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.

Characteristics may include:
data transfer
functionality
hosting plans, such as:
common gateway interface (CGI) access
colocation of servers
dedicated servers
disk storage
ebusiness hosting
post office protocol (POP) accounts
scripts
level of service
pricing plans
web-hosting facilities.
Security technologies may include:
payment gateways
public key infrastructure (PKI)
secure socket layer (SSL).
Scripting languages may include:
Perl
PHP and Python
VB.NET
JavaScript
VBScript.
Server applications may include:
database and data warehousing
directory services
file sharing
line-of-business applications
management
messaging
network and remote access
printer sharing
terminal services
web services.
Server may include:
Apache HTTP server
email servers
FTP servers
IBM VisualAge and WebSphere
iPlanet-Enterprise
Lotus Domino
Microsoft Internet Information Server
NetDynamics
Netscape Enterprise server, Netscape-FastTrack, Netscape-Commerce
Sun Microsystems iPlanet web server
Sun Microsystems Java web server.
Operating system may include:
Mac
Linux
Windows.
Databases may include:
Microsoft SQL (MS SQL) server
MySQL
Oracle
Postgre Structured Query Language (Postgre SQL)
SQL.

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:
assess client needs and select ISP that meets the current and future needs of the business
evaluate web hosting service:
ensure price meets client’s budgetary requirements
ensure security systems and technical requirements of the business are met
monitor the performance of the ISP during on and off peak times.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
hosting plans, prices and service agreements
use of current technology underpinning the ISP and services offered
business plan outlining future directions for the business
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:
direct observation of candidate:
evaluating web-hosting services
benchmarking and testing ISP
verbal or written questioning to assess candidate’s knowledge of:
user requirements
criteria for selecting an ISP
review of reports prepared by candidate showing the results of ISP testing.
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.