ACIT REVIEWER TOPIC 1

Data Centers – a physical facility that organizations ue to house their critical

applications and data.

INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS

HARDWARE - input, processing, output, storage, and delivery

SOFTWARE – system software and application software and enterprise integration
DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY – organize and deliver data
NETWORKING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY – data, voice, audio,
and video
TECHNOLOGY SERVICES – run and manage infrastructure and train users

TYPES OF COMPUTERS

Personal Computer – desktops, laptops, cellphones

Workstation – more computing capacity in its CPY than a personal computer

Server – used primarily in networks

Mainframe – has necessary power and speed to process thousands and millions of
transactions from the Internet and networks and has the storage capacity needed for all
the data captured and processed by larger information systems.

Supercomputers – making a comeback in popularity because of the speed and

storage capacity required in networks.

Grid computing – allows companies to save money on hardware and increase

computing and processing speeds to make the company more agile

Server – heart of every network

 Can be a mainframe, midrange, workstation, or souped-up personal computer

Client computer – is the node on the network that users need to access and process
transactions and data

Centralized processing structure – maintain all data and computing processing on a

single computer

Distributed processing – Data and applications to users are available whenever they
are and whenever they need it
N-tier client/server architecture – The “N” represents any number of servers a
business needs with the workload distributed among specialized servers

Web servers – Request for web pages are processed faster

ROM and RAM - primary storage areas

SECONDARY STORAGE
 Hard drisk drives
 Removable disks
 Magnetic tape storage

Magnetic disk – the most common form of secondary storage

Solid-state drives (SSD) – used in smaller PC’s, smartphones, and tablets. They are
smaller I physical size while allowing the storage of much more data

USB flash drives – a convenient way to store data while giving you a way to take it with
you wherever you go

RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) – increase storage space, but it

provides an extra measure of reliability, if one disk fail, the processing is moved to other
disks.

Optical disks – became one of the most preferred methods of storing data

Compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) – holds music

 Most software programs are stored on compact disks (CD).

 The drawback is that it can usually be written only once because the data are
stored on the disk b literally burning pits into its surface

CD-RW(compact disk-ReWritable) – type of cd can be used multiple times

DVD (Digital video disks) – store more data than CDs

 Can be used in computers, portable DVD players or televisions
 4.7 gigabytes of data

Magnetic tape – used on larger mainframe computers f0r data that don’t require fast
access

SAN (storage area network) – all the data is kept here

Peripheral devices – data go in, and information comes out of computer systems via
these
Pen-based input devices – consists of a wireless tablet and pen stylus
 Data are transferred directly to a mainframe computer, allowing packages
instantaneously tracked from sender to recipient

Touch screens – becoming more common and are used as computer monitors, t v
screens, or household appliances

Voice recognition technology – allows you to input data using a combination of a

microphone headset and software that recognizes your voice

CONTEMPORARY HARDWARES TRENDS

One of the most dynamic hardware trends to appear for personal and business use is
the increased use of cellphones and smartphones for computing tasks

Nanotechnology – computer chips that are thousand of times smaller than their
predecessors
Quantum computing – increase computing power by operating in many different states
at one, performing different computations simultaneously, and solving scientific and
business problem millions of times faster than other computes available today

Server computer hardware prices have fallen over the years to the point where they are
relatively cheap. Hence, the problem. Rather than increase the efficiency and utilization
of existing hardware, many companies just buy more of it and stick it on the shelf

Virtualization - It is running multiple operating systems and application programs on

one machine and increasing the overall utilization rates of the device

Five characteristics define cloud computing:

 On-demand self-service: users can access computing capabilities whenever

and wherever they are
 Ubiquitous network access: no special devices are necessary for accessing
data or services
 Location independent resource pooling: users do not need to be concerned
about where the data are stored
 Rapid elasticity: computing resources expand and contract as necessary to
serve users
 Measured service: users pay only for the computing capabilities used

Almost any type of computing device can access data and applications from these
clouds through three types of services:

 Cloud infrastructure as a service - allows customers to process and store data

and use networking and other resources available from the cloud
 Cloud platform as a service - the service provider offers infrastructure and
programming tools to customers to develop and test applications.
 Cloud software as a service - the vendor provides software programs on a
subscription fee basis.

