A full-fledged internship report on online operations management system of AB Bank Limited....
INTERNSHIP REPORT
On
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“Online Operations Management System”
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Supervised by Mr. Mustafa Mahmud Hussain Assistant professor Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering Submitted by Is h i ta A k h te r 2006-2-50-037
Date of Submission 30th April, 2010
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Online Operation Management System
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INTERNSHIP REPORT
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“Online Operations Management System”
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Supervised by Mr. Mustafa Mahmud Hussain Assistant professor Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering Submitted by Is h i ta A k h te r 2006-2-50-037 Date of Submission 30th April, 2010
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Dedicated to
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My respected teachers My beloved family
Declaration I hereby declare that I have completed Industrial training on the topic entitled “Online Operations Management System Of AB Bank Limited” as well as prepared an internship report to the Department of Electronics & Communications Engineering, East W est University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of BSc in Information and
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Communications Engineering, under the course “Industrial Training (ICE-499)”.
I further assert that this report in question is based on my original exertion having never
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been produced fully and/or partially elsewhere, for the requirement of absolutely any
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academic program.
Ishita Akhter
2006-2-50-037 BSc in ICE Department of ECE East W est University
Acceptance This internship report, presented to the Department of Electronics & Communications Engineering, East W est University, is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of BSc in Information and Communications Engineering, under complete
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supervision of the undersigned.
Mustafa M. Hussain
Reazul Islam
Assistant Professor
Senior Vice President
Department of ECE
Head of IT
East W est University
AB Bank Limited
Letter of Transmittal 30th April, 2010 To ICE 499 (Industrial Training) Department of Electronics & Communications Engineering
Subject: Submission of Internship Report Dear Sir,
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East W est University
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The Supervisor
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With due respect, I would like to state that It is a matter of great pleasure and honour for me to submit my internship report on “Online Operations Management System Of AB Bank
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Limited”, assigned as my topic of internship by yourself for the course of ICE 499 (Industrial Training). In preparation of this report I have followed and maintained the format and rules of a formal internship report as instructed by you.
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This consignment was of great worth and appeal, as it helped me hone my analytical skills abilities and practical knowledge in the field of online operations and helped me become
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familiarized with the corporate world.
I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks and appreciation in recognizing your valuable contribution for allowing me to successfully complete my Industrial training for the course of
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ICE 499 by providing thoughtful selection, guidance and inspiration, despite your busy
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schedules.
Sincerely yours, _______________ Ishita Akhter 2006-2-50-037 Department of Electronics & Communications Engineering East W est University
Acknowledgement First & foremost of all, I would like to convey my heartiest gratitude and total devotion to almighty Allah for blessing me with the ability, strength, patience as well as keeping me active in performing my internship tasks successfully. A special debt is due to Mr. Mustafa Mahmud Hussain, Assistant professor,
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Department of Electronics & Communications Engineering, East W est University, who has been my academic supervisor for the course of ICE 499 in the semester of Spring
2010. He was kind enough to allocate his valuable time to provide me with his humble
guidance, motivating thoughts, ample & applicable directions for the successful
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preparation of this report.
I would especially like to convey my gratitude to my internship supervisor, Mr. Reazul Islam, Senior Vice President, Head of IT, to guide me throughout my stay as an intern at
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AB Bank. W ithout his motivation, guidance & suggestions, this report would have
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remained incomplete.
Special note of mention will be awarded to all respected officers within the Network Operation Center (NOC) of IT division, who were not only helpful, but also supportive &
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co-operative towards a learner like me to understand the tasks & operations within the Network Operation Center (NOC).
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And last but not least, I would finish off with extension of appreciation to my family & friends-namely my parents, whose moral support worked as the main driving force contributing to my successful completion of ICE 499 and also worthy of mention are my
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friends for motivating me with their tips & suggestions on preparing my internship report.
Sincerely Yours,
Ishita Akhter 2006-2-50-037
Online Operations Management System
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Abstract This report is documented in partial fulfillment for B.Sc. in Information and Communications Engineering in the semester of Spring 2010. I was allowed an Internship at the Network Operations Center (NOC) within the IT division at AB Bank Limited Corporate Office, BCIC Bhaban, 30-31 Dilkusha C/A, Dhaka-1000. As a NOC intern there, I observed the tasks accomplished within NOC using their networking
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system, Data Centre, hardware and software resources etc. and also performed some support activities, as permitted by the IT division. During the internship period, I was able
to earn firsthand experience of the working methodologies and necessary equipments
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related to the Online Operations Management System of AB Bank Limited.
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Executive summary This internship report is a written representation of the various activities performed within the Online Operations Management System of AB Bank Limited, under the direct supervision of its IT Division. AB Bank Limited, the first private sector bank in Bangladesh, started its journey on 1982, started implementing online operations since 2006, which is now put into effect in all the branches connected to the AB Bank LAN.
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Online Operations Management System allows automated conduction of traditional as well as modern banking products and services, with different management methods and techniques. It is a colossal process, involving a great deal of tasks, most vital and
significant in successful everyday banking venture. The most important aspect of this
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system is the Network Management process, responsible for maintaining the bank’s connectivity backbone, is accomplished through Network planning and designing, Network implementation and configuration, Network monitoring etc. The Hardware Management process within the system in question, deals with different IT hardware
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back-end support and maintenance procedures. The AB Bank Data Centre, which is the heart of AB Bank IT Division, is carefully monitored and maintained through constant
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dedicated observations. Any system fault within the Data Centre is handled in instant supportive manners by the IT division. Branch LAN Management, another important sector that maintains AB Bank Branch Connectivity architecture through proper up keeping techniques. IT Division is also responsible for maintaining, monitoring and
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troubleshooting email accounts and internet access provisions, allocated for the bank’s employees. Along with all these activities, IT division provides support for smooth
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functioning of all banking software by ensuring proper maintenance at the back-end with necessary supportive and monitoring measures. In fact, IT Division also manages Logistics Support that includes the purchasing and replacing of different hardware, as
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per the needs of the online operations management system. By highlighting all these activities, this report provides a rather composed picture of the massive working process,
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conducted within a bank’s Online Operations System.
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Preface The purpose of this report is to fulfill the internship requirement of the course of ICE 499, for completion of the BSc degree in Information and Communication Engineering. I was assigned as an intern at AB Bank Limited’s Network Operation Center (NOC), belonging to the IT division. I assisted the regular NOC employees in performing Online Operation Management related tasks like managing internal networks, monitoring services,
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analyzing related problems, performing troubleshooting, etc. as encountered every day. This report briefs the purpose for these tasks while discussing the project methods, data,
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and corresponding outcomes.
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Table of contents Page
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Acknowledgement Abstract Executive summary Preface Table of contents 1. Introduction 1.1. Objective of Internship 1.2. Online Operations of a Bank 1.3. Benefits of Internship 1.4. Limitations of Internship 2. Organization Profile 2.1. Company background 2.2. Corporate Information 2.3. IT Division at a glance 2.4. Organogram of IT division 3. AB Bank ICT Policy 3.1. Introduction 3.2. IT Policy 3.3. Domain Server Policy 3.4. Email Policy 3.5. Anti-Virus Policy 3.6. I/O Device Usage Policy 3.7. Documentation 4. Online Operations Management System 4.1. IT Infrastructure 4.1.1. Network Management 4.1.2. Hardware Management 4.1.3. Data centre Management 4.1.4. Branch LAN Management 4.1.5. Email Account Management 4.1.6. Web Access Management 4.1.7. Desktop Application Management 4.2. Banking Software Support 4.2.1. EBS (Equation Banking System) 4.2.2. EBA (Equation Branch Automation) 4.2.3. Bangladesh Bank Software 4.2.4. Other Software 4.3. Logistics Support Management 4.3.1. Requirement Analysis 4.3.2. Purchase 4.3.3. Warranty Claim 5. Internship Activities Conclusion References
I II III IV V 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 35 38 53 57 63 65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 73 73 74 84 85
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Sections
Online Operations Management System
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1. Introduction
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1.1 Objective of Internship An internship is a discovering practice for building concrete work experience in a preferred professional discipline. It is a short-term engagement usually performed to fulfill academic requirements. An internship is an excellent way for an intern to authenticate the credibility of a chosen career option to pursue. It actually helps develop professional work habits, providing an understanding of corporate cultures & environment. It can also
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be an opportunity enhancer for a future full-time employment. For me, the objective of an
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internship in AB Bank Limited was to gather experience in practical fields to expand
knowledge regarding online operations management within Network Operations Center
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(NOC) of a bank.
Recently, Bangladesh Bank (BB), the central bank of Bangladesh, has adopted advanced ICT to be digitized in all spheres of its functions including monetary policy, banking supervision and internal management. BB has already permitted for e-
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commerce, e-banking, automated clearing house, ATM Services, electronic fund transfer etc. This has seen the introduction of sophisticated Online Operations Management
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System in different banks of the country and AB Bank is no difference. Therefore, the prospect of earning much needed practical experience in the fields of Information and Communication Technology as a student is aptly much brighter within the Online
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Operations Management process of a financial bank.
It is of extreme importance to correspondent to the theoretical background given by the
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university with the practical working environment, which can be achieved properly with an internship. In the field of Information & Communication Engineering, concepts at analogue and digital communication systems, information processing and computer
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communication networks provide a resourceful appendage to relevant learning and understandings.
Practical
experience
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internship
in
online
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management is a profound and apt way of accumulating necessary expertise as a
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student of Information & Communication Engineering.
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1.2 Online Operations of a Bank Online Operations within a bank are basically the direct automated deliveries of both modern and traditional banking products and services to customers through electronic, interactive communication channels. Online operations of a bank are performed through a management system that allows financial institution customers, be it individuals or businesses, to perform the following— Access accounts
Transact business
Obtain information on financial products and services through a public or private
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network, including the internet
Customers access online banking services through intelligent electronic devices, namely— Personal Computer (PC)
Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
Mobile phone
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Online banking operations are providing much-needed advantages for a bank, required
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to enhance its reputation for providing thorough and proper banking services. Some of the many benefits of online operations include—
Improved introduction of new products Better customer service
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Operation cost reduction
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Improved risk management
Mitigation of Operational Risk
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Real-time transaction
Scaled up operations
Efficient and easy transactions
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1.3 Benefits of Internship Internships are quite beneficial for both the intern and the organization in a way that through internship, an intern gets to enrich practical working knowledge by relating it to the theoretical education provided and on the other hand, an organization can have interns hired for a lesser convenient remuneration. However, additional benefits can be
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determined for the part of the intern, as follows—
Internship provides an intern with important first-time working experience
Internship allows an intern to gain an upper hand on job market with an initial job
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experience
It may help a student to be transited into a potential future employee in the organization of the internship
Internship gives a student the opportunity of scrutinizing the selection of an
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intended career path
An intern gets to increase social interaction to a variety of people during the course of internship
Internship helps build up confidence within a student to become a successful
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employee
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Most importantly, internship works as a testing field of a student‘s theoretical
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knowledge on how well it is applied in practical world
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1.4 Limitations of Internship On course of my internship, though I was awarded a great learning experience, I was faced with a few limitations, which affected my activities in one way or another. The main concern was time constraint. As per our university rules, we were allowed to complete our internship within approximately 13 weeks only, thereby, despite the earnest effort of the employees of AB Bank Limited IT employees and my eagerness in gathering
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practical working experience, I had to shorten my task participation within the online
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operations at AB Bank Limited. As a result, I was also bound to restrict the dimension of my internship report also.
