ABSTRACT
The project describe
the application of VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK in electricity industry case study
Kano Electricity Distribution Company, While this chapter provides the
introduction, aim and objectives, Chapter 2’ discuss about the development and
emergence of the technology (Virtual Private Network), its Cost and the market
trends with the changes of time, the Virtual Private Network Infrastructure and
the Security it provides to safe guard the company data or information. Chapter
3 will describe the approach used for the findings and the reason for choosing
the type of approach. Chapter 4 aims to supplement previous chapters by a
detailed questionnaire, which is designed to target Kano Electricity Distribution
Company. Chapter 5 will provide an analysis of the practical information i.e.
findings of the research from chapter 4 and the primary research done in the
previous chapters. A list of recommendation will be suggested after the
detailed analysis. Chapter 6 will give a brief summary on the result and the
recommendations; it will also have a critical self-evaluation on the work done,
the drawbacks of the project, the problems faced during the study and any
future work on the subject.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE. i
DECLARATION. ii
CERTIFICATION. iii
DEDICATION. iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. v
ABSTRACT. x
CHAPTER ONE
OVERVIEW OF THE
PROJECT
1.0 Introduction. 1
1.1 Background of the
Study. 1
1.2 Concept of the
Internet 3
1.3 Reason for
Choosing the Topic. 4
1.4 Aim and
Objective. 5
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Virtual Private
Network (VPN) & Kano Electricity Distribution Company (Kedco) 7
2.1 The Emergence of
VPN. 7
2.2 What Is VPN?. 8
2.3 The Need to
Develop VPN. 9
2.4 Types of VPN. 10
2.4.1 Layer 2 VPN’s.
10
2.4.2 Layer 3 VPN’s.
10
2.5 VPN Architecture.
11
2.5.1 Site -to-Site
Intranet VPNs. 11
2.5.2 Remote Access
VPNs. 13
2.5.3 Extranet VPNs.
13
2.6 Tunneling. 14
2.7 Tunneling
Protocols. 15
2.8 VPN Firewall and
Gateways. 16
2.9 Investigation of
Broader Context. 18
2.9.1 VPN’S and KEDCO
In View. 18
2.9.2 Application of
VPN In Kedco. 19
2.9.3 Site-To-Site
VPN Via Interswitch. 19
2.9.4 Remote Access
VPN in KEDCO. 20
2.10 Industrial Use
OF VPN. 20
2.10.1……………………………………………………..
VPN Market Trends. 20
2.10.2……………………………………………….
Products Based On VPN. 21
2.10.3……………………………………………………………
Interoperability. 22
2.11 Communication
Approach and Network. 22
2.11.1……………………………………………….
Internal communication. 22
2.11.2…………………………………..
Selected external communication. 23
2.11.3…………
Communication with public and external audiences. 23
2.12 Outlining
Electricity Industry Requirements. 23
2.13 Overview of VPN
For Kedco. 25
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction. 27
3.1 Research
Approach. 29
3.1.1 Deductive
Research Approach. 29
3.1.2 Inductive
Research Approach. 29
3.1.3 Implemented
Research Approach. 30
3.2 Research
Strategy. 30
3.2.1 Quantitative
Research. 30
3.2.3 The
Questionnaire. 30
3.2.3 Advantages and
Drawbacks (Questionnaire) 31
3.2.4 Qualitative
research. 31
3.2.5 Interview.. 32
3.2.6 Target
audience. 32
3.2.7 Advantages and
drawbacks (Interview) 32
3.2.8 Ethical
considerations. 33
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA COLLECTION AND
ANALYSIS
4.0 Questionnaire and
Response. 35
4.1 Questionnaire
Design. 35
4.1 Interview and
Response. 36
4.2 Data Analysis And
Findings. 36
4.2.1 Data collected.
37
4.3 Participant /
Audience Type. 38
4.4 Research
Analysis. 38
4.4.1 Benefits of
VPN: 39
4.4.2 Limitation of
VPN. 40
4.4.3 Innovative
Solutions for Electricity Industries. 41
4.4.4 Drawbacks in
Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) 42
4.4.5 Overcoming the
drawbacks. 44
4.5 Critical Success
Factor 46
4.6 Conclusion of
Project 47
4.7 Recommendation
& Suggestions. 48
CHAPTER FIVE. 50
CRITICAL EVALUATION.
