Introduction to IT Infrastructure:-

Information technology infrastructure, or IT infrastructure, refers to the

combined components needed for the operation and management of enterprise
IT services and IT environments.
Importance of IT Infrastructure:-

Technology powers nearly every aspect of today’s businesses, from an

individual employee’s work to operations to goods and services. When properly
networked, technology can be optimized to improve communication, create
efficiencies and increase productivity.

If an IT infrastructure is flexible, reliable and secure, it can help an enterprise

meet its goals and provide a competitive edge in the market. Alternatively, if an
IT infrastructure isn’t properly implemented, businesses can face connectivity,
productivity and security issues—like system disruptions and breaches. Overall,
having a properly implemented infrastructure can be a factor in whether a
business is profitable or not.

With an IT infrastructure, a company can:

 Provide a positive customer experience by providing uninterrupted access

to its website and online store.
 Develop and launch solutions to market with speed.
 Collect data in real time to make quick decisions.
 Improve employee productivity.

Infrastructure Components

The components of IT infrastructure are made up of interdependent

elements, and the two core groups of components are hardware and software.
Hardware uses software—like an operating system—to work. And likewise, an
operating system manages system resources and hardware. Operating systems
also make connections between software applications and physical resources
using networking components.

Hardware

Hardware components can include:

 Desktop computers
 Servers
 Data centers
  Hubs
 Routers
 Switches
 Facilities

Software

Software components can include:

 Content management systems (CMS)

 Customer relationship management (CRM)
 Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
 Operating systems
 Web servers

Facilities
Facilities or physical plants provide space for networking hardware, servers and
data centers. It also includes the network cabling in office buildings to connect
components of an IT infrastructure together.

Network
Networks are comprised of switches, routers, hubs and servers. Switches
connect network devices on local area networks (LAN) like routers, servers and
other switches. Routers allow devices on different LANs to communicate and
move packets between networks. Hubs connect multiple networking devices to
act as a single component.

Server
A core hardware component needed for an enterprise IT infrastructure is a
server. Servers are essentially computers that allow multiple users to access and
share resources.

Server room/data center

Organizations house multiple servers in rooms called server rooms or data
centers. Data centers are the core of most networks.
Hardware infrastructure management
Selecting, installing, deploying, maintaining, and configuring all the hardware
in the infrastructure. Physical infrastructure hardware includes:

 Cabling
 Firewalls
 HVAC systems and fire suppression systems
 Intermediate Distribution Frames (IDFs)
 Modems
 Patch panels
 Physical security for on-premises, off-premises, and cloud data centers
(keyed locks, electronic locks, mantraps)
 Power systems (UPS and generators)
 Routers
 Server racks and server hardware
 Special purpose servers for load balancing, security, Internet gateways,
email filtering, etc.
 Storage devices
 Switches
 Telecommunications equipment
 Wall jacks
 Wireless access points
Hardware skills also include managing any cloud infrastructure services your
organization may use, where services have migrated to the cloud. Technical
skills for dealing with infrastructure hardware include:

 Installation
 Repair
 Hardware upgrades
 Operating system installs and updates
 Configurations

Going back to my analogy that your IT infrastructure is a road, the hardware

infrastructure are the building blocks and components needed to build an
infrastructure road.

Network infrastructure management

Network infrastructure involves all the interconnected hardware and internet

components that must be configured to transport data and allow access into and
out of your infrastructure. The network infrastructure organizes your hardware
so that all network nodes can find and talk to each other—while keeping the bad
guys out.

Once your hardware is racked, you can begin working on your network
infrastructure:

 The hardware infrastructure is physically connected through cabling or

wireless access points.
 Patch panels, switches, routers, firewalls, and appliances are cabled and
configured for access.
 IP addresses, subnets, and gateways are created to segment your network,
along with the TCP/IP services (such as DHCP and DNS) that allow traffic
to move inside and outside each network segment.
 The network infrastructure is also connected to the internet and your Wide
Area Network (WAN) through security servers\devices such as firewalls,
edge servers, and telecommunication lines.

