NML Says

IT Infrastructure, Intro

References for the Course

For lack of a targeted textbook, the following (little as in 168 pages) has been chosen, because it teaches the terminology of our total area of interest.

Wladston Ferreira Filho, Computer Science Distilled: Learn The Art Of Solving Computational Problems, code.energy, 2017

Chapter 6, 7, and 8 in particular will be of particular interest when we touch on hardware and software.

References for this Part

https://www.atlassian.com/itsm/it-operations-management/it-infrastructure

Niels Müller Larsen, IT Kommunikation, Dafolo, 2002

Who Am I

Who Are you

What Shall We Do

This course has topics on the architecture and organization of computers, networks, and software necessary for running a modern computerized organization. The course discusses platforms for centralized and distributed architectural paradigms. The course also includes aspects of security related to the choices of infrastructure.

In addition to the above there will be practical exercises, assignments if you will, that relate to the topics of the individual sessions.

This course is a part of the IT Architecture subject, it corresponds to 5 ECTS, which at this school will be implemented as 5 sessions of 6 lessons.

The following is an excerpt of the curriculum from the times when IT Architecture and IT Infrastructure we separate courses in the curriculum.

The separation is done in this semester for logistical reasons.

Studieordningen

Viden

Den studerende har

  • viden om applikationslevetid relateret til idriftsættelse og vedligeholdelse
  • viden om moderne relevante platforme til støtte for centrale og distribuerede arkitekturer
  • viden om sikkerhedsmæssige krav og løsninger ved udveksling af information i maskine til maskine kommunikation
  • forståelse for og kan reflektere over fordele og ulemper ved cloud computing i forhold til andre paradigmer og forretningsmodeller

Færdigheder

Den studerende kan

  • anvende driftsplatforme til afvikling af udviklede it-komponenter og mestre de færdigheder i relation til it-infrastruktur som knytter sig til beskæftigelse indenfor it-arkitektur
  • opsætte krav og planlægge sikkerhed, idriftsættelse og vedligeholdelse som en del af applikationsudviklingen

Kompetencer

Den studerende kan

  • identificere egne læringsbehov og udvikle egen viden, færdigheder og kompetencer omkring it-infrastruktur og derift i relation til udvikling af it-arkitekturer

Introduction

Quoted from the Atlassian link above:

Components of IT infrastructure

IT infrastructure includes the following elements:

  • Hardware consists of servers, computers, routers, switches, and storage systems.
  • Software includes operating systems, applications, and problem management tools.
  • Networking comprises routers, switches, and cables.
  • Data centers are facilities housing critical IT equipment and support infrastructure, including power, cooling, and security systems.
  • Cloud services encompass remote computing services offering scalable IT resources over the internet, such as storage and processing power.
Hardware components

Hardware elements essential for IT infrastructure include the following:

  • Servers provide resources such as network storage and application processing.
  • Storage devices comprise hard drives and solid-state drives.
  • Networking equipment includes routers, switches, and cabling.
Software components

Software aspects integral to IT infrastructure functionality include the following programs:

  • Operating systems are the foundation for hardware operations and application execution.
  • Databases organize, store, and facilitate access to large volumes of data.
  • Middleware is a connective layer for communication and data exchange between software applications.
Network infrastructure
  • Network infrastructure supports IT operations with smooth transmission and data transfer between devices and systems. It includes physical and virtual components, such as routers, switches, cables, wireless access points, protocols, and services.

Data centers and cloud services

Data centers are physical facilities that ensure high availability, redundancy, and optimal operating conditions for IT assets. Cloud services complement data centers by offering virtualized online resources for on-demand scalability and flexibility. Together, they support business continuity, disaster recovery, and the dynamic allocation of IT resources which helps companies efficiently meet their computing needs and adapt to changing demands.

Security in IT Infrastructure

IT infrastructure security acts as a critical defense against cyber threats and data breaches. Robust security protocols protect sensitive data and maintain the integrity and availability of IT services. This includes authentication and authorization systems, intrusion detection and prevention applications, and encryption.

Types of IT Infrastructure

Traditional (on-premises), cloud computing, and hybrid are the three primary IT infrastructure models.

Traditional IT infrastructure

Traditional on-premises infrastructure hosts all hardware and software within a physical space. It offers maximum control and security and suits companies with strict regulatory compliance needs.

Cloud IT infrastructure

Cloud IT infrastructure, particularly the public cloud, relies on third-party providers to host IT resources remotely. It offers scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.

For example, infrastructure as a service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the Internet. A cloud provider manages the physical infrastructure. The client provisions and manages the virtual resources, such as machines, operating systems, and applications.

Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a related process. IaC is an IT infrastructure management process that applies best practices from DevOps software development to the management of public cloud infrastructure resources. It uses machine-readable definition files to set up and control elements such as networks, virtual machines, load balancers, and connection topologies.

Hybrid IT infrastructure

The hybrid model combines traditional and cloud infrastructure. It allows companies to leverage the cloud’s scalability and flexibility while keeping sensitive operations on-premises.

Illustrative Overview, Central Concepts

Without the internet computing would have the scope of knowing your own back yard. What is outside is of no relevance. So it is fundamental to know what networking is, and in particular internetworking

Networking Reference Models Some important protocols:

Application Layer
HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, SMTP, DNS
Transport Layer
TCP, UDP
Networking Layer:
IP, ICMP, ARP, RARP

Trafic from any host to any other host on the internet looks somewhat like this from high up: The Internet, aka The Cloud You will notice that each layer sees itself in a peer to peer ocnnection with its counterpart on the remote end.

With some added details, but still abstract, it looks like this: Added Layers of Detail

The internet is standardized by a number of organizations, take a look at https://www.rfc-editor.org/standards, RFC’s are generally interesting publications, but the standards track in particular. At the bottom of that page you will see the following list

IAB • IANA • IETF • IRTF • ISE • ISOC • IETF Trust

These are the central organizations guiding the internet.

Exercises

Exercise ITI.0.0

Looking at the abilities you must acquire in this 5 ECTS course there are point covered by working with the following.

We shall develop a skeleton client/server application by doing the following. Prerequisites are that node and npm are installed on your computer:

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$ npx express-generator -v pug --git project0 

   create : project0/
   create : project0/public/
   create : project0/public/javascripts/
   create : project0/public/images/
   create : project0/public/stylesheets/
   create : project0/public/stylesheets/style.css
   create : project0/routes/
   create : project0/routes/index.js
   create : project0/routes/users.js
   create : project0/views/
   create : project0/views/error.pug
   create : project0/views/index.pug
   create : project0/views/layout.pug
   create : project0/.gitignore
   create : project0/app.js
   create : project0/package.json
   create : project0/bin/
   create : project0/bin/www

   change directory:
     $ cd project0

   install dependencies:
     $ npm install

   run the app:
     $ DEBUG=project0:* npm start

$

Then do as it says:

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$ cd project0
$ git init
$ npm i
$ npm audit fix --force
$ npm audit fix --force
$ DEBUG=project0:* npm start

Upon which you start your favorite browser, and key in http://localhost:3000 in the url field and press enter.

ITI.0.1

The curriculum said:

opsætte krav og planlægge sikkerhed, idriftsættelse og vedligeholdelse

This exercise is to think about, not do (yet)

  • What?, Lets be simple and say ’todo’, or take ’notes’, or …
  • For whom?
  • How to store data?
  • Security?

Put you thoughts on a piece of paper. Be brief, yet clear enough to be operational.

ITI.0.2

Let us do a short live coding session to make this website live.