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Another contributing factor was the organization code of conduct, which did not allow the employees there to provide me with much in-depth information within the online operations management, as they were under the restriction of maintaining organization secrecy and confidentiality. Therefore, the much helpful IT employees of AB Bank
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Limited were not able to provide me with in-depth yet highly confidential information
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regarding the online operations of the bank.
Furthermore, the rush and working pressure in the Network Operations Center (NOC) where I was doing internship, kept the officers there on a tight schedule and as a result,
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despite their willingness & cordiality, they were unable to provide me the necessary time for extended briefings associated with my internship activities.
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Last but not least, it should be mentioned that the practical environment of working within any IT-based organization requires that the employees should not only be familiar, but rather experienced with the tools used in online operations within the organization. To
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fulfill this requirement, every employee involved in the IT division trains himself extensively. Unfortunately, as I was yet to receive such formal training, I had to familiarize myself with the working methodologies in the IT division, before I could start
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my activities as an intern. As mentioned earlier, the hustles of a corporate environment prevented AB Bank‘s IT division employees to engage in providing me full-fledged training on corporate IT tasks. Therefore, despite their generous efforts, the AB Bank employees were unable to manage the required time to instruct and guide me as needed. This resulted in a major setback in my internship activities and restricted me on enhancing my learning experience further.
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2. Organization profile
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2.1 Company Background AB Bank Limited, the first private sector bank was incorporated in Bangladesh on 31st December 1981 as Arab Bangladesh Bank Limited and started its operation with effect from April 12, 1982. AB Bank is known as one of leading bank of the country since its commencement 27
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years ago. It continues to remain updated with the latest products and services,
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considering consumer and client perspectives. AB Bank has thus been able to keep their consumer‘s and client‘s trust while upholding their reliability, across time.
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During the last 27 years, AB Bank Limited has opened 77 Branches in different Business Centers of the country, one foreign Branch in Mumbai, India and also established a wholly owned Subsidiary Finance Company in Hong Kong in the name of AB International Finance Limited. To facilitate cross border trade and payment related
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services, the Bank has correspondent relationship with over 220 international banks of
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repute across 58 countries of the W orld.
In spite of adverse market conditions, AB Bank Limited which turned 27 this year, concluded the 2008 financial year with good results. The Bank‘s consolidated profit after
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taxes amounted to Taka 230 cr which is 21% higher than that of 2007. The asset base of AB grew by 32% from 2007 to stand at over Tk 8,400 cr as at the end of 2008.
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The Bank showed strong growth in loans and deposits. Deposit of the Bank increased by Tk. 1518 cr i.e., 28.45% while the diversified Loan Portfolio grew by over 30% during the year and recorded a Tk 1579 cr increase. Foreign Trade Business handled was Tk 9,898
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cr indicating a growth of over 40% in 2008. The Bank maintained its sound credit rating in 2008 to that of the previous year. The
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Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Limited (CRAB) awarded the Bank an A1 rating in the long term and ST-2 rating in the short Term. AB Bank believes in modernization. The bank took a conscious decision to rejuvenate its past identity – an identity that the bank carried as Arab Bangladesh Bank Limited for twenty five long years. As a result of this decision, the bank chose to rename itself as AB Bank Limited and the Bangladesh Bank put its affirmative stamp on November 14, 2007.
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The Bank decided to change its traditional color and logo to bring about a fresh approach in the financial world; an approach, which like its new logo is based on bonding, and trust. The bank has developed its logo considering the contemporary time. The new logo represents our cultural “SHEETAL PATI” as it reflects the bonding with its clientele and fulfilling their every need. Thus the new spirit of AB is ―Bonding‖. The Logo of the bank is primarily ―red‖, as red represents velocity of speed and purity. Our new logo innovates, bonding of affiliates that generate changes considering its customer demand. AB Bank
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launched the new Logo on its 25th Anniversary year.
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AB Bank commits to nation to take a lead in the Banking sector through not only its
strong financial position, but also through innovation of products and services. It also ensures creating higher value for its respected customers and shareholders. The bank
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has focused to bring services at the doorstep of its customers, and to bring millions into banking channels those who are outside the mainstream banking arena. Innovative products and services were introduced in the field of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) credit, W omen‘s Entrepreneur, Consumer Loans, Debit and Credit Cards (Local &
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International), ATMs, Internet and SMS Banking, Remittance Services, Treasury Products and Services, Structured Finance for Corporate, strengthening and expanding
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its Islamic Banking activities, Investment Banking, specialized products and services for NRBs, Priority Banking, and Customer Care. The Bank has successfully completed its automation project in mid 2008. It envisages enabling customers to get banking services
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within the comfort of their homes and offices. AB Bank has continuously invests into its biggest asset, the human resource to drive
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forward with its mission ―to be the best performing bank in the country.‖ The bank has introduced Dress Code for its employees. Male employees wear designed ties and females wear Sharee or Salwar Kamiz, all the dresses are consisted with the unique AB
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Bank logo.
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AB is recognized as the people‘s choice, catering to the satisfaction of its cliental. Their satisfaction is AB‘s success.
Source: http://www.abbank.com.bd/background-of-abbl.html Online Operations Management System
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2.2 Corporate Information
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Company name & logo
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Legal Form: A public limited company incorporated on 31st December, 1981 under the Companies Act, 1913 and listed in the Dhaka Stock Exchange Ltd and Chittagong Stock
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Exchange Ltd.
Commencement of Business
Registered Office
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27th February 1982
BCIC Bhaban, 30-31, Dilkusha C/A Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
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Tel: +88-02-9560312
Fax: +88-02-9564122, 23
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SW IFT: ABBLBDDH E-mail:
[email protected]
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Web: www.abbank.com.bd
Source: http://www.abbank.com.bd/corporate-information.html
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2.3 IT Division at a glance Being the first private sector Bank of the country, AB Bank has prided itself in the quality of the banking services it provides by taking conscious decision to employ the best available banking technology to serve the customers which now stands over 200,000 in all. Core Banking System KAPITI was employed alongside the manual banking operations ever since 1984. Later on in the year 2004, Misys core banking solution was
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selected for implementation to take AB in to super highway of real time online banking of branches were upgraded to the new core banking system.
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today. Beginning, 2005 MISYS implementation was taken-up and in the 1st Phase seven
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For the year 2006, in line with the growth strategy, service quality improvement and availability were put into focus whereupon coverage of remaining Branches under MISYS became all the more important. Bank took up a massive Project of migration, connectivity and standardization of processes and hardware throughout. A CORE TEAM
Figure: 2.1 Rolled Out Branches
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was formed. The theme was YES W E CAN. W e made it possible.
Software products from MISYS PLC (Running)
Core Banking Software: Equation Banking System
Front End Software: Equation Branch Automation
Reporting software: W ebForm
Software products from MISYS PLC (Implementation Phase)
Trade Finance Software: Trade Innovation
Internet Banking Software: Integrated Financial Module Source: http://www.abbank.com.bd/abblit.html Online Operations Management System
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2.3.1 Business developed after Online Implementation: Year 2008 Million Taka 2007
% Change
Gross Interest Income
7,366.85
5,269.90
3 9 .7 9
Net Interest Income
2,030.69
1,439.28
4 1 .0 9
Operating Profit (PBP & T)
4,298.39
3,325.29
2 9 .2 6
Net Operating Profit (PBT)
3,600.62
2,817.99
2 7 .7 7
Profit after Tax (PAT)
2,300.62
1,903.49
2 0 .8 6
Deposits
68,560.47
53,375.35
2 8 .4 5
Loans & Advances
56,708.77
40,915.35
3 8 .6 0
Total assets
84,053.61
63,549.86
3 2 .2 6
6,722.51
4,511.59
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2008
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December 31
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Shareholders' Equity NIM% Non Interest Income to Operating Income (%) Cost Income Ratio Return on Equity - ROE (%) Advance Deposit Ratio (%)
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Capital Adequacy Ratio NPL as % of Advances
6 6 .9 8
6 9 .0 9
6 2 .5 7
2 8 .5 9
4 0 .9 6
4 2 .1 9
3 .1 2
3 .4 1
8 2 .7 1
7 6 .6 6
1 2 .8 4
1 0 .7 5
2 .9 9
4 .3 1
103.18
8 5 .3 7
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Earnings per Share (Tk.)
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Return on Assets - ROA (%)
2 .7 5
Figure: 2.2 Profit graph for years 2004-2008
Source: http://www.abbank.com.bd/abbl-at-a-glance.html
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2.4 Organogram of IT Division
Figure: 2.3 Organogram of AB Bank IT Division
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3. AB Bank ICT Policy
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3.1 Introduction The banking industry has changed in the way they provide service to their customers and process information in recent years. Information Technology has bought about this momentous transformation. Security in Information Technology for a financial organization has therefore gained much greater in importance, and it is a vital issue that we ensure that such risks are properly identified and managed. Information and
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Information Technology systems are essential assets of the bank and as well as for their customers and stakeholders. Protection and maintenance of these assets are critical to
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the organizations‘ sustainability. IT Division of the bank must take the responsibility of
protecting the information from unauthorized access, modification, disclosure and
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destruction to protect customers‘ interest.
Source: AB Bank-IT Policy
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3.2 IT Policy The IT policy is basically a plan, outlining what the company's critical assets are, and how they must (and can) be protected. Its main purpose is to provide staff with a brief overview of the "acceptable use" of any of the Information Assets, as well as to explain what is deemed as allowable and what is not, thus engaging them in securing the company's critical systems. The document acts as a "must read" source of information
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for everyone using in any way systems and resources defined as potential targets. A good and well developed security policy should address some of these following
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elements— How sensitive information must be handled
How to properly maintain user ID(s) and password(s), as well as any other
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accounting data
How to respond to a potential security incident, intrusion attempt, etc.
How to protect virus attack & devastating
How to use workstations and Internet connectivity in a secure manner
How to properly use the corporate e-mail system
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Basically, the main reasons behind the creation of a security policy is to set a company's
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information security foundations, to explain to staff how they are responsible for the protection of the information resources, and highlight the importance of having secured
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communications while doing business online.
Source: AB Bank-IT Policy Online Operations Management System
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3.3 Server Domain Policy Server domain is a logical group of computers running different versions of W indows Operating System with the same platform, under a shared central directory database. Under a Server Domain, terminals can either be physically connected or logically connected. The central database for a Server Domain is termed as Active Directory Service (ADS) and it contains the user accounts and security information for the
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resources in that domain. Terminals under a Server Domain can be divided and
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assigned into organizational units according to location, organizational structure, or other
factors. ADS makes it easier for administrators to manage and apply network changes and policies to all the terminals connected to the domain. Terminals can connect to a
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domain easily via LAN, or via W AN using a VPN connection with enhanced security features. The directory is stored on a computer termed as Domain Controller which manages all security-related information for user and domain interactions. A domain controller usually performs authentication, hostname assigning and security related
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features. There are two types of domain controllers—Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and Backup Domain Controller (BDC). The PDC is the first domain controller which
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contains the main instance of the ADS, to access and modify it. The BDC have a backup copy of this database and is constantly being updated by PDC. If a PDC fails, any BDC can then be instantly promoted to take its place. BDCs for different units of an
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organization can also be mentioned as Additional Domain Controller (ADC). AB Bank Limited has established a Server Domain policy of its own to properly
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administer the Server Domain privileges. This policy states that there should be one PDC, termed as ABDHKADS1 and one BDC, termed as ABDHKADS2, at the head office Data Centre. It also mentions that BDC for each branch of the bank be termed as
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an ADC. All the authorized users to utilize the bank‘s IT resources are included in the Active Directory of each ADC and all the ADCs should continuously synchronize with the PDC for authorized user information. The PDC should also be in sync with the BDC for
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the purposes of redundant backup policy of the Active Directory Services. Each IT hardware resource under the domain should have its unique IP address and should use the IP addresses of ADC and BDC as primary and secondary DNS addresses respectively.
