Evolution of Information Technology
Infrastructure
BA 572 - Week 1
Definitions
Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure: physical facilities, services and management that support computing resources Information Technology
HardwareSoftwareDatabaseTelecommunications & Networks
IT personnel
Definitions
Information Systems (IS) Architecture: the “plan” that aligns IT infrastructure with business needs Help people effectively fulfill their information
needs Note that the term “Information Architecture” is
now being used to describe process of designing web sites
Performance Metrics“ROI”
How does IT add value?What is purpose of IT applications?
Automate Facilitate/Informate Enable
Adapted from "Intranets and Middleware", HBR 397-118.
S1
19601980
1990
Ab
ilit
y t
o f
ill in
form
ati
on
need
s
2000
PC/LAN
Client/Server db
db
db
Distributed
db
dbdb dbdb
Web Services
Mainframe
Evolution of Information Technology Infrastructure
Data Processing Era
IT Infrastructure (host-centric processing) Hardware: Mainframe with text-based terminals Software: Independent functional applications
Served one purpose Data Storage: independent “files” for each
functional application Telecommunications: Limited support of
distributed operations IT Personnel: technically oriented
Mainframe
IS Architecture:Transaction Processing System (TPS)
Emerged in the early days of IS Collect, store, and process transactions
Source documents are basis for input Perform routine, repetitive tasks Found in all functions of an organization If they fail, the whole organization may suffer Automate “highly structured” decision processes
Payroll
Mainframe
IS Architecture: Management Information System (MIS)
Convert/use TPS data to support monitoring Alert managers to problems or opportunities Provide periodic and routine reports
e.g., summary reports, exception reports, comparison reports
Provide structured information to support decision makingResulted in “Information overload”
Mainframe
IS Architecture: Centralized Corporate Structure
Executive
Operational
Managerial
InboundLogistics
Purchasing
RawMaterials
Production FinishedGoods
OutboundLogistics
Sales
Functional Transaction Processing System
Management Information System
Mainframe
Micro-Computing Era
IT Infrastructure (PC environment) Hardware: PCs (low cost compared to
mainframe) Software: Individual PC applications Data storage: Individual files linked to apps Telecommunications: low-speed LANs IT Personnel: technically oriented & mainframe
biased
PC/LAN
IS Architecture:Decision Support Systems
Proliferation of desktop applications Why?
TPS/MIS were not providing information needed to support decisions
“End-user” developmentUndocumented spreadsheet models
Proliferation of localized data storage
PC/LAN
db
db
db
db
IS Architecture
Executive
Operational
Managerial
InboundLogistics
Purchasing
RawMaterials
Production FinishedGoods
OutboundLogistics
Sales
Functional Transaction Processing System
Management Information System
Desktop DecisionSupport System
PC/LAN
Client/Server Era IT Infrastructure (distributed computing
environment) Hardware: PCs and Specialized Servers Software: Facilitating Data storage: Distributed Relational database and
centralized warehouse Telecommunications: high-speed LANs Network: Client/Server IT Personnel: technically skilled, business oriented
Information Systems architecture? Share applications and data within and across functional
areas
Client/Server
db
Facilitating Software Systems
Office automation IT for “office” employees
Document tracking, communication, scheduling, etc.
Client/Server
db
Facilitating Software Systems (cont’d)
Decision Support SystemsProvide information to support “semi-structured”
decision makingEffectiveness focus
Expert SystemsKnowledge-base integrated with DSSMost are “rule-based” systems that process facts, not
numbersCredit evaluationCisco/DELL tech support
Client/Server
db
Database Approaches
Centralized All data in one location
Promotes maintenance and securitySubject to single point of failure
Client/Server
db
Database Approaches
Distributed data management Get data closer to applications Replicated
Complete copies in multiple locationsSignificant overhead
PartitionedEach location has portion of database
Data management becomes an issue Complex Concurrency Control
db
db
db
Distributed
db
db
Transactions used to interact with a relational “client-server” database For each transaction, OLTP typically deals with
a small number of rows from the tablesThe transactions are typically highly
structured, repetitive and have predetermined outcomes
E.g., orders, changing customer address, etc.
