Chapter 5: IT Infrastructure: Software and Hardware
Client/ server computing
- form of distributed processing ( use of multiple computers linked by a communications network) -splits processing between "clients" & "servers" - clients : user point of entry -Servers: store and process shared data and perform network management activities Two tiered client/server architecture Uses two types of machine Multi tiered client server architecture (N-tier) -balance load of network over several levels of servers (EX: web servers- serve a web page to a client in response to a request for service application servers: handles all application operations between a user and an org back end business system)
Storage area network(SANs)
-Connects multiple storage devices on a separate high speed network dedicated to storage Consist of server, storage devices, and networking devices. And is used strictly for storage Supports communication between the server and the storage unit as well as between different storage devices in network
TCO components
-Hardware acquisition ( purchase price of computer hardware equipment, including computers, displays, storage and printers) -software acquisition ( purchase or license of software for each user) -cost to install computers and software) - training( cost to provide training to info systems specialists and end users) -support (cost to provide ongoing technical support, help desks, and so forth) -maintenance (cost to upgrade the hardware and software) -infrastructure ( cost to acquire, maintain, and support related infrastructure, such as networks and specialized equipment ; including storage backup units -downtime (lost productivity if hardware or software failures cause the system to be unavailable for processing and user tasks) Space and energy ( real estate and utility costs for housing and providing power for the technology )
Using technology service providers
-Outsourcing •Using external provider to: -Run networks. -Host, manage Web site(s). -Develop software (offshore software outsourcing): when a firm outsource software work outside their national boarders -Manage IT infrastructure •Requires Service Level Agreements (SLAs) Formal contract between customers and their service providers that defines the specific responsibilities of the service provider and the level of service the customer expects
Web services
-Software components that exchange information with one another using universal Web communication standards and languages -XML (eXtensible Markup Language) •Foundation of Web services -Service oriented architecture (SOA) •Collection of services used to build an organization's software systems
Taking application components from various resources, ____ mixes and matches to create a new, customized internet experience
A smashup; creating a functional site for the user from various resources
Open source operating system for mobile devices
Android
Capacity Planning and Scalability
Capacity planning -Process of predicting when hardware system becomes saturated -Ensuring firm has enough computing power for current and future 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
What is the process of predicting when a computer hardware system will become saturated?
Capacity planning; Ensures that the firm has enough computing power for its current and future needs
Attempting to determine when a computer hardware system will be maxed out
Capacity planning; process of predicting when a computer hardware system become saturated
What is a widely used form of distributed processing?
Client/server computing ; Processing is split between client and server
Types of computers
Come in different sizes with varying capabilities for processing information Personal computers Mobile devices (iphone,ipad,android) Workstations- more powerful mathematical and graphics processing capabilities than a PC Server's (- support computer network, shagging files and resources - provide hardware platform for commerce and "cloud") Mainframes: - large capacity, high performance computer that can process large amounts of data very rapidly (EX: used by airplanes to handle thousands of reservations per second) Supercomputer: - more sophisticated used for tasks requiring extremely rapid and complex calculations with thousands of variables, millions of measurements - used in engineering, scientific simulations, military/weapons research, weather forecasting Grid computing: - power of geographically remote computers connected into single network to act as virtual "supercomputer"
Output devices
Display data after they have been processed Database equipment Visual output (monitor, flat panel , CART, digital display) Printer ( impact, nonimpact) Audio output
Frustrated customers angry about a site not working is an example of which IT cost of ownership (TCO)
Downtime; Includes lost productivity if hardware failures cause the system to be unavailable. For processing and user tasks
8) ________ describes the practices and technologies used to minimize the environmental effects of manufacturing and managing computing devices
Green computing
Contemporary hardware trends contd (2)
Green computing -Practices and technologies for designing, making, using, and disposing of computer hardware to reduce environmental impact -Key priority is power reduction -IT in United States provides 2% of U.S. power demand and 2% of world's greenhouse gases High-performance and power-saving processors -Multicore processor: •Integrated circuit with two or more processors •Enhanced performance and reduced power consumption -Power-efficient processors •Low power consumption essential in mobile computing Autonomic computing: -Development of systems that can configure themselves, heal themselves; (example: self-updating antivirus software)
When a firm connects numerous computers together into one network to create one, very powerful computer system that has coordinated processing
Grid computing; Combines the computational power of all computers on a grid
What type of computing involves connecting computers that are not near one another into a signal network and combing the computational power of the computers of the network?
