Anil Silwal (Information Technology Specialist)

Final Reflective Paper

Name

University

Course

Spring, 2022

May 9, 2022

Final Reflective Paper

Executive Summary

The end of my spring internship at Rijen Automotive Inc presents me with an opportunity to reflect on my experience as an IT Specialist intern. The internship experience was incredibly enriching and inspiring. __I want you to start like this and instructions for Executive summary is below.

Executive Summary: (use the Heading 1 style and must be on a separate page from the Title page and Table of Contents) [Content: In 300 words or less provide an executive summary (an abstract of your report) to the reader. It is a concise summary that presents the most important points associated with a report. Think of it this way. If you were given less than 2 minutes to describe the most important facts and conclusions conveyed in your report, what would you say?]

Final Reflective Paper

Task: Orientation

Task Description:

The first week of the internship focused on orientation. My supervisor explained my job duties and responsibilities. During this orientation week, my supervisor explained the company's values, culture, traditions, policies, and safety regulations. My supervisor also introduced me to my work area and my colleagues.

Skills Used:

Basic information regarding networking, installing new software, and understanding the printer's setup.

Maintaining a professional attitude and appearance.

What was done?

The first week was orientation week. So, I was not specifically required to perform any tasks. This week was about a general understanding of the company's business policies, rules, and regulations. I also learned about the network structure and company setup. My supervisor introduced me to my co-workers. He could tell that I was nervous, but he calmed me down and assured me that I was there primarily to learn and help them. So, my confidence started to grow from the first day.

This week, I learned in-depth what Rijen Automotive, Inc. does. I understood that they provide various auto services such as auto repair, maintenance, and service, tag and title services, Maryland inspections, notary public, etc. I did not do a lot in the first week. My supervisor showed me the computer room. I was able to see their computer network system and structured setup. I studied the different old and new software they had installed. My supervisor introduced me to other auto-related electrical machines and equipment. I also went over their auto policies and procedures. I spent time with employees and learned some cool car stuff. Overall, my supervisor explained the rules, regulations, and what I will be doing over the upcoming weeks.

Why was it done?

The tasks described above were done as an orientation week to provide me with information about the company in general and the information technology side of my job.

Task Outcome:

The whole purpose of this week was to give me the detailed structure of my job and my company.

SU courses that supported this task:

No tasks were performed. So, no SU courses were required.

Skills needed to support the task not acquired from SU course:

Maintaining a professional appearance and attitude was required to accomplish the task which was not acquired from SU courses.

Lessons Learned:

Even though this was an orientation week, I had the opportunity to gain experience with LAN (Local Area Network) structures. Although it was not a new term for me, I now knew it in-depth by seeing it in the real world. A LAN consists of cables, access points, switches, routers, and other components that allow devices to connect to internal servers, web servers, and other LANs across a wide area network.

Task: Assessment of hardware components

Task Description:

Evaluated different hardware components of the computers such as keyboards, monitors, and RAM and reported their conditions.

Skills Used:

General knowledge of hardware components.

Tested hardware using online tools.

What was done?

This week I started with a simple task. My supervisor asked me to evaluate some of the hardware components of the computers to see if anything needed to be changed, installed, or needed some cleaning to make sure the critical components were in good condition. I started to check with the keyboards on several computers to see if they were working properly without pressing them hard. Then I moved to check if the monitors were working properly. I also performed the test on RAM on each computer to determine if they needed an upgrade or bootup. I also got the opportunity to monitor graphic cards, sound cards, and network cards on computers.

Why was it done?

We must occasionally assess hardware conditions to see if the computer's hardware components are in good condition and working well; otherwise, it would not support various software installed in the operating system.

Task Outcome:

Everything seemed fine upon testing with the keyboard, RAM, and monitors. However, I ran into an issue with one of the monitors while performing the hardware test. This monitor had some problems with the screen. I noticed the display or the graphics on this computer were not right. I consulted with my supervisor, and we found an issue called 'Dead Pixel.'

SU courses that supported this task:

Skills learned from IS-140 (Information System Architecture & Design) helped me to accomplish the above task. This course introduces and goes in-depth regarding different hardware components of computers in detail. The hands-on exercises in this course helped to learn in-depth about monitors and RAM which was very useful to accomplish the above task.

Skills needed to support the task not acquired from SU course:

I received every skill I needed to complete this job from Stevenson University courses.