Online Transaction Processing
db
db
db
Distributed
db
db
Client/Server Systems
Executive
Operational
Managerial
InboundLogistics
Purchasing
RawMaterials
Production FinishedGoods
OutboundLogistics
Sales
Functional Transaction Processing System
Client/Server System
db db db db db
db
Network Era (Distributed Computing)
IT Infrastructure (distributed computing environment) Hardware: PCs and high-end Servers Software: Enabling, enterprise-wide Data storage: Distributed Relational Database Telecommunications: high-speed WAN Network: Middleware IT Personnel: still technical, but business
awareness
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Introduction of Middleware
Software that makes it possible for systems on different platforms to communicate with each other. Allows applications to talk to each other
Consistent Application Program Interface (API)Code application to talk to middleware, not
underlying resourcesUpgrade/modify underlying resources without
needing to modify applications
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Object Request Broker (ORB)
ORB involves synchronous communication and location/platform transparency.
ORB uses object-oriented programming methods.
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
ORB (cont’d)
ORB architecture:
ORB
ClientRemote Service
locate service
activate service
establish connection
communicate
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
File Sharing
Napster:
ORB
RequestStored Files
locate service
activate service
establish connection
communicate
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
Kazaa:
Request
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Advantages of ORB Middleware
Anonymous interaction among applications Integrate new client/server applications with
existing legacy, mission-critical applicationsEasier development environment
Reduce cost Improve time-to-market of applications
Enables distributed data environmentEnables dynamic web applications
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Disadvantages of ORB Middleware
Switching costs are high Upgrade from previous “Middleware” solutions
Requires high technical expertise Tend to outsource Lengthy deployment time
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Unresolved Issues with ORB
SecurityScalability
Related to network capacityRapidly changing technologies
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
DBMS Applications
With advent of high-speed, distributed architectures, expanded our use of database beyond capturing and storing transaction data Knowledge Discovery
Process of extracting useful knowledge from volumes of data
Supported by:Massive data collection (Data Warehouse/Data Marts)Multiprocessor computingOn-line Analytical Processing (OLAP)/Data mining
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Data Warehouse
Collection of data in support of decision making process that is: Subject-oriented: organized by entity, not application Integrated: stored in one place, even though it originated
from a variety of sourcesCrosses functional boundaries of an organization
Time-variant: represents a snapshot at one point in time Nonvolatile: data is read-only Typically very large
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Multidimensional Database
OLTP not good when doing analysis of data – poor performance
OLAP – on-line analytical processing
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
“Slice and Dice” an OLAP Cube
Advantages of OLAP
All hierarchical or aggregated values can be pre-calculated in the cube rather than accessing the Warehouse Major reduction in query time
Each cube makes “business sense” Not normalized data structures
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Multidimensional Database (cont’d)
Data marts Scaled-down version of a data warehouse that
focuses on a specific areae.g., a department, a business process
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Massive Data Analysis
Data mining Provides a means to extract patterns and
relationshipsExample: Analyze sales data to identify products that
may be attractive to a customerAmazon.com buyer suggestions
Two capabilitiesAutomated prediction of trends and behaviorsAutomated discovery of previously unknown patterns
Example: Shopping cart analysis
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
Network Enabling Software
Supplier Customer
Enterprise Wide Systems
Enterprise Wide Systems
Enterprise Wide Systems
Supply ChainManagement
Customer Relationship Management
db dbdbdb
Distributed Computing
Middleware
IT Infrastructure (Web-enabled) Hardware: Low-end PC with Browser, high-end
Servers Software: Web extensions Database: Distributed Relational Network: Use IP-based standards Telecommunications: broadband IT Personnel: Business analysts, technical
specialties
Internet Era
Business use of the Internet:Electronic Commerce
E-business: Subset of e-commerce Transactions between
business partners
Individual EnterpriseSupplier/ CustomerInternet
Intranet
Extranet
B2C: InternetB2B: ExtranetB2E: Intranet
Web-based SolutionsEarly attempts to incorporate WWW into
inter-organizational systemsStatic, state-less web pages
Complicated navigation Not “connected” to underlying data
Page not dynamically updated when data changes
Hurdles for web services
Standards are evolving, not setSecurityWeb services do not 'solve' interoperability
between applications Hence – need ERP
db dbdb
Web Services