Cloud computing - is becoming popular because customers only pay for the
computing infrastructure that they use.

On demand computing – another name for cloud computing

 mirrors other utilities that provide the necessary infrastructure from centralized
sources

TWO KINDS OF CLOUDS

Public cloud - owned and operated by external service providers; accessed through
the Internet; available to anyone; generally used for non-sensitive data.

Private cloud - proprietary system owned and operated by a specific company; based
on virtualization; available only to users inside the company; generally used for
sensitive financial and personal data.

Green computing - It allows businesses to reduce their total cost of ownership of

hardware through more efficient use of servers, printers, storage devices, and
networking equipment.

Multicore processors - Rather than a single chip on a single processing core, you
purchase a machine with two or more processors. It reduces the overall number of
servers or processors, thus reducing the total cost of ownership, including electricity
costs

Autonomic computing - a step toward creating an IT infrastructure that is able to

diagnose and fix problems with very little human intervention.

Autonomic computing features systems that can:

 Configure themselves
 Optimize and tune themselves
 Heal themselves when broken
 Protect themselves from intruders and self-destruction

Managers and users should first decide the tasks they want to be accomplished
and then decide the type of infrastructure components that will best fit. The most
successful companies use the right combinations of hardware, software, data
management technology, networking and telecommunications technology, and
technology services that will help them meet their business objectives and create
a competitive advantage. Hardware is trending toward the mobile digital platform,
cloud computing, autonomic computing, green computing, and more efficient use
of computing resources through virtualization and multicore processors.

IT INFRASTRUCTURE: SOFTWARES

TWO CATEGORIES OF SOFTWARE

 SYSTEM SOFTWARE – manages the basic operations of the computer and

controls the equipment associated with it
 APPLICATION SOFWARE - helps turn raw data into useful information
Operating systems - tell computers what to do, when to do it, and how

The three basic system software functions are:

 Allocate and Assign: helps the computer decide what hardware resources will
be used to accomplish the task at hand.
 Schedule: helps the computer decide when to use the input and output
devices.
 Monitor: keeps track of everything that is going on inside the computer.

Google Chrome OS - makes it easy for users to access cloud computing services
through wireless networking

 The graphical user interface (GUI) available on most computing devices

makes it easy for people to use them.

multitouch technology - allows users to pinch the screen or swipe their fingers over
the screen to issue commands

Windows 7 - The first version of an operating system to offer multitouch technology on

full-size desktop and laptop computers

Windows 10 - the current version of the popular personal computer operating systems
and provides enhanced multitouch interfaces.

UNIX - was created to make it easier to manage communications and networks that
require a high degree of reliability and scalability.

In the early 1990s, a graduate student at the University of Finland, Linus Torvald, built
an operating system called Linux that uses open-source software. Experts predict its
use will expand rapidly, because its small size makes it ideal for information appliances.
It's also less crash-prone than most other operating systems, a feature that makes it
very attractive to companies running e-commerce Internet businesses

Even though you may never use some of the common business programming
languages, as a manager and computer user, you should be familiar with them:

 C: used to create operating systems and application software for PCs

 C++: an enhanced version of C that works better with software objects
 Visual programming language: uses graphics and iconic elements to create
applications
 Visual Basic: visual programming tool for Microsoft Windows operating
systems

Java - fulfills the need for interactive programming over the Internet
  it is platform-independent
 This means that you do not need to worry about compatibility between separate
operating systems such as Windows, MacIntosh, or UNIX.
 Java also reduces the "bloatware" problem of huge software application
programs with more functions than the average person could ever hope to use.