Source: AB Bank-IT Policy
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3.4 Email Policy Several rules and regulations are applied to ensure a smooth functioning of the email services provided to the employees of AB Bank Limited. These rules are meticulously maintained and monitored in such a way that users are unable to violate any rules. These rules are as follows—
If (E-mail) attachments are allowed, the attachment(s) must be scanned before
No attachments should exceed the 1MB limit within the branch, 20 MB within the
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opening as well as confirming with the sender.
head office and 10 MB to outside users.
Maximum disk space limit for general email user account is 100 MB.
Java and ActiveX must be disabled while reading e-mail in order to prevent autoexecution of malicious programs.
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Company e-mail accounts should not be used for online registration purposes.
Company e-mail accounts should not be used for running any user‘s personal
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businesses, excessive personal mailing, sending large attachments etc. Users should not respond to chain letters, or any other sort of spam using the company email systems.
Never forward any company data to external e-mail accounts without first
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checking with the manager or NOC.
Users are not allowed to send unsolicited email messages, including "junk mail" No harassments should be done using company email
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The proper use of the E-mail system should continuously be monitored
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Unauthorized use or forging of email header information are not allowed
Spamming is strictly prohibited
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To stop email rule violations, AB Bank email gateway solution is enabled for—
Corporate compliance (anti-spam, privacy, vulgarity, harassment)
IP protection
Regulatory compliance
Boundary security
Desktop-to-desktop email security Source: AB Bank-IT Policy
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3.5 Anti-Virus Policy
The anti-virus package must be kept up to date using an automated and timely process as possible. The method of updating will be documented in a support procedure.
Systems management activity should interact with the anti-virus control package to record logs of detection. Specifically, all LAN servers, PCs, and other vulnerable workstations must run an
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anti-virus control package and, where possible, must be included as part of the standard-build for a particular environment.
Specific procedures must exist to ensure that all users of laptops or other
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portable equipment are updated frequently.
Users should be educated about virus update and notify IT if the update does not
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take place.
Users should take responsibility of their own data if user‘s data is not managed
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Source: AB Bank-IT Policy
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3.6 I/O Device Usage Policy Unsupervised usage of USB ports on laptops and PCs leads to data pilferage, virus contamination etc. To stop this, AB Bank Limited recommends the following Input Output Device Usage Policy—
To protect organizational data leakage occurring in the bank, it is mandatory to follow user policy for those devices—
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o Branch Policy -
Manager or his delegate preferably Operation Manager will have the access to USB port
While extracting or copying file they must ensure the following—
Ensure the document is virus free in accordance with IT Anti Virus guideline
Content of the document/ file must comply banks fidelity/
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secrecy bond
It is the responsibility of the Manager or his delegate to ensure that no unauthorized uses have been made this USB ports.
o HO Policy -
Divisional Head or his delegate will have the access to USB port
While extracting or copying file they must ensure the following—
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Ensure the document is virus free in accordance with AB Bank
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IT Anti Virus guideline Content of the document/ file must comply banks fidelity/ secrecy bond
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Source: AB Bank-IT Policy
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3.7 Documentation To compliance with the ICT policy AB Bank Limited IT Division maintains the following documents for smooth operation of IT task— Organogram of IT Division.
Job Description (JD) for each individual of IT department
A scheduled roster for IT operation where needed.
Segregation of duties for IT tasks.
Fallback plans for various levels of system support personal.
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Source: AB Bank-IT Policy
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4. Online Operations Management System
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4.1 IT Infrastructure IT infrastructure, the first & foremost element of Online Operations Management System, consists of all equipments, systems and services for ensuring the consistency in the operations of the IT division within an organization. Individuals with technical and managerial competence use IT infrastructure elements to provide standard and shared services for firm-wide and business-specific applications, at the service levels required,
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according to standards defined in the infrastructure. W ithin IT infrastructure, the
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technology components are connected to industrial as well as public infrastructures through the defined IT standards. In addition to technical IT services, human services, such as project management, project handling, project supervision etc. can be provided
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as a part of IT infrastructure services. IT infrastructure is now an integral part of every organization influencing the organization‘s reputation and brand identity depends. AB Bank Limited, which introduced online operations way back in 1984, is presently in
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possession of one of the most efficient IT infrastructures among all the commercial banking organizations. This infrastructure is handled by the Network Operations Center
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(NOC), which is operated under the supervision of a team of 7 competent, talented and hard working IT professionals. This team, lead by the head of IT, provide with sincere efforts on maintaining the optimum efficiency of the bank‘s online network. The team is
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responsible for providing services like LAN & W AN link monitoring, new branch premises connectivity, bandwidth monitoring, data centre & disaster recovery maintenance, mail server (Exchange), Internet use monitoring and reporting (using MacAfee W eb W asher),
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IT budget, etc.
The different elements of online infrastructure of AB Bank can be distributed into the
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following categories—
Network Management
Hardware Management
Data centre Maintenance
Mail & Internet Support
Branch Support
Desktop Application Support
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4.1.1 Network Management Network management is a combined term which comprises of the activities, methods, procedures, devices and tools for performing different actions within a networking system. Network Management basically includes— Network planning and designing
Network implementation and configuration
Network monitoring
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These features require the network management team to perform the following
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operations, as instructed by International Standards Organization (ISO)—
Fault management - The process of identifying and locating faults in the network. This could include discovering the existence of the problem, identifying
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the source, and possibly repairing (or at least isolating the rest of the network from) the problem.
Accounting management - The process of identifying individual and group
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access to various network resources to ensure proper access capabilities (bandwidth and security) or to properly charge the various individuals and
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departments.
Configuration management - The process of identifying, tracking and modifying the setup of devices on the network. This category is extremely important for
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devices that come with numerous custom settings (e.g. routers and file servers). Security management - The process of controlling (granting, limiting, restricting or denying) access to the network and resources thereon. This could include
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setting up and managing access lists in routers (creating "firewalls" to keep intruders out), creating and maintaining password access to critical network
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resources, identifying the points of entry used by intruders and closing them.
Performance Management - The process of measuring the performance of various network components. This also includes taking measures to optimize the network for maximum system performance (periodically measuring of the use of network resources).
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4.1.1.1 Network Planning and Designing Network planning and designing is a complex process that involves topological network design, network-synthesis, network-realization etc. for a proposed communication network of an organization. Network planning and designing should satisfy the following requirements—
Identifying usable applications – Consider network related applications like Enterprise Resource Management (ERM), Internet telephony, Instant Messaging
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(IM), e-mail etc.
Traffic Requirements - Identification and documentation of major traffic sources, Categorization of traffic as local, distributed, client/server, peer-to-peer,
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terminal/host or server/server, Estimation of bandwidth requirements for each application, Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for each application, Reliability requirements etc.
Scalability Requirements - Provision for scalability related operations like add Geographical considerations – W AN and LAN implementation according to
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users, applications, additional sites, and external network connections etc.
geographical locations. For
example,
LAN should be established for
communication over a smaller area and WAN should be considered for communication over different LANs residing in different geographical locations Availability – Constant access and usage of the network must be ensured
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through proper network planning and deigning for the purpose of company
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benefits Security and Accessibility – Breach proof security plan should be devised by including a list of network services and administrators, training procedures for
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related personnel, network recovery strategies in case of security breaching incidents
Cost considerations - For LANs, costs for equipments like cable, routers,
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switches, computers, servers along with labour cost should be reduced. As for WANs, bandwidth cost minimizing should be primarily achieved
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4.1.1.1.1 AB Bank Limited Network Design (LAN & WAN) The AB Bank network is maintained and operated from the Network Operations Center (NOC) of the IT division as a Hub-Spoke network (Star network), where all traffic from spokes/nodes route through the central hub which is the core router Cisco 3845. For secured connectivity within the network, AB Bank uses the Cisco 4507R as the core switch. AB Bank uses the Cisco ASA 5520 firewall along with the implementation of an IP Access List, for better traffic security management. For monitoring and blocking of
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unexpected and harmful traffic flow, Cisco Security MARS is put in operation. As for
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web request monitoring, McAfee Web Gateway comes in action. To ensure efficient and smooth branch connectivity, the bank has obtained support from five connectivity vendors who provide links to all branches of the bank from the head office Data Centre
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through optical fiber, radio link and VSAT. In this way, AB Bank Limited is successful in providing a high-level of security for better online operations using reliable Cisco devices.
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An illustrated form of this AB Bank network system is as follows—
Figure 4.1: Network diagram of AB Bank Limited
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4.1.1.2 Network implementation and configuration Network implementation is the process of deploying a network by connecting necessary equipments following methodical processes like— Physical network design
Remote access provisions
Configuration of network elements
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4.1.1.2.1 Physical network design
This is the process of physically arranging the network in an organized manner to allow Network (W AN) design
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4.1.1.2.1.1 Local Area Network (LAN) design
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efficient performance. It is of two types— Local Area Network (LAN) and W ide Area
LAN design includes connection planning for devices like Hubs, Bridges, Switches, and the following aspects—
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Routers for a network over a particular region expanded over a limited area. It relies on
Networking media
Speed of LAN
Network protocols support
Simplified configuration
Management
Availability
Draft design diagram and installation manuals
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4.1.1.2.1.2 Wide Area Network (WAN) design
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Wide Area Network design – W AN is a much larger version of LAN, comprising over different LANs over an area covering a vast distance. It can be designed using—
Leased lines
Optical Network
Frame Relay
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
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4.1.1.2.2 Remote Access provisions Remote access refers to the method of providing services to a computer from a remote location. These services include— Remote administration
Remote Boot/Shutdown
Device access
System modification
Remote viewing
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4.1.1.2.2.1 Remote access software
AB Bank Limited uses the remote access software VNC (Virtual Network Computing). VNC is a graphical desktop sharing system that uses the RFB protocol to remotely
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control another computer. It transmits the keyboard and mouse events from one computer to another, relaying the graphical screen updates back in the other direction,
Figure: 3.2 VNC welcome screen
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over a network.
Figure: 3.3 VNC authentication screen
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4.1.1.2.3 Configuration of network elements Network configuration is the process of organizing and maintaining information about all the components of a computer network. W hen a network needs repair, modification, expansion or upgrading, the administrator performs necessary network configuration activities as a solution. Advantages of network configuration management include— Ensuring efficiency in maintenance, repair, expansion and upgradation of network
Minimizing configuration errors.
Minimizing downtime.
Optimizing network security.
Minimizing effects of configuration changes
Restore previous configuration states in case of emergency
Archiving the details of all network configuration changes
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AB Bank Limited performs network configuration using the software PuTTY, which
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enables the use of SSH computing protocol.
