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COIT20261 - Network Services and Automation

General Information

Unit Synopsis

In this unit, you will explore how modern IP networks support secure and scalable communication for small to medium enterprises. You'll learn to build and manage network infrastructure using technologies such as VLANs, NAT, DHCP, and IP routing, and deploy Internet-based services including secure web servers, DNS, VPNs, and cloud-hosted applications. Through hands-on labs and projects, you'll use tools like GNS3, Git, and Ansible to automate network configuration and streamline operations. Working in teams, you'll troubleshoot network issues and develop collaborative solutions, preparing you for real-world roles in network administration and support.

Details

Level Postgraduate
Unit Level 9
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisite: COIT20246 Cyber Security and Networking.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026

Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Rockhampton
Sydney
Term 2 - 2026 Profile
Brisbane
Melbourne
Online
Rockhampton
Sydney
Term 3 - 2026 Profile
Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 20%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. In-class Test(s) 40%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 83.33% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 47.37% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Student feedback
Feedback
Consider incorporating more practical activities, e.g. cloud computing, into the assessments to enhance hands-on learning and reinforce students' understanding of the learning materials.
Recommendation
Integrate hands-on lab exercises using cloud computing tools such as Microsoft Azure into the unit. Assessing one or more of the lab activities should serve to reinforce student learning and enhance their practical experience.
Action Taken
The incorporation of hands-on practice with physical devices has demonstrably enhanced student understanding, as evidenced by their reflections. Efforts are currently underway to integrate additional networking practices into the unit, further strengthening learning outcomes.
Source: Student feedback, reflection
Feedback
Ensure feedback on assessment is clear, informative and practical to students.
Recommendation
Establish a minimum standard for delivering marker feedback that emphasises clarity, informativeness, and practicality to students. This should ensure a benchmark consistency across campuses and staff in providing feedback that meets student expectations.
Action Taken
Guidance has been provided to the markers to ensure the feedback on the assessment is clear and informative.
Source: Students' feedback.
Feedback
Previous actions have introduced more practical networking tasks. Continue strengthening the practical component by expanding the scope of lab-based exercises and integrating real-world networking scenarios to better balance theory and application.
Recommendation
The balance of practical learning should be enhanced by incorporating more hands-on networking tasks alongside the theoretical content.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Unit Coordinator's reflection.
Feedback
Balancing authentic skill assessment with academic integrity in online tests is increasingly complex in the context of generative AI.
Recommendation
Review the current in-class test structure and consider introducing a small practical project to better assess applied skills while maintaining assessment integrity.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Design and configure IP networks for small to medium enterprises, e.g., using VLANs, NAT, DHCP and IP routing
  2. Deploy and manage Internet-based applications to support secure and scalable network operations, e.g., using HTTPS, DNS, VPNs, and cloud-hosted services
  3. Apply automation tools to streamline network configuration, deployment and maintenance
  4. Work effectively in teams to implement and troubleshoot network services and protocols.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS), the professional association for Australia's ICT sector, recognises the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). SFIA is adopted by organisations, governments, and individuals in many countries, providing a widely used and consistent definition of ICT skills. SFIA is increasingly being used when developing job descriptions and role profiles. ACS members can use the tool MySFIA to build a skills profile.

This unit contributes to the following workplace skills as defined by SFIA 9 (the SFIA code is included):

  • Network Design (NTDS)
  • Network Support (NTAS)
  • Infrastructure Operations (ITOP)
  • Systems Integration and Build (SINT)
  • Systems Design (DESN)
  • Configuration Management (CFMG).

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Framework defines knowledge, skills and tasks needed to perform various cyber security roles. Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the NICE Framework is used by organisations to plan their workforce, including recruiting into cyber security positions.

This unit helps prepare you for roles such as Systems Security Analyst, Network Operations Specialist and Systems Administrator, contributing to the following knowledge and skills:

  • K0001 Knowledge of computer networking concepts and protocols, and network security methodologies.
  • K0010 Knowledge of communication methods, principles, and concepts that support the network infrastructure.
  • K0011 Knowledge of capabilities and applications of network equipment, including routers, switches, bridges, servers, transmission media, and related hardware.
  • K0029 Knowledge of the organisation's Local and Wide Area Network connections.
  • K0061 Knowledge of how traffic flows across the network (e.g., Transmission Control Protocol [TCP] and Internet Protocol [IP], Open System Interconnection Model [OSI], Information Technology Infrastructure Library, current version [ITIL]).
  • K0108 Knowledge of concepts, terminology, and operations of a wide range of communications media (computer and telephone networks, satellite, fibre, wireless).
  • K0111 Knowledge of network tools (e.g., ping, traceroute, nslookup).
  • K0113 Knowledge of different types of network communication (e.g., LAN, WAN, MAN, WLAN, WWAN).
  • K0136 Knowledge of the capabilities of different electronic communication systems and methods (e.g., e-mail, VOIP, IM, web forums, Direct Video Broadcasts).
  • K0138 Knowledge of Wi-Fi.
  • K0332 Knowledge of network protocols such as TCP/IP, Dynamic Host Configuration, Domain Name System (DNS), and directory services.
  • S0033 Skill in diagnosing connectivity problems.
  • S0035 Skill in establishing a routing schema.
  • S0041 Skill in installing, configuring, and troubleshooting LAN and WAN components such as routers, hubs, and switches.
  • S0162 Skill in applying various subnet techniques (e.g., CIDR).

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment • • •
2 - Written Assessment • • • •
3 - In-class Test(s) • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Professional Level
• Advanced Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Knowledge • • • •
2 - Communication • • • •
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills • • • •
4 - Research • • •
5 - Self-management •
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility • •
7 - Leadership •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Professional Level
• Advanced Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8