Lessons Learned:

I learned about 'Dead Pixel' this week. Dead Pixel is a display problem with a monitor where it fails to change the color. So, this monitor would display only black, nothing else. I discovered through my research that Dead Pixel has to do with the power connection. If the power connection to the pixel is disconnected, there will be a dead pixel.

Task: Printer connection and firewall logs

Task Description:

Checked the printer connection status to the computers and looked at the firewalls to detect any possible malicious activities.

Skills Used:

Basic knowledge regarding antivirus and firewalls.

Knowledge of malicious attacks on a system.

Skills to troubleshoot and configure printing systems.

What was done?

This week we investigated the status of all printers of the company. With the help of my colleague, we determined that some of the cables used with the printers were damaged. We replaced the damaged cables. Five computers were having difficulty finding the printer. I went to each of the computers and pinged the printers by using their IP addresses and figured that the printer would lose internet connection in some instances. Then, I had to unplug the computers from the printers and delete all the time lags and pending printing. We again plugged the computers into the printers. We then tried to connect the computers to the printers through system settings with simple installation, and the computers were able to find the printers and worked fine.

The next thing I had to do this week was to inspect and report on the firewalls on the computer by checking firewall logs. I checked if any malicious activities happened on the computers for a week by checking the updates in the antivirus software installed on the Windows computers. I did not find any suspicious or malicious activities or attacks that had happened in the last week and reported this information to my supervisor.

Why was it done?

Some of the computers had problems finding the printer in the network. We had to find the issues and fix them. The reason for looking at firewalls was to ensure that there were no malicious activities in the company's network. We must continuously monitor the company's network to detect and prevent outside attacks from hackers.

Task Outcome:

I was able to find the issues of why the computer did not detect the printers. The reason was that some of the cables used in the printers were damaged. During the inspection, I did not see any critical issues or malicious activities recorded in the firewall logs.

SU courses that supported this task:

IS-231(Network Technologies) which introduces basic networking concepts including TCP/IP helped me to establish skills for pinging a computer or printer using IP addresses in the LAN in order to connect the printers to the computers. In addition, I was able to perform the above task by using skills I gained from IS-432 (Network Security), which introduced various cyber security tools for securing the network.

Skills needed to support the task not acquired from SU course:

I received every skill I needed to complete this task from Stevenson University courses.

Lessons Learned:

This week I learned about DoS (Denial of Service) attacks. I was introduced to this term while monitoring the firewalls and antivirus in the computers. A DoS attack is where authorized users are denied access to the system due to malicious computer attacks. It is the shutdown of the system, network, or machine, making the system inaccessible to authorized users.

Task: Installation of software

Task Description:

Installed new antivirus software on all the company's computers and updated the operating systems to the most recent version.

Skills Used:

Basic knowledge of how to download, install and configure antivirus software.

Basic understanding of the Windows operating system and how to upgrade it.

Skills related to how to back up important files, data, and documents.

What was done?

I installed new antivirus software on some of the computers. I downloaded and installed Avast Business Antivirus Software on six of the computers.

The next task I performed this week was an upgrade to the latest version of Windows on all computers. Windows was upgraded from version 7 to version 10. I had to back up critical data, files, and documents stored on all computers to do this upgrade. I then went to the Microsoft website. In the "Create Windows Media" section, I selected the "Download Tool Now" option. I executed the app and clicked the "Upgrade Your PC Now" button." It was a simple task to perform. All computers now have the Windows 10 operating system.

Why was it done?

The antivirus software was outdated. I installed the most recent version of the antivirus software to ensure the latest technological advancements were in place. The antivirus update will help deter hackers and ensure the security of the systems. The Windows version they were using was 7. Windows 7 would not support the latest applications that the company needed to operate the business smoothly. I upgraded the operating system to Windows 10.

Task Outcome:

Upgraded the antivirus software to the most current version.

Upgraded Windows 7 to Windows 10 on all computers.

SU courses that supported this task:

IS-235(Advance Windows Server Architecture and Administration) provided me with the necessary knowledge and skills regarding the upgrading of the operating system. In addition, IS-432(Network Security) provided me with skills to download, upgrade and configure the various antivirus software to accomplish the above task.

Skills needed to support the task not acquired from SU course:

I received every skill I needed to complete this task from Stevenson University courses.

Lessons Learned:

The new lesson that I learned this week was trojan horse while working with downloading this antivirus software by doing research. It is a term used in cyber security. A trojan horse is malware that hides in an attachment or email. Trojan horses are downloaded once you open an email or attachment or click on a link in an infected email. After a trojan horse downloads, it will perform its malicious task, gaining unauthorized access to the system and opening a backdoor for hackers.

