availability and data recovery may include:
automatic server failover
backups of configuration
backups of databases
clustering
deleted item retention
replicating databases.
Remote access may include:
web-based mail client
virtual private network (VPN)
mobile phone or other device.
Web portal or content-management software may include:
IBM websphere
JBoss
Microsoft SharePoint
Moodle or Equella
Oracle.
Security may include:
access policies
application authentication
database permissions
information rights management
roles and site permissions.
Network infrastructure may include:
firewall configuration
name resolution
network load balancing.
Business collaboration software may include:
Cisco collaboration tools
Domino or Lotus
Groupwise (Novell)
Microsoft SharePoint
Moodle or Equella
wiki engines.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
design and implement an enterprise mail system
design and implement an enterprise web portal or content management system
design and implement business collaboration tools
configure network, servers and application software to provide optimal performance, meet security requirements and avoid known conflicts
configure applications to meet customisation requirements
monitor and test the performance of aspects of the solution.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
site where server applications can be installed
networked servers
workstations
switch
wide area network (WAN) service point of presence
client requirements
appropriate learning and assessment support when required.
Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
evaluation of design report for an enterprise communication solution
direct observation of the candidate installing and configuring an enterprise communication solution
verbal or written questioning of required skills and knowledge
evaluation of report that outlines testing procedures, test results and changes made as a result of testing
review of report that outlines the design process, including challenges faced and how these were addressed
evaluation of design and implementation of the system in terms of performance and suitability for business needs.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.
Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.
In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.