l5 it infrastructure

8/2/2019 L5 It Infrastructure

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Components of IT infrastructure : Computer hardware, data storage, input,and output technologies used in business

Types of computer software

contemporary hardware and software trends issues in managing hardware and software technology

organizational content for systems development and

the information specialists are and how they can be integrated into aninformation services organization

end-user computing, benefits and risks of end-user computing

LEARNING OBJECTIVES


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IT infrastructure: Provides platform for supporting all informationsystems in the business

Computer hardware

Computer software

Data management technology

Organizes, manages, and processes business data concernedwith inventory, customers, and vendors

Networking and telecommunications technology

Technology services

E.g. consultants for systems integration with legacy systems

Infrastructure Components


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IT Infrastructure Components


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Computers come in different sizes withvarying capabilities for processinginformation

FLOPS (Floating point operations per second)

PDAs, handheld mobile devices

PCs

Workstation

More powerful mathematical and graphics-processing capabilities than a PC

Types of Computers


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Servers

Type of midrange computer

Support computer network, sharing files andresources

Provide hardware platform for e-commerce

Mainframes

Large-capacity, high-performance computer that canprocess large amounts of data very rapidly

E.g. used by airlines for thousands of reservations per

second

Types of Computers


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Supercomputer

More sophisticated computer used for tasks requiring extremely

rapid and complex calculations with thousands of variables,millions of measurements

Used in engineering, scientific simulations, military/weaponsresearch, weather forecasting

Grid computing Power of geographically remote computers connected into single

network to act as virtual supercomputer

Types of Computers

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware


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Client/server computing

Form of distributed computing

Splits processing between clients and

servers

Clients: User point of entry

Servers: Store and process shared data and

perform network management activities

Types of Computers


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Client/Server Computing

In client/server computing, computerprocessing is split between client machines andserver machines linked by a network. Usersinterface with the client machines.


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A Multitiered Client/Server Network (N-Tier)

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Figure 4-3

In a multitiered client/server network, client requests for service are handled by different levels of servers.


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Storage, Input, and Output Technology

Primary secondary storage technologies

Magnetic disk:

Hard drives, USB flash drives

RAID: Can package hundreds of drives formassive storage requirements

Optical disks

CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD

Magnetic tape

Storage networking: SANs

Connect multiple storage devices on a

separate high-speed network dedicated tostorage


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A Storage Area Network (SAN)

Figure 4-4A typical SAN consists of aserver, storage devices, andnetworking devices, and isused strictly for storage. TheSAN stores data on manydifferent types of storagedevices, providing data to theenterprise. The SAN supportscommunication between anyserver and the storage unit as

well as between differentstorage devices in the network.


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Input devices:

Gather data and convert them into electronic form

Keyboard

Computer mouse Touch screen

Optical character recognition

Magnetic ink character recognition

Pen-based input

Digital scanner

Audio input

Sensors


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Output devices:

Display data after they have been processed

Monitor Printer

Audio output

Information systems collect and process

information in one of two ways Batch processing: Transactions stored for

predefined amount of time, then processed as group

Online processing: Transactions processed

immediately


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Contemporary Hardware Trends

Multicore processors

Integrated circuit with two or more

processors

Enhanced performance, reduced power

consumption and more efficient

simultaneous processing of multiple

tasks


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Integration of computing and

telecommunications platforms

Cell phones merging with handhelds

Growth of Internet telephony

Nanotechnology

Creating computer chips and other devicesthousands of times smaller through

manipulating individual atoms, molecules


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Edge computing

Multitier, load-balancing scheme for Web-based

applications

Significant parts of Web site content, logic, and

processing performed by smaller, less expensiveservers located nearby the user

Increases response time and resilience and lowers

technology costs.

Autonomic computing

Development of systems that can configure

themselves, heal themselves; e.g. self-updating

antivirus software


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Edge Computing Platform

Figure 4-6

Edge computing involves the use of the Internet to balance the processing load of enterprise platforms across the client and edge computing platform.