Task: AutoCAD Software and simulation software

Task Description:

Installed the AutoCAD software to create 2D and 3D drawings and installed different simulation software packages such as Simulink, Arena, and SimScale.

Skills Used:

Skills regarding the installation of various software

Knowledge of AutoCAD and simulation software

What was done?

This week I installed AutoCAD software on the computers. This software makes it easier to create 2D and 3D drawings. AutoCAD software stores its files on the cloud, making them accessible from anywhere, at any time. I had never heard of or used this software before, so my supervisor was with me the whole time. My supervisor taught me step-by-step how to install this software. We had to check the compatibility of our hardware and software components of the computers and the Windows version before installing this software. My supervisor asked me to check the capacity of the hard disk and RAM to ensure we had enough storage space and memory for the installation. After verifying all components, I installed the software on the computers. The installation took several hours to complete.

The next task I performed was installing various simulation software on the computers. The reason for installing this software was that the simulation software was quite old and slow. My supervisor asked me to install simulation software packages named Simulink, Arena, and SimScale. Like the pre-process for the AutoCAD install, I had to check the prerequisites for the software before I could install it. We verified the Windows version, RAM capacity, and compatibility and did not find any issues. So, I installed this software on the computers.

Why was it done?

The company was still using the hand-based method of creating drawings. This method was tedious and slow. AutoCAD software makes it easier to create 2D and 3D drawings, and the software stores the files on the cloud, which makes the files accessible from anywhere at any time. Also, the simulation software they were previously using was not highly effective and slow. My supervisor decided to install this new simulation software to improve the company's performance and to meet the customers' demands.

Task Outcome:

AutoCAD, Simulink, Arena, and SimScale software packages were successfully installed and implemented.

SU courses that supported this task:

In IS-201 (Management Information Systems), I was introduced to the effective and efficient use of information technology (IT) to sustain the organization's mission, which allowed me to master new software and technologies to understand the organization's needs, and performed the above task.

Lessons Learned:

The lesson that I learned this week was about the software AutoCAD itself. I have never heard of this term or software before, but I had the opportunity to know about this software in depth and install and configure it. This software makes it easier to create 2D and 3D drawings, and the software stores the files on the cloud, which makes the files accessible from anywhere at any time.

Task: Installation of AutoFluent (new)

Task Description:

Installed the AutoFluent software to assist with auto servicing, part sales, and tire services.

Skills Used:

Skills regarding the installation of various software

Knowledge of AutoFluent software

Troubleshooting abilities

What was done?

We installed AutoFluent software on three of the computers and trained all our employees on how to use this software. Employees were provided training regarding how to manage inventory and sales. They were also trained on how to order auto parts from other auto shops through this application.

Why was it done?

 In order to make our work easier and faster, we need to stay up to date on the latest technologies and software. The traditional method used was very time-consuming and tedious. Inventory, sales, and employees can be tracked online with this software, and a lot of paperwork can be reduced. That is why our supervisor felt the need to install this software in the company.

Task Outcome:

The software was successfully installed and implemented. Using this software, the employees were able to complete their work efficiently.

SU courses that supported this task:

IS-201 (Management Information System) course that I took at Stevenson helped me understand this business application. This course covers the different information-related applications that business needs every day to operate.

Skills needed to support the task not acquired from SU course:

Stevenson University courses provided me with every skill needed to accomplish this task.

Lessons Learned:

I have done a lot of software installations up to this time. In this case, no specific lessons were learned from the installation part of this task. Nonetheless, I learned a lot about this application that makes it easy to order auto parts and manage inventory online.

Task: Installation of WinRAR (new)

Task Description:

Installed WinRAR software on pcs to compress and archive files.

Skills Used:

Skills regarding the installation of various software

Knowledge of WinRAR software

Troubleshooting abilities

What was done?

I downloaded and installed WinRAR on several pcs in the computer room. I train some of the employees on how to use this tool to compress and archive electronic files. I also taught how to encrypt and protect files from unauthorized users.

Why was it done?

Our company generates hundreds of emails and files every day. These files take a lot of space in the RAM, hard drive, and USB drive. Therefore, the purpose of installing WinRAR on the computers was to reduce the amount of space on the computers, encrypt the electronic files, and protect the important documents from unauthorized access.

Task Outcome:

The software was successfully installed, and employees were trained on how to use it.

SU courses that supported this task:

IS-201 (Management Information System) and IS-432 (Network Security) classes provided the basic concepts of different IT technologies and IT security to perform the task above.

