Intro to IT (WGU) - All Chapters

Information Technology

a system comprising independent parts that work together to advance an organization's goals & vision by increasing growth, profits, and productivity.

3 Components of an IT System

Hardware, Software, and People.

IT

technology used to create, maintain, and make information accessible using systems for information storage, retrieval, and exchange.

System

a collection of elements that interact to achieve a common goal.

Networks

support communication between the elements of an IT system.

Hard Disk

a disk on which information is saved and stored in the computer even when it is not connected to a power supply.

Monitor

an output device that displays information in pictorial form, allowing the user to interact with the computer interface and open programs, typically using a keyboard and mouse.

Motherboard

one of the most essential parts of a computer system that holds many of the crucial components of a computer, including connectors for input and output devices.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

a control center that converts data input to information output and executes stored program instructions.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

the memory within a computer that holds the running programs and data when the computer is in use.

Network Cables

connect and transfer data & information between computers.

Wifi Routers

transmit, receive, and decode information sent using radio waves.

Laser Printers

use a laser to form a pattern of electrostatically charged dots on a light-sensitive drum, which attracts toner; the toner is transferred to a paper and is fixed by a heating process.

Internet

resources available for the public.

Intranet

resources only available for users or systems of a specific organization.

Extranet

makes resources available within an organization, but it also makes that information available to other specific organizations or users, such as contracted, third-party consultants.

Computing

any activity that uses a computer to manage, process, or share information.

5 Most Commonly Recognized Computing Disciplines

Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology.

Computer Engineering

focuses on the design of hardware systems and the software that makes them work.

Computer Science

addresses the design and implementation of software with an emphasis on developing effective ways to solve computing problems and creating new ways to use computers.

Software Engineering

focuses on the development and maintenance of reliable and efficient software systems.

Information Systems

integrate IT solutions meant to meet organizational business goals.

Information Technology

focuses on the technology supporting information systems in an organization rather than the information residing on the systems or being communicated with them.

5 Key Roles in IT Industry

IT Administrator, IT Architect, IT Engineer, Help Desk Professional, DevOps Professional.

System Administrator

responsible for providing technical support for hardware and software issues end users encounter.

Network Administrator

responsible for designing, planning, setting up, and maintaining an organization's network.

Database Administrator

responsible for installing and configuring databases.

Security Administrator

responsible for installing, administering, and troubleshooting network security issues.

Web Administrator

responsible for troubleshooting error messages employees encounter when attempting to access their organization's website.

Cloud Architect

responsible for overseeing a company's cloud computing systems.

Network Architect

responsible for designing networks and monitoring traffic.

Automation Architect

responsible for modernizing business processes and developing reasons or rationales for or against a process being automated.

Cybersecurity Architect

responsible for designing, building, testing, and implementing security systems within an organization's IT network.

Machine Learning Engineer

responsible for allowing an organization to take full control of its data.

Software Engineer

design and develop software that makes hardware and software systems work, including operating systems, database systems, and embedded systems.

Network Engineer

set up, configure, maintain, and upgrade systems where data resides and that support the exchange of information, including communication systems and networks.

Cloud Engineer

use their technical and analytical skills to help companies identify opportunities for migrating a part or all of their infrastructure to the cloud, supporting the more efficient use of resources and improving IT operations.

Technial Support

supports, monitors, and maintains workplace technology and responds to user requests for help.

Systems Analyst

investigate business problems and create information systems to provide solutions.

Data Analyst

use statistical and other quantitative methods to gain insights that support the organization's decision making.

Security Analyst

responsible for monitoring an organization's network security breaches.

Cybersecurity Specialist

work with organizations to keep their information systems secure and ensure integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data.

Technical Consultant

provide technical expertise by developing and implementing IT systems for external clients.

Project Managers

organizes people, time, and other resources to make sure projects meet requirements and are completed on time & within budget.

Web Developer

builds and maintains websites and their infrastructure.

