Module 5

IT Infrastructure

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

What are the components of IT infrastructure?

What are the major computer hardware, data storage,
input, and output technologies used in organizations?
What are the major types of computer software used in
business?
What are the most important contemporary hardware
and software trends?
What are the principal issues in managing hardware
and software technology?

Defining IT Infrastructure
Includes hardware, software, and services
A set of physical devices and software
applications that are required to operate the
entire enterprise
Your MDA is largely dependent on its
infrastructure for delivering services to the
citizens, customers, employees, contractors /
consultants and suppliers.
You can think of infrastructure as digital
plumbing, but its much more than that!

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Infrastructure Components

IT infrastructure: Provides platform for supporting all

information systems in the business

Computer hardware
Computer software
Data management technology

Organizes, manages, and processes business data

concerned with inventory, customers, and vendors

Networking and telecommunications technology

Technology services

E.g. consultants for systems integration with legacy

systems

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

IT Infrastructure Components

A firms IT infrastructure is composed of

hardware, software, data management
technology, networking technology, and
technology services.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Types of Computers

Computers come in different sizes with varying

capabilities for processing information

FLOPS (Floating point operations per second)

PDAs, handheld mobile devices

PCs

Workstation

More powerful mathematical and graphics-processing

capabilities than a PC

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Types of Computers

Servers

Type of midrange computer

Support computer network, sharing files and resources
Provide hardware platform for e-commerce

Mainframes

Large-capacity, high-performance computer that can

process large amounts of data very rapidly
E.g. used by airlines for thousands of reservations per
second

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Types of Computers

Supercomputer

More sophisticated computer used for tasks requiring

extremely rapid and complex calculations with
thousands of variables, millions of measurements
Used in engineering, scientific simulations,
military/weapons research, weather forecasting

Grid computing

Power of geographically remote computers connected

into single network to act as virtual supercomputer

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Types of Computers

Client/server computing

Form of distributed computing

Splits processing between clients and servers
Clients: User point of entry
Servers: Store and process shared data and perform
network management activities

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Types of Computers

Client/server computing (cont.)

Two-tiered client/server architecture

Uses two types of machines
Multitiered client/server architecture (N-tier)

Balances load of network over several levels of

servers

E.g. Web servers and application servers

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Client/Server Computing

In client/server computing, computer

processing is split between client machines and
server machines linked by a network. Users
interface with the client machines.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

A Multitiered Client/Server Network (N-Tier)

In a multitiered client/server network, client requests for service are handled by different levels of servers.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Storage, Input, and Output Technology

Primary secondary storage technologies

Magnetic disk:
Hard drives, USB flash drives
RAID: Can package hundreds of drives for massage
storage requirements (Redundant Array of
Independent Disks)

Optical disks
CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD

Magnetic tape
Storage networking: SANs
Connect multiple storage devices on a separate
high-speed network dedicated to storage

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

A Storage Area Network (SAN)

A typical SAN consists of a

server, storage devices, and
networking devices, and is
used strictly for storage. The
SAN stores data on many
different types of storage
devices, providing data to the
enterprise. The SAN supports
communication between any
server and the storage unit as
well as between different
storage devices in the network.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Storage, Input, and Output Technology

Input devices:
Gather data and convert them into electronic form

Keyboard
Computer mouse
Touch screen
Optical character recognition
Magnetic ink character recognition
Pen-based input
Digital scanner
Audio input
Sensors

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Storage, Input, and Output Technology

Output devices:

Display data after they have been processed

Monitor
Printer
Audio output

Information systems collect and process information in

one of two ways

Batch processing: Transactions stored for predefined

amount of time, then processed as group
Online processing: Transactions processed
immediately

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Contemporary Hardware Trends

Integration of computing and telecommunications

platforms

Cell phones merging with handhelds

Growth of Internet telephony

Nanotechnology

Creating computer chips and other devices thousands

of times smaller through manipulating individual
atoms, molecules

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Examples of Nanotubes

Nanotubes are tiny tubes about

10,000 times thinner than a
human hair. They consist of
rolled up sheets of carbon
hexagons, have potential uses
as minuscule wires or in
ultrasmall electronic devices,
and are very powerful
conductors of electrical
current.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Contemporary Hardware Trends

Edge computing

Multitier, load-balancing scheme for Web-based

applications
Significant parts of Web site content, logic, and
processing performed by smaller, less expensive
servers located nearby the user
Increases response time and resilience and lowers
technology costs.

