What is information architecture and what is information infrastructure and how do they differ and how do they relate to each other?
Information Architecture works to identify where and how important information is maintained and secured. This information includes customer records. The three primary areas of information architecture are backup & recovery, disaster recovery and information security. These areas all come together to help a company prevent losing data and having to spend time and money on either restoring or recreating it.
Information Infrastructure is also known as infrastructure architecture. It includes all the hardware, software and telecommunications equipment that provides the underlying foundation to support the organisation’s goals. As an organisation changes its systems must be able to change to support its operations.
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| Information architecture (IA) concerns itself with just the data systems of a company, whereas information infrastructure (IF) is involved in all the systems of a company. | Both a part of Enterprise Architecture. |
| IA is an approach to information while IF is a foundation for the delivery of foundation. | Both work together to secure the company’s systems. |
Describe how an organisation can implement solid information architecture.
An organisation can implement solid information architecture by paying close attention to the three areas:
· Backup & Recovery
A backup is an exact copy of the system’s information.
A backup is an exact copy of the system’s information.
Recovery is the ability to get a system up and running in the event of a system crash or failure and includes restoring the information backup.
Businesses lose money and time when their systems crash or fail, therefore there must be systems in place to aid the company when this happens.
Businesses lose money and time when their systems crash or fail, therefore there must be systems in place to aid the company when this happens.
· Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery plans are a detailed process for recovering information or an IT system in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
Disasters can include power outages, natural disasters and external forces such as hacking. Companies need to create disaster recovery plans to prepare the company for such occurrences.
Disaster recovery plans are a detailed process for recovering information or an IT system in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
Disasters can include power outages, natural disasters and external forces such as hacking. Companies need to create disaster recovery plans to prepare the company for such occurrences.
· Information Security
Information security, such as antivirus software and passwords, is key when protecting a company. The company needs to take such measures to secure and protect their information in case of external threats.
Information security, such as antivirus software and passwords, is key when protecting a company. The company needs to take such measures to secure and protect their information in case of external threats.
List and describe the five requirement characteristics of infrastructure architecture.
The five required characteristics are:
· Flexibility
The company’s ability to be able to meet all types of business changes.
The company’s ability to be able to meet all types of business changes.
· Scalability
Scalability is how well a system can adapt to increased demands. These demands come from organisational growth.
Scalability is how well a system can adapt to increased demands. These demands come from organisational growth.
· Reliability
This ensures all systems are functioning correctly and providing accurate information.
This ensures all systems are functioning correctly and providing accurate information.
· Availability
This addresses when systems can be accessed by users. High availability occurs when a system that is continually operational for a desirability long length of time.
This addresses when systems can be accessed by users. High availability occurs when a system that is continually operational for a desirability long length of time.
· Performance
This measures how quickly a system performs a certain process or transaction. Not having enough performance can be devastating on a company.
This measures how quickly a system performs a certain process or transaction. Not having enough performance can be devastating on a company.
Describe the business value in deploying a service-oriented architecture.
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a ‘business-driven IT architectural approach that supports integrating a business as linked, repeatable tasks or services’.
The business value in deploying a SOA can see these benefits:
· The SOA enables businesses to address the new business requirements, provides the option to make the services consumable across different channels and exposes the existing IT infrastructure investments.
· SOAs are capable of sharing data and resources between two or more systems.
· Loose coupling – ‘the capability of services to be joied together on demand to create composite services, or disassembled just as easily into their functional components’.
What is an event?
An event can be defined as the ‘eyes and ears of a business’. They detect threats and opportunities and alert those who can act on the information. Companies use IT systems to look at business process for events that can help.
What is a service?
A service can be defined as something that appeals to a broad audience and is reusable. These to characteristics are vital if the company wants a long-term impact on productivity. Services are like valuable business processes. Modern day services include ‘Credit Checks’, ‘Customer Information’, ‘Process Payment’ and ‘Print/Save’.
What emerging technologies can companies use to increase performance and utilise their infrastructure more effectively?
Companies can use:
· Interoperability
The company’s capability of sharing data and resources between two or more systems.
The company’s capability of sharing data and resources between two or more systems.
· Loose Coupling
‘the capability of services to be joied together on demand to create composite services, or disassembled just as easily into their functional components’.
‘the capability of services to be joied together on demand to create composite services, or disassembled just as easily into their functional components’.
· Virtualisation
The framework for ‘dividing the resources of a computer into multiple execution environments’. It potentially increases physical resources to maximise the investment in hardware.
The framework for ‘dividing the resources of a computer into multiple execution environments’. It potentially increases physical resources to maximise the investment in hardware.
· Grid Computing
An ‘aggregation of geographically dispersed computing, storage and network resources, coordinated to deliver improved performance, higher quality of service, better utilisation and easier access to data’.
An ‘aggregation of geographically dispersed computing, storage and network resources, coordinated to deliver improved performance, higher quality of service, better utilisation and easier access to data’.
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