Grid computing; connects computers that are geographically removed from one another. And connects them into a grid
The major types of software
Hardware System software (operating system, language translators, utility programs) controls access to hardware Applications software (programming language, fourth generation language, software packages and desktop productivity tools) must work through system software to operate Users- Interacts primarily with application software
IT Infrastructure components
Hardware -consists of technology for computer processing data storage, input, and output. Includes equipment for gathering and inputting data, physical media for storing the data, and devices for delivering the processed info as output Services -many businesses supplement their in house info systems with external tech consultants to provide expertise that is not available internally - typically turn to external to help with systems integration ( ensures that the new infrastructure works with the firms legacy system- older tips created for older computers that continue in use to avoid the high cost of replacing or redesigning them- and that the new elements of the infrastructure work with one another) Networking - provides data , voice, and video connectivity to employees , customers and suppliers. Includes tech for running a companies internal networks, services from telecommunications/ telephone service companies and tech for running websites and linking top other computer systems through the internet Data management software - organizes, manages, and processes business data concerned with inventory, customers, and vendors Software - includes both system and application software System software manages the resources and activities of the computer Application software applies the computer to a specific task for an end user, such ad processing an order or generating a mailing list
Cloud computing platform
Hardware and software capabilities are provided as services over the internet Businesses and employees have access to application's and it infrastructure anywhere at Any time using an internet connected device
Numerous companies choose a(n) ___ model where they retain some infrastructure in house--primarily their critical systems-- with the less essential systems outsourced to a third party
Hybrid cloud Allows a firm to control the high risk systems internally
Collectively, the coordination of computer hardware, software, data management, networking, and technology services is termed
IT infrastructure
Storage, input, and output technology contd
Input devices - gather data and convert them into electronic form (Keyboard, computer mouse, touch screen, pen based input, optical character recognition, magnetic ink, digital scanner, audio input, sensors
Amazon web services
Largest provider of cloud based services in the US (Management, data storage, networking, computing, etc)
A car reservation system requiring processing a thousand transactions per second would likely require a ___ to prices the transactions
Mainframe; Large banks, insurance' companies, stock brokerages, airline reservation systems and government agencies still use them to track hundreds of thousands even millions of records and transactions
Managing Hardware and Software Technology Contd (2)
Managing software localization for global business -Local language interfaces •English not typically standard at middle, lower levels •Interfaces are complex: menu bars, error messages, online forms, search results, and so on -Differences in local cultures -Differences in business processes •All of these factors add to TCO of using technology service providers
Example of a software suite
Microsoft office 2013
What does Data Management software do with business data regarding inventory, customers, and vendors?
Organizes , manages, and processes business data
Storage, input, and output technology
Primary secondary storage technologies -magnetic disk(most widely used): hard drives, USB flash drives; solid state drives(SSDs) uses semi conductors organized as an internal disk drive, similar to usbs -optical disks: Uses last technology to store large quantities of data, including sound and images, in compact form CD-Rom (compact disc read only memory) CD-RW(CD rewritable), DVD-RW( digital video discs) optical discs the same size as CD rooms but even higher capacity, -Magnetic Tape( older storage technology that is used for secondary storage of large quantities of data that are needed rapidl. Slow compared to others -Storage networking: SANs
IT infrastructure
Provides platform for supporting all info systems in the business -computer hardware/ software - data management technology Organizes, manages, and processes business data concerned with inventory, customers, and vendors - networking and telecommunications technology - technology services (ex: consultants for systems integration with legacy systems)
7) Which of the following is a high-speed network dedicated to storage that connects different kinds of storage devices, such as tape libraries and disk arrays so they can be shared by multiple servers?