Autonomic computing

Development of systems that can configure

themselves, heal themselves; e.g. self-updating
antivirus software

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Edge Computing Platform

Edge computing involves the use of the Internet to balance the processing load of enterprise platforms across the client and edge computing
platform.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Hardware

Contemporary Hardware Trends

Virtualization

Process of presenting a set of computing resources so

they can be accessed in ways that are unrestricted by
physical configuration or geographic location

Server virtualization: Running more than one

operating system at the same time on single machine.

Multicore processors

Integrated circuit with two or more processors

Enhanced performance, reduced power consumption

and more efficient simultaneous processing of multiple
tasks

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Operating System Software

The software that manages and controls the

computers activities

PC operating systems and graphical user interfaces

GUIs
Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows
Server 2003
UNIX
Linux
Open-source software

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

The Major Types of Software

The relationship among the system software,

application software, and users can be
illustrated by a series of nested boxes. System
softwareconsisting of operating systems,
language translators, and utility programs
controls access to the hardware. Application
software, including programming languages
and fourth-generation languages, must work
through the system software to operate. The
user interacts primarily with the application
software.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Application Software and Desktop Productivity Tools

Application programming languages for business

COBOL
C, C++
Visual Basic: Visual programming language

Fourth-generation languages

Software tools that enable end-users to develop

software applications
Tend to be nonprocedural, may use natural
languages

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Categories of Fourth-Generation Languages

Tool

Description

Example

PC software tools

General-purpose software packages for

PCs

WordPerfect
Microsoft Access

Query language

Languages for retrieving data stored in

databases or files

SQL

Report generator

Specialized tools for creating highly

customized reports

Crystal Reports

Graphics language

Display data from databases in graphic

format

SAS Graph
Systat

Application generator

Preprogrammed modules to generate

entire applications

FOCUS
Microsoft FrontPage

Application software
package

Software programs that eliminate need

for custom, in-house software

Oracle PeopleSoft HCM

mySAP ERP

Very high-level
programming language

Generate program code with fewer

instructions than conventional languages

APL
Nomad2

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Application Software and Desktop Productivity Tools

Software packages and desktop

productivity tools

Word processing software

Spreadsheet software
Data management software
Presentation graphics
Software suites
Web browsers

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Spreadsheet Software

Spreadsheet software organizes data into

columns and rows for analysis and
manipulation. Contemporary spreadsheet
software provides graphing abilities for a clear,
visual representation of the data in the
spreadsheets. This sample break-even analysis
is represented as numbers in a spreadsheet as
well as a line graph for easy interpretation.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Software for the Web: Java, AJAX, and HTML

Java

Operating system-independent, processorindependent, object-oriented programming

language

AJAX

Allows a client and server to exchange data

behind the scenes to avoid reloading a Web
page after each change

Hypertext markup language (HTML)

Page description language for specifying

how elements are placed on a Web page and
for creating links to other pages and objects

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Interactive Session: Organizations

Will Google Take Over the Desktop?

Read the Interactive Session and then discuss

the following questions:
What are the benefits of using Google Apps?
What kinds of businesses are most likely to
benefit? What kinds are least likely to benefit?
What reasons might a business have to continue
using Microsoft Office for desktop productivity?
Search the Web for an article titled Microsoft
Office Live Vs. Google Apps For Your Domain by
Preston Gralla from September 2006. Do you
agree with the authors conclusion?

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Web Services

Web services:
Software components that exchange information with each
other using universal Web communication standards and
languages
XML (extensible markup language)
SOAP (simple object access protocol)
WSDL (web services description language)
UDDI (universal description, discovery, and integration)
Service oriented architecture (SOA)

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

How Dollar Rent-a-Car Uses Web Services

Dollar Rent-A-Car uses Web services to

provide a standard intermediate layer of
software to talk to other companies
information systems. Dollar Rent-A-Car
can use this set of Web services to link
to other companies information systems
without having to build a separate link to
each firms systems.

