Steps:

1. Be sure to have with you the following:
   • Some kind of portable note-taking tools that you can carry around, such as a pen and notepad.
   • A sweater or jacket, if you think you will need it, since the server room is generally kept very cool, for the equipment's sake.
2. For the recommended reading, check out the parts you have not already read, as well as the videos. (Don't spend too much time on the videos, though.)
3. With your lab partner(s), review the six subsystems of structured cabling, as based on the TIA/EIA-568B standard.
   • How would you define each, in your own words?
   • Which ones do you understand the most? The least?
   Your admin log should address these questions.
4. Over the next several class meetings, the system administrator, Mr. Rick Martin, will come by and take you on brief tour of the server room -- where you will be shown different pieces of hardware (servers, cabling, etc.) that make our network possible. With your lab partner(s), prior to taking the tour, come up a few questions you might want to ask while on the tour.
5. When Mr. Martin comes by, you may need to (temporarily) stop working on your current lab -- in order to go on the tour -- and resume work on it later. If you do not end up taking the tour at the same time as your lab partner, then at least be sure to communicate afterwards to get on the same page regarding any other labs.
6. You may also need to go during lecture, so make arrangements with a fellow student to bring you up to date on any material covered during your absence.
7. During the tour, pick out 1 or 2 pieces of equipment that you find particularly interesting. Get the name, brand, model/part number, etc. for the item, so that you can look it up later. (These should be things that you individually find interesting; you and your partner[s] might be curious about different things.)

Upon Completion:

• When you get back from the server room, let me know.
• In your Admin. Log, complete the entry for this lab, which should include the following questions, along with your answers:
  1. What were the initial questions on your mind, before going into the server room? Which of those, if any, were answered?
  2. What new questions, if any, do you have after having taken the tour?
  3. Which parts of the server hardware made the most sense to you, and why?
  4. Which parts of the server hardware made the least sense to you, and why?
  5. In the past, in this class, we have stated that models exist largely to help us understand a thing. How closely did the different parts of the server room and cabling system line up (or, not line up) with the "six subsystems" as described in the book and in class?
  6. Earlier, you were asked to chose 1 or 2 pieces of equipment. With the information you collected, look up the item(s) and tell me about them here -- really, anything you think I should know about them.