Information System Management - Architecture and Infrastructure

This document contains information about Information System Management (ISM) architecture and infrastructures. It covers the difference between architecture and infrastructures, ISA layers, concepts, representation, framework, elements, role in system development and components.

1. INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Architecture and
Infrastructure






Prepared by:

FOR-IAN V. SANDOVAL
BINNIE BORNIDOR


2015

2. ISM ARCHITECTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Outline

What’s the difference between architecture and an infrastructure?

Information System Architecture
Definition
Shared Terms for IS Architecture
Analogy of Architectural Concepts
Architectural Representation of an IS
Framework of IS Architecture
Elements of Zachman’s Framework for Information Systems Architecture
Why Information Architecture Matters
The Role of IS Architecture in System Development
Stakeholder Classifications

Information System Infrastructure
Definition
The Need for an IS Infrastructure
IS Infrastructure Components
Managing Hardware Infrastructure
Managing Software Infrastructure
Managing the Communication and Collaboration Infrastructure
Managing the Data and Knowledge Infrastructure
Managing the Facilities Infrastructure
Managing Human Resource Infrastructure
Managing the Service Infrastructure
Ensuring Reliable and Secure Infrastructure

3. What is the difference between architecture and infrastructure?

Architecture Infrastructure
 conceptual model of the components
of some IT system
 the business processes and rules,
systems structure, technical
framework, and product technologies
for a business or organizational
information system
 hardware, software, networks, data,
facilities, human resources and
services components


Information System Architecture

- the structural design of shared information environments

- the art and science of organizing and labeling web sites, intranets, online
communities, and software to support findability and usability

- an emerging community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and
architecture to the digital landscape

- is a formal definition of the business processes and rules, systems structure,
technical framework, and product technologies for a business or organizational
information system

- ISA encompasses the hardware and software used to deliver the solution to the
final consumer of services

- architecture is a description of the design and contents of a computerized system

- the architecture may include information such as a detailed inventory of current
hardware, software and networking capabilities; a description of long-range plans
and priorities for future purchases, and a plan for upgrading and/or replacing
dated equipment and software

- usually consists of four layers: business process architecture, systems
architecture, technical architecture, and product delivery architecture

4. ISA Four Layers

1. Business Process Architecture

- a blueprint of the enterprise that
provides a common understanding
of the organization and is used to
align strategic objectives and
tactical demands

- the bridge between the
enterprise business model
and enterprise strategy on one side,
and the business functionality of the
enterprise on the other side

2. System Architecture

- the conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and more views of
a system

- a formal description and representation of a system, organized in a way that
supports reasoning about the structures and behaviors of the system

- comprise system components, the externally visible properties of those
components, the relationships

- provide a plan from which products can be procured, and systems developed,
that will work together to implement the overall system

- several types of system architecture such (1) Hardware architecture, (2) Software
architecture, (3) Enterprise architecture, Collaborative systems architectures
(such as the Internet, intelligent transportation systems, and joint air defense
systems), (4) Manufacturing systems architectures and (5) Strategic systems
architecture
[


3. Technical Architecture

- computer system architecture 'layer' which defines and specifies
the interfaces, parameters, and protocols used by product architecture and
system architecture layers

4. Product Delivery Architecture

- the scheme by which the functional elements of the product are arranged into
physical chunks and by which the chunks interact

5. - links architecture to system-level design and the principles of system engineering

- has profound implications for how the product is designed, made, sold, used,
repaired


Shared Terms for IS Architecture

- What “client owners” intend might differ from what “programmers” intend
 They might use the same term “data”, but they refer to different things
depending on their perspective

- What things look like differs from how things work
 The same term, but they refer to different things depending on what you
describe, e.g. process

- Necessary to define the term based on participants’ view and component
description
 Participant view: client owner, designer, builder
 Component description: data, process, network


Analogy of Architectural Concepts














1. Architect’s bubble chart schematic (all view)
• Mutual understanding among all involved, and particularly between client and
architect (designer)
• A bubble chart is used to visualize a data set with two to four dimensions. The
first two dimensions are visualized as coordinates, the third as color and the
fourth as size.
• Bubble charts can facilitate the understanding of social, economical, medical,
and other scientific relationships

6. • Bubble charts can be considered a variation of the scatter plot, in which the data
points are replaced with bubbles.















 The bubble chart can be use instead of a scatter chart if your data has three data
series that each contain a set of values. The sizes of the bubbles are determined
by the values in the third data series.