In the road analogy, the network infrastructure is the connected and configured
set of physical devices that convey traffic along the infrastructure road.
Software infrastructure management

Infrastructure software includes all the application and utility software that runs
on your on-premises and cloud servers. These skills include:

 Hypervisor (VMWare, Microsoft Hyper-V, IBM Power Hypervisor, etc.),

installation, configuration, updates, and maintenance
 Server operating system install, configuration, upgrade, and maintenance
(Windows, Linux, UNIX, IBM i, etc.)
 Server utility software (email, monitoring, job scheduling, FTP, Windows
AD, CRM, other third-party software) installation, update, configuration,
and maintenance
 On-premises and cloud backup server setup, upgrades, maintenance, and
configuration
 User provisioning and security for system access, services, and some
applications

Types of infrastructure

The two primary types of IT infrastructure are traditional and cloud

infrastructure.

Traditional infrastructure
A traditional IT infrastructure is made up of the usual hardware and software
components: facilities, data centers, servers, networking hardware desktop
computers and enterprise application software solutions. Typically, this
infrastructure setup requires more power, physical space and money than other
infrastructure types. A traditional infrastructure is typically installed on-
premises for company-only, or private, use.

Cloud infrastructure
A cloud computing IT infrastructure is similar to traditional infrastructure.
However, end users can access the infrastructure via the internet, with the
ability to use computing resources without installing on-premises through
virtualization. Virtualization connects physical servers maintained by a service
provider at any or many geographical locations. Then, it divides and abstracts
resources, like storage, to make them accessible to users almost anywhere an
internet connection can be made. Because cloud infrastructure is often public,
it’s usually referred to as a public cloud.
Need and significance of Infrastructure Management

Infrastructure management is essential for the efficient functioning of

organizations and their operations. It involves the planning, design,
implementation, and maintenance of various physical and digital assets,
including hardware, software, networks, databases, and servers. Here are some
of the key reasons why infrastructure management is necessary:

Smooth business operations: An efficient infrastructure management system

helps organizations to maintain their operations without any disruptions. It
ensures that all the hardware, software, and network components are
functioning optimally, thereby enabling smooth workflow and productivity.

Security: Infrastructure management is critical in ensuring the security of an

organization's data and information. It involves implementing various security
measures such as firewalls, encryption, access control, and backup and recovery
mechanisms.

Cost savings: Proper infrastructure management can help organizations save

costs by preventing downtime and reducing maintenance and repair expenses. It
also enables better resource allocation, ensuring that resources are utilized
effectively.

Compliance: Infrastructure management is essential in ensuring that

organizations comply with regulatory and legal requirements. It involves
implementing various security protocols, data privacy regulations, and other
compliance measures to protect sensitive data.

Scalability: As organizations grow and expand, their infrastructure needs also

change. Infrastructure management enables organizations to scale their
operations by adding new resources and infrastructure components as required.

The Importance of IT Infrastructure Management

Engaging in IT infrastructure management means taking control of your
organization’s IT environment and experience. In a digital environment, so
many factors are already outside of our control, so the more control you can
create, the better off your business and technological stability will be. Below we
will discuss the immediate benefits and importance of IT infrastructure
management on your organization.
IT infrastructure management

IT infrastructure management can present itself in many ways, from monitoring

for viruses to surveying equipment for signs an upgrade is imminent. The goal
of IT infrastructure management is to achieve overall effectiveness of IT
processes, policies, data, human resources, equipment and more.

Why is it critical

Make smarter IT decisions – If you aren’t already managing and monitoring

your IT infrastructure, chances are you don’t know how your IT environment is
behaving or performing, unless a disaster forces you to. By managing your IT
environment, you’ll be able to detect when to change and upgrade systems, and
when you need to mitigate risk. You’ll know when a patch is necessary, when
you’ve outgrown your storage capacities, when it’s time to upgrade
technologies and more, so that you can come up with a solution before a the
situation becomes critical.
Limit disasters – Disasters can occur even when you’ve taken all of the right
precautions, but by taking IT infrastructure management seriously, you can
reduce their occurrence and minimize the damage they create. Put systems in
place to help you monitor and catch threats before the damage is done. For
example, monitor your backups for an unusually high number of recently
changed files, you can detect ransomware viruses. Nordic Backup helps you do
this with emailed backup reports. Once you detect the presence of a malicious
virus, remove the virus from your system, and restore the uninfected files from
your backup to thwart the major data loss and downtime early-on.
Improve user experience – By being aware of the state of your IT
infrastructure at all times, you can create a better experience for your end users.
You can prevent sudden downtime, and control it when it is necessary. When
downtime is necessary, for maintenance and other purposes, you can alert end
users in advance so there won’t be any surprises and inconveniences will be
limited.
Keep productivity flowing – If data is lost, deleted, corrupted, or otherwise
compromised, you can restore it if you’ve made the right decisions from an IT
infrastructure management perspective. By building backups into your IT
infrastructure, you’ll be able to retrieve and restore company data when disaster
strikes, so end users can retain access to the information they need to continue
working without missing a beat.
Reduce costs – When the unexpected happens, unexpected costs go hand-in-
hand. If you’re not managing your IT infrastructure, you won’t be able to
predict or manage disasters as they come along. This reactive approach can lead
to lengthy downtimes, major data loss, and a lot of scrambling around. By being
proactive and managing your infrastructure beforehand, you can save your
company money during disasters and in their aftermath, and budget for
upgrades you know are on the horizon to avoid out-of-the-blue costs.