IT Infrastructure: Computer Software

Software Trends

Open Source Software

Ubuntu
Cloud Computing
Google Apps, Windows Live
Mashups
ChicagoCrime.org
Widgets
Apple Dashboard

Managing Hardware and Software Technology

Capacity planning

Process of predicting when hardware system

becomes saturated

Ensuring firm has enough computing power for

current and future needs

Factors include:

Maximum number of users

Impact of current, future software
Performance measures

Scalability: Ability of system to expand to serve large

number of users without breaking down

Managing Hardware and Software Technology

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model

Used to analyze direct and indirect costs to help

determine the actual cost of owning a specific
technology

Direct costs: Hardware, software purchase costs

Indirect costs: Ongoing administration costs,

upgrades, maintenance, technical support,
training, utility and real estate costs

Hidden costs: Support staff, downtime,

additional network management

TCO can be reduced through increased

centralization, standardization of hardware and
software resources

Managing Hardware and Software Technology

Using technology service providers

Outsourcing

Using external provider to:

Run networks
Host, manage Web site(s)
Develop software (offshore software
outsourcing)
Manage IT infrastructures
Requires Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

Managing Hardware and Software Technology

Using technology service providers

On-demand computing (utility computing)

Firms off-loading peak demand for computing

power to remote, large-scale data processing
centers

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Firms rent software functions from Web-based

services, with users paying either on a
subscription or per-transaction basis

Managing Hardware and Software Technology

Managing software localization for

global business

Local language interfaces

English not typically standard at middle, lower

levels
Interfaces are complex: Menu bars, error
messages, online forms, search results, etc.

Differences in local cultures

Differences in business processes

All of these factors add to TCO of using technology service

providers

Managing Hardware and Software Technology

This page from the

Pearson Prentice Hall
Web site for Laudon
text books was
translated into
Chinese using
AltaVista Babel Fish
translation tools. Web
sites and software
interfaces for global
systems may have to
be translated into
multiple languages to
accommodate users in
other parts of the
world.

GIFMIS INFRASTRUCTURE
GIFMIS
Defined
OVERVIEW
The Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

GIFMIS INFRASTRUCTURE OVERVIEW

PERSONNEL
HARDWARE
SOFTWARE
ENVIRONMENT
POWER

40

The GIFMIS Package

The GIFMIS
System

Peopleware
FGN/HP

Software
Application

Budgeting
BES & BPS

Resource
Management

Hardware

Integration
Adapters

Data Centre
Infrastructur
e

LAN/WAN
Network
Connectivity

41

POWER
GIFMIS
Defined
The Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

DATACENTER POWER CONFIGURATION

CONFIGURATION

CONTROLLER

Dual Stabilizer
Dual UPS + Dual Battery Banks
Single Load

UPS 1
UPS 2

75kVA
STABILIZER

UPS 3
UPS 4
UPS 5

STATIC SWITCH

75KVA STABILIZER

50KVA UPS B

LOAD

CONTROLLER
UPS 1
UPS 2

75kVA
STABILIZER

UPS 3
UPS 4
UPS 5

STATIC SWITCH

OBSERVATIONS

75KVA STABILIZER

43

50KVA UPS A

75kVA Stabilizer provides only 33%

headroom with each UPS running.
HOT-STANDBY configuration has load
sharing automated
Dual Stabilizer FULL REDUNDANCY

ENVIRONMENT
GIFMIS Defined
The Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

DC Environment
Cooling/H
umidity
Control

Fire
Fighting
System

DC
Surveillanc
e System

GIFMIS SOFTWARE
GIFMIS Defined
SYSTEM
The Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

Operat Applicat
ing
ion
Syste Softwar
ms
e

GIFMIS
RESOURCE
GIFMIS
BES
MANAGEMENT
GIFMIS BPS
GIFMIS
REPORTING

RedHeart Linux

Windows 2007

Windows Server 2008 R2

Databa Utilities
&
se
Others
Manag
ement
Softwar
e
HP DATA
HP NNMi
PROTECTOR
INTEGRATION
GIFMIS
SERVICE
ADAPTERS
DESK
ORACLE
PRTG
DATAGUARD