Skills needed to support the task not acquired from SU course:

Stevenson University courses provided me with every skill needed to accomplish this task.

Lessons Learned:

I learned how to compress large files and save up the space on the hard disk. Also, I learned how to encrypt files and deny unauthorized files access to electronic files using WinRAR.

Task: Disk Cleanup (new)

Task Description:

Performed disk clean-ups on all computers to improve performance.

Skills Used:

Basic knowledge of Windows operating system

Basic knowledge regarding RAM and hard disk

What was done?

I cleaned up the disks in all the company's computers. To do this, I had to log in as an administrator on all computers. I then went to File Explorer and navigated to Local Disk (c), right-clicked on Local Disk (c), and clicked on Properties. I selected Disk Cleanup from the General tab of Local Disk (c). After scanning the system, I selected all the files I wanted to delete and cleaned up the system files. The process above was repeated on all computers, and disk clean-up was performed on all computers.

Why was it done?

It had been a long time since the disks were cleaned up on computers. Since some of the computers were starting to slow down, the supervisor asked me to clean up the disks on all computers to free up space and improve performance.

Task Outcome:

A large amount of space was available for storage after performing disk cleanup, and all junk files were successfully deleted.

SU courses that supported this task:

The hardware concepts I learned from IS-140 (Information System Architecture & Design) course and the understanding of operating systems from IS-235 (Advance Windows Server Architecture & Administration) course provided me with the necessary skills for this task.

Skills needed to support the task not acquired from SU course:

My enthusiasm for learning also helped me to accomplish this task.

Lessons Learned:

By performing this task, I learned about DirectX Shader Cache. The DirectX Shader Cache is a cache mechanism designed to increase the performance of games and programs by reducing the time it takes for an image or video to render on the screen (ComputerSluggish, 2021).

Task: Internet Connection Restoration(new)

Task Description:

Resolved router issues and fixed intermittent internet outages.

Skills Used:

Skills related to troubleshooting router

Basic knowledge of network system

Basic understanding of the internet

What was done?

Recently, the supervisor noticed that the internet connection on the computers had been intermittent. My job was to find the issue and resolve it. The internet connection could be lost for many reasons. Therefore, I used a divide and conquer strategy. The first thing you need to do is unplug the ethernet cable from the router, then plug it in after 30 seconds. This approach did not work in our case. The second thing I did was checked the cables. Wires were not damaged or distorted and the ethernet cable was in good shape. It is also possible that an intermittent connection is caused by problems with the operating system itself. However, no problems with the operating system or network cards were detected previously, so the chances of interruption from inside the devices were low. Additionally, I contacted the company's internet service provider, but there were no issues reported. Finally, we were able to find a problem in the end. The most likely cause of the connection problem was an old router. I suggested my supervisor purchase a new router. As soon as the new router was installed, the problem was fixed.

Why was it done?

The company was having trouble with its internet connection. The company cannot function properly if it does not have a proper internet connection. Therefore, it was necessary to fix the intermittent connection.

Task Outcome:

The cause of the intermittent internet connection was found, and the new router was successfully installed.

SU courses that supported this task:

Knowledge gained from IS-140 (Information System Architecture & Design) and IS-231(Network Technologies) helped to perform this task.

Skills needed to support the task not acquired from SU course:

I received every skill I needed to complete this job from Stevenson University courses.

Lessons Learned:

During this task, I became familiar with different methods of troubleshooting internet connections. I learned about a variety of factors that can cause an intermittent internet connection.

Internship Reflections

New things I learned

[Content: Reflect on the things you learned as a result of your internship. What do you know now that you did not know before? How have you developed professionally? Personally? Has your understanding of work life and the professional work environment changed? How? How are you better equipped to enter the workforce now v. prior to your internship? (If you do not feel that you are better equipped as the result of your internship participation, speculate as to why that might be.)]

Career perspective clarification

[Content: Describe how your perspective of your career and future goals have changed as the result of your participation in your internship. Are you still interested in pursuing the career goals you had for yourself prior to your participation? Are you interested in new career goals as a result of your participation? Why or why not?]

Final reflective thoughts

(use Heading 2 style) [Content: Include any additional and/or final thoughts/reflections regarding your internship experience.]

ComputerSluggish. (2021, May 10). How to clear directx shader cache in windows 10. ComputerSluggish. https://computersluggish.com/windows-tutorials/optimise-maintain/how-to-clear-directx-shader-cache-in-windows-10/

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