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 5
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

An IBM System
(simultaneously) 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) 12
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. 14

 Cont.
g Compatibility
 computer’s hardware, operating system,
and application programs work together
properly  Compatible

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 Cont.

g Storage capacity Bits and bytes

Unit Description Approximate Size
1 bit 1 binary digit
1 nibble 3 bits
1 byte 8 bits 1 character
1 kilobyte 1,023 bytes 1/2 page, double spaced
1 megabyte 1,038,576 bytes 500,000 pages
1 million bytes
1 gigabyte 1,073,731,823 bytes 5 million pages
1 billion bytes
1 terabyte 1 trillion bytes 5 billion pages
1 petabyte 1 quadrillion bytes (one
thousand TB)
1 Exabyte 1 quintillion bytes (a billion GB)

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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 extremely thin glass
g inner conductor wire
g Insulated pairs or plastic
surrounded by
of Copper wires insulation
g transmits signals
with light beams/
g Telephone g Cable TV + Computer waves  digitally
networks Network g voice, data, and
g Least
g better data video
transmission rate &
expensive g High bandwidth 
more expensive than
carry large data
twisted pair
g Less susceptible for
g Less susceptible for interference
interference 23
g Expensive
 Cont.
Wireless Telecommunication Media

Microwave Satellite
 receive signals from
 Information is one earth station and
converted to a rebroadcast them to
microwave signal, another
sent through the  They use microwave
air to a receiver, signals
and recovered
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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 g large cities g cities, regions,
area  office,
countries or the world
classroom, 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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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

connect to
fashion
• Cheap and easy;
• Message delay as the # of • Cheap and easy to
stations increase
implement
• Network disruption when
computers are added or • Can span longer distance
removed
• Cable faults are easily
• Whole network fails  break on
the main wire located – easy
• Difficult to troubleshoot
troubleshooting 32
 Mesh
Star
• Each computer connects to
• All computers connected to a
every other.
central device called hub or
• Provides redundant paths
switch. between devices – limited
• Easily expanded without vulnerability to link or node
disruption failure
• Cable failure affects only a single User • Can be expanded without

• Easy troubleshooting disruption

• Requires more cable than other
• More cable
topologies
• failure in central device failure in
• High message delay b/c of long
entire network fails
distance transmission 33
• More difficult to implement • Complicated implementation
 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 35
telephony, video conferencing
 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

Videoconferenci Interactive Whiteboard

Screen Sharing Software
ng – 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. 42
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, 45
etc.
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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