Chapter 7: IT Infrastructure Flashcards
(41 cards)
Information Technology Infrastructure
Shared technology resources that provide the platform for the firm’s specific information system applications. Hardware, software, and service
Mainframe
Computer with a powerful operating system that could provide time sharing, multitasking, and virtual memory in more advanced models
Minicomputers
Powerful machines at far lower prices than IBM mainframes, making possible decentralized computing, customized to the specific needs of individual departments or business units rather than time sharing on a single huge mainframe
Wintel PC
Windows operating system software on a computer with an Intel microprocessor. The standard desktop personal computer
Client/ server Computing
Desktop or laptop computers called clients are networked to powerful server computers that provide the client computers with a variety of services and capabilities
Multitired (N-tier) Client/Server Architectures
The work of an entire network is balanced over several different levels of servers, depending on the kind of service being requested
Web Server
Responsible for locating and managing stored Web pages
Application Server
Software that handles all application operations between a user and an organization’s back-end business systems
Cloud Computing
A model of computing that provides access to a shared pool of computing resources (computers, storage, applications, and services) over a network, often the Internet
Moore’s Law
Three variations of Moore’s Law, none of which Moore ever stated:
- The power of microprocessors doubles every 18 months
- Computing power doubles every 18 months
- The price of computing falls by half every 18 months
Nanotechnology
Uses individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices that are thousands of times smaller than current technologies permit
Technology Standards
The way technology can communicate and is compatible with one another
Specifications that establish the compatibility of products and the ability to communicate in a network
IT Infrastructure Ecosystem
Internet Platform Computer Hardware Platforms Operating Systems Platforms Enterprise Software Applications Networking/Telecommunications Consultants and System Integrators
Blade Servers
Ultrathin computers consisting of a circuit board with processors, memory, and network connections that are stored in racks
Storage Area Networks (SANs)
Connect multiple storage devices on a separate high-speed network dedicated to storage
Web Hosting Services
Maintains a large Web servers, or series of servers, and provides fee-paying subscribers with a space to maintain their Web sites
Legacy Systems
Generally older transaction processing systems created for mainframe computers that continue to be used to avoid the high cost of replacing or redesigning them
Grid Computing
Connecting geographically remote computers into a single network it creates a virtual supercomputer by combining the computational power of all computers on the grid
Virtualization
The process of presenting a set of computing resources (such as computing power or data storage) so that they can call be accessed in ways that are not restricted by physical configuration or geographic location
Public Cloud
Maintained by an external server provider, such as Amazon Web Services, accessed through the Internet, and available to the general public
Private Cloud
A proprietary network or a data center that ties together servers, storage, networks, data, and applications as a set of virtualized services that are shared by users inside a company
Utility Computing/On-Demand Computing
Companies purchase their computing services from remote providers and pay only for the amount of computing power they actually use or are billed on a monthly or annual subscription basis
Green Computing/ Green IT
Refers to the practices and technologies for designing, and associated devices such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communication systems to minimize impact on the environment
Autonomic Computing
An industry-wide effort to develop systems that can configure themselves, optimize and tune themselves, heal themselves when broken, and protect themselves from outside intruders and self-destruction
