Chapter 5 IT Infrastructure Evolution Quiz

Information Systems: Theory & Practice

• TU5: IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies, taught by Prof. Dr. Paul Drews.
• Course focuses on IT infrastructure and emerging technologies.

Intro Case Study

• Case study analyzes challenges and solutions relating to a mobile ride-hailing business.
• People: Identifying potential vendors, monitoring customers, and providing service.
• Organization: Investing in IT infrastructure and improving business processes. Example: Developing a phone app, using Amazon Redshift, implementing ElastiCache, and utilizing cloud services.
• Technology: Implementing a mobile ride booking system and using a ride-booking system.
• Business Challenges: Attracting new customers, traffic congestion, and competing with metered taxis.
• Business Solutions: Real-time booking, enhanced customer experience, and revenue growth for drivers.

Learning Objectives

• Defining IT infrastructure and understanding its stages and drivers of evolution.
• Identifying components of IT infrastructure.
• Recognizing current trends in computer hardware platforms and software trends.
• Understanding the challenges associated with managing IT infrastructure and management solutions.

Agenda

• Introduction to IT infrastructure.
• Evolution of IT infrastructure.
• Technology drivers of the evolution of infrastructure.
• Components of IT infrastructure.
• Current trends in hardware and software platforms.
• Challenges of managing IT infrastructure.

Defining IT Infrastructure

• A set of hardware and software needed for a business to operate.
• Computing platforms, physical facilities, IT management, education, and services.
• A "service platform" perspective on the value of investments is crucial and more accurate.

Connection Between the Firm, IT Infrastructure, and Business Capabilities

• IT infrastructure directly affects the services a firm provides. This depends on its infrastructure's ability to support its business and information systems.
• New IT technologies impact firm strategy, infrastructure, and the service delivered to customers.

Evolution of IT Infrastructure

• 1959-present (Mainframe/minicomputer era): IBM introduced the first mainframes, followed by less expensive DEC minicomputers.
• 1981-present (Personal computer era): IBM PC introduction lead to personal software growth.
• 1983-present (Client/server era): Desktop clients networked to servers, distributing processing work.
• 1992-present (Enterprise computing era): Integrating disparate networks/applications/business apps using internet standards.
• 2000-present (Cloud and mobile computing): Cloud computing delivers computing power and software applications through networks (internet). Fast growth area.

Technology Drivers of Infrastructure Evolution

• Moore's Law: Computing power doubles every two years, with transistors shrinking consistently.
• Law of Mass Digital Storage: The volume of data stored each year doubles.
• Metcalfe's Law: Value increases exponentially with network members.

IT Infrastructure Components

• Computer hardware platforms: Client machines (Desktops, laptops, mobile devices). Servers (mainframes).
• Operating system platforms: Corporate servers (Windows Server, Unix, Linux), client-level (Microsoft Windows, mobile/multitouch OS, cloud computing platforms).
• Enterprise software applications: Largest providers (SAP and Oracle). Middleware vendors (IBM, Oracle).
• Data management and storage: Database software providers (IBM DB2, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase). Physical data storage for large-scale systems (Dell EMC, Hewlett-Packard).
• Networking/telecommunications platforms: Communication services (US: AT&T, Verizon; DE: Telekom, Vodafone). Network operating systems (Windows Server, Linux, Unix). Network hardware vendors (Cisco, Juniper Networks).
• Internet platforms: Hardware, software, management for websites and intranets. Web-hosting services. Cabling/wireless. Internet hardware server market providers (IBM, Dell, Oracle, and HP). Web development tool suites (Microsoft, Oracle-Sun, Adobe).
• Consulting and system integration services: Leading firms (Accenture, IBM Global Services, HP, Infosys, Wipro Technologies). Supporting legacy systems, software integration.

Current Trends in Hardware Platforms

• Mobile digital platform: Smartphones, netbooks, tablet computers, e-book readers, wearable devices.
• Consumerization of IT and BYOD: Technology emerges in consumer markets and spreads to businesses; forces businesses to rethink IT acquisition and management approaches.
• Quantum computing: Utilizing quantum physics to represent and operate on data; leading to significant increases in computation speeds.
• Virtualization: Allows single resource to act as multiple, reducing hardware and power expenditure, facilitating centralization. Software-defined storage (SDS).
• Cloud computing: On-demand computing service provided over a network, encompassing Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Options of public or private cloud. Concerns of reliability and security. Hybrid cloud model.
• Edge computing: Servers at internet boundary; reduces latency/network traffic. Green IT; practices/technologies for environmentally responsible manufacturing, use, and disposal of computing/networking hardware. High-performance processors, multiple-core processors, and power-efficient microprocessors.

Current Trends in Software Platforms

• Open-source software: Produced by a programmer community, freely modifiable by users; popular examples include Apache web server, Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice, and Linux.
• Software for the Web: (e.g. Java), object-oriented programming language, independent of operating systems and processors. HTML and HTML5 - describing web pages; incorporating media, animation, supporting cross-platform apps; offline data storage. Ruby Python.
• Web services: Exchange info using Web standards and languages. XML, a powerful and flexible markup language (allows processing of data automatically)
• SOA (Service-oriented architecture): Self-contained services communicating with one another to create applications - and reusable in other combinations. Example: invoice service.
• Mashups: Combining two or more online apps (e.g., mapping software with local content). Apps often small; operate across the internet, computers, and mobile devices.
• Enterprise applications: Software addressing specific business operations often using specialized platforms. Example: Sales, analytics applications.
• Software outsourcing and cloud services: Using external software solutions, cloud-based services, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Challenges of Managing IT Infrastructure

• Dealing with platform and infrastructure change: Scalability to meet business needs as firms grow and shrink. Managing mobile computing/cloud computing.
• Management and governance: Determine centralized or decentralized approach; allocation of costs between divisions/departments.
• Wise infrastructure investment: Balancing under- and over-investment to maintain operational efficiency. Rent-versus-buy analysis for cloud services; total cost of ownership (TCO). Competitor analysis and market demands as part of investments decisions.