Chapter 5: IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies

Question 1

Android

Answer 1

A mobile operating system developed by Android, Inc. (purchased by Google) and later the Open Handset Alliance as a flexible, upgradeable mobile device platform.

Question 2

Application Server

Answer 2

Software that handles all application operations between browser-based computers and a company’s back-end business applications or databases.

Question 3

Apps

Answer 3

Small pieces of software that run on the Internet, on your computer, or on your cell phone and are generally delivered over the Internet.

Question 4

Autonomic Computing

Answer 4

Effort to develop systems that can manage themselves without user intervention.

Question 5

Blade Servers

Answer 5

Entire computer that fits on a single, thin card (or blade) and that is plugged into a single chassis to save space, power and complexity.

Question 6

Chrome OS

Answer 6

Google’s lightweight computer operating system for users who do most of their computing on the Internet; runs on computers ranging from netbooks to desktop computers.

Question 7

Clients

Answer 7

The user point-of-entry for the required function in client/server computing. Normally a desktop computer, workstation, or laptop computer.

Question 8

Client/Server Computing

Answer 8

A model for computing that splits processing between clients and servers on a network, assigning functions to the machine most able to perform the function.

Question 9

Cloud Computing

Answer 9

Web-based applications that are stored on remote servers and accessed via the “cloud” of the Internet using a standard Web browser.

Question 10

Consumerization of IT

Answer 10

New information technology originating in the consumer market that spreads to business organizations.

Question 11

Extensible Markup Language (XML)

Answer 11

General purpose language that describes the structure of a document and XML can perform presentation, communication, and storage of data, allowing data to be manipulated by the computer.

Question 12

Green Computing

Answer 12

Refers to practices and technologies for designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated devices such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems to minimize impact on the environment.

Question 13

Grid Computing

Answer 13

Applying the resources of many computers in a network to a single problem.

Question 14

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

Answer 14

Page description language for creating Web pages.

Question 15

HTML5

Answer 15

Next evolution of HTML, which will make it possible to embed images, video, and audio directly into a document without add-on software.

Question 16

Hybrid Cloud

Answer 16

Computing model where firms use both their own IT infrastructure and also public cloud computing services.

Question 17

iOS

Answer 17

Operating system for the Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

Question 18

Java

Answer 18

Programming language that can deliver only the software functionality needed for a particular task, such as a small applet downloaded from a network; can run on any computer and operating system.

Question 19

Legacy Systems

Answer 19

A system that has been in existence for a long time and that continues to be used to avoid the high cost of replacing or redesigning it.

Question 20

Linux

Answer 20

Reliable and compactly designed operating system that is an offshoot of UNIX and that can run on many different hardware platform and is available free or at very low cost. Used as alternative to UNIX and Windows NT.

Question 21

Mainframe

Answer 21

Largest category of computer, used for major business processing.

Question 22

Mashup

Answer 22

Composite software applications that depend on high-speed networks, universal communication standards, and open-source code.

Question 23

Minicomputers

Answer 23

Middle-range computer used in systems for universities, factories, or research laboratories.

Question 24

Moore’s Law

Answer 24

Assertion that the number of components on a chip doubles each year.

Question 25

Multicore Processor

Answer 25

Integrated circuit to which two or more processors have been attached for enhanced performance, reduced power consumption and more efficient simultaneous processing of multiple tasks.

Question 26

Multitiered (N-Tier) Client/Server Architecture

Answer 26

Client/server network which the work of the entire network is balanced over several different levels of servers.

Question 27

Multitouch

Answer 27

Interface that features the use of one or more finger gestures to manipulate lists or objects on a screen without using a mouse or keyboard.

Question 28

Nanotechnology

Answer 28

Technology that builds structures and processes based on the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules.

Question 29

On-Demand Computing

Answer 29

Firms off-loading peak demand for computing power to remote, large-scale data processing centers, investing just enough to handle average processing loads and paying for only as much additional computing as the market demands. Also called utility computing.

Question 30

Open Source Software

Answer 30

Software that provides free access to its program code, allowing users to modify the program code to make improvements or fix errors.

Question 31

Operating System

Answer 31

Software that manages the resources and activities of the computer.

Question 32

Outsourcing

Answer 32

The practice of contracting computer center operations, telecommunications, networks, or applications development to external vendors.

Question 33

Private Cloud

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

Public Cloud

Answer 34

A cloud maintained by an external service provider, accessed through the Internet, and available to the general public.

Question 35

SaaS (Software as a Service)

Answer 35

Services for delivering and providing access to software remotely as a Web-based service.

Question 36

Scalability

Answer 36

The ability of a computer, product, or system to expand to serve a larger number of users without breaking down.

Question 37

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Answer 37

Formal contract between customers and their service providers that defines the specific responsibilities of the service provider and the level of service expected by the customer.

Question 38

Server

Answer 38

Computer specifically optimized to provide software and other resources to other computers over a network.

Question 39

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)

Answer 39

Software architecture of a firm built on a collection of software programs that communicate with each other to perform assigned tasks to create a working software application.

Question 40

Software Package

Answer 40

A prewritten, precoded, commercially available set of programs that eliminates the need to write software programs for certain functions.

Question 41

Storage Area Network (SAN)

Answer 41

A high-speed network dedicated to storage that connects different kinds of storage devices, such as tape libraries and disk arrays so they can be shared by multiple servers.

Question 42

Tablet Computers

Answer 42

Mobile handheld computer that is larger than a mobile phone and operated primarily by touching a flat screen.

Question 43

Technology Standards

Answer 43

Specifications that establish the compatibility of products and the ability to communicate in a network.

Question 44

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Answer 44

Designates the total cost of owning technology resources, including initial purchase costs, the cost of hardware and software upgrades, maintenance, technical support, and training.

Question 45

UNIX

Answer 45

Operating system for all types of computers, which is machine independent and supports multiuser processing, multitasking, and networking. Used in high-end workstations and servers.

Question 46

Utility Computing

Answer 46

Model of computing in which companies pay only for the information technology resources they actually use during a specified time period. Also called on-demand computing or usage-based pricing.

Question 47

Virtualization

Answer 47

Presenting a set of computing resources so that they can all be accessed in ways that are not restricted by physical configuration or geographic location.

Question 48

Web Browser

Answer 48

An easy-to-use software tool for accessing the World Wide Web and the Internet.

Question 49

Web Hosting Service

Answer 49

Company with large Web server computers to maintain the Web sites of fee-paying subscribers.

Question 50

Web Server

Answer 50

Software that manages requests for Web pages on the computer where they are stored and that delivers the page to the user’s computer.

Question 51

Web Services

Answer 51

Set of universal standards using Internet technology for integrating different applications from different sources without time-consuming custom coding. Used for linking systems of different organizations or for linking disparate systems within the same organization.

Question 52

Windows

Answer 52

Microsoft family of operating systems for both network servers and client computers. The most recent version is Windows Vista.

Question 53

Windows 8

Answer 53

Most recent Microsoft Windows operating system which runs on tablets as well as PCs, and includes multitouch capabilities.

Question 54

Wintel PC

Answer 54

Any computer that uses Intel microprocessors (or compatible processors) and a Windows operating system.

Question 55

What is IT infrastructure and what are its components?

Answer 55

IT infrastructure is the shared technology resources that provide the platform for the firm’s specific information system applications. IT infrastructure includes hardware, software, and services that are shared across the entire firm. Major IT infrastructure components include computer hardware platforms, operating system platforms, enterprise software platforms, networking and telecommunications platforms, database management software, Internet platforms, and consulting services and systems integrators.

Question 56

What are the stages and technology drivers of IT infrastructure evolution?

Answer 56

The five stages of IT infrastructure evolution are: the mainframe era, the personal computer era, the client/server era, the enterprise computing era, and the cloud and mobile computing era. Moore’s Law deals with the exponential increase in processing power and decline in the cost of computer technology, stating that every 18 months the power of microprocessors doubles and the price of computing falls in half. The Law of Mass Digital Storage deals with exponential decrease in the cost of storing data, stating that the number of kilobytes of data that can be stored on magnetic media for $1 roughly doubles every 15 months. Metcalfe’s Law states that a network’s value to participants grows exponentially as the network takes on more members. The rapid decline in costs of communication and growing agreement in the technology industry to use computing and communications standards is also driving an explosion of computer use.

Question 57

What are the current trends in computer hardware platforms?

Answer 57

Increasingly, computing is taking place on a mobile digital platform. Grid computing involves connecting geographically remote computers into a single network to create a computational grid that combines the computing power of all the computers on the network. Virtualization organizes computing resources so that their use is not restricted by physical configuration of geographic location. In cloud computing, firms and individuals obtain computing power and software as services over a network, including the Internet, rather than purchasing and installing the hardware and software on their own computers. A multicore processor is a microprocessor to which two or more processing cores have been attached for enhanced performance. Green computing includes practices and technologies for producing, using, and disposing of information technology hardware to minimize negative impact on the environment. In autonomic computing, computer systems have capabilities for automatically configuring and repairing themselves. Power-saving processors dramatically reduce power consumption in mobile digital devices.

Question 58

What are the current trends in software platforms?

Answer 58

Open source software is produced and maintained by a global community of programmers and is often downloadable for free. Linux is a powerful, resilient open source operating system that can run on multiple hardware platform and is used widely to run Web servers. Java is an operating-system-and hardware-independent programming language that is the leading interactive programming environment for the Web. HTML5 makes it possible to embed images, audio, and video directly into a Web document without add-on programs. Web services are loosely coupled software components based on open Web standards that work with any application software and operating system. They can be used as components of Web-based applications linking the systems of two different organizations or to link disparate systems of a single company. Companies are purchasing their new software applications from outside sources, including software packages, by outsourcing custom application development to an external vendor (that may be offshore), or by renting online software services (SaaS). Mashups combine two different software services to create new software applications and services. Apps are small pieces of software that run on the Internet, on a computer, or on a mobile phone and are generally delivered over the Internet.

Question 59

What are the challenges of managing IT infrastructure and management solutions?

Answer 59

Major challenges include dealing with platform and infrastructure change, infrastructure management and governance, and making wise infrastructure investments. Solution guidelines include using a competitive forces model to determine how much to spend on IT infrastructure and where to make strategic infrastructure investments, and establishing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of information technology assets. The total cost of owning technology resources includes not only the original cost of computer hardware and software but also costs for hardware and software upgrades, maintenance, technical support, and training.