Figure 4.4: PuTTY configuration window
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4.1.1.3 Network monitoring AB Bank Limited has a well organized and promptly functioning network of 77 branches in Bangladesh along with a branch in Mumbai, India. For better performance, this network design follows redundant policy of one backup connection for each node within the network. The efficiency of this network ensures the smooth functioning of online operations for all the branches of the bank. To accomplish this, three categories of
Network traffic Monitoring
VPN Tunnel Monitoring
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LAN and W AN monitoring
4.1.1.3.1 LAN and WAN Monitoring
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monitoring are performed, namely—
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In Networking terms LAN and W AN monitoring prevails through the following services— Constantly monitors a computer network with specialized management software
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tools to ensure its optimum efficiency
Seeks out for any component failures/problems caused by overloaded systems, crashed servers, lost network connections, virus or malware infections, power
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outages, sabotage, natural disasters etc. Notifies the network administrator of component problems within the monitored
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network, using different notification processes like e-mail, phone call, alarm etc Provides statistical reports for web activities like sending/receiving e-mails, website visits, uploads/downloads etc. Strictly controls network traffic flow to avoid congestion buildup within the
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monitored network Identifies specific activities and performance metrics of a network to satisfy
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organization needs like meeting compliance requirements, preventing security threats and providing more operational visibility
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4.1.1.3.1.1 LAN and WAN Monitoring Software AB Bank Limited uses the very efficient and popular Nagios Network Monitoring System
Monitoring of network services and node resources
Parallelized and also customized service checks
Ability to define network host hierarchy and
Event handler creation for troubleshooting
Optional web interface for displaying monitoring statistics
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to perform node monitoring. It basically performs the following—
Figure 4.2: Nagios host status window
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4.1.1.3.2 Network traffic Monitoring Network traffic monitoring is the process of measuring, controlling and tracking the amount and mode of communication to and from a network. A proper monitoring of the network traffic is aptly necessary so that the bandwidth allocated to different sections of any organization is utilized to ensure faster and efficient access to both the internet and the intranet. Usually, Network traffic monitoring is performed through various methods such as— Diagnosing network events
Network polling by continuously checking network devices to gather information
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of their functionality states
Obtaining detailed statistics for IP addresses, ports, sessions, etc.
Monitoring application packets
Viewing protocols distribution, bandwidth utilization, and packet size
Monitoring network error packets in real time.
Generating inclusive statistics
Monitoring HTTP requests, email messages and FTP transfers.
Browsing decoded packet information of network nodes.
Viewing TCP connection status.
Defining advanced filters with logical rules and multiple parameters.
Importing and exporting packets to the files in multiple formats.
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4.1.1.3.1.1 Network traffic Monitoring Software The tool used for Network traffic Monitoring of AB Bank Limited is Cacti, which is a webbased graphing tool which stores traffic monitoring data in MySQL databases and displays the necessary monitoring results in form of graphs, using a web-based PHP
Network traffic graph generation
Advanced graph templates
Multiple data acquisition methods
User management privileges
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interface. Cacti provides the following features—
Figure 4.3: Cacti network traffic monitoring window
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4.1.1.4 Virtual Private Network (VPN) Tunnel Monitoring A tunnel is a secured network route established to transfer data of a particular network through other networks. It is most commonly known as the Virtual Private Network (VPN) Tunnel. In a VPN tunnel, packets constructed using a specific VPN protocol are encapsulated by some other protocol, transmitted between VPN client and server and finally de-encapsulated of the outer encapsulation upon receiving. VPN tunnels are essential components within any network, being strong contender for state-of-the-art
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monitoring privileges. The integrity of a VPN tunnel is absolutely necessary for ensuring
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flawless performance of an organization network. Therefore, the VPN tunnel is observed for any problems/failures and solved as higher priority, all this done by VPN tunnel monitoring. VPN Tunnel monitoring is a process comprising of the following features—
Active monitoring - Active monitoring is done to provide real-time monitoring for
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each devices within the network, depending on inter-network alerts
Passive monitoring - This relies on external alerts for solving problems within
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the network
Thresholds monitoring – Alerts to warn for device parameter constraint
Performance monitoring - To keep track of device state/health responsible for performance issues
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breaching
Custom monitoring - To track for customized individual/combined network
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element performance metrics
Active script performance monitoring – Keeps tracks for active scripting
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languages like JavaScript, VB Script etc. Pre-configured monitoring - Predefined monitoring processes set to begin monitoring immediately at initial stages Critical monitoring – Seeking out for critical component failure, troubleshooting
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and recovery
Security monitoring – Provides tracking and alerting support for any security breaches on the VPN tunnel
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VPN Tunnel monitoring for AB Bank Limited is performed using the software WhatsUp Gold, using the following features— Monitoring tunnel server performance
Monitoring capacity utilization
Ensuring resource operation constraints
Capacities upgrade planning
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Figure 4.4: W hatsUp Gold tunnel monitoring window
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4.1.2 Hardware Management In information technology, hardware is a comprehensive term for all of the physical parts of a computer, as distinguished from the data it contains or operates on, and the software that provides instructions for the hardware to accomplish tasks. Hardware management basically comprises of maintenance and troubleshooting procedure of different hardware, as categorized into following classes— Processing Components – Processing components are essential for proper
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functioning of IT hardware, as they perform the core information processing.
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These include— o CPU
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o Casing o Motherboard
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o Power supply o BIOS
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o Bus
o Cooling System
Storage Components - Storage components include storage media for
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preserving essential information permanently. Storage devices include— o ROM (Read Only Memory)
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o RAM (Random Access Memory) o Hard disk drive
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o Optical drives like CD, DVD etc. o Tape libraries
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o Optical jukeboxes o Flash drives o Zip drives
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Peripheral Components – Peripheral components work as human interfaces, and not included in primary functionalities of a computer. These typically include— o Display devices like monitor, multimedia projector etc. o Mouse o Keyboard
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o Printer
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o Scanner o Modem
o Sound Card o NIC (Network Interface Card)
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o TV Card
o Microphone o Headset
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o Flash Drives o Headphone
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o Graphics Card
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o Web Cam
Networking Components – Networking components are responsible for data
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transmission and operations of a computer network. These include— o Router
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o Switch o Hub
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4.1.2.1 Hardware Maintenance And Troubleshooting Hardware maintenance and troubleshooting involves repairing of existing faulty hardware or acquiring new ones when needed if repairing fails. AB Bank Limited uses the following
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workflow to implement this process—
Figure 4.5: Hardware maintenance work flow diagram of AB Bank Online Operations Management System
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4.1.3 Data Centre Management A Data Centre is a centralized reservoir for the storage, management, and dissemination of data and information organized corresponding to a particular body of knowledge or pertaining to a particular business. There are four primary components to a Data Centre—
Raised floor - The usable raised floor in a Data Centre which is measured in
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square feet is termed as white space. The raised floor serves as a chamber to allow air to circulate below the floor, for a better air conditioning system, It also
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provides space for secured and enclosed power cabling, to provide more space above, in case of Data Centre expansion.
Support infrastructure – These are the additional space and equipment
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required to support Data Centre operations. Such equipments include— o Power transformers
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o Uninterruptible power source (ups)
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o Generators
o Computer room air conditioners o Remote transmission units
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o Chillers
o Air distribution systems, etc. IT equipment - This includes—
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o Racks
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o Cabling
o Servers
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o Storage System o Security systems o Network Devices
Support System - The support system staff assures that the systems (both IT and infrastructure) are properly operated, maintained, upgraded and repaired when necessary.
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4.1.3.1 AB Bank Data Centre Maintenance Data Centre maintenance is crucial in ensuring peak efficiency of a Data Centre. The maintenance process in AB Bank Data Centre is performed by the following steps—
Component maintenance – Following essential Data Centre components are properly maintained and upgraded— o Routers
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o Switches
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o Servers o Security components
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o System resources (memory, storage, CPU, optical drives etc.) o Operating systems o Applications
Physical environment monitoring & maintenance - Constant monitoring of
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o Accessories (server racks, cabling, panels, drive bays etc.)
applications, systems and key connections involved in all of the AB Bank Data Centre is needed to ensure its maximum uptime. It is due to the fact that when a device, connection or application fails, it can interrupt critical operations.
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Sometimes even one failed component will create a cascading failure effect to other components depending on the data or services from the failed unit. All the
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following Facilities infrastructure components surrounding the AB Bank Data Centre are maintained through the computer-based control system called the Building Management System (BMS). The monitoring process focuses on the
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following elements within the Data Centre— o Ventilation
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o Lighting
o Power systems o Fire systems o Security systems
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4.1.3.2 AB Bank Data Centre Components AB Bank Limited uses a variety of efficient and sophisticated information processing, networking, storage and security devices within its state-of-the-art Data Centre. The Data Centre is operated under the supervision of the Network Operations Center (NOC) of the bank. As a part of my internship, I was made familiar with different components of the AB Bank Data Centre, their operational methods, monitoring process etc. allowed within AB
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Bank‘s organization confidentiality policies.
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Figure 4.6: AB Bank Limited Data Centre
AB Bank uses efficient components from the following providers in their Data Centre— Cisco
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IBM
Juniper
MacAfee
Microsoft
Stulz
APC
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4.1.3.2.1 Cisco components
3845 Integrated Services Router - The 3845 router is used for security, voice and advanced services at full T3/E3 rates. It provides 4 (four) high-speed W AN interface card slots; enhanced network module slots; support for over 90 (ninety) existing and new modules along with integrated Gigabit Ethernet ports with copper and fiber support.
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For AB Bank Limited Networking System, which is a Hub-Spoke, i.e. Star type
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network, the 3845 Router is used as Core/hub Router. It resides in the middle or
backbone of the network, supports multiple interfaces with the highest speed and can forward IP packets at full speed. It also supports the routing protocols being
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used in the core.
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Figure 4.7: Cisco 3845 Integrated Services Router
2811 Integrated Services Router – The 2811 router is used for security, voice
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and advanced services, at T1/E1/xDSL W AN rates. It provides 4 (four) highspeed W AN interface card slots; enhanced network module slots; support for over 90 (ninety) existing and new modules along with 2 (two) 10/100 Fast
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Ethernet ports.
It is used as a spoke/node router, specifically for connecting the branch offices
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with the corporate office of AB bank. Each branch router in the AB Bank network communicates through the Core router, but is not capable of direct communication with each other.
Figure 4.8: Cisco 2811 Integrated Services Router
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1841 Integrated Services Router - The 1841 router is used for W ire-speed performance for concurrent services at T1/E1 WAN rates. It provides two highspeed W AN interface card slots and two 10/100 Fast Ethernet ports. This router is used for the purpose of Bangladesh Automated Clearing House (BACH) connectivity with Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh. BACH is capable of processing automated cheque clearing system and electronic fund transfer. BACH has two components—
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o Bangladesh Automated Cheque Processing Systems (BACPS)
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o Bangladesh Electronic Funds Transfer Network (BEFTN)
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Figure 4.9: Cisco 1841 Integrated Services Router
Catalyst 4507R Switch - The Cisco Catalyst 4507R-E switch provides non-blocking Layer2/3/4 switching. It has 2 (two) supervisor engine slots; 5 (five) line card slots
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and integrated Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports.
This Catalyst Switch performs the task of maintaining subnets of the networking
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section within the Corporate Office of AB Bank. Each subnet is created for each different section situated in different floors of the Office Building. The switch has a
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default gateway for traffic routing among all these subnets.
Figure 4.9: Cisco Catalyst 4507R Switch
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Catalyst 3560G-48TS-E Switch - The Cisco Catalyst 3560G-48TS-E switch provides Layer 2+ features with optional advanced IP routing and one or more fiber uplinks. It has 48 (forty-eight) 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports and 4 (four) SFPbased ports. In AB Bank‘s Network System, this switch is used to provide increased connectivity with superior manageability. It is capable of providing a common user interface and command set for all Cisco routers and Cisco Catalyst desktop
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switches.
Figure 4.10: Cisco Catalyst 3560G-48TS-E Switch
Catalyst 2960-24TT-L Switch - The Cisco Catalyst 2960-24TT-L Switch offers
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enhanced network-related services. It has 24 (twenty-four) Ethernet 10/100 ports; over Ethernet (PoE).
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2 (two) 10/100/1000 uplinks with LAN Base software and doesn‘t include Power
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AB Bank Networking System uses the Catalyst 2960-24TT-L Switch in different branches for host connectivity. It provides branch office related network services, but doesn‘t provide connectivity to Ethernet-powered devices. It is rather
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dependant on wall power for each Ethernet device and also increases cost of operations due to inclusion of additional equipments like cabling, circuitry for IP Telephony and W LAN deployment along with power injectors and PoE mid-spans
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for powering IP devices.
Figure 4.11: Cisco Catalyst 2960-24TT-L Switch
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Catalyst 2960-24LT-L Switch - The Cisco Catalyst 2960-24LT-L Switch offers enhanced network-related services. It has 24 (twenty-four) Ethernet 10/100 ports (PoE supported); 2 (two) 10/100/1000 with LAN Base software and supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) on ports 1 through 8. AB Bank Networking System uses the Catalyst 2960-24TT-L Switch in different branches for host connectivity. It provides branch office related network services. As it has PoE enabled, it provides easy connectivity to Ethernet-powered
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devices. It removes the need for wall power to each PoE-enabled device and
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eliminates the cost for additional electrical cable and circuits that would otherwise
be necessary in IP phone and W LAN deployments. PoE switches also eliminate
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the need for power injectors and PoE mid-spans for powering IP devices.
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Figure 4.12: Cisco Catalyst 2960-24LT-L Switch
ASA 5520 Firewall - The Cisco ASA 5520 Firewall provides firewall, Unified Communications (voice/video) security, SSL and IPSec VPN, intrusion prevention
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(IPS), and content security services. It includes 4 (four) Gigabit Ethernet interfaces; 1 (one) Fast Ethernet interface; 750 (seven hundred and fifty) IPSec
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VPN peers and 2 (two) SSL VPN peers. AB Bank Data Centre acts as the hosting premises for this ASA 5520 Firewall. It
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is used for services like controlled access to corporate resources, secure deployment of new applications, secure remote access to corporate network,
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prevention of security breaches etc.
Figure 4.13: Cisco ASA 5520 Firewall
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Security Monitoring, Analysis, and Response System (MARS) 55 Series The Cisco Security Monitoring, Analysis, and Response System (MARS) 55 Series monitors and analyzes for rapid threat mitigation. It integrates with Cisco Security Manager to correlate security events with configured firewall rules and IPS signatures affecting security events. AB Bank Limited implemented Cisco Security MARS with its 6.0.2 edition software for the purposes of integrating network intelligence, visualizing validated
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incidents and automating investigation, Mitigating security threats, Monitoring
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systems, network, and security operations, providing scalability with lowest cost
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etc.
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Figure 4.14: Cisco Security MARS 55 Series
4240-DC Intrusion Prevention Sensor (IPS) – The Cisco 4240-DC Intrusion
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Prevention Sensor (IPS) is a device that prevents all types of network intrusion by accurately detecting and stopping worms and viruses. It includes 4 (four)
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10/100/1000BASE-T interfaces and 1 (one) 10/100BASE-T interface. For AB Bank Network, this device provides increased reliability through diskless architecture and support of flash memory. Through Cisco IPS Sensor Software
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Version 5.0, the Cisco IPS 4240-DC delivers a rich set of attack identification capabilities.
Figure 4.14: Cisco 4240-DC IPS
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4.1.3.2.2 IBM components
BladeCenter H - IBM BladeCenter H Server includes 14 (fourteen) blade slots in 9U, Optical Drive and USB 2.0 port, Advanced Management Modules, Power supplies, 2 (two) redundant high-speed blowers, 2 (two) slots for Gigabit Ethernet switches, additional Ethernet, Fiber channel, InfiniBand or Myrinet 2000 functions. It runs on SuSE Linux Enterprise (SLES 10).
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AB Bank Data Centre includes the IBM BladeCenter H Server along with System
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i5 570 eServer and xSeries 346 Server.
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Figure 4.15: IBM BladeCenter H Server
System i5 570 eServer - The IBM System i5 570 eServer has 16-way POW ER5
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processor, 2GB – 512GB memory, 443 (four hundred and forty three) PCI slots, 1374 (one thousand three hundred and seventy four) hard disk drives, integrated Ethernet LAN, disk controllers, DVD drives, base 2-line W AN and base IOP. It
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Along with IBM BladeCenter and xSeries 346, System i5 server is a crucial
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component within the AB Bank Data Centre.
Figure 4.16: IBM System i5 570 eServer
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xSeries 346 Server - The IBM xSeries 346 Server provides up to 2 (two) Intel Xeon processors of 3.60GHz with 800MHz front-side bus; maximum 16GB of DDR memory; 6 (six) hard disk drives; 4 (four) PCI (2 PCI-X) slots; hot-swap redundant cooling; integrated dual Ultra320 SCSI with RAID 0 and -1; 3 (three) USB ports; 1 (one) 9-pin serial port; 2 (two) systems management RS-485 ports; an external SCSI port; keyboard port; mouse port; video port and an integrated ATI Radeon 7000M graphics controller with 16 MB of video memory.
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AB Bank Data Centre uses X-Series 346 Server along with IBM‘s BladeCenter
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and i-Series I5 Servers for management of different applications.
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Figure 4.17: IBM xSeries 346 Server
NetBAY42 Enterprise Cabinet - The IBM NetBAY42 Enterprise Cabinet provides 42U of fan-free rack space for enhanced air flow, 4 (four) 1U sidewall compartments for power distribution and other components, rack with a baying
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kit, IBM Rear Door Heat Exchanger and IBM Acoustic Door Options.
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AB Bank Data Centre uses IBM NetBAY42 Enterprise Cabinet to hold IBM
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BladeCenter H Server, System i5 570 eServer and xSeries 346 Server.
Figure 4.17: IBM NetBAY42 Enterprise Cabinet Online Operations Management System
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4.3.1.3.2.3 Juniper Components
Secure Services Gateway 140 (SSG 140) - The Juniper Secure Services Gateway 140 (SSG 140) includes 8 (eight) on-board 10/100 interfaces; 2 (two) 10/100/1000 interfaces and 4 (four) I/O expansion slots that support T1, E1, ISDN BRI S/T, and serial connectivity. AB Bank Data Centre uses the SSG 140 against worms, Spyware, Trojans, and
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malware through Unified Threat Management (UTM), firewall, VPN, IPS, Anti-
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virus, Anti-spyware, Anti-adware, Anti-Phishing, Anti-Spam, W eb Filtering etc.
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4.1.3.2.4 McAfee Components
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Figure 4.18: Juniper Secure Services Gateway 140
ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) 4.0 - McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator 4.0 needs Pentium III 1.0 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, Windows 2000 SP4 or Windows
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Server 2003 SP1/2 and 1.0 GB Disk space. For ePO Console, it needs Pentium III-class 1.0 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, W indows 2000, XP, 2003 or Vista and
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Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1; VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3; VirtualServer 2005 R2; SQL Server 2000 or 2005 .
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AB Bank Limited Data Centre implemented the ePolicy Orchestrator 4.0 in a separate server to perform as the software platform for security breach
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prevention to AB Bank networking system.
Figure 4.19: McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator 4.0 interface window Online Operations Management System
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Web Gateway 5000 (WG5000) - McAfee W eb Gateway 5000 (W G5000) includes 1U rack mount; 4 GB RAM; 2 (two) Dual core Processor; Processor cache 4 MB; 2 (two) 300 GB SAS Hard Disks; RAID 1, redundant power supply; 4 (four)
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Figure 4.20: McAfee W eb Gateway W G5000
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10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet interfaces.
AB Bank Limited uses McAfee W eb Gateway to analyze web pages, providing
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protection against malware, other hidden threats. It can even protect against malicious codes in SSL traffic, hidden through encryption.
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4.1.3.2.5 Microsoft Components
Windows Server 2003 – Microsoft W indows Server 2003 includes Internet Queuing;
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Information Services (IIS) v6.0; increased default security; improved Message Administrative tools; Active Directory; disk management; backup
system; scripting and command line tools; better Group Policy handling and
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administration etc.
AB Bank Limited hosts W indows Server 2003 in different servers of its Data Centre as primary operating system. The Data Centre uses two editions of
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Windows Server 2003—
o Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
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o Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
Figure 4.21: W indows Server 2003 window Online Operations Management System
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Server 2008 R2 - W indows Server 2008 R2 includes Internet Information Services (IIS) v7.5; reduced power consumption; new management tools; new Active Directory capabilities; DNSSEC support; encrypted VPN services; improved DHCP server with better functions; IPv4 address exhaustion etc. AB Bank Limited has recently implemented W indows Server 2008 R2 in some of
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its Data Centre servers, along with the existing Windows Server 2003.
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Figure 4.22: W indows Server 2008 window
4.1.3.2.6 STULZ Components
Compact DX Precision Air-Conditioning System - Stulz Compact DX
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Precision Air-Conditioning System has a cooling capacity of 36 kW to 104 kW ;
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C7000 Controller; temperature and moisture sensor; link to Building Management System (BMS); down flow and up flow cooling; filter class EU4 etc. AB Bank Data Centre uses the Stulz Compact DX Precision Air-Conditioning
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System to ensure optimum temperature and humidity control.
Figure 4.23: Stulz Compact DX Precision Air-Conditioning System
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4.1.3.2.7 APC Components
NetShelter SX 42U AR3350 Rack Enclosure - The APC NetShelter SX AR3350 includes baying hardware; documentation CD; key(s); leveling feet; mounting hardware; pre-installed casters; side panels; integrated APC cooling, power distribution, and cable management products. AB Bank Limited uses the APC racks along with proper accessories to place different networking devices like routers, switches, intelligent media converters,
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network storage devices etc.
Figure 4.24: APC NetShelter SX AR3350 Rack Enclosure
4.1.3.2.8 Panduit Components
PanView IQ Physical Infrastructure Management Solution (PIMS) - The
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PanView IQ Physical Infrastructure Management Solution visually monitors
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network connectivity to provide benefits like minimized network downtime risks, reduced network costs, and improved network capacity and collaboration. AB Bank Limited uses the following components to properly organize its Data
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Centre equipments and their monitoring and maintenance process—
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o PanView iQ Intelligence Modules and accessories-
Figure 4.25: PanView iQ Intelligence Modules and accessories
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o PanView iQ Patch Panels and accessories -
Figure 4.26: PanView iQ Patch Panels and accessories
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o Patch Cords -
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o Fiber Trays -
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Figure 4.27: PanView iQ Patch Cords
Figure 4.28: PanView iQ Fiber Trays
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o Physical Infrastructure Manager (PIM) Software –
Figure 4.27: PanView iQ Physical Infrastructure Manager (PIM) Software Online Operations Management System
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4.1.4 Branch LAN Management A branch is a retail location where a bank offers all its manual and automated products and services like cash withdrawals and deposits from accounts, financial advice through a specialist, safe deposit box rentals, insurance sales, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Telephone and online banking etc., similar to its corporate office. The advancement in technology has introduced the idea of online connectivity in banking, which resulting in all the branches of a bank being connected with the corporate office
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that manages all branch related bank activities through the means of different
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communication links. Each branch is allocated 256 Kb (Kilobit) bandwidth for connectivity with the corporate head office, using the AB Bank Branch LAN. This management process is implemented and maintained by installing Core Banking Software in all
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branches and interconnecting the branches electronically through an overall Local Area Network (LAN) system of the bank, with each branch maintaining its own LAN. This methodology is therefore, aptly termed as Branch LAN Management.
LAN and WAN Connectivity - LAN connectivity within branch IP devices and
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The basic services ensured within a branch LAN include—
WAN connectivity with bank core network
Internet Access - Internet access should be provided to branches for web-based
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services, VPN purposes and also to customers/partners, with restrictions applied High-Performance - Branch application performance should be optimal through
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monitoring from head office for both centralized and localized applications High Availability (HA) - Efficient availability of equipments, software and connectivity must be monitored and maintained from headquarter Security - Access to networks, equipments and applications must be allowed
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with proper security and control, preventing any damages to accessible elements
4.1.4.1 AB Bank Limited Branch LAN Management AB Bank Limited‘s branches maintain their own Local Area Networks (LANs) individually to ensure all branch related services to be offered electronically through the LAN. Each branch is controlled under the server domain of the bank network system, termed as abbl.org. Each person permitted to use a branch computer within the server domain has own unique username, with restricted and monitored access to the branch IT resources. For each branch, a server called Additional Domain Controller (ADC) performs these domain-related operations.
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4.1.4.1.1 Branch LAN Naming Convention IT equipments within a branch are provided specific domain names and IP addresses when added to the domain server. Each name is unique, no longer than 15 characters and do not contain any special characters. This naming convention of AB Bank branches can be as below—
Branch Router
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o Router name - As same as branch mnemonic
Security server name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code SVR
Security server IP Address - x.x.x.2
Branch ADC Server
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Branch Security Server
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o Router IP address - x.x.x.1 (Gateway)
o ADC server name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code ADC
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o Router IP Address - x.x.x.3 (Preferred DNS)
Branch Manager Computer
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o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code MG o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.10
Branch Sub-Manager Computer
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o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code S1
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o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.11
Branch Account Opening Computer
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o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code AO o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.14
Branch Head Teller Computer o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code HT o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.16
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Branch CIB Computer o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code CIB o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.19
Branch Teller Computers o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by codes T1, T2 and so on
Branch Foreign Exchange Computer
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o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.21 to x.x.x.30
o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.31
Branch Remittance Computer
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o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code FX
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o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code RL o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.33
Branch FCD Computer
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o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code F1
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o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.53
Branch Credit/Loan Computer
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o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code DT o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.55
Branch Clearing Computer
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o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code KG o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.59
Branch Online Printer o Computer name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code OP o Computer IP Address - x.x.x.100
Branch Database o Database server name - Branch mnemonic, followed by the code DB
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4.1.4.1.2 AB Bank Branch LAN Design AB Bank Limited branches are all connected with the core router in the corporate office Data Centre. This connectivity is achieved through a VPN tunnel passed within the connectivity vendors‘ network clouds. Each branch router is a Cisco 2811 router, connected with two vendor network clouds, following a redundant connectivity policy. The two servers and the workstations in each branch are connected with the branch router through a branch switch which is a Cisco 2960 LTL switch. One branch server is
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implemented for running the online banking software EBA (Equation Branch
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Automation) and the other one is used as an ADC (Additional Domain Controller) for
branch user authentication. A visual representation of AB Bank branch LAN architecture
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is provided below—
Figure 4.28: Branch connectivity network of AB Bank Limited
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4.1.5 Email Account Management Email is the system of world-wide electronic communication in which a computer user can compose a message at one terminal that can be regenerated at the recipient's terminal when the recipient logs in. E-mail systems are based on a store-and-forward model in which e-mail server systems accept, forward, deliver and store messages on behalf of users, who just connect to the e-mail server with a computer networking device during email message submission or retrieval. Email became the first broad electronic
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communication medium and also the first ‗e-revolution‘ in business communication. It is
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an ideal form of communication both within and outside an organization. Email makes information exchange easier and faster among all the people involved within an organization. It greatly reduces communication restrictions like transportation, cost, time,
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synchronization inconsistencies etc. Since email first emerged as a business tool, companies have increased productivity, decreased costs and found new marketing venues. From collaborated group work to encouraging management messages, the
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advantages of email in business can be seen in small and large organizations. Email account management in an organization is the process of creating, monitoring and
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securing email accounts employee for the organization employees. It is an essential responsibility of the IT division of any company. All email accounts within an organization are stored in an email server, with essential security privileges. Email account
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management usually includes the following tasks— Email account creation
Email account modification
Email account monitoring
Email account maintenance
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Email account troubleshooting
Email account security and protection
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Email Server implementation
Email server monitoring
Email server maintenance
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4.1.5.1 AB Bank Email Account Management AB Bank Limited maintains a well organized email account management system, carefully operated under the watchful eyes of the Network Operations Center (NOC). AB Bank Limited provides both webmail and desktop email client provisions for its employees.
The
webmail
URL
of
AB
Bank
Limited
webmail
is
http://mail.abbank.com.bd and the bank uses Microsoft Outlook as the desktop email client. This management is performed through the following steps— Email user id creation
Email password setting
Email password protection
Email flow architecture construction
Email troubleshooting
Email server operation
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4.1.5.1.1 Email User ID Creation
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On formal request and approval from Branch Management or Department, two email addresses are created for a user with both personal name as well as functional designation. Personal email address will have mails forwarded to the corresponding
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user‘s personal folder and these mails will not be archived or copied. However, the email address created with functional designation will have official mails forwarded and
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archived or copied. If one employee leave the organization or transferred to another branch/department, the new user of that functional post will get all the official mails forwarded to the previous employee to help the new user track previous
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correspondence.
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An example of both personal and functional email address can be as follows—
Example Name - abc
Example Branch code - defg
Functional Designation - Manager o Personal Email ID -
[email protected] o Functional Email ID -
[email protected]
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4.1.5.1.2 Email Password Setting Passwords are an important aspect of email security. They are the front line of protection for user email accounts. A poorly chosen password may result in the compromise of AB Bank‘s entire corporate network. There are several rules for setting a password for an email account— Minimum password length - 8 characters
Minimum password age - 1 day
Maximum password age - 30 days
Password history - 13 passwords
Account Lockout
Lockout after bad logon attempts - 5 attempts
Reset account after bad logon - 30 minutes
Lockout duration - Up to Administrator clearance
Forcibly disconnect users from sever when logon hours expire - Enabled
User must logon in order to change password - Enabled
Password for screen saver - On for 10 minutes
Guest account is disabled
Domain Guests group disabled
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4.1.5.1.3 Email Password Protection The following steps are briefed to AB Bank users regarding password protection of an
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email account—
A password should not be revealed to absolutely anyone
"Remember Password" feature of applications should not be used
No hint should be given at the format of a password
Passwords should not be written down or stored without encryption.
Passwords should be changed at least once in a month
A password should be reset in case of any suspected compromises
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4.1.5.1.4 Email Flow Architecture Design One o the most important parts of email management is designing the email regulation
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process diagram for the branch, which is provided here—
Figure 4.29: Branch email flow architecture
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4.1.5.1.5 Email Troubleshooting Several troubleshooting issues faced by users of AB Bank Limited email account holders, are solved from the NOC through remote access to their desktops. Examples of such troubleshooting include— User is unable to send email
User is unable to receive email
User forgets password
User signature is not added
Incorrect user signature
User is unable to login to email account
Email sent from a user is bounced back
User faces low disk-space problem
User information needs to be update on any changes (i.e. change of
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department/branch, change of contact information; user is no longer employed in
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the bank etc.) Email delivery is very slow
Email server requires updates
Email server is down
Rejection of email attachment
Email password leak
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4.1.5.1.6 Email Server Operation An email server is a system that usually consists of—a storage area where e-mail is stored for local users, a set of user definable rules for email delivery process, a database of user accounts that the mail server recognizes and will deal with locally, and communications modules which are the components that actually handle the transfer of messages to and from other mail servers and email clients. AB Bank uses Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 as the software platform for its email server ABDHKEXB1. W ith Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, email management process is performed through the
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following features— Provision of anti-spam, antivirus
Controls for messages in transport or requiring retention
Improved calendaring unified messaging, mobility, web access
64-bit performance & scalability
Command-line shell & simplified GUI
Unified Messaging for users
Increased database maximum size limit
Improved storage efficiency
New W eb services-based application programming interface (API) and .NET
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integration
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Figure 4.30: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 window Online Operations Management System
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4.1.6 Web Access Management Web access is an essential business necessity these days, especially with today's increasing regulatory requirements. Therefore, proper web access management is much necessary within any organization allowing internet access to its employees. There are two aspects in the web access management system—web access monitoring and web access blocking.
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Web access monitoring of an organization is the process of tracking the daily internet
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usage of the employees within that organization. This is monitor its employees‘ Internet
usage at work, including website visits, specific page views, emails sent and the information contained in emails as well as downloads and streaming audio and video
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events. This type of surveillance allows employers to determine how much time an employee is spending online as well as whether they are viewing material or performing tasks that are inappropriate at work. Internet access monitoring is quite useful as it
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allows the organization for proper utilization of its employee internet usage provisions within an effective cost-reduced environment.
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Web access blocking is the process of preventing Internet using employees from accessing different elements of the W orld W ide Web which violate the internet access policy of the organization, without hampering legal, ethical, and related employee morale
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issues. Organizations usually build a ―blocked list‖ of running dangerous, time-wasting or nuisance internet applications that users will no longer be able to use from their PCs. In
Block rogue image searches Audit instant messaging (IM) content Block pop-ups and W eb advertisements, which are typically riddled with adware
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this way, IT administrators can quickly and easily perform operations like the following—
and spyware
Throttle bandwidth for streaming media
Strip and replace active content, which can operate without user consent or by
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encouraging inappropriate user action
Block spyware
Scan files for viruses and Trojans
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4.1.6.1 AB Bank Web Access Monitoring AB Bank Limited uses a 5 MB (Megabyte) Internet connection for all its branches and also the different sections of the corporate office. As per convention, both web access blocking and web access monitoring are applied to all employees of the bank belonging to different sections, for the purpose of a successful web access management system. The web access management process is also performed by AB Bank‘s Network
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Operations Center (NOC).