Performance Enhancing: Monitoring your systems allows you to better

manage performance and makes strategic changes to proactively respond to
issues and limitations in your tech. When done well, the goal is to anticipate and
plan for future needs while maintaining predictability and minimizing
downtime.

Optimized Investments: Proactive IT infrastructure management will

guarantee that your systems are running at maximum performance levels for
longer than a system without proper management. Adhering to best practices
like maintenance & update schedules, documentation protocols, monitoring
your infrastructure, etc. will ensure your IT investments fulfill their expected
life cycle. Being proactive with your infrastructure management will save your
company time and money you can save money during and after issues are
resolved.

Overhead Reduction: When you adopt IT infrastructure management best

practices, your business can run more smoothly. Applying IT best practices to
procedures, documentation & inventory management, knowledge bases,
monitoring, and management systems allows IT resources to work at optimal
efficiency

Hardware infrastructure management :-

Hardware infrastructure management refers to the process of managing the

physical components of an organization's technology infrastructure. This
includes servers, storage devices, networking equipment, and other hardware
components that are essential to the operation of an organization's information
technology (IT) systems.The primary goal of hardware infrastructure
management is to ensure that an organization's IT systems are functioning
optimally and are able to meet the needs of the business. This involves
monitoring and maintaining hardware components to ensure that they are
working properly, as well as identifying and resolving issues that may arise.

Hardware infrastructure management includes:

Inventory management: keeping track of all hardware components, their

specifications, and their location.

Maintenance: ensuring that hardware components are regularly serviced and

repaired as needed to prevent downtime and ensure optimal performance.
Upgrades and replacements: planning for and executing hardware upgrades or
replacements as needed to keep up with changing business requirements and
technological advancements.

Capacity planning: forecasting future hardware requirements based on

anticipated business growth and technological trends.

Security: ensuring that hardware components are secure and protected against
unauthorized access or malicious attacks.

Disaster recovery: planning and implementing strategies for recovering from

hardware failures or other disasters that may impact IT systems.

Effective hardware infrastructure management requires a combination of

technical expertise, strategic planning, and operational execution. It is a critical
component of any organization's IT strategy, and can have a significant impact
on business performance and success.

Selecting, installing, deploying, maintaining, and configuring all the hardware

in the infrastructure.

 Physical infrastructure hardware includes:

 Cabling
 Firewalls
 HVAC systems and fire suppression systems
 Intermediate Distribution Frames (IDFs)
 Modems
 Patch panels
 Physical security for on-premises, off-premises, and cloud data centers
(keyed locks,electronic locks, mantraps)
 Power systems (UPS and generators)
 Routers
 Server racks and server hardware
 Special purpose servers for load balancing, security, Internet gateways,
email filtering, etc.
 Storage devices
 Switches
 Telecommunications equipment
 Wall jacks
 Wireless access points
 Hardware skills also include managing any cloud infrastructure services
your organization may use,
  where services have migrated to the cloud. Technical skills for dealing
with infrastructure hardware
 include:
 Installation
 Repair
 Hardware upgrades
 Operating system installs and updates
 Configurations

The Procress of Selecting, installing, deploying, maintaining, and

configuring hardware in an infrastructure are all important aspects of hardware
infrastructure management.

Selecting hardware: This involves identifying the hardware components that

will be required to meet the business needs and objectives of the organization.
This may involve researching the latest hardware technologies, evaluating
hardware vendors, and selecting hardware components that meet the
organization's performance, reliability, and cost requirements.