Software Tester

responsible for creating, documenting, and executing manually created test plans and procedures related to the system anomolies.

Technical Sales

identify and help clients adopt IT services or technologies.

Information

terms of data, knowledge in terms of information, and wisdom in terms of knowledge.

Knowledge

a dynamic combination of experience, values, contextual information, expert insight, and grounded intuition that provides an environment and framework for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information.

Wisdom

knowing the right thing to do.

Connectedness Wisdom

essentially "the path to connected understanding" when interpreting data.

Smart Data

trusted source for business decisions.

Examples of Data

"Phoenix", "15% Humidity", "45 MPH", "18:23".

Examples of Information

"It's hot outside", "The time is 3:05 AM", "The customer's name is Mike", "The price of the item is $4.25".

Structured Data

coded in a way that makes it easy to convert into a form usable for analysis.

Unstructured Data

data that is more complex and possibly stored in a format that is not easily decoded.

Big Data

data that is incapable of being processed by previous generations of analytical tools.

Data

a strategic resource for an organization, informing operations and providing insights.

3 Core Variations of Cloud-Based Systems

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS).

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

provides access in a virtualized environment and the computing resources are composed of virtual hardware.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

customers have access to a platform that supports the development and management of web applications.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

the software is licensed to customers with subscriptions and central hosting.

3 Steps for Transforming Institutions Knowledge into Implementable Data Solutions

Capturing, Analyzing, and Using.

Data Hygiene

the processes of ensuring the cleanliness of data.

Data Scrubbing

the process of amending or removing data in a database that is incorrect, incomplete, improperly formatted or duplicated.

Duplicate Data

two or more identical records.

Conflicting Data

the same two records wit differing attributes.

Incomplete Data

missing attributes.

Invalid Data

attributes not conforming to standardization.

Unsynchronized Data

data not appropriately shared between two systems.

Quality Data

data that is precise, valid, reliable, timely, and complete.

Precison

how precise that data is in the context of its intended use.

Valid

meets the requirements of the data collection process.

Input/Output Models

Requirement from the Environment or Input, Computation Based on the Requirement or Process, Provision for the Environment or Output.

People

Liveware

Input

Mouse, Keyboard, Microphone.

Process

CPU

Storage

RAM and Hard Disk.

Output

Printer, Monitor, and Speakers.

IPO Model

hardware provides an environment in which each operation is performed, representing the boundaries of each box in the diagram.

Local Area Network (LAN)

spans a single home, school, or small office building and provides a connection for devices that are within the same network.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

reaches across cities, states, or even across the world.

Two Types of Networks

Client-to-Servers & Peer-to-Peer

Physical Topology

the actual layout of how systems are placed in the network.

Logical Topology

how the data actually flow and is extremely important when considering things like land balancing normal traffic, network backups, and replication of data.

Most Common Topology Layouts

Bus, Star, Ring, and Mesh.

Hardware

Motherboard, RAM, CPU, Hard Disk, Power Supplies.

Software

Operating System, Text Editing Program, Internet Browser.

Network

LAN/WAN, Internet, Client-to-Server, Peer-to-Peer, Bus/Ring/Star/Mesh.

Abacus

consists of strings and beads strung on rods, which are mounted on a rectangular frame: as the beads are moved back and forth on the rod, their positions represent stored values.

Leibniz Machine

the gears of the machine are initially mechanically set in a position that represents the input, and their final state represents the output of the calculations.

ENIAL

Electric Numerical Integrator and Calculator.

Search Engines

uses technologies to index and tag pages so users can quickly search for resources based on keywords.

First Generation

Vacuum Tubes.

Second Generation

Transistors.

Third Generation

Integrated Circuits.

Fourth Generation

Microprocessors.

Fifth Generation

Current/Future.

Quantum Computing

the study of non-classical model of computation.

Nanotechnology

the use of nanoscale tools and nonbiological processes to build structures, devices, and systems at the molecular level.