Applets - perform very small, specialized, one-at-a-time tasks

 Miniature program created by java

 When a user wants to perform the task, the coding is moved from the server,
where it is permanently stored and then executed on the client computer.
 Using applet reduces storage needs on clients computers and PCs

software packages and software suites

 it is much easier to use data from one program in another without having to recr
eate it in every program

PC software tools are targeted to the non-technical end-user and encompass:

 Word processing (MS Word, WordPerfect)

 Spreadsheets (Excel, Lotus 1-2-3)
 Data management (Access)
 Presentation graphics (PowerPoint, Presentations)
 Software suites (Office 2016, StarOffice)
 Web browsers (Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer)

Hypertext markup language (HTML) - is becoming common for the average

computer user to create Web pages using this

 The next evolution of HTML is HTML5.

 was primarily designed as a language for semantically describing scientific
documents, although its general design and adaptations over the years have
enabled it to be used to describe several other types of documents.

Web services- use Internet technology to link application programs together without
having to create custom coding

 they are Web-based, making them more universally accepted within a business
or across traditional organizational boundaries extending to customers,
suppliers, and business partners
 The distinct advantage of building Web services is their reusability. That is, you
can build one Web service that can be used by many different businesses.
 XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language) - combines HTML language with
the XML language to create a powerful tool for building more useful Web pages.

 It is used to describe data in Web pages and databases.

Web service-oriented architecture - consists of utilities that provide methods for

applications such as secure, third-party billing and payment systems or transporting
messages and identifying available services.

SOFTWARE TRENDS

software as a service (SaaS) providers - Small- and medium-sized companies in

need of sophisticated software can rent what they need and can afford through online of
these

Mash-ups - combine two online applications—mapping and shopping—into one new

application.

Apps - short for applications, are very small programs that perform one particular task

As software becomes easier and more powerful to use, managers and users
create more sophisticated processes that meet the needs and wants of
employees, customers, suppliers, and business partners. The most appropriate
software is that which allows a business to meet its objectives and gain
competitive advantages.

MANAGING HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY

Managers need to design scalability into their systems so that they do not under- or
overbuild their systems. The idea is to initially build the system for what the company
thinks they need but to design it so that increasing capacity is a fairly easy thing to do

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - the cost to buy something plus the cost to operate it
over its useful life.

 The cost should incorporate such items as employee training, their ability to
perform necessary functions given the network configuration, and lost
productivity when the network is down. The TCO should also include the amount
of money spent on communications wiring (telephone wires, fiber-optic cable,
etc.) and security and access issues.
Web hosting services - A popular example of outsourcing

 Rather than purchase all of the hardware necessary to support Web sites,
intranets, and extranets, many small- and medium-size companies use Web
hosting services instead

TWO TYPES OF OUTSOURCING

 domestic-based outsourcing - the obtaining of services from someone outside

a company but within the same country
 Offshore software outsourcing - describes moving the work to foreign
countries.

service level agreement (SLA)- It spells out exactly what the service provider is
responsible for and what the customer will do. Some of the items that should be
covered are:

 Nature and level of services provided

 Criteria for performance measurement
 Support options
 Provisions for security and disaster recover
 Hardware and software ownership and upgrades
 Customer support

Utility computing - another term for cloud computing

 - also gives companies a chance to expand services that perhaps they would not
be able to provide if they had to buy all the hardware and software.

hybrid cloud services - store the essential core activities on their infrastructure and
use the cloud for less-critical systems or additional processing capabilities.

mobile device management (MDM) software - It monitors, manages, and secures

mobile devices across different operating systems and service providers

- Using this kind of software, your IT department can monitor usage, install or
update software programs or apps, back up data, and restore your device to
previous versions if necessary.

Managing technology is more than simply purchasing hardware and software.

Managers must concentrate on the total cost of ownership for technology assets
while keeping an eye on future applications that may provide new opportunities
for the organization. Sometimes it may be cheaper and easier to outsource
technology requirements to another company rather than do it yourself.