2. Architect’s drawings (client’s view)
 A transcription of the client’s perceptual requirements
 Tasks to be accomplished given resources (time, budget)

3. Architect’s plans (designer’s view)
 A translation of the client’s perceptions/requirements into a product
 Tasks translated into a physical product

4. Contractor’s plans (builder’s view)
 The plans representing builder’s perspective
 How tasks are accomplished given technology constraints


Architectural Representation of an IS

 Each of the
architectural
representations
(artifacts)
differs from the
other in
essence, not
merely in level
of detail

7. Framework of IS Architecture

Two axes of the framework for information systems architecture are important

1) Architectural Representations
– It represents different perspectives of the different participants
– Client, designer, builder’s view (person centric)
– Business, information system, technology model

2) Types of Component Descriptions
– The same product can be described, for different purposes, in different ways
– Structure, transform, flow
– Data, process, network (connectivity) centric views
– The same product can be described differently in terms of:
• Data model: What things are made of, entity-relationship-entity
(Description I)
• Process model: How things work, input-process-output (Description II)
• Network model: Where the flow occurs, Node-line-node (Description III)











• Each element on an axis of the matrix (A, B, C an 1, 2, 3) is explicitly
different from all other elements on that one axis
• Different in content, meaning, motivation, and use.
• For example, in the data column, entity is seen as business entity from
client’s point of view, data entity from designer’s point of view, and data
row from builder’s point of view (data-centric views)
• Different types of descriptions of the same product

8. Elements of Zachman’s Framework for Information Systems Architecture

A. Architectural representations for describing the data
• Business scope (all perspective)
– A list of all the things that are important to the business (e.g. product, part,
supplies, employee, promotion, customer order, shipment)
– It supports strategy/resource investment decisions
• Business model (client perspective)
– Entity means “business” entity (e.g. DEPT, PROJ)
– Relationship means the relationship between business entity (m:n
relationship is allowed)
• Information systems model (designer perspective)
– Concepts independent of specific technology
– Entity means “data” entity (e.g. DEPT, DEPTPRJ, PROJ)
– Relationship means the relationship between data entity (m:n relationship
is not allowed)
• Technology model (builder perspective)
– Technology constraints are being applied
– Entity means technology-constrained equivalent (e.g. row, segment)
– Relationship means technology-constrained (e.g. key, pointer

2. Architectural representations for describing the process
• Business scope (all perspective)
– A list of business process; not definitive about I/O
• Business model (client’s perspective)
– Process means “business” process
– I/O involves business resources

9. – e.g. Functional flow diagram
• Information systems model (designer’s perspective)
– Process means “application” process
– I/O involves user views (i.e. some aggregation of data elements that flow
into and out of the application processes)
– e.g. Data flow diagram
• Technology model (builder’s perspective)
– Process means computer function
– I/O involves device formats
– e.g. Structure chart

3. Architectural representations for describing the network

• Business scope (all perspective)
– A list of locations in which the business operates
– Support strategy/resource investment decision for selecting the subset of
locations in which to actually locate technology
• Business model (client perspective)
– Node involves business units at some geographic locations
– Link involves logistics connections of product or information
• Information system model (designer perspective)
– Node involves information system function
– Link involves special characteristics of communication line
• Technology model (builder perspective)
– Node involves physical hardware and software
– Link involves complete specification of communications line


Why Information Architecture Matters

When you calculate the importance of information architecture to your organization, you
should consider the following costs and value propositions:

1. The cost of finding information

What does it cost if every employee in your company spends an extra five
minutes per day struggling to find answers on your intranet? What is the cost of
frustrating your customers with a poorly organized web site?

2. The cost of not finding information

How many bad decisions are made every day in your organization because
employees didn’t find the information they needed? How much duplication of effort
results from this disconnect? How many customers do you lose because they couldn’t
find the product they want on your web site? How much do you spend every day

10. providing telephone support to existing customers because theyhate navigating your
online technical support database?

3. The value of education

What is the value of educating your customers about new products and services
related to the ones they’re actively seeking on your web site?

4. The cost of construction

What does it cost to design and build a web site? How much does it cost to do it
again six months later because it doesn’t support findability or doesn’t scale?

5. The cost of maintenance

Similarly, what does it cost to ensure that good designs don’t crumble over time?
Will the people who maintain your site know where to put new content and when to
remove outdated content?

6. The cost of training

For internal, mission-critical information systems that support call centers, for
example, what does it cost to train employees to use that system? How much could you
save if it wasn’t so complicated to use?

