Chapter 5: IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Chapter 5: IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies Deck (59)
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1
Q

Android

A

A mobile operating system developed by Android, Inc. (purchased by Google) and later the Open Handset Alliance as a flexible, upgradeable mobile device platform.

2
Q

Application Server

A

Software that handles all application operations between browser-based computers and a company’s back-end business applications or databases.

3
Q

Apps

A

Small pieces of software that run on the Internet, on your computer, or on your cell phone and are generally delivered over the Internet.

4
Q

Autonomic Computing

A

Effort to develop systems that can manage themselves without user intervention.

5
Q

Blade Servers

A

Entire computer that fits on a single, thin card (or blade) and that is plugged into a single chassis to save space, power and complexity.

6
Q

Chrome OS

A

Google’s lightweight computer operating system for users who do most of their computing on the Internet; runs on computers ranging from netbooks to desktop computers.

7
Q

Clients

A

The user point-of-entry for the required function in client/server computing. Normally a desktop computer, workstation, or laptop computer.

8
Q

Client/Server Computing

A

A model for computing that splits processing between clients and servers on a network, assigning functions to the machine most able to perform the function.

9
Q

Cloud Computing

A

Web-based applications that are stored on remote servers and accessed via the “cloud” of the Internet using a standard Web browser.

10
Q

Consumerization of IT

A

New information technology originating in the consumer market that spreads to business organizations.

11
Q

Extensible Markup Language (XML)

A

General purpose language that describes the structure of a document and XML can perform presentation, communication, and storage of data, allowing data to be manipulated by the computer.

12
Q

Green Computing

A

Refers to practices and technologies for designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated devices such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems to minimize impact on the environment.

13
Q

Grid Computing

A

Applying the resources of many computers in a network to a single problem.

14
Q

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

A

Page description language for creating Web pages.

15
Q

HTML5

A

Next evolution of HTML, which will make it possible to embed images, video, and audio directly into a document without add-on software.

16
Q

Hybrid Cloud

A

Computing model where firms use both their own IT infrastructure and also public cloud computing services.

17
Q

iOS

A

Operating system for the Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

18
Q

Java

A

Programming language that can deliver only the software functionality needed for a particular task, such as a small applet downloaded from a network; can run on any computer and operating system.

19
Q

Legacy Systems

A

A system that has been in existence for a long time and that continues to be used to avoid the high cost of replacing or redesigning it.

20
Q

Linux

A

Reliable and compactly designed operating system that is an offshoot of UNIX and that can run on many different hardware platform and is available free or at very low cost. Used as alternative to UNIX and Windows NT.

21
Q

Mainframe

A

Largest category of computer, used for major business processing.

22
Q

Mashup

A

Composite software applications that depend on high-speed networks, universal communication standards, and open-source code.

23
Q

Minicomputers

A

Middle-range computer used in systems for universities, factories, or research laboratories.

24
Q

Moore’s Law

A

Assertion that the number of components on a chip doubles each year.

25
Q

Multicore Processor

A

Integrated circuit to which two or more processors have been attached for enhanced performance, reduced power consumption and more efficient simultaneous processing of multiple tasks.

26
Q

Multitiered (N-Tier) Client/Server Architecture

A

Client/server network which the work of the entire network is balanced over several different levels of servers.

27
Q

Multitouch

A

Interface that features the use of one or more finger gestures to manipulate lists or objects on a screen without using a mouse or keyboard.

28
Q

Nanotechnology

A

Technology that builds structures and processes based on the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules.

29
Q

On-Demand Computing

A

Firms off-loading peak demand for computing power to remote, large-scale data processing centers, investing just enough to handle average processing loads and paying for only as much additional computing as the market demands. Also called utility computing.

30
Q

Open Source Software

A

Software that provides free access to its program code, allowing users to modify the program code to make improvements or fix errors.

31
Q

Operating System

A

Software that manages the resources and activities of the computer.

32
Q

Outsourcing

A

The practice of contracting computer center operations, telecommunications, networks, or applications development to external vendors.

33
Q

Private Cloud

A

A proprietary network or a data center that ties together servers, storage, networks, data, and applications as a set of virtualized services that are shared by users inside a company.

34
Q

Public Cloud

A

A cloud maintained by an external service provider, accessed through the Internet, and available to the general public.

35
Q

SaaS (Software as a Service)

A

Services for delivering and providing access to software remotely as a Web-based service.

36
Q

Scalability

A

The ability of a computer, product, or system to expand to serve a larger number of users without breaking down.

37
Q

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A

Formal contract between customers and their service providers that defines the specific responsibilities of the service provider and the level of service expected by the customer.

38
Q

Server

A

Computer specifically optimized to provide software and other resources to other computers over a network.

39
Q

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)

A

Software architecture of a firm built on a collection of software programs that communicate with each other to perform assigned tasks to create a working software application.

40
Q

Software Package

A

A prewritten, precoded, commercially available set of programs that eliminates the need to write software programs for certain functions.

