Overview of IT Infrastructure

INTRODUCTION
TO IT
INFRASTRUCTURE
EVOLUTION

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1. Past Simplicity:
Early IT infrastructures were simple.
Hardware focused on being faster, while
applications grew more functional and
complex.

Recently, infrastructure complexity has

grown due to new applications like e-
commerce, ERP, IoT, big data, and cloud
computing, which demand scalable, secure,
and 24/7 available services.

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2. Modern Challenges:
1. Infrastructure landscapes are often
fragmented due to:

Specialized hardware from

individual projects.
Complications from mergers and
acquisitions.

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3. Need for Architecture:
To meet market demands for flexibility
and agility, infrastructure needs to be
standardized, modular, and aligned
with business needs.
Architecture helps create scalable,
adaptable systems and aligns IT with
business goals.

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What is IT Infrastructure?
Definition Attempts:
Different definitions emphasize various aspects:

1. Shared Foundation: Equipment, systems, and software used organization-

wide, forming the foundation for specific capabilities (US CIO Council).
2. Service-Oriented: All hardware, software, and networks needed to deliver
IT services (ITILv2).
3. Support Components: Infrastructure includes facilities and software but
excludes people and documentation (ITILv3).
4. Unseen Enabler: Protocols, networks, and middleware enabling efficient
data flow (Technology Governance Board).
5. Reliable Base: Shared services like databases, standards, and data centers
forming IT's foundation (Goethe University).

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Common
Understanding:
Origins of the Term:
Derived from infra (beneath) and structure, it refers
to what lies beneath a system or city, like public
utilities (water, electricity).
In IT, it includes all components supporting
applications, users, and business processes.

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Perspectives on IT Infrastructure:
Business Analyst: Focuses on how
information flows through systems
(infrastructure is “invisible”).
End-User: Sees applications but not
their underlying deployment.
Systems Manager: Includes data
centers, servers, power supplies, and
utility companies as infrastructure.

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Why IT Infrastructure
Matters
Importance for Organizations:
Flexible infrastructure ensures agility to adapt to changes.
Modular and consistent infrastructures enable scalability and
cost-efficiency.
Role of Architecture:
Defines purpose, intent, and structure.
Types include business, data, application, and infrastructure
architecture.
Helps control infrastructure during design, use, and change to
meet business goals.

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Introduction to IT Infrastructure
Model
Definition and Purpose:
Infrastructure supports applications and processes that
manage information.
It includes application platforms, physical infrastructure, and
management systems.

Model Overview:
Simplifies reality to explain relationships between
components.
Quote: “All models are wrong, but some are useful” – George
E. P. Box.

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Processes and Information
Building Block
25
Definition:
Business processes specific to an 20

organization's mission and vision, e.g., claim

15
registration, invoice creation.
Processes generate and use information (e.g., 10

dates, transaction amounts).

5
Functional Management:
Ensures IT systems are configured for 0
Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5

business processes.

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 Applications Building
Block
Item 2
Application Types:
12.7%

a. Client Applications: Installed on end-user

Item 5

devices like PCs and laptops (e.g., browsers,

34.9%

Item 3
23.8%
email clients).
b. Office Applications: Server-based tools like
Item 4
email servers and collaboration platforms (used
28.6%

"out of the box").

c. Business-Specific Applications: Custom or
highly customized software (e.g., CRM, ERP,
SCADA).
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Application Management:
Responsible for technical operation
and configuration of applications.

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Application Platform Building
Block
Key Components:
a. Front-End Servers: Present application interfaces
50

(e.g., Apache, IIS).

40
b. Application Servers: Containers for running
applications (e.g., Apache Tomcat, IBM WebSphere).
30

c. Connectivity: Data flow tools (e.g., FTP servers, ESBs 20

like TIBCO or Microsoft BizTalk). 10

d. Databases: Structured data storage systems (e.g., 0

Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5

Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL).

Management:
Managed by specialized system managers for
specific technologies.
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 Infrastructure Building Blocks
Components:
a. End-User Devices: Tools for user interaction (e.g., PCs, laptops,
25 mobile devices).
20
b. Operating Systems: Software managing device operations
15
(e.g., Windows, Linux).