7. The value of brand
No matter how beautiful your web site, if customers can’t find what they need,
your brand loses value in the


The Role of IS Architecture in System Development

1. Ensure purpose before architecting.
2. Ensure that stakeholders have an opportunity to vet architectural trade-offs as they
occur.
3. Evaluate the architecture throughout system development. Although an architecture
is intended to be a persistent framework during the life cycle (and life) of a system,
unforeseen changes (e.g., new missions) can influence the best of "first version"
architectures.
4. Construct the architecture to help understand technology readiness and evolution,
and avoid getting locked in to proprietary or potentially obsolete technologies or
captured by a specific vendor.

11. Stakeholder Classifications

Definition. A stakeholder in the architecture of a system is an individual, team,
organization, or classes thereof, having an interest in the realization of the system.

Principle. The architect must ensure that there is adequate stakeholder representation
across the board, including nontechnology stakeholders (such as acquirers and users)
and technology-focused ones (such as developers, system administrators, and
maintainers).

Stakeholders according to their roles and concerns

Acquirers Oversee the procurement of the system or product
Assessors Oversee the system’s conformance to standards and legal regulation
Communicators Explain the system to other stakeholders via its documentation and
training materials
Developers Construct and deploy the system from specifications (or lead the
teams that do this)
Maintainers Manage the evolution of the system once it is operational
Production
Engineers
Design, deploy, and manage the hardware and software
environments in which the system will be built, tested, and run
Suppliers Build and/or supply the hardware, software, or infrastructure on
which the system will run
Support Staff Provide support to users for the product or system when it is running
System
Administrators
Run the system once it has been deployed
Testers Test the system to ensure that it is suitable for use
Users Define the system’s functionality and ultimately make use of it

12. Information System Infrastructure

 Interconnection of basic facilities
and services enabling the area to
function properly
 the people, processes, procedures,
tools, facilities, and technology
which supports the creation, use,
transport, storage, and destruction
of information


The Need for an IS Infrastructure

 Businesses rely on IS infrastructure to support business processes, decision
making and competitive strategy

 Business processes perform activities that organizations to perform to achieve
business goals

Business Processes Activities

1. Core processes make up the
primary activities in the value
chain; these are all the
processes that are needed to
manufacture goods, sell the
products, and provide service.

2. Supporting processes are all the
processes that are needed to
perform the value chain’s
supporting activities, such as
accounting and human
resources management.


IS Infrastructure Components

1. Hardware
2. Software
3. Communication & Collaboration
4. Data and Knowledge
5. Facilities
6. Human Resources
A generic value chain showing an organization’s core and
supporting activities.

13. 7. Services
Managing Hardware Infrastructure

 Integral part of the infrastructure:
Computers
Networking hardware

 Issues:
What technologies to choose?
When to replace equipment?
How to secure infrastructure?
How to assure reliability?

Fluctuating computing demand (On-demand Computing)
o Available resources allocated based on user needs
o Utility computing
 On-demand computing rented from external provider
 Paid on as-needed basis

Large-scale problems
o Grid Computing
 Combines computing power of a large number of smaller,
independent, networked computers
o Tasks broken down into smaller chunks
 Dedicated vs. heterogeneous grids
o Acquisition vs. management costs
 Edge computing
o Save bandwidth
o Improved Response time

System complexity
 Autonomic computing
o Self-managing systems requiring minimal human
intervention to operate


Managing Software Infrastructure

 Software enables companies to utilize their IS hardware

 Issues:
Cost of Software
Integration
Managing bugs and licenses
Fluctuating computing needs

15.  Open-Source Software
 Open-source movement aided by the advent of the Internet
 Source code is freely available for use and/or modification
o Open-source operating system such Linux (used in everything from
fridges to personal computers to supercomputers)

 Open-Source Application Software
 Open-source application software such Apache Web server, Firefox Web
browser, Open Office
 Drawback:
o Finding customer support may be difficult

 Web Services
 Web-based software systems allowing for an interaction of different
programs and databases over a network
 Service-oriented architecture

 Managing software bugs
 Increased complexity of applications prevents error- free development
 Patch management system

 Managing software licensing
 Hot topic due to problems with piracy
 Shrink-wrap license
 Enterprise license
 Software asset management

 Application Service Providers
 ASPs provide on-demand software access over the Web
o Specific software located on the ASP’s server
o Accessed using Web-enabled interfaces
 Benefits:
o Reduced need to maintain or upgrade software
o Fixed monthly fee for services
o Reliability
 Example: Google Calendar

 Types of ASPs: Specialist or functional ASP
o Vertical market ASP
o Enterprise ASP
o Local ASP

Managing the Communication and Collaboration Infrastructure

 Help organizations to become powerful

16.  Diverse communication needs

 Enabled by networking hardware and software
 Email servers
 Communication software

 Key issue
What types of communication technologies support the organization’s
goals?

