Lesson 9
Infrastructure
Infrastructure, generally, is the set of interconnected structural elements that provide the framework for
supporting the entire structure. It usually applies only to structures that are artificial. The term is used
differently in a variety of fields; perhaps the single most well-known usage is in economics, where it refers
to physical infrastructure such as buildings and roads.
The notion that a structure has an internal framework is popular especially in business organizations where
a dependency on interconnected information technology systems has become as prevalent as a city's
dependency on interconnected conveyance systems for power, people and things. Information
infrastructure consists of the physical facilities services and management that support all computing
resources in an organization. There are five major components of infrastructure
•Computer hardware
•General purpose software
•Networks & communication facilities
•Databases
•Information management personnel
•Each of these components is designed in such manner to collectively meet the needs and objectives
of the organization.
The infrastructure will include
•The detailed configuration of the hardware
•Design of the operating system,
•Documentation of the operational and application software, and
•Documentation on how to technically manage and operate the entire system
•Infrastructure also includes the integration, operation, documentation, maintenance and management
the components as defined in infrastructure.
•It is guideline to how specific computing resources are arranged, operated and managed.
9.1 Architecture
Architecture more specifically is related to defining the information needs and how these will be obtained
through the various application software modules. Architecture is the “Blueprint” that provides the
conceptual foundation for building information infrastructure and specific applications. It is a way of
mapping information requirements and resources. Architecture covers following components:
•The business needs of the information
•Existing planned information infrastructure and applications in the organizations.
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