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Virtualization

Process of presenting a set of computing

resources so they can be accessed in ways

that are unrestricted by physical

configuration or geographic location

Server virtualization: Running more

than one operating system at the same

time on single machine.


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Multicore processors

Integrated circuit with two or more

processors

Enhanced performance, reduced power

consumption and more efficient

simultaneous processing of multiple tasks


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The software that manages and controls thecomputers activities

PC operating systems and graphical user

interfaces GUIs

Windows XP, Windows Vista, and WindowsServer 2003

UNIX

Linux

Open-source software

Operating System Software


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The Major Types of Software

The relationship among the system software,application software, and users can beillustrated by a series of nested boxes. Systemsoftwareconsisting of operating systems,language translators, and utility programscontrols access to the hardware. Applicationsoftware, including programming languages andfourth-generation languages, must workthrough the system software to operate. Theuser interacts primarily with the applicationsoftware.


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Application Software and Desktop Productivity Tools

Application programming languages for business

COBOL

C, C++

Visual Basic: Visual programming language

Fourth-generation languages

Software tools that enable end-users to develop softwareapplications

Tend to be nonprocedural, may use natural languages


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Application Software and Desktop Productivity Tools

Software packages and desktopproductivity tools

Word processing software

Spreadsheet software

Data management software

Presentation graphics Software suites

Web browsers


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Java

Operating system-independent, processor-independent, object-oriented programming language

AJAX Allows a client and server to exchange data behind the

scenes to avoid reloading a Web page after each change

Hypertext markup language (HTML)

Page description language for specifying howelements are placed on a Web page and for creatinglinks to other pages and objects

Software for the Web: Java, AJAX, and HTML


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Web services:

Software components that exchange information with each otherusing universal Web communication standards and languages

XML (extensible markup language)

SOAP (simple object access protocol)

WSDL (web services description language)

UDDI (universal description, discovery, and integration)

Service oriented architecture (SOA)

Web Services


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Managing Hardware and Software Technology

Capacity planning Process of predicting when hardware system becomes

saturated

Ensuring firm has enough computing power for current andfuture needs

Factors include:

Maximum number of users

Impact of current, future software

Performance measures Scalability:Ability of system to expand to serve large number of users

without breaking down


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Using technology service providers

Outsourcing

Usingexternal provider to:

Run networks

Host, manage Web site(s)

Develop software (offshore software outsourcing)

Manage IT infrastructures

Requires Service Level Agreements (SLAs)


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Using technology service providers

On-demand computing (utility computing)

Firms off-loading peak demand for computing power to

remote, large-scale data processing centers

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Firms rent software functions from Web-based services,

with users paying either on a subscription or per-

transaction basis


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Information Services (IS)

Organization Information resources

Information specialists System analysts

Database administrators

Webmasters

Network specialists

Programmers

Operators


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The Informational Services Organizational

Structure Trend from centralized to decentralized structure.

Divisional information officer (DIO)

Innovative Partner model

Platform model

Scalable model


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Network Model (Contd)Visioning network enables the CIO to work with top

management in strategic planning for informationresources.

Innovation network is used by the CIO to interfacewith business areas so that innovations can bedeveloped.

Sourcing network is utilized to interface with vendorfor acquiring information resources.


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End-user Computing End-user computing (EUC) is the development by

users of all or parts of their information systems.

EUC has 4 main influences: The impact of computer education.

The information services backlog. Low-cost hardware.

Prewritten software.

Benefits of EUC Match capabilities and challenges.

Reduce the communication gap.


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Risks of EUC Poorly targeted systems.

Poorly designed and documented systems.

Inefficient use of information resources. Loss of data integrity.

Loss of security.

Loss of control.


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Education Criteria, Knowledge, and Skills

Needed for Careers in Information Systems Systems development knowledge

Computer literacy

Information literacy

Business fundamentals

Systems theory

Systems development process

Systems life cycle (SLC) and Systems development lifecycle (SDLC)

Systems modeling


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References: Business Information Systems, Prentice Hall 2007

Raymond McLeod Jr. and George P. Schell,Management Information Systems, 10/e, Prentice Hall2007

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