41
Q

Storage Area Network (SAN)

A

A high-speed network dedicated to storage that connects different kinds of storage devices, such as tape libraries and disk arrays so they can be shared by multiple servers.

42
Q

Tablet Computers

A

Mobile handheld computer that is larger than a mobile phone and operated primarily by touching a flat screen.

43
Q

Technology Standards

A

Specifications that establish the compatibility of products and the ability to communicate in a network.

44
Q

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

A

Designates the total cost of owning technology resources, including initial purchase costs, the cost of hardware and software upgrades, maintenance, technical support, and training.

45
Q

UNIX

A

Operating system for all types of computers, which is machine independent and supports multiuser processing, multitasking, and networking. Used in high-end workstations and servers.

46
Q

Utility Computing

A

Model of computing in which companies pay only for the information technology resources they actually use during a specified time period. Also called on-demand computing or usage-based pricing.

47
Q

Virtualization

A

Presenting a set of computing resources so that they can all be accessed in ways that are not restricted by physical configuration or geographic location.

48
Q

Web Browser

A

An easy-to-use software tool for accessing the World Wide Web and the Internet.

49
Q

Web Hosting Service

A

Company with large Web server computers to maintain the Web sites of fee-paying subscribers.

50
Q

Web Server

A

Software that manages requests for Web pages on the computer where they are stored and that delivers the page to the user’s computer.

51
Q

Web Services

A

Set of universal standards using Internet technology for integrating different applications from different sources without time-consuming custom coding. Used for linking systems of different organizations or for linking disparate systems within the same organization.

52
Q

Windows

A

Microsoft family of operating systems for both network servers and client computers. The most recent version is Windows Vista.

53
Q

Windows 8

A

Most recent Microsoft Windows operating system which runs on tablets as well as PCs, and includes multitouch capabilities.

54
Q

Wintel PC

A

Any computer that uses Intel microprocessors (or compatible processors) and a Windows operating system.

55
Q

What is IT infrastructure and what are its components?

A

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. Major IT infrastructure components include computer hardware platforms, operating system platforms, enterprise software platforms, networking and telecommunications platforms, database management software, Internet platforms, and consulting services and systems integrators.

56
Q

What are the stages and technology drivers of IT infrastructure evolution?

A

The five stages of IT infrastructure evolution are: the mainframe era, the personal computer era, the client/server era, the enterprise computing era, and the cloud and mobile computing era. Moore’s Law deals with the exponential increase in processing power and decline in the cost of computer technology, stating that every 18 months the power of microprocessors doubles and the price of computing falls in half. The Law of Mass Digital Storage deals with exponential decrease in the cost of storing data, stating that the number of kilobytes of data that can be stored on magnetic media for $1 roughly doubles every 15 months. Metcalfe’s Law states that a network’s value to participants grows exponentially as the network takes on more members. The rapid decline in costs of communication and growing agreement in the technology industry to use computing and communications standards is also driving an explosion of computer use.

57
Q

What are the current trends in computer hardware platforms?

A

Increasingly, computing is taking place on a mobile digital platform. Grid computing involves connecting geographically remote computers into a single network to create a computational grid that combines the computing power of all the computers on the network. Virtualization organizes computing resources so that their use is not restricted by physical configuration of geographic location. In cloud computing, firms and individuals obtain computing power and software as services over a network, including the Internet, rather than purchasing and installing the hardware and software on their own computers. A multicore processor is a microprocessor to which two or more processing cores have been attached for enhanced performance. Green computing includes practices and technologies for producing, using, and disposing of information technology hardware to minimize negative impact on the environment. In autonomic computing, computer systems have capabilities for automatically configuring and repairing themselves. Power-saving processors dramatically reduce power consumption in mobile digital devices.

58
Q

What are the current trends in software platforms?

A

Open source software is produced and maintained by a global community of programmers and is often downloadable for free. Linux is a powerful, resilient open source operating system that can run on multiple hardware platform and is used widely to run Web servers. Java is an operating-system-and hardware-independent programming language that is the leading interactive programming environment for the Web. HTML5 makes it possible to embed images, audio, and video directly into a Web document without add-on programs. Web services are loosely coupled software components based on open Web standards that work with any application software and operating system. They can be used as components of Web-based applications linking the systems of two different organizations or to link disparate systems of a single company. Companies are purchasing their new software applications from outside sources, including software packages, by outsourcing custom application development to an external vendor (that may be offshore), or by renting online software services (SaaS). Mashups combine two different software services to create new software applications and services. Apps are small pieces of software that run on the Internet, on a computer, or on a mobile phone and are generally delivered over the Internet.

59
Q

What are the challenges of managing IT infrastructure and management solutions?

A

Major challenges include dealing with platform and infrastructure change, infrastructure management and governance, and making wise infrastructure investments. Solution guidelines include using a competitive forces model to determine how much to spend on IT infrastructure and where to make strategic infrastructure investments, and establishing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of information technology assets. The total cost of owning technology resources includes not only the original cost of computer hardware and software but also costs for hardware and software upgrades, maintenance, technical support, and training.