50
5.0 Critical
Evaluation. 50
5.1 Research
Approach. 50
5.2 Time Management
51
5.3 Problems Faced.
52
5.3.1 Project
dimensions. 52
5.3.2 Critical phases
in research. 52
5.3.3 Report
formation. 53
5.3.4 Personal
Issues. 54
5.4 Learning Outcome.
54
5.5 What Could Have
Been Achieved With More Time?. 56
5.6 Project
Deliverables. 56
5.6.1 Usefulness of
research. 56
5.7 Limitation
/Drawbacks. 57
5.8 Resources. 59
5.9 Future Work. 60
5.10 Short Summary
and Conclusion. 60
REFERENCES. 61
APPENDIX I 63
QUESTIONNAIRE. 64
LIST OF FIGURES
Fig.1 Casio
Calculator(Cash Receipt Machine…………………………………………….……2
Fig.2 VPN “Virtual
Private Network”…………………………………………………………….8
Fig.3 Site-to-Site
VPN’s……………………………………………………………………………11
Fig. 4 “Remote Access
VPN” ……………………………………………………………………..13
Fig. 5 “External VPN”
……………………………………………………………………………..13
Fig 6 “Tunneling”
……………………………………………………………………………..……14
Fig 7 “Gateway and
Firewall” ……………………………………………………………………17
Fig. 8 ‘Site topology
overview’ source Huawei.com………………………………………….20
Fig 9 “Research
Process Models for How VPN might benefits the electricity industry adapted from
Source: Saunders (2003).” …………………………………………………….28
Fig.10 “Research
approaches: socialresearchmethod.net” ……………………….……..29
Fig.11 “Table of
Implemented methodology” ………………………………………….……..33
Data collection
fig.1……………………………………………………………………….……….37
Data collection
fig.2……………………………………………………………………….………..37
CHAPTER
ONE
OVERVIEW
OF THE PROJECT
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The business of
electric power distribution in Nigeria began in 1896 under the Public Works
Department (PWD) by the colonial government. Electricity Corporation of Nigeria
(ECN) was then established in 1950/51 later merge with Niger Dams Authority
(NDA established in 1962) to form Nigerian Electric Power Authority (NEPA) in
1972.
Characterized by
total industry inefficiency, such as, inadequate supply and low revenue
generation, the Federal Government unbundled the monopoly of NEPA and signed
into law the Electricity Sector Reform Act in 2005. The then NEPA metamorphosed
in to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) which was unbundled vertically in
to Generation, Transmission and Distribution and further horizontally in to
eighteen different Successor Companies. Kano Electricity Distribution Company
(KEDCO) which is mandated to distribute electricity in Jigawa, Kano and Katsina
States is one of the Eleven Distribution Companies (Disco) out of the eighteen
successor companies.
Some of the
challenges facing the whole industry is the inadequate supply, in other words,
the wide gap between the energy supply and demand, as well as lack of revenue
generation. According to Engr.Eyo O. Ekpo, Commissioner (Market, Competition
& Rates) at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in a
paper presented at the 6th Business Law Conference, that less than 50% are having
access to electricity supply in Nigeria. It should be noted that even those
having access to electricity supply are getting less than 50% of their demand.
Kano Electricity
Distribution Company (KEDCO) was not having a network connection at its early
stage i.e both the head office and its branches (Business Units) where on their
own and no any form of network connecting them together. There was no
centralized database or server. A Casio calculator was the only machine used in
collecting electricity consumption paymentfrom customers at end of every month.
During the use of this machine, a lot of fraud and theft were encountered. As a
result, revenue drive was very poor. For example, someone can pay an
electricity bill of N55,950 (fifty-five thousand nine hindered and fifty) and
only N5,950 (five thousand nine hundred and fifty) will be credited to the
company’s account and theremaining N50,000 gets lost as a result of fraudulent
activities.
Fig.1 Casio Calculator(Cash
Receipt Machine)
Handwritten bills
were also accepted during the use of this machine but the company later
installed servers at all branches (Jigawa statebranches, Katsina state
branches, and other branches in Kano metropolitan).Even after this initiative,
a lot of errors, fraud, theft and insecurity were still encountered because the
system was not centralized i.e. each and every server stands on its own.