Installing hardware: Once the hardware components have been selected, they
need to be installed in the appropriate locations within the organization's
infrastructure. This may involve physical installation, such as mounting servers
or racks, or network cabling and configuration.

Deploying hardware: After hardware installation, it is essential to deploy

software and applications on the hardware to make it functional. This may
involve installing operating systems, configuring network settings, and
installing software applications.

Maintaining hardware: Regular maintenance of hardware components is

essential to ensure that they continue to function optimally. This may involve
monitoring hardware components for signs of wear and tear, performing routine
maintenance, and replacing worn or damaged parts as needed.

Configuring hardware: Configuring hardware involves setting up various

parameters, such as network settings, firmware updates, and power
management, to ensure that hardware components work together as a cohesive
unit.
Software infrastructure management :-

Software infrastructure management refers to the process of managing the

underlying software components and services that support an organization's
software applications. This includes managing servers, databases, operating
systems, middleware, and other components that are necessary for the smooth
operation of software applications.

The goal of software infrastructure management is to ensure that the software

infrastructure is reliable, scalable, and secure, and that it meets the needs of the
organization. This involves tasks such as monitoring system performance,
applying software updates and patches, configuring security settings, and
managing data backups.

Effective software infrastructure management requires a deep understanding of

the underlying software components and their interactions, as well as
knowledge of best practices for system administration and security. It also
requires strong communication skills, as software infrastructure management
often involves coordinating with developers, operations teams, and other
stakeholders.

Some key tools and technologies used in software infrastructure management

include configuration management systems (such as Ansible or Puppet),
monitoring and alerting tools (such as Nagios or Prometheus), containerization
platforms (such as Docker or Kubernetes), and cloud computing platforms (such
as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure).

Software infrastructure management is the process of planning, designing,

implementing, and maintaining the various software systems and applications
that make up an organization's IT infrastructure. This includes the hardware,
software, networks, and data that are required to support the organization's
operations and achieve its goals.

Infrastructure software includes all the application and utility software that runs
on your on-premises and cloud servers. These skills include:

 Hypervisor (VMWare, Microsoft Hyper-V, IBM Power Hypervisor, etc.),

installation,configuration, updates, and maintenance
 Server operating system install, configuration, upgrade, and maintenance
(Windows, Linux,UNIX, IBM i, etc.)
 Server utility software (email, monitoring, job scheduling, FTP, Windows
AD, CRM, other thirdparty software) installation, update, configuration,
and maintenance
  On-premises and cloud backup server setup, upgrades, maintenance, and
configuration
 User provisioning and security for system access, services, and some
applications

Effective software infrastructure management involves a range of activities,

including:

Planning: This involves understanding the organization's needs and goals, and
identifying the software systems and applications that will be required to meet
those needs.

Design: This involves creating a detailed plan for how the software systems and
applications will be implemented, including the hardware and network
infrastructure that will be required.

Implementation: This involves installing and configuring the software systems

and applications, as well as integrating them with the existing IT infrastructure.

Maintenance: This involves ongoing monitoring and management of the

software systems and applications, including troubleshooting issues and making
updates and upgrades as needed.

Security: This involves ensuring that the software systems and applications are
secure and protected from unauthorized access, hacking, and other threats.

Infrastructure software vs business application software

Beware: Do not confuse infrastructure software with business application

software.

 Infrastructure software is generally anything that enables IT processes.

 Business application software is generally anything that enables business
processes.

Business apps are usually custom written or modified. (That’s in spite of

vendors saying you will be able to run their apps in their delivered, vanilla
configuration.) Infrastructure apps are generally purchased third-party
applications that are configured by infrastructure staff.
Here are some examples of what I would consider infrastructure software versus
business application software:

Infrastructure Software Business Application Software

• Server operating systems, including
• ERP systems
Windows,
Linux, AIX, IBM i, HP-UX, etc. • Visual Basic programming
• All Microsoft configuration software (i.e., • Web site and mobile
Windows application
AD, SCCM, SCOM, etc.) programming
• FTP server software • Business intelligence
• Monitoring software • Java programming
• Internet of things (IoT)
• Java Development Kits
programming
• Timekeeping software
• Email servers
• Backup software
• Job scheduling software

That said, there is also some overlap between infrastructure and business
application software.Infrastructure management may configure some features in
a company’s ERP system, as well as theinitial software load and upgrades. In
DevOps environments, infrastructure may take over some functions usually
assigned to business applications. These assignments can be somewhat fluid. In
most instances, the programming versus server and utility software comparisons
holds up. But be aware there are some instances where this line is crossed.