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AB Bank‘s NOC performs Internet access monitoring and blocking through McAfee Web Gateway, which offers powerful, proactive protection against blended threats, spyware, and targeted attacks. Its basic components include— Proxy/cache
Category and reputation-based web filtering
Anti-malware
McAfee Anti-Virus
Anti-spyware
SSL scanning
Data leakage protection
Reporting
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Figure 4.31: McAfee W eb Gateway reporting window
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4.1.7 Desktop Application Management Desktop application management is the process of monitoring and managing the performance and quality of service of software applications, provided to the employees in an organization for usage general IT activities. This application management is implemented with an aim to improve the operational capabilities of the existing system. It is also concerned with the selection of right applications to get the desired results within a limited period of time. It also helps in alignment of different departments so that
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transparency can be added into the system. It involves the following features— Proper installation, maintenance and upgradation of applications
Regular monitoring and report generation of application usage
Administration of application users within the organization
Fast and expert application assistance for users in terms of troubleshooting
Prevention of any misuses of applications
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Application management within an organization is much beneficial. Advantages of
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application management include—
Overall cost deduction to ensure better output
Flexibility of resources
Output growth by using best application management system
Utilization of best resources
Specific maintenance process through expert management methods Increase in productivity of organizations through proper application usage Improves quality of application to meet the needs and expectations of users
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Accelerates development through simplified integration
Ensuring of collaboration and smooth information flow
Cuts maintenance time by synchronizing application and design
Maximizes investments in skills, processes, and technologies
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4.1.7.1 AB Bank Desktop Application Management AB Bank IT Division is responsible for handling all the software used within the organization. This not only includes specific banking software but also general computer applications needed for everyday organization activities. The application management process is done by NOC using any of these two processes—
Remotely from head office with remote desktop access software when the
Directly accessing the computer in question while keeping it physically within
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computer is in another physical location
NOC
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For different purposes, AB Bank IT division installs, maintain and upgrade the following application software—
Microsoft Windows XP Professional - W indows XP Professional is an
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operating system (OS) produced by Microsoft for use on desktop, laptop, and media center Computers. It performs management and coordination of processes
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and the sharing of the resources of hardware, acts as a host for computing applications running on the OS.
Microsoft Office 2003 - Microsoft Office 2003 is a software suite written and distributed by Microsoft for their W indows operating system. It includes core
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applications like Microsoft W ord 2003, Microsoft Excel 2003, Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 etc.
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o Microsoft W ord 2003 - A word processor program used for the production, composition, editing, formatting and printing of a printable material.
o Microsoft Excel 2003 - A spreadsheet application used for working with
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numerical and string data arranged in rows and columns of cells.
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o Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 - A presentation program used to display
information in the form of a slide show using multimedia contents
Adobe Reader 5.0 - An application program developed by Adobe Systems. This application is designed to view, create, manipulate and manage files in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF), used for representing documents in a format independent of the application software, hardware, and operating system.
WinRAR 3.0 – W inRAR 3.0 is a file archiving and data compression utility. It is capable of encoding information using fewer bits or other information-bearing units, allowing the encoded data to occupy lesser disk space than an un-encoded data file, through use of specific encoding schemes. Online Operations Management System
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4.2 Banking Software Support The rapid advancement in Information Technology (IT) has had a profound impact on the banking industry over the last two decades. This has resulted in the tremendous rise of online operations within banking sectors globally. Online operations now plays the leading role in facilitating a bank‘s organizational structures, business strategies, customer services and other related functions. Smooth functioning of online operations
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ensures the efficiency of performing successful banking functionalities. An essential and
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integrating element of successful online operations within a banking organization is state-of-the-art banking software solutions. In banking sector, such facility is collectively termed as Core Banking System.
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Core Banking is a general term used to describe the services provided by a bank through a group of interconnected bank branches. Here, customers may access their funds and other simple transactions from any of the member branch offices at real time.
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Within Core Banking System, computer software are developed to perform core banking operations, namely— Transaction recording
Passbook maintenance
Interest calculations on loans/deposits
Customer records
Balance of payments and withdrawal
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The core banking software are installed at different branches of bank and then interconnected by a secured, robust and efficient networking infrastructure.
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AB Bank Limited incorporated several notable core banking software, provided by Misys PLC, a leading multinational software company providing software solutions and
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services to financial and healthcare sectors. The bank also includes software solutions provided by other efficient software organizations. These banking software are namely—
EBS (Equation Banking System)
EBA (Equation Branch Automation)
TI (Trade Innovation)
Bangladesh Bank Software
Other Software
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4.2.1 EBS (Equation Banking System) Misys EBS (Equation Banking System) is a fully integrated, real-time, multi-currency retail banking solution that helps banks to minimize costs, protect and maximize revenues and react quickly to changing markets and regulations. It supports consumer and corporate banking as well as treasury operations on a single platform. EBS helps optimize inter-branch communications and reporting for the bank's head office and its branch network. EBS is designed to process even the most complex financial products
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and services quickly, simply and intuitively. It includes the following features— Server - IBM iSeries i-5
Operating System - OS 400
Database program - DB2
Application System - AS 400
Storage System - SAN (Storage Area Network)
Developer Language - RPG
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Figure 4.32: Misys EBS (Equation Banking System) window Online Operations Management System
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4.2.2 EBA (Equation Branch Automation) Misys EBA (Equation Branch Automation) is designed to support customer-facing staff within a retail branch banking environment. The Equation Branch Automation system is already tightly integrated with the Equation core banking server, and provides ready-to-run functionality to support cashiers, personal bankers and relationship managers. Equation Branch Automation allows online, real-time transaction processing for the Equation Banking Server, with immediate access to account and transaction
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information and verification of availability of funds. It supports the following features— Server - IBM Blade Centre
Operating System - W indows 2000 Server
Front-end Language - Visual Basic
Database program - SQL (Structured Query Language) 5.0
Storage System - SAN (Storage Area Network)
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Figure 4.32: Misys EBA (Equation Branch Automation) window
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4.2.3 Bangladesh Bank Software Bangladesh Bank is the Central bank of Bangladesh and the monetary authority of the country. Recently, the bank allowed all the financial banks of the country to make online money transactions, payment of utility bills through internet, transfer of funds (account to account), payments for trading goods and services, and facilitate online credit card payments in local currency. In correspondence with this, AB Bank Limited has successfully implemented Online banking operations using efficient banking software
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from different developers of which include some mandatory software provided by
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Bangladesh Bank itself. A brief list of these software, which are provided by Bangladesh Bank while monitored and managed by Network Operations Center (NOC) of AB Bank,
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can be as follows—
SBS23 - A Credit Risk Management Software developed under FoxPro Database System. It is responsible for monitoring, assessing and reporting credit risk (the risk of loss due to a debtor's non-payment of a loan or other line of
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credit) in order to plan future investments.
FPD26 - A Payroll software, also developed under FoxPro Database System
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that specifically allows calculation and processing of payroll within a bank i.e. the sum of all financial records of salaries, wages, bonuses and deductions for the bank employees.
Nikash - An Automated Clearing House Software for a bank that processes
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large volumes of credit and debit transactions in batches. Such credit transactions include payroll, vendor payments, while debit transfers include
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consumer payments on insurance premiums, mortgage loans, and other kinds of bills etc.
Bangladesh Bank L/C Monitoring System - A web based software that
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monitors the process of issuing Letter of Credit (L/C) which authorizes the a customer to draw amounts of money up to a specified total, consistent with any
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terms and conditions set forth in the letter.
FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit) - A CTR (Cash Transaction Report) and STR (Suspicious Transaction Report) Software. It performs CTR generation when the transaction of any account exceeds the amount of 700000 (7 lakhs) taka within one single day. STR generation is done if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a performed or a proposed financial activity within any account involves suspected offensive tasks violating banking rules set by Bangladesh Bank.
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4.2.4 Other Software
Misys TI (Trade Innovation) - Misys TI (Trade Innovation) has been designed with advanced workflow management to streamline the entire transaction lifecycle and the overall workflow of the trade finance operation. TI allows the bank to define service level agreements (SLAs) for each customer. The bank can apply either customer groupings (e.g. gold, silver, bronze) or bi-lateral agreements for individual customers. The factoring capability in TI is optimized
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for trade receivables financing available. Finance is calculated on the agreed, processed at the express request of the customer.
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discounted total of eligible receivables available on any one day. Drawings are
WebForm - W ebForm applies the latest web-based technology to the Equation
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banking system. Reports are automatically captured and delivered to users as web pages over the bank‘s internal network, removing the need to print and distribute paper versions of reports. Report data is available as web pages, as
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Excel spreadsheets, and for analysis using multi-dimensional PivotTables. Reports can also be distributed automatically as emails, enabling people who do
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not have direct access to the system to be kept informed with the latest data. WebForm will capture existing reports, run and deliver user-defined reports, and provide an enquiry system for any previous business date, making it an invaluable management-reporting tool. Using the PivotTables built from Equation
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reports and associated databases; users can filter and manipulate the data to isolate key elements of information for analysis purposes. Once they have
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generated the required view of the data, users can drill down to see details of the underlying accounts.
Fixed Asset Register (FAR) - This software incorporates—Purchase Cost, asset
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value after taxes and VAT availed, asset location and identification, asset sales particulars, insurance details, AMC entered into details etc. It allows a company to keep track of details of each fixed asset, ensuring control and preventing
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misappropriation of assets. It also keeps track of the correct value of assets, allowing computation of depreciation and for tax and insurance purposes. FAR generates accurate, complete, and customized reports for the management. It also allows a company to keep track of fixed assets that are not under simple, direct control of the company. This means owned and leased assets, assets under construction, and imported assets.
Source: http://www.abbank.com.bd/abblit.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_Assets_Register
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4.3Logistics Support Management Logistics is defined as the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow and storage of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from point of origin to point of consumption for the purpose of meeting customer requirements. Logistics management is the application of management principles to logistics operations for efficient and cost effective movement
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of goods and personnel. In Information Technology (IT), it involves—planning,
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implementation, and controlling of the efficient, effective, forward and reverse flow along
with storage of IT goods, services, and related information between vendor and user in
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order to meet IT sector user requirements.
AB Bank Limited IT Division handles the management process of IT logistics through its Network Operations Center (NOC). NOC basically provides the logistics support for all physically existing materials used as IT resources. These include the facilities, hardware,
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software, documentation, manpower, and personnel needed to operate and support IT systems and the software within those systems. These resources also include both
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stand-alone and embedded IT systems. In order to perform logistics management, NOC considers the following parameters—
System constraints like design specifications, item configuration and safety precautions
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Handling equipment and procedures
Security requirements
Geographic and environmental impacts and constraints Spare or repair parts storage requirements
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Emerging Packaging, Handling, Storage, and Transportation (PHS&T)
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technologies, methods, or procedures
Resource-intensive PHS&T procedures
NOC has categorized its logistics management process in the following three sections—
Requirement Analysis
Purchase
Warranty Claim
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4.3.1 Requirement Analysis Requirements analysis by the IT division is the process of determining necessity for new or modified IT equipments. Requirement analysis is done by the following steps—
Information of requirements for IT equipments are gathered from the users
Validity of the known requirements on clarity, completeness, essentiality, uniqueness, and meeting the financial limits set by the permitted budget is
Once requirements are found valid, they are documented and sent to AB Bank purchase division from IT to issue purchase order
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4.3.2 Purchase
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determined
As the purchase requests are sent from the IT division to the purchase division of AB
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Bank, the following methods are performed— Price quotations are obtained from the respective vendors of the equipments as
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mentioned in the documented requirement analysis
All the received price quotations are scrutinized and the one that offers the best product with minimum expense is selected
A memo of the selected price quotation for the required product is sent to the
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management committee of the bank for final accreditation Once the management committee approves of the purchase, a purchase order is
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issued to the selected vendor and the product is obtained upon payment
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4.3.3 Warranty Claim
After purchasing of any IT equipment, if it falters over time, then the following actions are
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performed for warranty claim—
The warranty period of the faltering equipment is checked to see if it is still applicable
If warranty period is over, then a purchase of a newer version of the equipment is performed following proper procedures
If warranty period still persists, then the vendor is contacted and asked to supply with a fresh copy of that faltering equipment
Once vendor agrees for the supply, the desired equipment is obtained Online Operations Management System
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5. Internship activities
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5.1 Support & Maintenance 5.1.1 FTP Transfer This task required me to upload important software, documents to different remote computers, through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), using the Command-Line Interface.
