Review Questions for Chapter 5: IT Infrastructure: Hardware and Software

1. Define information technology (IT) infrastructure and describe each of its components.

IT infrastructure is the shared technology resources that provide the platform for the firm’s specific
information system applications. IT infrastructure includes hardware, software, and services that are
shared across the entire firm.

The five major components of an information technology (IT) infrastructure are:

 Computer hardware: The hardware is the technology for computer processing, data storage,
input, and output.

 Computer software: The software includes both system software and application software.

 Data management technology: The data management organizes, manages, and processes
business data concerned with inventory, customers, and vendors.

 Networking and telecommunications technologies: The Networking and telecommunications

 Technology services: The technology services external consultants who run and manage
infrastructure components.

2. Define the client/server model of computing and describe the difference between two-tiered
and n-tier client/server architecture.

Client/server model: Client/server computing splits processing between “clients” and “servers.” Both
are on the network but each machine is assigned functions it is best suited to perform. The client is the
user point of entry for the required function and is normally a desktop computer, workstation, or laptop
computer. The user generally interacts directly only with the client portion of the application, often to
input data or retrieve data for further analysis. The server provides the client with services. Servers store
and process shared data and also perform back-end functions not visible to users, such as managing
network activities.

Two-tier Architecture: Two-tiered client/server architecture is the simplest form of client/server

N-tier Architecture: N-tier client/server architecture is more complex than the simple two-tiered
client/server network. In this type of architecture, the work of the entire network is balanced over
several different levels of servers, depending on the kind of service being requested.

3. Distinguish between application software and system software and explain the role the
operating system of a computer plays.

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Application software: A computer program which is intended to perform some task classified along.
Application software works through the system software in order to develop specific business
applications. This type of software includes traditional programming languages, fourth-generation
languages, application software packages and desktop productivity tools, software for developing
internet applications, and software for enterprise integration.

System software: A system computer program that manages hardware and software resources and
provides common services for computer programs. System software surrounds and controls access to
the hardware. It manages and controls a computer’s activities. Some types of system software consist of
computer language translation programs that convert programming languages into machine language
that can be understood by the computer and utility programs that perform common processing tasks,
such as copying, sorting, or computing a square root. The operating system allocates and assigns system
resources, schedules the use of computer resources and computer jobs, and monitors computer system
activities.

Operating System: An operating system is a computer program, works as interface between user and
hardware and provides common services for computer programs. The entire process or functionality of
computer system depends on the operating system. An operating system manages files and directory
creation and deletion, process creation, deletion, synchronization, memory allocation and deallocation.
An operating system also prevents the computer system from unauthorized access and secures the

4. Explain why open source software is so important today and its benefits for business.

Open source is generally much more cost-effective than a proprietary solution. Open-source software is
not owned by any company or individual. A global network of programmers and users manage and
modify the software, fix errors in it, or make improvements to its functionality. By definition, open-
source software is not restricted to any specific operating system or hardware technology. Several large
software companies are converting some of their commercial programs to open source.

Open source gives enterprises the ability to attract better talent. Linux is the most well-known open-
source software. It’s a UNIX-like operating system that can be downloaded from the internet, free of
charge, or purchased for a small fee from companies that provide additional tools for the software. It is
reliable, compactly designed, and capable of running on many different hardware platforms, including
servers, handheld computers, and consumer electronics. Linux has become popular during the past few
years as a robust low-cost alternative to UNIX and the Windows operating system.

Open source is the future. Web, mobile, and cloud solutions are increasingly built predominantly on
open source infrastructure. Thousands of open-source programs are available from hundreds of
websites. Businesses can choose from a range of open-source software including operating systems,
office suites, web browsers, and games. Open-source software allows businesses to reduce the total
cost of ownership. It provides more robust software that’s often more secure than proprietary software.

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 5. Explain why managers need to pay attention to capacity planning and scalability of technology
resources.

Managers need to ensure that the firm has enough computing power for its current and future needs.
The principle issues in managing hardware and software assets include capacity planning and scalability.
Capacity planning is the process of predicting when a computer hardware system becomes saturated. It
considers factors such as the maximum number of users that the system can accommodate at one time;
the impact of existing and future software applications; and performance measures, such as minimum
response time for processing business transactions. Capacity planning ensures that the firm has enough
computing power for its current and future needs.

Scalability refers to the ability of a computer, product, or system to expand to serve a large number of
users without breaking down. Organizations must ensure they have sufficient computer processing,
storage, and network resources to handle surging volumes of digital transactions and to make such data
immediately available online.