 Solution
 Convergence
 Increasing mobility

 Convergence of Computing and Telecommunication
 Convergence of functionality of devices such Cell phone and PDA
 Convergence within underlying infrastructures such IP convergence

 IP Convergence: VoIP
 Use of Internet technologies for placing telephone calls
 High quality of transmission possible
 Ability to call from any place with Internet connection

 IP Convergence: Videoconferencing over IP
 IP used to transmit video data
 Desktop video conferencing
 HP Halo meeting room

 Increasing Mobility
 Knowledge workers require access to information from anywhere
o Communication devices
o Wireless devices capable of connecting to organization’s internal
network
 Wireless security concerns


Managing Data and Knowledge Infrastructure

 Organizations need to find new ways to manage:
 Data from different sources such Data mining
 Internal knowledge such Knowledge management tools
 Data Mining
 Online transaction processing (OLTP)
o Immediate response to user requests

17.  Online analytical processing (OLAP)
o Quickly conducting complex analyses on data stored in a database

 Enhancing business intelligence by combining data from various sources

 Operational Systems vs Informational System















 Data Warehouses and Data Marts
 Data Warehouse
o Integration of multiple large databases and other information
sources into a single repository
o Pull together, integrate, and share critical corporate data throughout
the firm
 Data Mart
o Data warehouse that is limited in scope
o Customized for the decision support applications of a particular
end-user group

 Increasing Business Intelligence with Knowledge Management
 Knowledge management
o The process used to get the greatest value from knowledge assets
 Knowledge management system
o Collection of tools to generate, store, share, and manage tacit
knowledge assets

 Knowledge Assets
 Knowledge assets: skills, routines, practices, principles, formulas,
methods, heuristics, and intuitions
o Explicit knowledge assets
o Tacit knowledge assets

18. Managing Facilities Infrastructure

 Need for specialized facilities including electricity, cooling, water

 Key issues:
Where to house data centers, etc.
Threats to IS facilities
o Outside intruders
o Environmental elements

 Ensuring availability
 High availability facilities
 Collocation facilities

 Securing the facilities
 Physical safeguards

Managing Human Resource Infrastructure

 Need for trained workforce may be managed by facility location, educational
grants, human resources policies and outsourcing of human resource services

 Locating facilities in areas with high concentration of people with a certain skill

 Providing education opportunities for existing employees

 Human resource policies such flexitime and telecommunicating

 Outsourcing of human resource services


Managing Service Infrastructure

 Processes which are not core competencies are often delegated to companies
with more experience

 Increased complexity of IS
 Outsourcing
 Services providers address infrastructure needs

 Outsourcing
 Partial or entire responsibility for IS development and/or management
given to an outside organization
 Enables focus on core competencies

19. o Outsourced functions
 Non-core functions e.g., accounting, human resources

o Some business functions traditionally kept within the organization
 Information systems security

 Service providers addressing infrastructure needs






Ensuring Reliable and Secure Infrastructure

 Variety of threats to IS infrastructure
 Infrastructure reliability may be the most important concern
 Disaster planning
o Disaster recovery plan
 Detailed list of procedures to follow when recovering from a
systems-related disaster
o Backup Sites
 Cold backup site – an empty warehouse with all necessary
connections for power and communication
 Hot backup site – a fully equipped backup facility
 Choosing a backup site location different geographic location
to minimize the risk of a disaster happening to both systems

 Designing the recovery plan
o Recovery time objectives
 Specify the maximum time allowed to recover from a
catastrophic event
o Recovery point objectives
 Specify how current the backup data should be

20.  IS controls
o Specific IT processes designed to ensure reliability of information
o Controls should be a combination of three types of controls:
 Preventive controls
 Detective controls
 Corrective controls

o Hierarchy of IS Controls


















 IS Auditing

o IS audit
 Performed by external auditors to help organizations assess the
state of their IS controls
 To determine necessary changes
 To assure the IS availability, confidentiality, and integrity

o Risk assessment
 Determine what type of risks the IS infrastructure faces

o Computer Assisted Auditing Tools (CAAT)
 Specific software to test applications and data, test data, or
simulations.

21. References

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/technical-architecture.html
Retrieved August 19, 2015

http://www.mitre.org/publications/systems-engineering-guide/se-lifecycle-
building-blocks/system-architecture Retrieved August 19, 2015