Infrastructure Architecture
What is Infrastructure Architecture?
Infrastructure Architecture is comprised
of two components as the name implies. From a technology perspective,
infrastructure includes the computers, servers, software, routers,
switches and all hardware and software components that create the
complete local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN).
Architecture is the design of the
above components and how everything will work together to achieve
optimal performance. The design process includes not only technology,
but how the business utilizes these resources and are aligned to
work in a cohesive environment that achieves total return on investment
(ROI).
Infrastructure Architecture as a Service
Infrastructure landscapes benefit from proper infrastructure
architecture. To be able to translate business, information, and
application architectures into solutions that really work in a real
world, the supporting infrastructure services should be in line.
The result would make architecture stronger as a whole and enable
architecture to deliver solutions that are consistent from beginning
to end. To enhance the effectiveness of architecture, attention
must be paid to infrastructure architecture to complete the whole
picture.
An incentive is that it directly pays off to invest
in infrastructure architecture. Blessings that are delivered by
a mature use of it include:
Greater insight into and overview of existing complex infrastructure
services by preparing a transparent and structured taxonomy.
Development of a structured, standardized, and consolidated set
of infrastructure services that optimally support business processes
and applications. This prevents overlapping and diversity of services,
and thus reduces the complexity of managed services and life-cycle
management. Standardization produces greater flexibility bottom-up,
because it makes it easier to carry out expansions, changes, and
replacements.
A balanced examination of the possibilities that are offered by
new technologies and a concrete path towards solutions to the challenges
that occur in business operations. Specialized expertise is used
to dispel hype, but without missing opportunities. Architecture
thus strengthens the demand side in an area that is frequently dominated
by the supply side (that is, manufacturers and suppliers).
Transparent and complete input—both technical and functional—for
engineering, building, and testing activities. Architecture avoids
a one-sided, technical approach to projects for building infrastructure
services, and it also safeguards the alignment of delivered products
with the predefined requirements for functionality and quality.
Improved alignment with operational services, because architecture
enables engineering that is driven by service-level agreements (SLAs)/operating-level
agreements (OLAs). Service-level management and operational services
play a role at an early stage of creating new infrastructure services.
This results in better and more effectively supported SLAs and OLAs.
In combination with standardization and consolidation, this reduces
the complexity of service-level management and operational services,
too, because there is less diversity in the SLAs and OLAs.