10
c. Compute: Physical/virtual servers in data centers.
d. Storage: Data storage systems (e.g., NAS, SAN, tapes).
5

e. Networking: Communication infrastructure (e.g., LAN, VPNs,

0

routers).
Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4 Item 5

f. Datacenters: Facilities hosting IT infrastructure (e.g., HVAC,

power supplies).
Interconnections:
Components like servers depend on both networking and
Page 14 storage for functionality.
 Introduction to IT
Infrastructure Model

Infrastructure Management Processes and

Building Block
Information

Processes:
ITIL and DevOps frameworks for managing Applications Building Block
IT services.
Includes processes for monitoring, logging,
Application Platform Building
and backup. Block

Tools:
Systems ensuring reliability and efficiency of Infrastructure Building Blocks

infrastructure operations.

Infrastructure Management

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Non-Functional Attributes and Requirements
in IT Infrastructure
1. Introduction to Non-Functional Attributes
Definition and Importance:
IT infrastructures deliver services to applications.
These services include both functional (e.g., disk
space, network routing) and non-functional
attributes.
Non-functional attributes: Qualitative
characteristics that describe how a system behaves
rather than what it does.

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1. Introduction to Non-Functional Attributes
Key Non-Functional Attributes:
Availability, Scalability, Reliability, Stability, Testability,
Recoverability.
Most critical: Security, Performance, and Availability.
Why They Matter:
Non-functional attributes significantly influence user
satisfaction and business outcomes.
Example: Poor website performance can drive users
away, affecting revenue.

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1. Introduction to Non-Functional Attributes
Misconception About "Non-functional":
The term suggests a lack of function, which is
misleading.
These attributes directly impact the system's usability
and trustworthiness.
A better term is quality attributes, but "non-functional
requirements" (NFRs) remain widely used.
Example (Car Analogy):
A car’s function is to transport people, but safety
(airbags, ABS), reliability (not breaking down), and industry
standards (pedal placement) are critical yet often assumed.
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2. Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) and
Challenges
Defining NFRs:
NFRs describe the expected quality attributes of a system. They
are often implicit and require architects to actively uncover and
define them.
Example: Users expect systems to "perform well" without
explicitly stating what that means.
Stakeholder Expectations:
Users focus on functional requirements and assume NFRs are
"built-in."
Designers and system managers face difficulties balancing implicit
expectations with explicit capabilities.
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2. Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) and
Challenges
The Cost and Complexity of NFRs:
A large portion of infrastructure budgets goes into meeting
NFRs.
Stakeholders may underestimate the effort required to fulfill
certain NFRs (e.g., “The system must always be available”).
Quantifying Requirements:
Helps stakeholders make informed decisions:
Example: “What happens if the website is down for 5 minutes
daily?”
“Would spending $500,000 to meet this requirement still be
worth it?”
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3. Balancing Non-Functional Requirements

Interdependence with Infrastructure and Applications:

Infrastructure limitations can prevent applications from meeting

quality expectations:
A poorly designed infrastructure (e.g., single points of failure)
impacts application availability.
Poorly designed applications can undermine a robust
infrastructure.
Examples of Conflicts:
1. Security vs. User Friendliness:
Users want high security but dislike inconveniences like frequent
password changes or multi-factor authentication.

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4. Key NFRs for IT Infrastructure
Availability:
Ensuring systems are operational when needed.
Infrastructures with single points of failure risk unavailability.
Performance:
Delivering consistent, efficient service under expected load.
Poor infrastructure design leads to bottlenecks.
Security:
Protecting data and systems from breaches. Flaws at any level
(infrastructure, applications, or processes) can undermine
overall security.

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Key Takeaways
Non-functional attributes are critical for
infrastructure success but often undervalued.
Architects must uncover implicit
requirements, balance trade-offs, and
communicate their impact to stakeholders.
Availability, performance, and security are
foundational NFRs requiring careful planning
and execution.

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 THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION