IT: Chapter 4: IT infrastructure: Hardware and Software Flashcards
Data Center
a facility housing computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications, storage, security systems, and backup power supplies
IT infrastructure
provides the foundation, or platform, for supporting all the information systems in the business
Infrastructure Components ABBREV
CCDNT
Infrastructure Components
Computer Hardware Computer Software Data management Software Networking and telecommunications technology Technology Services
Computer Hardware
Technology for computer processing, data storage, input and output
System Software
manages the resources and activities of the computer
Application Software
applies the computer to a specific task for an end user, such as processing an order or generating a mailing list
Data management software
organizes, manages, and processes business data concerned with inventory, customers, and vendors
Legacy Systems
generally older transaction processing systems created for older computers that continue to be used to avoid the high cost of replacing or redesigning them
Workstations
more powerful mathematical and graphics-processing capabilities than a PC
Servers
support computer network, sharing files, and resources
Mainframes
large-capacity high-performance computer that can process large amounts of data very rapidly
Supercomputer
specially designed and more sophisticated computer that is used for task requiring extremely rapid and complex calculations with thousands of variables, millions of measurements
Grid computing
involves connecting geographically remote computers into a single network to create a “virtual supercomputer” by combining the computational power of all computers on the grid
Distributed processing
the use of multiple computers linked by a communications network for processing
Centralized processing
all processing is accomplished in one large central computer
Client
the user point of entry for the required function (a desktop or a laptop)
Server
store and process shared data and also perform functions
Two-tiered client/server architecture
uses two types of machines
Multi-tiered client/server architecture (N-tier)
balances load of network over several levels of servers
Two servers in Multi-tiered client/server architecture
Web servers
Application servers
Web servers
responsible for locating and managing stored Web pages
Application servers
handles all application operations between a user and an organization’s back end business systems.
Peripheral devices
storage and input and output devices that are outside the main computer system unit
Secondary Storage Technology ABBREB
MOMSIO
Secondary Storage Technology
Magnetic Disk Optical Disks Magnetic Tape Storage Networking: SANSI Input Devices Output Devices
Magnetic Disk
Hard drives, USB Flash drives
One type of Magnetic Disks
RAID
RAID
can package hundreds of drives for massive storage requirements
Optical Disks
CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-RW
Magnetic tape
older storage technology
Storage Networking: SANs
connect multiple storage devices on a separate high-speed network dedicated to storage
Input Devices
gather data and convert them into electronic form for use by the computer
Output devices
display data after they have been processed
Nanotechnolgoy
uses individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices that are thousands of times smaller than current technologies permit
Virtualization
the process of 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
Server Virtualization
running more than one operating system at the same time on single machine
Cloud Computing
a model of computing in which computer processing, storage, software, and other services are provided as a pool of virtualized resources over a network, primarily the Internet.
Three types of servers in Cloud Computing ABBREV
IPS
Three types of servers in Cloud Computing
Cloud infrastructure as a service
Cloud Platform as a service
Cloud Software as a service
Cloud infrastructure as a service
Customers use processing, storage, networking, and other computing resources from cloud service providers to run their information
Cloud Platform as a service
Customers use infrastructure and programming tolls supported by the cloud service provider to develop their own applications
Cloud Software as a service
Customers use software hosted by the vendor on the vendor’s cloud infrastructure and delivered over network
Public Cloud
owned and maintained by a cloud service provider such as Amazon Web Service and made available to the general public or industry group
Private Cloud
operated solely for an organization
Utility Computing
purchase computing services from remote providers and pay only for the amount of computing power they actually use
Green Computing
refers to the practices and technologies for designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computer hardware
Multicore processor
an integrated circuit to which two or more processor cores have been attached for enhanced performance and reduced power consumption
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
Major types of Software ABBREV
UASH
Major types of Software
Users
Application Software
System Software
Hardware
Application software ABBREV
PFS
Application software
Programming Languages
Fourth-generation languages
Software and desktop productivity tools
System Software ABBREV
OLU
System Software
Operating system
Language translators
Utility Programs
Operating System
the system software that manages and controls the computer’s activities
GUIs
makes extensive use of icons, buttons, bars and boxes to perform tasks
Multi-touch
allow you to use one or more fingers to perform special gestures to manipulate lists or objects on a screen without using a mouse or keyboard
Open source
provides all computer users with free access to its program code, to fix errors and make improvements
COBOL
processing large data files with alphanumeric characters and for business reporting
C, C++
combines machine portability with tight control and efficient use of computer resources
Visual Basic
visual programming tool for creating applications that runs on Microsoft Windows
Visual programming language
allows users to manipulate graphic or iconic elements to create programs
Fourth-generation languages
consist of a variety of software tools that enable end users to develop software applications with minimal or no technical assistance or that enhances professional programmers’ productivity.
Software package
prewritten, precoded, commercially available set of programs that eliminates the need to write their own software programs
Word Processing software
stores text data electronically as a computer file rather than on paper
Spreadsheet software
organizes data into a grid of columns and rows
Data management Software
has facilities for creating files and databases and for storing, modifying, and manipulating data for reports and queries
Presentation graphics
convert numeric data into charts and other types of graphics and can include multimedia displays of sound animation, photos, and video clips
Software suites
office for home and business users, ex. Microsoft office
Web Browsers
used for displaying Web pages and for accessing the Web and other Internet resources.
Java
an operating system-independent, processor independent, object-oriented programming language
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
page description language for specifying how text, graphic, video and sound are placed on a Web page and for creating links to other pages and objects
HTML 5
making it possible to embed images, audio, video and other elements directly into a document without processor-intensive add-ons
Web Services
A set of loosely coupled software components that exchange information with each other using universal Web communication standards and languages.
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
foundation of Web Services
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
set of self-contained services that communicate with each other to create a working software application
Open Source 2
make their programs available to users under one of several licensing schemes.
Software as a service (SaaS)
delivering and providing access to software remotely as a Web-based service
Mashups
mix and match software components to create their own customized applications and too share information with others
Apps
small pieces of software that are generally delivered over the internet.
Capacity planning
the process of predicting when a computer hardware system becomes saturated
Scalability
ability of a computer, product, or system to expand to serve a large number of users without breaking down
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model
used to analyze direct and indirect costs to help determine the actual cost of owning a specific technology
Outsourcing
contract with an external service provider to run their computer center and networks, to develop new software, or to manage all of the components of their IT infrastructures
Web hosting Service
maintains large Web servers, or a series of servers,
Offshore software outsourcing
when firms outsource software work outside their national borders
Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
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.
Software localization
entire process of converting software to operate in a second language