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In case of FTP operations, I usually performed the following steps— Started the Command-Line Interface using the Run command
Entered the source directory address
Connected to the destination computer for file transfer, using its IP address
Logged in to that computer using ID and password as required on the interface
Changed the ftp mode to binary with the command
Enabled hash mark printing
Entered the source file address and pressed enter to commence transfer
Finally, used the exit command to close connection
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A screenshot sample of FTP Command-Line Interface can be seen here—
Figure 4.1: FTP Command-Line Interface window
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5.1.2 Remote Maintenance This task included providing installation, modification & removal of different applications/hardware through VNC Viewer or Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.
5.1.2.1 Using VNC Viewer with VNC Viewer—
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I usually performed the following steps while performing remote support/maintenance
Started VNC Viewer from the desktop or the start menu
Entered computer name and selected encryption type
Provided username & password
Connected with selected remote computer as remote window opened
Logged into selected remote computer with administrator privilege
Performed the required application maintenance operation
Logged off and closed the remote window manually
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A screenshot of VNC Viewer remote window can be seen below—
Figure 4.2: VNC Viewer remote access window
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5.1.2.2 Using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services It
usually
required
the
following
steps
to
be
performed
during
remote
support/maintenance using Microsoft Remote Desktop Services — Started Remote Desktop Services using the Run command
Entered computer name/IP address on the connection screen
Connected with selected remote computer as remote window opened
Logged into selected remote computer with administrator privilege
Performed the required application maintenance operation
Logged off and the remote window closed automatically
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A screenshot of Microsoft Remote Desktop Services remote window is provided below
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as an example—
Figure 4.2: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services remote access window
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5.1.3 Branch Support The Network Operations Center (NOC) of AB Bank Limited provides support services to all its branches using remote access software VNC Viewer or Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. There are several troubleshooting procedures as stated below—
5.1.3.1 Installing shared printer Logged in as administrator to the Remote PC using remote access software
Located shared printer from its original location by opening it using the Run
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command
Used the connect command to share it with the remote computer
Printed a test page from the remote computer to ensure that the printer is working
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properly
If successful, then logged off, otherwise, repeated the steps again
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5.1.3.2 Adding new application user to Server domain Logged in to the Active Directory Server using remote access software
Opened Active Directory Services
Located the branch from the list under the domain
From Users folder under the branch, used the New command to create new user
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Added new user information following on-screen instructions After adding all necessary information, closed the Active Directory Services and
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logged off from the server
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5.1.3.3 Moving application user to different branch
Logged in to the Active Directory Server using remote access software
Opened Active Directory Services
Located the branch from the list under the domain
From Users folder select desired user, used the Move command to move the user to the destination branch,
After moving user, close the Active Directory Services and logged off from the server
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5.1.3.4 Adding new e-mail user to Server domain Logged in to the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 using remote access software
Opened Active Directory Services
Located the branch from the list under the domain
From Users folder under the branch, used the New command to create new user
Added new user information following on-screen instructions
Again from Users folder, selected user, added new exchange task and then
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added custom additional attributes
After adding all necessary information, closed the Active Directory Services and
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logged off from the server
5.1.3.5 Adding e-mail signature in Microsoft Outlook Account Logged in to the remote branch computer where the new user is placed
Opened Microsoft Outlook
From tools menu, opened the signature input window
Typed the signature information and saved it
Logged off from the computer
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5.1.3.6 Adding e-mail signature in AB Bank Webmail Account Logged in to the remote branch computer where the new user is placed Asked user to log in to AB Bank W ebmail using his/her own username and
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password
Once user logged in, opened the signature editing window
Typed the signature information and saved it
Logged off from the computer
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5.1.3.7 Resetting e-mail user password in network domain
Logged in to the Exchange Server using remote access software
Opened Active Directory Services
Located the branch from the list under the domain
From Users folder, selected user and using reset password menu, provided a new password to the user After adding all necessary information, closed the Active Directory Services and
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logged off from the server
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5.1.3.8 Solving low space problem for e-mail inbox in Outlook Logged in to the remote branch computer where the new user is placed
Opened Microsoft Outlook
Cleared deleted and sent items folders
Moved important e-mails to backup mails folder
Sent a test e-mail to check if the e-mail account was working properly
If the test e-mail got successfully sent, logged off from the computer
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5.1.3.8 Software installation on remote computer Logged in as administrator to the Remote computer
using remote access
Opened branch ADC computer using Run menu Located the desired software setup files in the ADC server
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software
Copied software setup files into remote computer
Installed the software
Restart the remote computer to finish installation (If needed)
If installation was successful, logged off from the computer, otherwise repeated
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all steps again
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5.1.4 Hardware Support The IT division of AB Bank Limited provides hardware support services with the help of its hardware team by following a consistent maintenance procedure. There are several hardware troubleshooting procedures performed by this team are as stated below—
5.1.4.1 Setting up a computer for a new user If a new computer is provided, then all the parts are assembled according to
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instruction manuals or sent for primary hardware checking
During primary checking, the computer is examined for component faults,
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failures, conflicts etc.
If any such problem is found, then solved accordingly and the computer is sent for cleaning
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The components are cleaned to remove any dirt/dust particles and sent for
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software installations
The hard disk of the computer is formatted and new partitions are created
A licensed copy of W indows XP Operating System is installed and
On its first run after operating system installation, the computer is given a name
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in correspondence with the user, according to the bank‘s policy Motherboard drivers for Graphics, Sound Card, Chipset and Network Interface
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Card are installed
Other peripheral drivers like printer, scanner, modem drivers etc. are installed Necessary office software like Anti-Virus Software, Office Document editor, PDF
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Reader, File Compressing software, Remote access software, Corresponding Banking Software etc.
After all hardware/software installation are completed, the computer is re-
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checked for faults and if no problems found, it is sent to the respective branch for the new user
Once user receives the computer and turns it on, a unique IP address is provided from NOC and also, the computer is added to ABBL network domain using its name given on first run
Finally, the computer is ready to be used for the user‘s official working purposes
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5.1.4.2 Transferring data between hard disk drives
Turned off the power from the CPUs storing the source and destination hard disks respectively
Unplugged the source hard disk from its CPU case
Connected it to the CPU case holding the destination hard disk using SATA/IDE port
If both the hard disks do not use the same connection ports, then a converter is
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used in between which is connected to the destination CPU‘s USB port
It should be ensured that the destination CPU has its own hard disk selected as the highest-priority boot device
Once the source hard disk is connected properly, the destination computer is
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turned on
After it is turned on, the partitions of the source hard disk can be seen as different
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logical disk drives along with the computer‘s own logical disk drives The necessary data is then copied/moved from the source disk drives to the
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destination hard disk‘s logical drives with necessary free-up spaces Once data transfer is completed, the destination computer is turned off and the
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source hard disk drive is disconnected from the destination computer
5.1.4.3 Creating GHOST (General Hardware-Oriented System
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Transfer) image of a hard disk drive to transfer to a new computer
A new computer is setup with all the necessary software
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This computer is then booted with the Symantec GHOST software CD
Using function key during boot, the GHOST software menu is brought up on
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screen to select the CD as source
Then, a clone image of this new computer‘s hard drive is created using the CD and placed in a flash drive
Next, the GHOST CD is used as boot device for another new computer and using the software menu, the clone image of the source hard drive stored in the flash drive is copied in a new machine
Once this copy process is completed, the second new machine is started normally and is found to be up and running Online Operations Management System
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5.2 Network Monitoring Network monitoring was performed using mainly three software—NAGIOS, CACTI and WhatsUp Gold
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5.2.1.1 Host addition using Pine composer (PICO)
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5.2.1 Using Nagios
Using the Pine composer (PICO) text editor through Telnet, information addition for each host belonging to different branches of AB Bank was performed, for the purpose of
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Nagios monitoring, and the following procedure was used— Logged in to Telnet with username and password
Located the desired Nagios directory
Located the desired link under which the configuration would be performed
Using proper command, added new information to the configuration file
Saved the work and logged out
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Figure 4.3: PICO configuration interface for NAGIOS
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Conclusion The task of conducting research and exploration activities on banking online operations, a much elaborate and substantial attribute of Information and Communication Technology, is rather enormous, competitive, skillful and toiling, demanding of meticulous observation capability, quick learning abilities, improved analytical skills etc. Thereby, I feel much delighted and relieved upon successful accomplishment and
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documenting of my internship experience on this highly acclaimed ICT topic, in a
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resourceful environment. I owe this achievement to the blessing of almighty, the teachings of my respected educators from East W est University, the guidance of the much helpful employees of AB Bank IT division, the encouragement of my family and
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friends, and lastly, my own best efforts and constructive hard work. I would be very grateful if this internship report on AB Bank Online Operations Management System would be accepted in a highly positive and welcoming manner considering my dedication and sincerity. As a loyal student of the much appreciated degree of Information and
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Communication Engineering, the experience of my internship at AB Bank Limited, has been much enriching and beneficial, allowing me to indulge in essential and resourceful
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practical activities to utilize my theoretical knowledge, bestowed upon me, by the exceptionally brilliant and much respected faculty members of my beloved educational institute, East W est University. Thereby I feel ostensibly thankful to my respected
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teachers for providing me with the proper educational background as well as to AB Bank Limited for allowing me provide with the practical field to hone my ICT skills. I thereby, pleasingly consider this internship experience as a breakthrough step on building my
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career as a successful ICT professional, whose foundation stone was laid with my
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education in Information and Communication Engineering.
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References http://www.abbank.com.bd/background-of-abbl.html
http://www.abbank.com.bd/corporate-information.html
http://www.abbank.com.bd/products-and-services.html
http://www.abbank.com.bd/vision-mission.html
http://www.abbank.com.bd/abblit.html
http://www.abbank.com.bd/abbl-at-a-glance.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_Assets_Register
http://google.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.wisegeek.com
http:// webopedia.com
http:// compnetworking.about.com
http:// computer.howstuffworks.com
http://nagios.org
http://cacti.net
http:// whatsupgold.com
http://cio.com
http://cisco.com
http://ibm.com
http://juniper.net
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http://mcafee.com
http://microsoft.com
http://www.stulz.com
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http://apc.com
http://panduit.com
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http://misys.com
http://bangladesh-bank.org
AB Bank IT Division documentations
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