CHAPTER THREE

Information Technology
Infrastructure

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 Outline
g IT Infrastructure Components
 Hardware

 Software

 Telecommunication and networking

g Emerging Technology
 Mobile computing

 Pervasive computing

 Cloud computing

g Management Issues of IT Infrastructure

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 Definition of IT Infrastructure
g IT infrastructure:
 Set of physical devices and software required to support all

information system in business and society

 runs the applications (e.g., payroll, inventory, procurement,
etc.)
 Processing data

 storage

 networking

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 IT Infrastructure Components
1. Computer hardware
2. Computer Software
 Operating system platforms

 Enterprise applications

3. Network & Telecommunications

4. Internet Platforms
5. Technology Services
 MeatWare: IT consultants ,designers, developers, network

admins, end users

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3.2.1. Computer Hardware

g Personal computers (PC)

 designed for one person – size, capability,

price
g Handheld/Mobile computers
 Tablet (e.g. Apple iPad), Laptop, PDAs,

wearable computers (e.g. iwatch, Google

glass), etc.
g Workstation
 More powerful mathematical and graphics-

processing capabilities than a PC

 technical or scientific applications
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Cont.
g Server
 a computer which manages access to a

centralized resource or service in a

network.
 Receive and process requests from client

and
 deliver data to client computers over a

network,
 perform network management activities

 E.g. Web, Application, FTP Servers

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 Cont.
g Mainframe
 large, high-speed expensive, powerful

computer
 bulk data processing (census, consumer

statistics, ERP, TPS, airlines for thousands of

reservations per second)
 supporting numerous workstations

 thousands of concurrent users (simultaneously)

An IBM System z9
mainframe

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Cont.
g Supercomputer
 fastest, most powerful computer

 extremely rapid and complex calculations with

thousands of variables, millions of measurements

 capable of processing more than one quadrillion

instructions in a single second

 in medicine, aerospace, weather forecasting,

nuclear energy research, and petroleum

exploration.

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 Cont.
g Input Devices: Gather data and convert them
into electronic form.
 Keyboard

 Computer Mouse

 Digital Scanner

 Touch Screen

 Optical Character Recognition

 Barcode reader

 Magnetic Ink Character Recognition

 Audio Input and Sensors.

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 Chapter III
Comp. HW
g Output Devices: Display the processed
data.
 Monitor
 Printer
 Audio Output/speaker

 Processing Components
 Central Processing Unit (CPU) – “brain”
 Random Access Memory (RAM) – temporarily
store data while it is being processed

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 Computer Software
g Software:
 Programs /sequence of instructions/ used to operate computers

and related devices what to do

g Two types of Software
 System SW: Interact with HW & Mediates between Application SW

& HW
 Application SW: Interact with user

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Cont.

1) System SW:
a) Operating System (OS) -
(Windows, Linux, Unix, Macintosh, iOS, Android)

 Interface for humans to interact with HW –

access & command the computer - GUI

 Manage - Memory & I/O devices,

process/task, disk
 Input, retrieve, store, display

 Platform – Application SW can run

(intermediary)

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Cont.
b) Language Translator
 convert high level programming language

into machine language (bits/object code

– 0’s & 1’s)
 Compiler, assembler, translator

c) Utility programs
 support routine and repetitive tasks

(copying, moving or renaming a file,, etc)

 keep the computer in good running

condition - Security and anti-virus

programs

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 Cont.

2) Application SW
 Specific needs/functions/ real-

world problems  End users

 finance, payroll, procurement,
ERP, CRM,
 word processing, spreadsheets,
databases, graphics, games
 Web-browsers
 E-mail
 Presentation SWs, etc.
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 Cont.
g Compatibility
computer’s hardware, operating system, and application
programs work together properly  Compatible

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 Cont.
g Telecommunications provide platforms for
• Transmission of data: voice, video, text, image
 A sender transmits a message

 To a receiver
 Over a channel  consisting medium

 Noise: interference

Encoding Decoding

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Cont.
Wired Telecommunication Media

twisted pair Coaxial Fiber Optic

g inner conductor wire
g Insulated pairs of
surrounded by insulation
Copper wires g Cable TV + Computer
g Telephone Network
networks g better data transmission
rate & more expensive
g Least expensive
than twisted pair
g Less susceptible for
interference
g extremely thin glass or
plastic
g transmits signals with
light beams/ waves 
digitally
g voice, data, and video
g High bandwidth 
carry large data
g Less susceptible for
interference
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g Expensive
Cont.
Wireless Telecommunication Media

Microwave Satellite
 receive signals from one
 Information is earth station and
converted to a rebroadcast them to another
microwave signal,  They use microwave signals
sent through the air
to a receiver, and
recovered
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Cont.

Wireless Telecommunication Media (Cont’d)

Cellular
 short-range wireless signals -
 Geographic regions are divided
into sections, called cells.
dedicated frequency for
conversation
 Signals from cells transmitted
to a receiver
Infrared
light waves infrared radiation
(via air)
 different devices communicate
 via short distances (a few
hundred yards, Personal Area
Network)
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 Computer Networks
g Connect two or more computers (millions – Internet)
 To share information, messages, and software

g Categories of Network
 Local Area networks (LAN)

 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

 Wide area network (WAN)

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Cont.
Type of Networks

LAN MAN WAN

g large geographic area

g limited physical area g large cities g cities, regions, countries
 office, classroom,
or the world
or building

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 Cont.

g Network Devices
 Router – connects two or more networks and serves

as a gateway (Organization's network to external

network- internet)
 Switch – connect various network segments; connect

multiple computers together within one local area

network (LAN)
 Hub – connecting multiple devices together and

making them act as a single network segment.