As technology was
improving, the company installed computers which were used as a medium of
communication between all of its branches. It was quitean impressive approach
consideringthe fact that the company had been using crude methods of operation
for a while.This same system is used even by banksas their main medium of
communication, and is still in use at KEDCO.As a result of the problem
encounteredthrough the use of casiocash receipt machinealong with decentralized
servers,I hereby suggest the use of a centralized serverover a VPN (Virtual
Private Network) network.Like this, a centralized server should be locatedat
the head office.Other traditional cash offices/branches can thenmake use of a
VPN to connect to thehead office.This type of connection allow all branches
toconnect securely over the internet to thecentralized server via VPN.This
paves way for the use of secured paymentsystem over the private network, such
as:
Pay direct
E-channel via banks
interswitch
POS
1.2 Concept of the Internet
The concept of the
‘Internet’, a private network was made public in the early 1990’s, this is
believed to be an ‘online revolution’ by Derfler Jr. and Freed (2005). The
Internet had vast information which lead millions of users to flock onto the
network within a cluster of days. As the Internet started growing in size, its
importance also increased simultaneously.
Derfler Jr. and Freed
states that “Today’s Internet is an important part of business and daily life
for millions of users, and those users want faster, more reliable Internet
connection”.
As the Internet
started growing and businesses began exploring it for their use and profits.
Murhammer et al. (1998) describes that businesses started promoting themselves,
their products and services over the Internet, allowing their markets to
conduct busniness globally.
Shelly, et.al (2010)
also supports that the Internet became the best medium of sharing information
and also a cost effective method in today’s world. The problem discovered was
that the Internet is not a secured medium of information transmition and hence
the need of Virtual Private Network
(VPN) came into development.
Communication is one
of the main ablilities of humans and there is always a need of keeping certain
conversations private. Technologies have been invented to hide content from
unwanted listeners, no matter what the medium is. The VPN is one such
technology in which different networking technologies have been applied
together, to achive the aim of providing a private communication over a public
infrastructure medium called the Internet.
The VPN is a secured
connection over an unsecured network i.e. the Internet.
This Technology is
been implemented by large organisations due to its various factors benefiting
the organisation in many way. This investigation will focus the factors of the
VPN which might benefit the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).
1.3 REASON FOR CHOOSING THE TOPIC
Within the lesson
period of this course (Computer Network) as one of the major course of study
for the award of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at the University
(B.U.K) Computer Networking has played a vital role in communication, thereby
providing a faster response on communication within a short period of time,
minimize cost of mass communication, transfer of data e.t.c .Therefore, this
has provide a more solid background in the field of Virtual Private Network
which is as well as a developed existing technology.
1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVE
The aim of this
research is to study the application of Virtual Private Network (VPN) in
electricity industry and to analyze the concept of the Virtual Private Network
in detail and check if this technology matches the requirements of the Kano Electricity
Distribution Company.
The objectives as set
out to achieve this aim are:
Making a research
study at KEDCO
Providing a secure
network access
To increase accuracy
in revenue generation
Making an online
research about VPN
Further to this, a
detailed investigation and analysis will be carried on the Virtual Private
Networks and Kano Electricity Distribution Company which will cover several
chapters.
While this chapter
provides the introduction, aim and objectives, Chapter 2’ discuss about the
development and emergence of the technology (Virtual Private Network), its Cost
and the market trends with the changes of time, the Virtual Private Network
Infrastructure and the Security it provides to safe guard the company data or
information.
Chapter 3 will
describe the approach used for the findings and the reason for choosing the
type of approach. Chapter 4 aims to supplement previous chapters by a detailed
questionnaire, which is designed to target Kano Electricity Distribution
Company.
Chapter 5 will
provide an analysis of the practical information i.e. findings of the research
from chapter 4 and the primary research done in the previous chapters. A list
of recommendation will be suggested after the detailed analysis. Chapter 5 will
give a brief summary on the result and the recommendations; it will also have a
critical self-evaluation on the work done, the drawbacks of the project, the
problems faced during the study and any future work on the subject.