In general terms, an IT infrastructure is a set of interconnected components that can be used to organize and manage your information environment.
If you have at least one computer in your home that is connected to the Internet, you already have a home IT infrastructure. At the enterprise level, the IT infrastructure includes the components that are required for internal communication and service delivery.
What it consists of
The IT infrastructure may consist of the following components:
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servers,
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personal computers,
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switches,
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routers,
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data centres,
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web servers,
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operating systems,
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CMS,
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CRM-systems,
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corporate mail,
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power and cooling elements.
The components are grouped into three primary groups: network, hardware and software. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Hardware
Hardware is the physical part of the entire platform. Besides servers, computers or routers, this includes the elements that help keep machines and devices running. This consists of the power, cooling and switching elements and the space allocated.
The main element is the server. It allows the employees to share resources. An office or gaming computer can act as a server, but its components are not sufficiently reliable because they are not designed for non-stop operation. Server components are ideal because they are specifically designed for continuous operation. It’s worth taking this into account when setting up your own infrastructure at your company’s facilities.
The software part
The software includes all applications used for internal purposes and to provide services to clients. Software is needed to run and manage the hardware. Operating systems, CMS and CRM systems, web servers, and e-mail clients belong to the software.
The network
A network provides internal and external communication between devices and system elements; These include switches, routers, servers, firewalls and anything that helps ensure and protect data transmission.
These parts underpin the operation of any IT infrastructure. However, the components need to be selected individually, depending on your needs. Consider what you need to consider when building a company’s IT environment.
Corporate IT infrastructure: Features
IT infrastructure in the enterprise must meet the market’s current needs, and its creation and development is a complex, time-consuming process that requires the involvement of experienced professionals. Mistakes in the design and start-up phase can lead to security, performance and connectivity issues.
That’s why it’s crucial to choose the right components and type of information system.
Conventional and Cloud-based
Above, we talked about traditional infrastructure, in which all the components belong to one company and are located in its own premises. The bigger the infrastructure, the more complicated and costly it is to maintain. Now you can build a cloud infrastructure, which saves resources.
The cloud structure is similar to a traditional design, but all the elements are located in the service provider’s system that handles the service. Information infrastructure management is possible if you have a computer with internet access.
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) is infrastructure as a service. You do not need to deploy your own servers, prepare premises for them, achieve scalability and take care of the rest. The service provider has already taken care of that.