In the road analogy, business, mobile, Web, and IOT applications load up
requests and information into vehicles traveling on the infrastructure road. Once
each vehicle’s load is delivered, it is processed, replied to, and other actions are
initiated and sent out again on the infrastructure road. Much like a physical road
does not load trucks, the infrastructure road does not load up informational
vehicles. It just delivers and regulates how they are delivered to the intended
locations (servers, devices, machines, etc.).

The Procress of Selecting, installing, deploying, maintaining, and

configuring hardware in an infrastructure are all important aspects of Software
infrastructure management.
Selecting Software Infrastructure Management: The first step in selecting
software infrastructure management is to determine the needs of the
organization. This includes understanding the existing infrastructure, identifying
the gaps, and evaluating the available options. Consider factors such as
scalability, security, ease of use, and compatibility with existing tools and
technologies.

Installing Software Infrastructure Management: Once you have selected the

software infrastructure management solution that best meets the needs of your
organization, the next step is to install it. This involves setting up the necessary
hardware and software components and configuring them to work together.

Deploying Software Infrastructure Management: After installing the

software infrastructure management solution, you need to deploy it. This
involves configuring the system to meet the specific requirements of your
organization, such as setting up user accounts, configuring security settings, and
integrating it with other software applications.

Maintaining Software Infrastructure Management: Once the software

infrastructure management solution is deployed, it is important to maintain it to
ensure that it continues to function correctly. This involves monitoring system
performance, applying software updates and patches, configuring security
settings, and managing data backups. It is also important to periodically review
the infrastructure to identify any areas that may need improvement.

Software licensing issues :-

Software licensing issues are a common concern for organizations that use
software products. These issues can arise due to various factors, such as
compliance, misuse of licenses, and licensing terms and conditions. Here are
some of the common software licensing issues:

Non-Compliance: Organizations must comply with the software licensing

agreements and follow the terms and conditions of the license. Non-compliance
can lead to legal and financial consequences, including penalties and fines.

Overuse of Licenses: Overuse of software licenses is another common issue

that organizations face. It is essential to monitor license usage and ensure that
the organization is not using more licenses than it has purchased.

Underuse of Licenses: Underuse of licenses can also lead to software licensing

issues. In this case, the organization has purchased more licenses than it needs,
which can result in increased costs.
License Mismanagement: License mismanagement can lead to confusion and
misunderstandings among the stakeholders involved in software licensing. This
can occur when licenses are not tracked, managed, and updated regularly.

Complex Licensing Models: Complex licensing models can also create

confusion and misunderstandings among the stakeholders involved in software
licensing. It is essential to understand the licensing models and the terms and
conditions associated with them to avoid licensing issues.

Vendor Lock-in: Vendor lock-in is another issue that organizations face when
they are dependent on a particular software vendor for their software products.
This can limit their options when it comes to upgrading or switching to a
different software product.

Software licensing options :-

Software licensing options refer to the different models that software vendors
offer for their products. These options vary based on the terms and conditions of
the license, the pricing model, and the features included in the software product.
Here are some common software licensing options:

Perpetual License: A perpetual license is a one-time payment that grants the

organization the right to use the software product indefinitely. This option is
suitable for organizations that want to own the software outright and have
complete control over its usage.

Subscription License: A subscription license is a time-limited license that

requires the organization to pay a recurring fee to use the software product. This
option is suitable for organizations that want to have the latest version of the
software and are willing to pay a recurring fee for it.

Concurrent License: A concurrent license is a license that allows a specified

number of users to access the software product simultaneously. This option is
suitable for organizations that have a limited number of users who need to
access the software at the same time.

Named User License: A named user license is a license that allows a specific
user to access the software product. This option is suitable for organizations that
have a limited number of users who need to access the software and want to
control who has access to it.

Open Source License: An open-source license allows users to access, modify,

and distribute the software product freely. This option is suitable for
organizations that want to use and modify the software product to meet their
specific needs and do not require vendor support.

Cloud-based License: A cloud-based license allows the organization to access

the software product via the internet. This option is suitable for organizations
that want to use the software product without having to manage the hardware
and software infrastructure required to run it.