Internet of Things & IT Infrastructure Quiz

Course Information

• Course name: MSCI 2130: Introduction to MIS
• Week: 2 - Lecture 1

Introduction to IS and Components

• Introduction: Hardware, Software, & Telecommunications (Step 1)
• Wireless Tech and Cloud Computing (Step 6)
• Data & Knowledge Management (Step 2)

Fundamental Network Points

• Computers constantly exchange data
• Data exchange happens on networks of any size and distance

Importance of Networks

• Adapt to changing business conditions
• Share hardware, applications, & data across organization and among organizations
• Enables geographically dispersed employees to collaborate
• Connects organizations, partners, and customers

Computer Networks

• A system connecting computers and devices (printers)
• Allow data and information transmission between devices
• Common types: Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN)

LAN (Local Area Network)

• Connects devices in a limited geographical region (usually a building)
• Ownership is private
• Every device has a Network Interface Card (NIC) for physical connection

WAN (Wide Area Network)

• Covers a large geographical area
• Typically connects multiple LANs
• Large capacity, often provided by common carriers (e.g., phone companies, international telecom providers)
• The Internet is an example

Enterprise Network Diagram

• Shows embedded LANs, a corporate backbone WAN, and a mainframe
• Examples of functionalities: Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Accounting, File server

Key Terms

• Internet: Global network connecting millions of networks and devices (PCs, smartphones, etc.)
• Intranet: Use of internet technology within an organization (e.g., university intranet for student access to materials)
• Extranet: Connects organizations' intranets for business partnerships

Key Terms (cont'd)

• Bandwidth: Transmission capacity measured in bits per second
• Ranges from narrowband (low capacity) to broadband (high capacity)
• Broadband connection is often referred to as "fast"

Communication Media and Channels

• Communication channel: Pathway for data transmission between devices
• Two types:
  • Cables (using physical wires): Twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable, fiber optics
  • Wireless (no physical wires)

Cable or Wireline Media

• Twisted-pair wire (copper wires): Cheap and easy to break, twisted pairs with plastic
• Coaxial cable (copper wires): Sheathed copper, greater broadband than twisted-pair
• Fiber optics (glass): Made of glass, extremely high bandwidth, very expensive, and cannot be readily repaired

Network Protocols

• Protocol: Rules and procedures for data transmission across a network
• Two major types:
  • Ethernet: Common protocol for LANs
  • TCP/IP: Protocol of the internet

Wireless Technologies

• Any technology for sending/receiving data over a network without wires

Internet of Things (IoT)

• When objects/devices are wirelessly connected and have unique identifiers to share data without human interaction

IoT Issues

• Security: Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in connected devices. Manufacturers need to update regularly.
• Privacy: Companies handling consumer IoT devices may use them to collect personal data
• Challenges: Reliability, stability, and maintenance of IoT sensors.

IT Infrastructure

• IT components: Hardware, software, networks, databases, IT services
• IT services encompass development, risk management, and data management

Traditional IT Infrastructure

• On-premise computing: When a company owns, manages, and controls its IT infrastructure internally.

Problems with Traditional Approach

• Need for greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness
• Organizations want to transform IT to be more agile to respond to needs

Cloud Computing

• General term for hosting services over the internet on virtualized servers.
• Inspired by the cloud symbol used in diagrams
• Uses the internet and remote computing to deliver convenient access to services on-demand.
• Multiple customers share computing resources (servers, networks, storage, applications, and services).

Servers

• Large multi-user computers for storing applications and data.
• Example roles: Hosting shopping applications (e.g., Amazon) and server capacity from larger organizations for small businesses. Large organizations have server farms (data centers).

Server Farms (Data Centers)

• Often where the hardware infrastructure for cloud computing is located

Example of Cloud Computing Service (Cloud Computing Service Example)

• Email services like Microsoft 365 or Gmail don't require installing software, but use servers in data centres that manage the communication and user access to their data.

How the Web Works

• Client requests a web page by typing in a URL.
• The browser then gathers information about the server's IP address and location
• The server responds with the requested page file.
• The browser decodes the information and displays the page and related resources

Different Types of Clouds

• Public cloud: Shared, accessible to anyone across the internet.
• Private cloud: Used only by a single organization or group (e.g., behind a firewall).
• Hybrid cloud: A mix of public and private clouds, designed based on security/application requirements.

Cloud Computing Services

• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): Customers rent servers, networks, and storage capacity on demand from the provider.
• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Allows running and developing applications using the provider’s platform without managing the underlying hardware and software.
• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Customers use vendor's software applications over the internet- typically paying a monthly or yearly fee.

Big Three Cloud Computing Vendors

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Microsoft Azure
• Google Cloud Platform

Cloud Computing Characteristics

• On-demand self-service
• Efficient resource utilization
• Fault Tolerance (no single point of failure)
• Scalability (ability to increase or decrease resources easily)

AI Today

• xAI launched a new beta standalone AI assistant (Grok).