MIS Module 4

What is IS Infrastructure?

The foundation layer of technology that supports an organization’s information systems and operations

• Ex: IS infrastructure is what makes it possible for a Venmo transaction to move from your phone to your friend’s bank account in a matter of seconds

What are the 4 core layers of infrastructure?

1. Hardware

2. Software

3. Data storage

4. Networking

What is hardware?

physical computing devices that make up information systems infrastructure

What is software?

programs that run on hardware, the set of instructions that tells hardware what to do

What is data storage?

information assets stored and processed

What is networking?

connection technologies that link systems

What are the types of hardware?

• Servers: database servers, web servers, application servers

• Personal computers: desktops, laptops, workstations

• Mobile devices: smartphones, tablets, wearables

• Input/output devices: keyboards, monitors, printers, scanners

• Storage devices: hard drives, SSDs, flash drives

What are the key defining traits of harware?

• Performance: processing power, memory capacity

• Durability: build quality, resistance to environmental facts

• Compatibility: interoperability with existing systems

• Lifecycle: expected lifespan, upgrade paths, obsolescence

• Cost: initial investment, maintenance, energy consumption

What are the two types of software?

System software

Application software

What is system software?

System software controls and manages computer hardware, creating the foundation for all other software to run

What kind of things does system software handle?

• Reading and writing from/to storage (hard drives)

• Communication with peripheral hardware like keyboard, mouse, monitors, printers, etc

• Coordinating application access to computing resources to keep things running smoothly

What is application software?

Application software is designed to be applied to a specific function or task (think app on your phone)

What are the three types of applications?

1. Desktop applications

2. Web applications

3. Mobile applications

What are desktop applications?

Software installed directly on your computer

What are some examples of desktop applications?

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Adobe Photoshop

• Web browsers

What are web applications?

Software accessed through a web browser

What are some examples of web applications?

• Google search engine

• Amazon

• Blackboard

• MyBama

What are mobile applications?

Software installed directly on your smartphone or tablet

What are some examples of mobile applications?

• Instagram

• Uber

• Alarm

• Weather

What are the 3 things that storage follows at a personal computing level?

• Hardware storage

• System software role

• Persistence

What is hardware storage?

Your laptop contains a hard drive - the physical hardware that determines how much informations you can persistently store. Hard drives have physical limitations and can fill up, requiring you to delete data before saving more.

What is the system software role?

Saving and retrieval of information is handled by your system software. It “talks” to the hard drive for you, making your files accessible without requiring mannual commands

What is persistence?

When you power on your laptop, files you previously saved remain intact and accessible. This persistent storage allows information to be recalled whenever needed.

What is an example of a database?

• When you enter your login information to Blackboard, that informations has to be compared against informations that’s stored to validate that you’re a user that exists in the system and that your password is correct

• Once that’s validated, it can pull all your courses up for you

• This is a database

What two things do databases combine?

1. Physical Hardware

2. Database Software

What does physical hardware do for databases?

Physical storage components are necessary to hold all the data your database needs to maintain

What does database software do for databases?

Provides the structure that allows data to be stored in an organized way for efficient retrieval

What is a network?

A network is a collection of computers and devices connected to share resources and information

What does a network do?

• Enables Communication (email, messaging, video conferencing across locations)

• Facilitates Collaboration (shared documents, project management tools, remote teamwork)

• Provides Access (Connects users to business systems from anywhere

How does network communication work?

• Sender and Receiver (you and your friend)

• Transmission Pathway (Sound-waves over which your voice travels - the physical or wireless route across network components)

• Common Rules and Protocols (language that you both understand - network protocol)

What is a client in a client-serve relationship?

A client is a device or software that is consuming resources

What is a server in a client-serve relationship?

A server is a centralized system that hosts and “serves” resources

What is the relationship between a client and a server in a client-server relationship?

A client system is looking to receive some resource in a network transaction

The serve is responsible for retrieving your meal and delivering it to you

How doe client-server transactions work>

• User Action

• Request Travels

• Server Processing

• Response Returns

• Client Displays

What is user action?

A user clicks a link or submits a form, triggering a request for data

What is request travels?

Request goes from client device over a network (such as the internet) to the application server

What is server processing?

Server receives request, processes it, retrieves or calculates needed information

What is response returns?

Data travels back via the same path to the client device

What is client displays?

Browser or app renders the information for the user

What competitive foundation elements is infrastructure an enabler of?

• Strategic Enabler

• Speed to Market

• Scalability

• Risk Mitigation

What is strategic enabler?

Infrastructure provides the technical foundations that enables organizations to execute their business strategies and respond to market opportunities

What is speed to market?

Robust infrastructure allows companies to develop and deploy new products and services faster than competitors with outdated systems

What is scalability?

Effective infrastructure supports business growth without proportional increases in cost, allowing flexible scaling to meet demand

What is risk mitigation?

Strong infrastructure provides resilience against disruptions and security threats that could damage business operations

What has Moore’s Law led to?

• Rapid depreciation

• Increased Efficiency

What is rapid depreciation?

Infrastructure becomes outdated quickly as new technology emerges

What is increased efficiency?

Newer infrastructure enable faster, more efficient processes

What are the three steps on infrastructure planning?

1. Assessment

2. Risk Analysis

3. Strategic Alignment

What does assessment of infrastructure planning entail?

• Evaluate current infrastructure capabilities

• Analyze projected business growth patterns

• Document performance bottlenecks

• Map department-specific system requirements

What does risk analysis of infrastructure planning entail?

• Calculate cost of potential downtime

• Identify single points of failure

• Access to cybersecurity vulnerabilities

• Evaluate disaster recovery capabilities

What does strategic alignment of infrastructure planning entail?

• Connect infrastructure to business goals

• Prioritize investments based on ROI

• Balance innovation vs. stability needs

• Create scalable, future-proof designs

What do investment designs and priorities for IT infrastructure require?

• Financial Considerations

• Technical Priorities

• Collaborative Decision-Making

• Department-Specific Requirements

What are some examples of financial considerations?

hardware acquisition costs, ongoing software licensing fees, specialized IT staff salaries, and planned upgrade cycles all impact total cost of ownership (TCO)

What are some examples of technical priorities?

Organizations must weigh competing needs; system performance speed, scalability for growth, reliability during peak demands, and robust security protections

What are some examples of collaborative decision-making?

Effective infrastructure planning requires cross-functional input where IT experts and business leaders jointly evaluate technology investments against strategic objectives

What are some examples of department-specific requirements?

Different business units have unique infrastructure needs: marketing requires robust analytics platforms while HR prioritizes secure employee data storage systems

Moore’s Law

Chip components double about every two years, so computing power grows fast and existing hardware loses value quickly