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Cont.
i Network Interface Card (NIC) –connecting

the computer to the network using a

special cable
i Modem: The place where the computer is

connected to the phone line.

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30
 Network Topologies

Network Topologies
g Topology is the physical arrangement of interconnected computers in the
network.
g Categories of Topologies
1. Linear bus network
2. A ring network
3. Star Network
4. Mesh Topology
5. Tree Topology

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Cont.

Linear/Bus Ring

• backbone all of the computers • Data travels in circular fashion

connect to
• Cheap and easy to implement
• Cheap and easy;
• Message delay as the # of stations • Can span longer distance
increase
• Cable faults are easily located –
• Network disruption when
computers are added or removed easy troubleshooting
• Whole network fails  break on
• Expansion can cause
the main wire
• Difficult to troubleshoot  network disruption

 Message delay 32

Star
• All computers connected to a central
device called hub or switch.
• Easily expanded without disruption
• Cable failure affects only a single User
• Easy troubleshooting
• More cable
• failure in central device failure in
entire network fails
• More difficult to implement
Mesh
• Each computer connects to every
other.
• Provides redundant paths between
devices – limited vulnerability to link
or node failure
• Can be expanded without disruption
• Requires more cable than other
topologies
• High message delay b/c of long
distance transmission
• Complicated implementation
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 Tree

• Combination of bus and star topology (Hub connected to

main bus)
• covers greater distance
• ease of expansion – large # of nodes can be added & ease of
removing the nodes
• Low message delay
• Hub failure  removes all stations in the branch
• failure in the central hub causes the whole network to fail

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 Internet Platform
g Internet  global network of networks used for sharing external and internal
information.
g Internet Service Provider (ISP): a company
• providing Internet services around a specific area.
• E.g. Ethio Telecom
g Major Services From The Internet
(Communication, Collaboration, Information retrieval, Business Operation)

a) Communication
• individuals, groups, companies and computers  share ideas,
information, knowledge, documents globally;

• text, video, voice, graphics, pictures, and animation

• e.g. e-mail, chat rooms, Usenet newsgroups, VoIP/ Internet telephony,
video conferencing 35
 Cont.
b) Collaboration
 Supporting mutual efforts of teams:
– E.g. designing products in collaboration with customers, suppliers, etc.

g Virtual collaboration Tools:

 Workflow systems:
 Automation of workflows and movement of information from start to
finish

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 Cont.

 Groupware (Connect group of people who share common task) - Real-

time collaboration (RTC) tools

Videoconferencing – Interactive Whiteboard Screen Sharing Software

voice, video, data

 Other tools
 Social Networking Tools (FB, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.)
 Wikis (add/edit content by any user)

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cont.
 Internet based collaboration environment:
 Google Apps/Google sites (Google calendar, Google
hangout, Gmail …..)… Online collaboration

 Microsoft SharePoint: centralize access to enterprise

information and applications; team communication and
collaboration

 Lotus Notes: email, calendars, blogs, forums, personal

information managers (PIM) and the Web.

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Cont.
C) Facilitating Business Operations
 E-business, E-commerce
 E-commerce  use of IT by organizations to interact with market
places (B2C, B2B, C2C, B2G)
 Features:
 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI): information on business transaction
(purchase order, invoices, etc.)
 Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT): Bus. Org., banks, customers
 Electronic Clearinghouse (ACH): money movement
 Electronic Advertising: Website

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Cont.

g Intranet Vs. Extranet

Intranet
 internal network  employees share internal information

 protected from outside access by special security software called “a fire

wall”
 Use Internet concepts & tools:

 browsing & searching;

 communication & collaboration

Extranet
 allow outside users to access the database of the organization

 Connect the intranets of different organizations/ business

partners (B2B, interfacing & exchanging data, forms) 40

 Emerging Technologies

What are the new trends in HW & SW?

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 Hardware Platform Trends
1. Mobile and Pervasive Computing
 Mobile computing

 e.g. smartphones, tablets, notebooks, e-book readers

 wireless communication & web-access capabilities

 “do anything anywhere” computing environment

g Mobile Phones
g Laptops
g PDA’s
g Notebook PC
g Etc. g Easy to carry
g Easy to operate
g Touch screen
g Wireless
g Any where access facility
g Etc.
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Mobile computing - Organizational Impact

 business computing:
 At any time

 In any place,

 exchanging data with internal corporate systems - E.g. Using

smartphones
 Sales information,

 Financial performance,

 Project management status

 Coordinate work and communicate with employees

 transmission of data, e-mail & instant messaging, surfing the Web,

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Pervasive Computing

g Embedding computational capability (microprocessor/ chips) into

everyday objects (clothing, cars, home, appliances, lighting systems,
tools, etc.),

 Connecting them to an infinite network of other devices, and

 Making them effectively communicate and perform useful tasks
 Pervasive/ Ubiquitous – “existing everywhere” occur with:
any device, any time, at any place, in any data format
 capable of collecting, processing, and sending data

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Pervasive computing: Any Device, Any
Network, Any Data

Pervasive computing: monitoring of Pets and houseplants, operation of

appliances, keeping track of books, bicycles, etc. 45
Cont.

g Internet of things (IoT)

 Evolved out of pervasive computing

 Common objects turned into connected devices  communicate

each other and provide notification

g Cloud Computing
 Network of remote servers hosted on the Internet providing:

 on-demand access to shared pool of virtualized computing

resources: servers, storage, processing, memory, network

bandwidth, applications and other services.
 Pay per use model.

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Management Issues of IT Infrastructure

 Understanding the new technology requirements for e-

commerce and the digital firm
 Determining the Total Cost of Ownership of Technology Asset
 Identifying technology trends impacting the organization’s IT
infrastructure

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Thank you !!!!

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