SAN
Google apps is a popular cloud based
Software as a service; Customers use software hosted by the vendor on the vendors cloud infrastructure and delivered as a service over a network
The popular USB " thumb" drive uses a storage technology very similar to
Solid state drives Use an array of semiconductors organized as an internal disk drive
The IT infrastructure computer software component includes both ___ and ___ software categories
System and application
1) A set of applications that manages the activities and resources of a computer
System software
IT professionals working to make a new system work with an existing system focusing on
Systems integration
Companies use a ___ model to analyze the costs of obtaining and maintaining an IT system to determine if it feasible to have the info system as internal or outsourced
TCO; (total cost of ownership) model analyzes direct and indirect costs to help determine actual costs of owning specific technology
Contemporary hardware trends
The mobile digital platform - mobile devices, smartphones -netbook and tablet computers -Ebook readers Consumerization of IT - new technology that emerges in consumer market spreads into business ergs BYOD ( bring your own device) : business use of personal mobile devices Nanotechnology - uses individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices thousands for times smaller than current technologies Quantum technology - uses principles of quantum physics to represent data and perform operations on the data - enables processing times that are millions of times faster than current high speed processing
Operating system software
The software that controls computer activities: •GUIs and multitouch •PC operating systems -Windows (Windows 8) -Mac (OSX Lion) -UNIX -Linux (open source) •Mobile operating systems -Chrome, Android, iOS
Managing Hardware and Software Technology
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model -Used to analyze direct and indirect costs to help determine the actual cost of owning a specific technology •Direct costs: hardware, software purchase costs •Indirect costs: ongoing administration costs, upgrades, maintenance, technical support, training, utility, and real estate costs •Hidden costs: support staff, downtime, additional network management -TCO can be reduced through increased centralization, standardization of hardware and software resources
Contemporary hardware trends contd
Visualization -Process of presenting a set of computing resources so they can be accessed in ways that are unrestricted by physical configuration or geographic location - enables single physical resource to appear to the user as multiple resources - enables companies to host multiple systems on single machine Cloud computing -a model of computing in which firms and individuals obtain computing resources over the internet Cloud infrastructure as a service Could platform as a service Cloud software As a service -public vs private clouds -utility computing, on demand computing - data storage security is in hands of provider
The process of presenting computing resources that are accessed in ways that appear in ways that appear to not be restricted by physical configuration or geographic location
Visualization ; enables a single physical resource to appear to the user as multiple logical resources
What is service oriented architecture?
Web services that are used to build software systems ; communicate with each other to create a working software application
Which Microsoft operating system specifically supports mobile features such as multi touch and mobile devices?
Windows 10
In client/server computing, a client normally consists of a
a desktop computer the most common client in client/server computing
2) Software used to apply the computer to a specific task for an end user is called:
application software.
10) You use ________ to predict when a computer hardware system becomes saturated
capacity planning
3) Connecting geographically remote computers in a single network to create a "virtual supercomputer" is called?
grid computing.
ZipReality, which uses both Zillow and Google Maps, is an example of
mashup; The idea is to produce from different sources a new work get is greater than the sum of its parts
6) The primary storage technologies are
storage networks, magnetic tape, magnetic disk, and optical disk.
1) Software that manages the resources of the computer is called
system software.
4) How is work structured In a multitiered network?
the work of the entire network is balanced over several levels of servers.
9) To analyze the direct and indirect costs and determine the actual cost of specific technology implementations, you would use a:
total cost of ownership model.
5) A client computer networked to a server computer, with processing split between the two types of machines, is called a(n) ________ architecture
two-tiered client/server
HTML and HTML5
•Hypertext markup language (HTML): -Page description language for specifying how elements are placed on a Web page and for creating links to other pages and objects •HTML5 -Next evolution of HTML -Enables multimedia embedding without 3rd party add-ons such as Flash
Software trends
•Open source software -Linux, Apache •Cloud-based software and tools -SaaS (software as a service) •Google Docs -Mashups •Zip Realty uses Google Maps and Zillow.com -Apps ( small specialized software programs that run on the internet, on your computer, mobile phone/ tablet and are generally delivered over the internet) •Mobile apps
Application Software and Desktop Productivity Tools
•Programming languages for business -C -C++: newer, object-oriented version of C -Visual Basic: Visual programming language for MS Windows applications -Java: OS-independent object-oriented programming language (Migrated to mobile applications, game machines, cable TV systems ; Java Virtual Machine) •Software packages and desktop productivity tools -Word processing software -Spreadsheet software -Data management software -Presentation graphics -Software suites (Microsoft office) -Web browsers ( used for displaying web pages and for accessing the web and other internet resources) internet explorer, safari, chrome, Firefox
Managing Hardware and Software Technology Contd
•Using cloud services -Small businesses "rent" infrastructure from provider to avoid expenses of maintaining hardware and software on their own. -Hybrid cloud computing model •Managing mobile platforms -Balancing gains in productivity from using mobile devices with expenses of equipping employees with these devices -Mobile device management (MDM) software Monitors, manages and secures mobile devices that are deployed across multiple mobile service providers and across multiple mobile operating systems being used in the organization
