MIS Chapter 3

IS Infrastructure Components

Application Software Databases Hardware System Software Storage

Use of Device

Cloud computing services can be used and accessed from any device such as computer, mobile phone, or iPhone.

Limited Control

Since the cloud infrastructure is entirely owned, managed and monitored by the service provider, it transfers minimal control over to the customer. The customer can only control and manage the applications, data and services operated on top of that, not the backend infrastructure itself. Key administrative tasks such as server shell access, updating and firmware management may not be passed to the customer or end user.

Application Software

Software used to performa a specific task that the user needs to accomplish

Planned Obsolescence

The design of a product so that it lasts for only a certain predetermined life span.

Security

The ease in procuring and accessing cloud services can also give nefarious users the ability to scan, identify and exploit loopholes and vulnerabilities within a system.

Operating systems

manages hard drives and storage coordinates application access to computing resources

Extranets

password protected Web site designed for sharing within the company

Intranets

password-protected Web site designed for sharing with select partners

Data Center

Late amounts of data to be managed

Software Tools

Process automation Decision support Other business and service needs

Archival Data

Long term data Ex: Student records

Types of Cloud

Public Private

Backup

iCloud dropbox

Software as a Service (SaaS)

A cloud computing model in which a service provider offered applications via a cloud infrastructure.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

A cloud computing model in which only the basic capabilities of processing, storage, and networking are provided.

Platform as a service (PaaS)

A cloud computing model in which the customer can run his or her own applications that are typically designed using tools provided by the service provider; the customer has limited or no control over the underlying infrastructure.

System Software

A collection fo programs that controls the basic operations of computer hardware

Databases

A collection of related data organized in a way to facilitate data searches.

Grid Computing

A computing architecture that combines the computing power of a large number of smaller, independent, networked computers (often regular desktop PCs) into a cohesive system in order to solve large-scale computing problems.

Service-Level Agreement (SLA)

A contract specifying the level of service provided in terms of performance (e.g., as measured by uptime), warranties, disaster recovery, and so on.

Utility Computing

A form of on-demand computing where resources in terms of processing, data storage, or networking are rented on n as-needed basis. The organization only pays for the services used.

Dedicated Grid

A grid computing architecture consisting of homogenous computers that are dedicated to performing the grid's computing tasks.

Cloud Computing

A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.

Content Delivery Network

A network of servers in various geographical locations that store copies of particular websites so as to reduce latency.

Measured Service

A pricing model in a utility computing model where providers monitor usage and customers pay only for what they use, and the metering depends on type of resource.

Componentization

A service should be simple and modular.

Reusability

A service should be usable in many different applications.

Interoperability

A service should work with any other service.

Service-Oriented Architecture

A software architecture in which business processes are broken down into individual components (or services) that are designed to achieve the desired results for the service consumer (which can be either an application, another service, or a person).

Service

An individual software component designed to perform a specific task.

Downtime

As cloud service providers take care of a number of clients each day, they can become overwhelmed and may even come up against technical outages. This can lead to your business processes being temporarily suspended. Additionally, if your internet connection is offline, you will not be able to access any of your applications, server or data from the cloud.

Broad Network Access

As cloud services are access via the Internet, they are accessible from almost anywhere and from almost any web-enabled device

Green Computing

Attempts to use computing resources more efficiently to reduce environmental impacts, as well as the use of information systems to reduce negative environmental impacts.

Long-term, strategic issues that management should consider when evaluating different public cloud service providers:

Availability Reliability Scalability Viability Security Privacy Compliance Diversity of Offerings Openness Cost

Public Cloud

Cloud infrastructure offered on a commercial basis by a cloud service provider.

Private Cloud

Cloud infrastructure that is internal to an organization.

Rapid Elasticity

Computing resources can be scaled up or down almost instantaneously and often automatically, based on user needs

Advantages of Cloud Computing

Decrease in cost Speed and Scalability of cloud services Innovation in technology Selection of location Use of device

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

Downtime Security Vendor Lock-In Limited Control

Moore's Law

Dr. Gordon Moor (1965) The number of transistors on a chip will double about every 2 years

Storage

Efficiently storing and retrieving data

Data Center centralization facilities

Management Repairs Upgrades Security

Rapid Obsolesce and Shorter IT Cycles

New things coming in a lot quicker so old things become irrelevant

Cloud Characteristics

On-Demand Self-Service Rapid Elasticity Broad Network Access

Storage Types

Operational Backup Archival Data

Vendor Lock-In

Organizations may find it difficult to migrate their services from one vendor to another. Hosting and integrating current cloud applications on another platform may throw up interoperability and support issues.

Issues Associated with managing the IS Infrastructure

Rapid Obsolesces and shorter IT Cycles Big Data and rapidly increasing storage needs Demand fluctuations Increasing Energy needs

SOA Services Follow Three Main Principles

Reusability Interoperability Componentization

Networking Requires

Sender and receiver Transmission pathway Rules/protocols for communication

Selection of Location

Service providers can select the location for infrastructure freely, according to their requirements, minimizing their overhead expenses.

Scalability

The ability to adapt to increases or decreases in demand for processing or data storage.

Decrease in Cost

The biggest advantage of cloud computing is the elimination of the investment in stand-alone software or servers by the user. By cloud computing, one can easily save the overhead charges such as cost of data storage, software updates, management, and most importantly cost of quality control. Now anyone can use the services of cloud computing at affordable rates.

Hardware

The computers that run the applications and databases necessary for processing transactions or analyzing business data

Voice over IP (VoIP)

The use of Internet technologies for placing telephone calls.

Videoconferencing over IP

The use of Internet technologies for videoconferences.

IP Convergence

The use of the Internet Protocol for transporting voice, video, fax, and data traffic.

Innovation in Technology

The user has no need to manage or own the resources; cloud computing does that and provides the user the complete benefits.

Speed and Scalability of Cloud Services

With cloud computing, the user has no need to install the hardware or software for a new application; he or she can easily scale up or down the services, limiting them according to their requirements. There are many data centers that are located at multiple locations for the storage of data from near locations..

Operational

day to day