ORACLE
DATABASE
ENTERPRISE
VERSION

GIFMIS SOFTWARE SYSTEM

GIFMIS APPLICATION OVERVIEW

Budget Preparation

Budget Execution

Macro-fiscal
scenarios

Appropriations

Budget limits
planning

Contracts

Budget Draft
Preparation
Budget
Projections

Resources
HansaWorld
General Ledger

Commitments

Procurement
Management

Payments and
Revenue

Inventory
Management

Cash
Management

Investments
Projects

Integration
Adapters
Banks
Financial Assets
management
State Registries

Assets
Management

Revenue
Administrators
Other Systems

Solution Channels and Integration Components

Webmedia
Business
Solutions
Platform
RDBMS

48

Master
Data
Management

Reporting
Services and
Analytics

Application Server

Security
Authentication
Authorisation
Content Management

Workflow
and
Business Rules
Integration Platform

GIFMIS HARDWARE
GIFMIS Defined
SYSTEM
The Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

GIFMIS HARDWARE SYSTEM

SERVE
RS
Storage
Management
Server
Network
Managemnt
Servers
Applicatio
n Servers
Windows
Servers

STORAG
E
HP EVA 4400
HP MLS
HP VLS

NETWO
RK
CISCO
Router
CISCO
Switch
CISCO ASA

CONNE
CTIVITY
Fiber Optics
Internet
Radio

Primary Data Center Infrastructure

51

Secondary Data Center

Infrastructure

52

53

54

Connectivi
ty

GIFMIS Defined
The Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

Complex DC Infrastructure
Primary Datacenter
Abuja
Servers & storage
Application software
Databases
Operations
Support

Secondary Datacenter Gombe

Servers & storage
Application software
Databases

Ministries, Departments & Agencie

Secure 6 locations in Abuja

data
network
Federal Pay Offices
6 locations in Nigeria

56

Non-Pilot MDAs globally

located link over
the internet.

Global Network overview

57

Routing and Switching

A Cisco 3945 series router will be deployed; accessories that are
included;
Security Bundle
VPN Client License
IP Base License
Cisco 3750G-12S-S Switch is selected as the core switch so as to
provide high speed switching performance for the network. The 3750G
fiber switch will also be responsible for managing the network VLAN,
and will form part of the network access/admission control security
system
Cisco 3750G 24TD-E switches as the Distribution switches providing
layer 3 switching to connect LAN Access Switches for performance
switching balance
58

Network Security

59

ASA 5540 Firewall will be deployed to thwart external and

internal threats to both the building and the data centre and will
have the following features;
Contexts Security Feature
Intrusion Prevention System
Cisco secure access control server software will be installed to
integrate the network authentication with active directory. This will
ensure a single point of user security

APPS & Network

Management

PRODUCTIVITY
ACS, LMS, NNMI
Adventnet - ServiceDesk

Enterprise CAL Suite Concurrent User (OAGF/FMF/BoF Office

Only)
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
Windows Server 2008 Standard
Exchange Server - Enterprise Edition
Forefront Client Security Management Console
Forefront Server Security Management Console
System Center Configuration Manager Client Management
License
System Center Configuration Manager Server Management
License Enterprise
60

BUSINESS CONTINUITY
GIFMIS Defined

The Government Integrated Financial Management

Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

62

Backup Strategy
63

Onsite/Offsite
Backups

GIFMIS INFRASTRUCTURE
GIFMIS
Defined
MANAGEMENT
The Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

SECURITY
ACCESS
CONTROL
SECURIT
Y
PERSONN
EL
CHECK

BIOMETRI
C
ACCESS
CHECK

DATACENT
ER
PERSONNE
L CHECK

CCTV
MONITOR

SECURITY POLICY
USER
PROTECTI
ON

SOFTWAR
E
PROTECTI
ON

DATA
PROTECTI
ON

HARDWAR
E
PROTECTI
ON

65

CHALLENGES
GIFMIS Defined
The Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS) is an IT based solution for
financial management and accounting that is being
implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to
improve Public Expenditure Management processes,
enhance greater accountability and transparency across
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). GIFMIS is
designed to make use of modern information and
communication technologies to help the Government of
Nigeria to plan and use its financial resources more
efficiently and effectively.

Power
Data Carriage Media
Skills Acquisition
MDAs Linkages
SDC Location
Funding

67

THANK u 4 Listening

Question and Answer Session